The Second Batch

The process has begun again. Hopefully, this time I won't screw it up quite as badly.

Much to my surprise, I was able to harvest another five (FIVE!!) gallons of grapes from the backyard pergola. That's enough to fill the bug bucket... and the kitchen sink.



This time, however, as they were de-stemmed and crushed, the remnants did not get shoved down the disposal. So... no stuffed-up drains this time!

The first batch is still fermenting...



...and it has about six months and half a dozen decantings to go. Stay tuned!

A Small Milestone

It was a big morning. Well, for me, anyway.

When I stepped on the scales this morning, I was under 210. I haven't been under 210 in nearly a year. Good things are happening.

Happening slowly. But happening.

Check out the chart:



Mind you, 210 is still considered "extremely overweight."  But I'm working on it.  And making progress.

My goal is to be back down to about 180 by my birthday in January. In theory, that's a quarter pound per day... two pounds per week.  So far, I'm on track. At least according to the progress chart.

I've been making a very conscious effort to control my eating and make better choices. The food diary really is helping. Each day I can see how many calories I've eaten and how that fits in with the calorie restrictions necessary to reach my goal.

Plus, I've actually been back to the gym a few times. Shaun and Don have both been inspirational.

There's a long way to go... but every milestone feels good.

Mound Tour: Day Four

We covered some serious ground on Thursday. About 200 miles again.

This time, I dragged Shaun with me.



To be honest, it was a little embarrassing. I had told him all about the earthworks in Newark and near Dayton and how much I was looking forward to seeing some really great things today. But many of things we saw (and some we couldn’t find) were disappointingly eroded, “scraped,” damaged or annihilated.

All the details are (as usual) on the travel blog.

We're Making Bubbly!

I just had to share this because I think it's so incredible!

The grapes have been fermenting for a couple of days.  I stir the vat a couple of times a day.  Naturally, as they ferment, they give off gas... but I had no idea it would be this much!  Wow!  It's a steady gurgle coming from the container... and the kitchen smells really grapy and yeasty.

Just watch the bubbles coming from the air-lock-thingy....

Moundbuilders Tour: Day Three

It kind of happened on a whim. Had the day off... decided to hit the road.

Gas prices are a little shocking, thanks to the aftermath of Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression/Pain-in-the-Ass Ike. But the traffic wasn’t too bad... the construction delays were minimal and it was a beautiful day for a drive.

For the day, we put in 201 miles.

All the details are posted on the Travel Blog... travel.marshallmcpeek.com.

Winemaking 101: Don't Screw It Up in the First 24 Hours

Okay. Let's just put it out there: I'm a rookie. I'm blonde (no, really, it's not a dye job). And, apparently, I'm just not very smart.

Duh #1: To make wine, grapes have to ferment. Not just the juice. The whole grape.

Duh #2: If you throw out the pulp, there's not much left to ferment.

Duh #3: Dumping the pulp down the disposal will clog it up. Permanently.

So there you have it. This is how the winemaking project begins. With a major screw up. The pulp of the red concords is fermenting in the vat. The pulp from the white concords has totally stuffed up the plumbing in the kitchen.

The project may yet be salvagaeable, though. There are lots more grapes still on the vines. It may be possible to create a whole new batch with what's left.

The harvesting may have to begin again tomorrow. Aaaaaargh! I hate being so stupid!

The Winemaking Begins

We have grapes. Lots of grapes.

This is the first year the vines on the backyard pergola have actually produced fruit. And they decided to debut in spectacular fashion. There are bunches hanging from nearly every inch of the plants. It's incredible!

So, we need to make some wine!

I went to the Winemaker's Shop in Clintonville this afternoon with a sample of the grapes. The owner is wonderful. She was helpful and knowledgeable... and willing to deal with a newbie. She set me up with a full kit. Everything you need to make wine at home. The fermentation vat, a big glass jar to do more fermentation, the little bubbler thingy, dry chemicals, etc. It's all there.



She says the concords don't make great wine... but they're okay. And it's fine for a first-time experiment. So, I don't have exceedingly high hopes for this batch. But it's worth a try!  There's always next year, right?

I de-stemmed and crushed the grapes... by hand. It says that's the best way to do it because you don't want to crush the seeds. Added the water. Added the dry chemicals. And gave it a stir.

Now, it has to sit for a few days. Stir twice a day.

Winemaking Disaster Number One

After squeezing the first batch of grapes, there was a whole bag full of seeds, husks and goo left behind. It's compostable. So I figured I'd just put it through the disposal to get rid of it.

Why couldn't I have just thrown it in the trash like a normal person? Hmmmmm?

In no time, the grape leftovers clogged the drain... and, it turns out, the pipes. Packed solid. No amount of plungering was going to dislodge this stuff. It's in there good.

Then the pipe from the disposal let loose. Black crap everywhere. The entire inside of the cabinet was covered in gross, smelly, gunk. Ewwwww.

I took the pipes apart under the sink. Dug out the grape remnants. Put it all back together again. Still clogged. It's farther down the system than what's under the sink.

A full bottle of Draino hasn't been able to unclog it. Yet.

The kitchen is a wreck. And, unfortunately, it's going to have to stay that way until tomorrow afternoon. I can deal with it again after work.

Why are these things never easy? Oy.

Ohio v. Ohio State

Today, the Ohio State Buckeyes were caught completely off guard. The OU Bobcats scored early and had the lead going into halftime. 14-6, Bobcats!

Granted, they lost it in the end... but the Bobcats can walk away proud. All of the pundits, all of the commentators... even fans on both sides... were predicting a blow out. It was supposed to be a massacre. A drubbing.

By playing their hardest (through most of the game, anyway), the Bobcats held off the Buckeyes and made it an exciting game.

Congrats to the Buckeyes on their win. But even more kudos to OU, the team they were supposed to roll over mercilessly... but couldn't.

Go Bobcats!

Great Bobcat Spirit!

For the first time in nearly a decade the Ohio University Bobcats are going to take on the Ohio State University Buckeyes in a spectacular football game at Ohio Stadium.

The Ohio University Alumni Association's Central Ohio Chapter invited me and a few other media types to emcee a Pep Rally at the Lodge Bar in the Arena District. Hundreds of Bobcat fans were there... including current OU President Roderick McDavis and legendary former President Vernon Alden (the man for whom the library is named). The Alumni Varsity Band rallied the troops with stirring fight songs and the "Poo Toss" gave Bobcat fans a chance to take out some pent-up frustration on the overconfident Ohio State University.

As President McDavis said, "We're here to kick some Buckeye butt!"

A great time was had by all!

GO BOBCATS!



Remember... we are Ohio... you are State!

The Mound Tour Continues

After doing some research and being even more fascinated than before, the tour had to continue ASAP. Call me impatient. If you know me, that’s not a surprise.

Day Two of the tour is in Licking County, northeast of Columbus. It begins in the Village of Granville then heads to Newark. The remains in Newark are all that are left of one of the ancient Wonders of the World.

Photos, some experimental video, an itinerary and lots of info are posted on the Travel Blog: travel.marshallmcpeek.com.

Day Three of the tour can't be too far away! Stay tuned!

The Mound Tour Begins

This is just the beginning! Still working on the details for the rest of the tour. Stay tuned.

There are dozens of mounds in Central and Southern Ohio. The Hopewells, the Adena and the other societies known as “the mound builders” inhabited this area thousands of years ago. The mounds they left behind are intriguing, to say the least, and many are still a mystery. Were they burial mounds? Were they for religious purposes? Were they calendars or astronomical tracking devices? The answers still confound the anthropologists.

But the mounds themselves are amazing.

More details and more photos are at travel.marshallmcpeek.com.