Deceptacle

I've heard many tales from my friends about this wonderful store called Beers of the World, but I had never had the honor of setting foot inside the door until today.  Let me tell you, it is a treat.  They have beers from every region of the world, and microbrews from all over the U.S.  I decided to try to take a sample from every region in the store, and then a few of the American micros.

The Kraken - Black Spiced Rum

I finally found it! I remember stumbling upon a review of this rum a while back and immediately wanted to try it since I'm a sucker for quirky and unusual things.  Apparently the handles come in a fancy box and have some cool extras thrown in.

I definitely like the bottle design, with the two handles at the top and the artwork on the label.  It has a very old style about it, and the label is written in a script that's eye-catching.

As far as taste, it is very reminiscent of Captain Morgan Tattoo, but the flavor is a little more subtle.  It actually reminds me a little bit of a grape flavor (more for drink mixes than actual grapes), except that it's not sugary. Mix this with your general rum mixers. Coke or Pepsi would be my first choice, though for any other drinks, the spice won't be overpowering, so you can definitely feel free to experiment a bit.

The Kraken weighs in at 94 proof (47% alcohol), which is stronger than usual, and that is always welcome.  I got my 750mL for about $18.99 at one of the local liquor stores, so it's not obnoxiously expensive.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a more unique rum than the usual Captain Morgans and Bacardis.

Put a beast in your belly! - Website

My roommate and I enjoy watching the TV show Fringe, and we've developed a drinking game to go along with it, which I decided to augment with a few suggestions I've found floating around the internet

• 1 Drink for every series of questions Olivia has (it used to be for every question, but that got ridiculous)
• 1 Drink every time Walter says "hypothesis", "theory", or something similar
• 1 Drink whenever Walter mentions food. 2 Drinks if it's inappropriate
• 1 Drink whenever Walter references a previous project
• 1 Drink whenever someone says "door" or "portal"
• 1 Drink if Walter gets someone's name wrong
• 3 Drinks if you spot the observer. Finish your drink if you missed him by the end of the episode

I bowled a 269 today

I'm glad to say that I've still got it, so if this whole developer thing doesn't work out, I can be a professional bowler

Christmas is a mere 5 days away, so in typical male fashion, I started my shopping. And since I'm back in New Hampshire, that means I was being economical by avoiding the sales tax (wink wink, nudge nudge).

The mall is an obvious choice, so I decided to start there. I also had some time to kill because I was getting my oil changed at Sears, so after getting my shopping done in 20 minutes, I just made laps up and down the main hall.

I was propositioned by one of the stall hawkers to let them show me how they can make my texting easier (I was tapping on my phone, looking stuff up and notifying Facebook of my joy at the lack of sales tax). With time to kill, and a notoriously awful inability to say no, I decided to humor her.

She asked me to hold out my pinky, and then with some sort of block, began buffing my nail. She talked about the various properties of this magic block and the fact that buying one would net me 3 additional kits. I inquired as to what she was doing and what it was because I have no knowledge of nail care. She never actually answered me...

Also, I asked her how this was supposed to make texting easier. She laughed at that and said that it wouldn't, but it got my attention. The sly dog!

After buffing my nail, she brought me over to one of their cart lights so I could see the amazing finish my pinky now possessed, all the while telling me that it would make a wonderful present for all of the girls I know. I continued to play along, and I'm sure she thought that I was hooked, and going to drop the $70 or so for the kit when I dropped some knowledge on her.

I informed her that I go to a tech school where there are very few girls, and I don't know any that I would buy a $70 nail kit for. The unfortunate sales girl's face fell, with the faint sound of her commission flying out the window. She weakly offered up "what about your mom? your sister?" Unfortunately for her, my mom isn't much into nail care, and I have no sisters (technically a half truth, but whatever).

The sales girl threw up her arms in what I initially thought was a hug (that would have been weird if I followed through with that thought), but was more just an exasperated shrug and said "well, what can you do?" I agreed, thanked her for the shiny pinky, and continued on my way.

Danny and I are going to be playing Wisest Wizard tonight with some friends. Here are some preliminary, first run rules that we're going to try out.

General Rules:

1. Drink a beer
2. Using duct tape, attach it to your staff of empties (indicates level. 1 beer = 1 level)
3. Upon completing levels 5, 10, 15, etc. the only way you can advance is to defeat a boss. This consists of doing a shot of hard liquor. Name the boss after the liquor. For example, Disaronno would become Boss'a'ronno. You have to fight the boss with at least one other player. That player doesn't have to be leveling up though.
4. While some people play with the full beer at the top of the staff, we're allowing players to hold the new beer separate since we're going to be gaming and there will be lots of expensive equipment around and we don't want any spillage

Fun Rules:

• After level 10, you can create a wizard hat from an empty beer box.

Additional Things

• Wizard Chess: beer pong, played for levels. The winner gets both their levels, and their opponent's levels.
• Appropriate Wizard Lingo at all times
  • I'm feeling drunk - I'm feeling wise
  • I need another beer - I need to level up
  • Want to play beer pong? - I challenge you to a game of Wizard Chess
• Players are encouraged to name their staffs and attach attributes to it as they level up.

New book to read

Just got this book in the mail. Read the first bit and it definitely seems like a fantastic read.

Description from Amazon.com
'God Hates You, Hate Him Back' makes the ultimate case for the claim that the God of the Bible is the most wicked character in the pages of history. With a wit as dry as a martini, and the cross examination techniques of a seasoned lawyer, CJ Werleman lays out all sixty-six chapters of the Bible to present an irrefutable argument that indeed God hates us all. If you have never read or never fully understood The Bible then you will do no better than this unique, comedic, 21st century summary of the greatest story ever sold, or in Werleman's own words 'never read'.

'God Hates You, Hate Him Back' provides you with an arsenal of Biblical facts, stories, mythology and assertions to ensure you victory in your next religious debate.

Arguably the most unique, certainly most entertaining, rendition of the Bible ever told!

In my second attempt at being slightly domesticated, I stuck with the fish/grain combo

Preparing the scallions

Cashew Salmon w/ Apricot Couscous

EatingWell.com page

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 3 scallions, sliced, greens and whites separated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
• 1 pound salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific, skinned and cut into 4 portions
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews

All of the ingredients getting ready for cooking

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
2. Combine yogurt, scallion greens, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, ginger, scallion whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, rub salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. If broiling, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. If grilling, oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill or broil the salmon until browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the couscous, topped with the yogurt sauce and cashews.

Finished

The final dish, along with some carrots

I decided to have an adventure with two new recipes.

Tilapia Picante

Tilapia Picante just before going into the oven

EatingWell.com Page

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds halibut , striped bass or tilapia fillet, cut into 4 portions
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin , divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange fish on baking sheet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper.
• Combine tomatoes, cilantro, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in a small bowl. Spoon over the fish.
• Bake the fish until flaky and opaque in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Barley & Wild Rice Pilaf

EatingWell.com Page

Barley & Wild Rice Pilaf cooking

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 each medium onion , finely chopped
• 1/2 cup wild rice , rinsed
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add wild rice and barley; stir for a few seconds. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the wild rice and barley are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Add parsley to the pilaf; fluff with a fork. Serve hot.

All Finished

All finished! It was delicious

The saying "Time heals all wounds" is very true. I spent some time over the past few nights thinking about how things have change, how I have changed. I realized I have trouble remembering certain things that I thought I could never live without. It is really quite curious.

"When you date someone, it's like you're taking one long course in who that person is, and then when you break up, all that stuff becomes useless...It's the emotional equivalent of an English degree"
-- Ted Mosby (How I Met Your Mother)