Columbus Carriage Classic Amber

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I've discovered I have a odd way of looking at how long I have lived in Columbus.

In real time it's been about fourteen months. But when people ask me I find myself wanting to say six months. This has happened a couple times and at first I thought it was just another brain cramp until I realized . . . . six months ago was when Universal came to town and I started blogging about it PE and Columbus.

For me, my time in Columbus is BPE (Before Public Enemies) and APE (After Public Enemies). BPE I was your typical person that worked in Madison, lived in Columbus didn't know anybody and could never figure out when the Kurth Brewery was open.

APE I feel like I'm part of the community (whether they want me or not), have more non-sport friends then I have ever had, know a few business owners (including the Kurth) but still I don't know when the Kurth Mansion is open.

I feel like I really have only lived here for 6 months. And both DJ and I love it.
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I received a letter from the Columbus Auditorium Corporation that I should forward to you.

Dear Public Enemies Blog.

Thank you so much for your Blog donations of $334.22 to the Columbus Auditorium Corporation. 2008 will bring us closer to begin our work to restore the Columbus City Hall Auditorium. The Columbus City Council voted to approve amended language in our lease agreement. The changes will make it possible for CAC to apply for State and Federal funding. The Council also voted to approve the replacement of the roof on City Hall and to provide the upgrade for elec. Poser to the Auditorium. This will enable us to proceed with our plans to REVIVE the Auditorium. The CAC is looking forward to bringing quality family entertainment back to Columbus and surrounding Communities.

Robert Schirmacher
Treasurer CAC

I bring this up because it SEEMS that some of the Council members that voted YES are now rethinking and getting cold feet.

Just keeping you informed.
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You're asking yourself - why is Todd Frey up there on a 100 foot tower.

I was as surprised as you are when I attended the Closing Ceremonies of the Columbus Carriage Classic Sunday night. The big Firemen's building in Fireman's Park is larger then it looks when inside. Who would ever believe, when looking at it on the outside that THIS was going on inside.

That entire tower is made of folding chairs that I had to put away when it was over. And those guys can REALLY drink a lot of lemonade.

But let's not be so serious for a second. What the Columbus Carriage Classic needs are POSTCARDS!!!! I'll have to look around to see if I can find anybody that could get some postcards into the stream of things. hmmmmm how about Note cards also????
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Speaking of Postcards - I am now dealing with Corporate America. I had Walgreens Corporate Office call me about putting PE post cards in the Columbus Walgreen's.

Talk about making things complicated. Vendor numbers, logging into websites, making agreements, minimum orders - DUDE - I'm a guy with a camera, not a thriving National company of 100 employees. Am I going to have to fly to Cleveland for a meeting with top company execs? IT'S A ONE DOLLAR POSTCARD!!
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And while I was putting away all of those folding chairs I was thinking of what I had to do once I got home. I had to bottle Grinder's Island Columbus Carriage Classic Amber (GICCCA).

I have to say in all honesty that Im a little exited about this batch. Many of you have asked about how the brewery is going and I have to say that my first brew - Scorched Earth Brown is . . .well . . . . perhaps a little too scorched and some of the bottles have been poured down the drain. Sad - yes!

When I was finished brewing batch #1 I said "this will need a miracle". Well my friends, it seems miracles don't always happen.

Brew #2 is actually drinkable but because I made SUCH a mess with boiling batch #1 I did not have the rolling boil needed for batch #2 so it's a little light - but drinkable . . .for me!

HOWEVER - I bottled Columbus Carriage Classic Amber, a Classic Amber (go figure) and not only did it have an outstanding color but it tasted pretty darn good out of the bottling bucket. Let it bottle condition for a few weeks to get the carbonation up and it'll be fine. My first real success!

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I was talking to Cheryl Frey at the Closing Ceremonies last night and was SHOCKED!! All I'm going to say is that I will be on alert the next time Cheryl is spotted near the Christopher Columbus Statue. That's all I'm going to say, I don't want anybody getting in trouble or asking any questions.

Let's just drop it and move on. Disregard the above paragraph.

Cheryl and I both want to hear the the story behind that statue - how long has it been there. Did Christopher Columbus erect it when he discovered Columbus? Is it life size?? It would have been cooler if Napoleon would have discovered Columbus on his way to conquer Austria. Now THAT would have been something to talk about.

** all names have been changed to protect the innocent - any name that looks like a real name is some sort of freakish coincidence.

This reminds me of something that happened when I was a wee lad.

Me and some other ne'er-do-wells were in possession of an M-80 firecracker and looking for something to blowup. We had a pumpkin so being good little ne'er-do-wells we decided to put the pumpkin in the middle of the street and blow it up.

The street is a very very little traveled street where cars never ever go down it so we felt pretty safe. We put the M80 in the pumpkin and lit the long fuse and ran.

I swear - not 2 seconds later a little VW Bug comes careening around the corner going 40 - hits the large pumpkin square. The pumpkin flattens as it goes under the bug BUT is so large if lifts the front axial of the bug off the ground rendering the front drive tires useless. And it stops with the pumpkin firmly lodged underneath.

All is quite except our hearts which are now bursting out of our chests is we watch from behind a house. Just waiting for the VW to explode in a blinding horrific fireball. The driver get's out and starts swearing and it's about that time we get our bravery back and run like hell in four directions.

We did not go back to the scene of the crime.
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Have a great day
Rod