It’s been quite a busy time over here at the @OtownPyle casa.

Went on vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico which was awesome. Hit up the rain forest, checked out the San Juan fort, (the whole history of this place is pretty cool, maybe I’ll get to it a bit in a later, longer post specifically about our visit), went kayaking in pitch black darkness through a 1.2 mile mangrove channel to a bio luminescent bay (Laguna Grande), drank a bunch, got a better tan, spoke a little Spanish, etc. When you stick your hand or ore into the water the micro-organisms in the water emit light. It’s so awesome. Once in a lifetime experience. But mostly because I won’t ever do that shit again! Went and checked out Old Harbor Brewery in downtown San Juan. They have some good brews down there. I’d recommend it, if you’re ever down that way.  The beer of the locals is Medalla Light. Nothing special for sure. Just a super light lager similar to most of the big three American style lagers. But boy do the locals push it. Their local cuisine consists of alot of mashed plantains. Just basically fried fritters. Nothing special. I like my food here. Though we did eat something I’ve never seen here from the Sushi places. Sushi Pizzas. Basically it’s a patty of sticky rice about 6 inches in diameter, tempura fried, with the meat and toping of your choice usually w/ spicy mayo drizzled on top… These were awesome!

Started a new job. Had to give up the work at home gig, so now I’m back it an office. Let’s just say it’s been a transition. Apparently these places make you wear pants! Ludicrous I say…

Went this past holiday weekend and visited some family down in Gulf Shores, Al. Didn’t ever make it to the beach (for obvious reasons) but visited the lagoon (brackish water off of the Gulf of Mexico) that they keep blocked off until the water gets high then then have to drain it. They blocked it off w/ a big sand dune when the oil spill happened.  And also went and floated the Styx River. Which is always fun, but if you don’t like drunks or rednecks or both (& I are one), then it might not be for you.

Also got a tattoo! on my calf! My first tattoo, BTW.  It felt like @StinkyPeso scratching me for 3 hours. The anticipation was the worst, then didn’t feel that bad but by the end my endorphines had ran out I think and I could feel ever single needle it seemed like. Also about half way though my tattoo artist told me that their tattooing equipment puts 2 or 4 million holes in your skin per minute (I can’t remember which but that’s still a #Dump load).

Here’s a pic of the new ink (or “pigment” as it’s  now called)

Bascially, the whole deal behind this tatt is a few things. One my birth name has been translated as King or Little King. I’m a Leo, which is also king. Hence the crown and all. My favorite animal has always been a tiger. In fact when I was little I always said I wanted a pet one when I got rich… I think they had one on Aladdin or some shit & Mike Tyson (see The Hangover) has one so it has to be cool. If you’ve noticed my avatar pic, that’s a tiger paw in the background :). Thanks @blonde_holly for your wonderful artistic design.  It also doesn’t hurt that I went to the University of Memphis #GoTigersGo.  Additionally, I didn’t think of this actually, but @ARVaught brought it to my attention before I got the tatt and was showing off the design to my #Pals (That’s right just gave the #Pals a plug), that the design looked like a Rasta Lion (Google Rasta Lion if you don’t know what I’m talking about). Reggae just happens to be probably my top genre of music so that just works so well. Icing on the cake if you will.

On the #HomeBrew Front, I’ve started back again. Been so damn busy lately that I haven’t been able to do anything. But now I have a Vintner’s Pinot Gris wine & a Golden Palisades IPA from Austin Home Brew fermenting right now that I’ve got going in the past week or two. @Thile & myself are also fixing to brew a beer for a #Homebrew competition at Keg & Barrel in Hattiesburg, MS in November for Lazy Magnolia Brewery. The winner is going to have their beer brewed by Lazy Mag as a special seasonal brew. The info is on K&B’s site which is referenced above, or click this link for a PDF of the rules.  I’m still doing extract partial boil batches. I’d like to hurry up and move to full boil & then partial mash hopefully before end of the year… We’ll see… 

That’s it for now…

WELLLLLSSSSTTTTTT OBVIOUSLLLLLYYYYYYYYY & Get At Me,

www.twitter.com/OtownPyle

What’s up Fam? What’s good? Bunch of shit been going down my way here lately… Last day at my job of 4 years was this past Friday. Been busy doing the job search thing here lately, interviews, the whole nine yards & half ass training people to do my old job.

Haven’t brewed a beer in a couple months because of all the running around, being broke, and anticipating the next paragraph. Plus we’ve been all over the place this summer & I have a good 3 cases of home brew left in the closet.

This past Saturday was the inaugural Jackson Mississippi Top of the Hops Beer Fest. The wife & I volunteered to support the Raise Your Pints cause. It was fucking packed. They anticipated 1600 people and had over 2800! It was in downtown Jackson at the Convention Center. I consider that a succcess in my book.  People were strolling in 3 hours after the doors opened! I have found out that I am not cut out for free labor so next year I’ll be buying a ticket for sure.  We have a cap of 6% alcohol by volume (5% by weight) in Mississippi. RYP is working on getting that changed as well as trying to get home brewing of beer legalized.  Check the link above, we need all the help we can get!

Additionally, the governor of Mississippi declared last week Mississippi Craft Beer Week. Which is HUGE! Check the letter here. Hopefully we can get some laws changed and caps lifted next time our bills go to the Senate.

We’re also going to Puerto Rico next week. I’m pumped about this trip. We’re going to do a cool all day “adventure” tour through the Puerto Rican rainforest, waterfalls, snorkeling and then kayaking in the Bio luminescent Bay that night. (More info here http://www.eietecotourspr.com/EIET_Web-Site_08/Quick_Clips_Triple_Play_Adventure_Day!.html). Should be a great day. We are also planning on doing a pub crawl and the rum tour while we’re there for sure. Hopefully this tropical storm gets through w/o any trouble/damage & we can get there safe and sound on time. At any rate, I plan on spending a majority of my time beach side w/ my “toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand”.

When we get back, I want to try my hand in wine making. I’m going to buy a wine kit & another beer kit and get back to it. I thought it’d be cool to make something that 1) the wife might actually like 2) I could give the family for Christmas presents. I’m ready also to get to full boiling my extract kits. So I need to get a bigger brew kettle. Then I can slowly make my way to partial mash & All-Grain brewing.

At any rate, I’m unemployed all week and going to PR next week. I start my new job on the 16th.  It’s gonna be tough going back to an office daily since I’ve been working from home for the past 8 months since we’ve lived here. But it probably won’t be a bad thing to get back in a routine. I’ve put on way too many lbs while working at  home… Time to get back on the wagon…

In the mean time, I plan on playing Disc Golf daily this week even w/ the temperature above 100 every day. But I tell you what, I’d take 100+ degree weather over that cold shit anyday… I hate cold weather! Plus I have Freshballs and it was sent down from the heavens for men that have to live in this unbearable heat! Plus they got some funny promo videos on YouTube.