Alive

Moby urgently needed to go OUT this morning, so I took him OUT. Later, we shopped, and he lingered at the door - took some dissuading. Got back, ate lunch, tossed the chicken packaging, and he scoooted out past my leg. I chuckled, slowly and calmly followed and picked him up. He 'gakkked' at me, but knew better than to struggle.

"No, you do not go outside naked."
"I'm not naked! I have fur!"

I don't get angry, nor upset. I chuckle and calmly tuck him under my arm.

Really a lovely day, a little cool, dark clouds and bright sun together. Rain possible but nothing so far. Can't blame a cat for giving it a go. Swept up the elm seeds, a sold ten gallons on the compost pile, well soaked. Next year the tree is gone, or I put up netting. Also need to do something better for the compost, the Ikkyah boards left behind are disintegrating badly. Looking at getting some wire enclosure.

Not getting much done today, aside from getting to Trader Joe's this morning. Made lunch. Idling and reading.

The whole Epic Brewing story is one I can add in my 2¢. I read about them, when they opened. Stopped by the first week, when there was still SOME beer. A minor news story, as the local rag presented it. New loophole in local liquor laws, so they started a strong beer brewery, three years ago. With great skill, mind. So, when we were on the tour, I asked if they had any idea of how popular they would be. They sold out all their stock the first week - what they reckoned would be three month's worth. No, I was told, they were in no way prepared for the response they got. They surpassed the Five Year Plan within six months, and at three years are well into the ten year plan.

People came back, once they got more brewed, persistently. Thirsty folks around here. I was one of them. I even like their beers that aren't the kind of beers I usually like. Their Imperial Pale Ale is a wonder to behold. Although I still prefer the dark ales, and Big Bad Baptist is a force to be reckoned with. Everything has so much flavor, all done with evident attention and talent. They've kept up the quality, variety, and have not let it ruin them. Brewer mentioned on the tour that they keep it all very, very clean. No need, very obvious they are meticulous. They have 35 employees, and are opening a new brewery in Colorado. Seeing them do so well is a happy.

We are not our jobs, but our jobs surely shape us. I know when to do very clean (not quite sterile at home, although pretty close) and when to assume dirty. The bottom of any sink is contaminated/dirty. Our Own Bugges are not to be worried about if it's just us. If Dave is stopping by, I make sure anything given to him (even though he's probably no longer immuno-supressed) is very clean/sterile-ish. Floor nurses (ward nurses) call sterile what we might call clean. But it is as good as they can get. In surgery, we have to do better. If in doubt, throw it out.

Food prep is nearly if not quite as sterile as surgery.

I stood by the 80 barrel vats, listening to the yeast bubble, and felt a strange awe. Not sterile, but as clean as it needed to be. Alive.

Awesome.