The Bachelor Life

First of all, a couple people have complained that they can't figure out how to comment on the blog. I posted some instructions on the upper right corner of the blog called "Learn To Comment." There's a link there where Google will take you through the process. Shoot me an email if you're still having trouble and we can figure it out together. It would be cool if some people commented though seeing as all of you don't know each other, maybe you'll make a new internet-friend.

I've been living with Liz for the past 5 years other than a brief stint when I was working in Colorado, but even then Liz followed me out there for most of the time. What I'm trying to say is that it has been a while since I've been a "bachelor." In fact, I do most of the cooking and cleaning and dog-maintenance around the house. I'm somewhat of a renaissance man (ladies swoon). So it is quite liberating living in a house with two other guys and doing guy stuff.

We are subleasing a fully furnished townhouse from some Japanese post-docs. And a comical and recurring theme that we have encountered has risen out of a difference in culture. Let me show you some examples:

All in all it is a nice place and we've been enjoying ourselves in it. And as you can see from the bottom photo, we have already figured out how to use the vacuum so we are pretty civilized. The hot water header does make a popping noise for about 20 minutes after someone showers but I've been telling myself it is fireworks a couple of miles away and it is quite pleasant.

One thing that we are lacking is a big pot though. Mike and I made pasta sauce on Thursday and since we used the biggest pot for the sauce, we had to improvise for the pasta. So we did the logical thing and split the pasta between the saute pan I brought and the tea kettle we found in the cabinet. Semolina yerba-mate anyone?

My room is pretty nice. I've got a bed and a big chair. I'm using the TV stand as a bookshelf and there is an extra mattress in case anyone wants to come visit. Also, I've kind of got my own bathroom since Mike and Jeff are both up on the second floor. We look our bikes up out back on the porch which is right behind my head while I'm laying in bed. I'm not too worried about them though cause this place is so poorly insulated I'd wake up if someone was making noise trying to steal them.

We've got our first batch of beer chugging away in the fermentation/bike pump/mailbox key closet. Mike brewed an India-Brown-Belgian (I don't know either, I think he's channeling Sam Caligone) on Saturday with the Sudwerk pilot system.

So that is about it for the bachelor life thus far. We've got the kegerator hooked up in the classroom with Sudwerk's India Pale Lager on tap so that should hold us until this first batch of homebrew in done. And if we run out, at the bottom of our classroom stairs we have a taproom with 1/2 price beers from the Sudwerk guys. Not a bad deal at all.