JIMMY THE STICK - YEAR 17

No earth Quacks recently.

Jimmy the Stick - Year 17


Seventeen Years ago my buddy Steve McDowell and I were talking about groundhog day and how we felt that PROPERLY the groundhog did not have a clue about the sun.  Why not save money and have an inanimate object observe the sun instead.  Less upkeep.

So I went out looking for an appropriate inanimate object and found.   JIMMY THE STICK.

Unlike Jimmy the Ground hog which is actually Jimmy the 7th I believe.  JIMMY THE STICK is the original.  That's right my friends, I have been with Jimmy the Stick LONGER then I've been married to DJ (I did not tell her about Jimmy way back then).

Jimmy has had adventures.  He went to Las Vegas in the trunk (I forgot about him on that one).  He was almost held by servicemen for a photo (they backed down at the final moment . . . .national security I believe).  Last year I put him out and we had the Ground Hog day Blizzard and we did not find him for 7 days!  Over the years he has become slightly brittle and yea - he lost a stem a few years ago but he's a trooper.

This year he wanted to have some friends so who would be better friends then our little feathered  Brown Chipping Sparrows!  They know all about twigs.

Jimmy did NOT see his shadow.  This means an early spring. There is actually some science behind Jimmy.  You see if Jimmy DOES see his shadow that would mean that we are probably cold  and dry which would indicate that the jet stream is below us and winter is still in control. 

Clouds mean wetter air which indicates that we are in a more Westerly flow of air and the jet stream is north. 

The good news is that there is NO extra cold weather north west of us. Even Alaska is predicted warmer then normal weather for the next 10 days.  Europe is FRIGID, that is where all the cold weather is. Everywhere you look over there it's cold.  Warsaw, high of 5, Oslo, high of 4, Moscow, high if 4, Berlin high of 18.  Fairbanks is suppose to be up to like 12 today which is above average.  Their RECORD highs are in the middle 30s. 

We should be about 4 or 5 degrees above average for the next 10 days.
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DJ blurted out last weekend saying "I think that flu shot is really working, I'm the only one in our family to not to catch a cold recently".

SPOILER!!!!

Remember the scene in Bridesmaid?  One of the funniest most disgusting scenes that almost made me pee my pants!

http://youtu.be/Jrb7_XIIbhI



Yea - I guess the flu shot didn't work as advertised for DJ.

I hope my shot does better!
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Speaking of movies - I can not WAIT for this one to come out on HBO.  Produced by Tom Hanks.

http://youtu.be/IPhh7mch5zo



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Grand Opening at Hydro Street Brewing.  If you go I have an untasted Dunkleweizen on tap that day (DunkleGrinder).   I brewed it for a quick turnaround.  I'm entering it into a Dunkle contest.  I'm not expecting ANY ribbons as I had never brewed a dunkle before (Dark Wheat beer) and since it's under forced carbonation I have not had a chance to taste the final product. 

We have only had one blue ribbon winner in the Sun Prairie Wort Hogs (SPWH) so a goal this year is to get more ribbons.  Can't win if we don't enter. Since the Madison Home Brew Club no longer actually talks about brewing (more Great Taste of the Midwest organization)  SPWH is the only club around where we actually talk about brewing.

I'm still waiting for the water report from Nebraska which will tell us how much of the flavor minerals we have in the water and how to adjust the chemistry.  

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OH - no jury duty - DANG IT - They settled the case.  I was going to get papers for my OWN law suit.  Now I have to do a little extra work. 

Have a great foggy Thursday.

Rod