Cricket - the dog

My parents dog is CRAZY ! She's an over sized German Shepherd that is 2 years old and only beginning to calm down. My parents are gone for a week so my sister Brooke is "babysitting".

Here she is sitting on the couch being a goof. . .

Fire, Food, and Fun !

Krista and I went to visit some good friends of ours up near Oxford, Ohio. . .Johnny and Shelley. They have an awesome house with a huge barn and lots of land. We cooked hot dogs, bratwurst, couple of giant pieces of beef, and veggies, along with potato salad. Johnny knows how to do it up right. . .
-
Dave Sabo, meat master extraordinaire, smoked the beef. Then we had a giant fire, Sabo wrapped some salvaged copper wire around a giant stick and stuck it in the middle of the fire. When we lit the fire it gave off some pretty neat colors. . . He'll go back the next day and grab the wire and turn it in for scrap. . .
His wife Shelley is opening up a retail store in Oxford called “Off the Beaten Path” and have asked me to help them design a sign and logo for their business. Here’s what we came up with and I think it works well with their theme/philosophies on life. . . Stay tuned for pictures of the actual construction of the sign, and if your ever in Oxford, check out their shop ! The Grand Opening is sometime in August. . . !

Rock Lobster !

I went swimming at the pool over the weekend. I wanted to get a tan, so of course I did not put on any sunscreen, despite the advice of my girlfriend, her sister, and numerous other persons.

-

So bottom line, I am a lobster. I won't disgust you with photos of me. . .instead here's one of John Candy in "Summer Rental". . .its a good comparison. . trust me. . .

Website is up and Running !

Its not much to look at yet, but the website is up and running !
-
Need shirts made, need a design, give us a call, check out the site !
-
http://www.cincinnaticustomtshirts.com
-
Below is Patrick and Chuck, a couple of fellow home brewers. Look how excited they are !

My Tomatoes Ain't Tainted

My tomatoes aren't tainted. . .because we don't have any yet.

Meet the Kids. . .

These are our babies, we have had both of them since they were kittens. Mr. Ming (the tiger cat) is a big boy, weighing close to 23 pounds, follows me around like dog, scratches at the porch door when he wants to go out, goes nuts when I poor a glass of milk, and sleeps at the corner of our bed everynight.
Opal (we call her Tee), is only slightly smaller than her big brother, and loves to hide under beds, jumps in the shower to let water drip over her head so we have to pet her to dry her off, and likes to give little love nibbles when your laying on the couch asleep. . . .

One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, Smelly Fish. . .

After a glorious weekend in New York, I came home to my house reeking of rotten fish. . .
-
My poor fish had met its maker, and to get back at me for spending years of his uneventful life in a square glass box, he bloated up like a stinky watermelon, and secreted a mass of slime which clouded over my tank like fog on a lighthouse. . . in no doubt trying to take his fellow tank mates with him to the other side. . . .

-

Don't get me wrong. . I am sad. . . but pissed I have to deal with this stinky mess. . . .

-

So long Pat Jr. . . . . you will be missed. . . .

I want one. . .

Went to Krista's cousin's for a graduation party. They had a beautiful house with a wooded lot and a pond. The pond was loaded with giant fish that would practically jump up and take food from your hand. Look how blue this water is ! I want one. . .

Were Not Winos . . But the pictures say otherwise. . .

I got together with a fellow co-worker and bottled some wine last night. Every year three of us go in on grapes shipped from California to Ohio and we make wine. . . .mostly Red wine.
-
The wine in the oak barrel is a 2006 Zinfandel from the Sutter Ridge region in California. It’s been in the barrel for approximately 1 year, 4 months.
-
We ended up with 9 cases (split 3 ways) and filled a few carboys for further bulk aging.