So, my dad got a new motorcycle - good for him (that is his bike in the picture to the left). I personally have driven a motorcycle a handful of times. The first time was ridiculous - I had a couple of beers in me, and my cousin actually let me get on the "Ninja" he just got. I made it all of 15 feet - literally not further than across the street, where I hit a patch of sand and dropped the bike! I wasn't going that fast, and there wasn't much damage, so it worked out I guess. I did eventually get to ride some other bikes - a Honda, which I drove with my brother on the back (holding on for dear life) a few miles up and down the boulevard and a 1969 Triumph Bonneville. I like to say I actually helped restore that '69 Triumph bike with my dad - I did help, and learned a bunch about the bike and how it works. I'm pretty sure all I did was hold the damn flashlight, though. I spent a lot of my youth holding a flashlight.
Anyway, my dad is now crazy about this bike (obsessed?). And now, apparently, he's a "Harley-Guy". I remember the days when he was a "Triumph-Guy", but things change I guess. That may be the point of this post. Not anything major. It isn't earth shattering or anything like that - just that people change.
So, as you can see, these posts aren't always going to be about homebrewing and beer per se - but I'd like to try and tie it all back together to brewing or beer or something if I can - cause I think that things that you are passionate about can get tied into most everything that happens - or at least one can make it seem that way.
While I spent a lot of time holding a flashlight for my dad as a youth, I also spent a good amount of time 'helping' him in his winemaking endeavors. Mostly, I cleaned out carboys and helped sanitize bottles - oh yeah, and helping to carry hundreds of pounds of grapes into the basement was fun too! I learned a bunch of things that I didn't think I'd use when I 'grew up'. Turns out I do use some of those things - like cleaning and rinsing carboys - I do that a lot nowadays. And, if there were an olympic sport for it, I'd be the Michael Phelps of flashlight holding!
I'll likely write more in the future about my old days as a winemaker, maybe get my dad to contribute something, who knows. But this is it for now.
Cheers!
