A New Adventure!

As some of you may have heard, I have decided to make a career change.  This happens right at a time when I've reached a tipping point in my current career as a Civil Engineer.  Is this an early midlife crisis?  Why would somebody in a well paying job with loads of potential for upward mobility up and quit?  Is it the realization that they may never have another opportunity as they become further ingrained and dependent on their current financial situation?  Maybe it's looking at the mentors in their field and realizing that you're looking in a mirror reflecting your eminent future?  Is it simply becoming tired of the day-to-day monotony and dreaming of something different; even if it turns out that what you get is exactly what you've had all along?

The beginning of September I saw the assistant brewer posting at Black Tooth Brewing Company in Sheridan on their fb and began to weigh my options.  I have been brewing beer for the last 8 years on my own, and had to decide if I would be satisfied with making it my career.  Sure I've thought about it and even had lengthy conversations about becoming a professional brewer, but these were often after imbibing vast amounts of my own barley-hop pop.  Is it actually possible to make your hobby your career?  Could I be successful?  Would I tire of brewing beer?  Is the microbrew boom a phase that'll burn out leaving me scrambling to make ends meat (meet?)?  I had already applied for a different brew position on a whim the month earlier to no avail, and was perfectly comfortable with the outcome.  Would this be déjà vu all over again?  I decided it didn't matter and followed my heart sending in an application for the position.

Early last week I was offered the position.  After a brief consult with Chick I accepted the assistant brewer position at Black Tooth Brewing Company.  At present it looks like my first week on the job will be Oct 15^th.  Stay tuned as details unfold!!  Big changes, new adventures, life is good!!

June camping trip

Escaping to the mountains is a supreme way to get the hell out of the heat (of which we've had an abundance this summer).  "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen."  Ay-ay, el capitan.  We're outta here!

Steve working hard to cut firewood.  Me "working hard" to take pictures.  It's a rough life.

Pretty wildflowers!

We decided to make it a cushy camping trip & bring our air mattress.  What we forgot is a key piece for said air mattress...the inverter to plug into the vehicle cigarette lighter to turn on the electric pump to blow up the mattress.  Steve convinced me it would be ok to manually inflate the mattress.  I'm either passed out from emptying my lungs into the mattress or taking a nap.

 (An hour-and-a-half later, after switching back & forth, we successfully inflated the mattress.  Yay runners lungs.)

We're enrolling Brewer in modeling classes.  He's a natural.

Shell Falls

Porcupine Falls (200')

Who needs AC...

...when you can just chop off your hair!

I was ready for change.  I needed a new 'do.  Not to mention, Mother Nature is blasting us with an insanely warm summer & I was tying my (long) hair up every afternoon.  My hair (& neck) can now breathe.  (I won't dare show you what my hair looks like when I wake up, since it doesn't go into a ponytail anymore)

Creativity strikes

I'm not a handy[wo]man.  I can operate a few standard tools but I don't do carpentry (just ask Steve, I have a half-built new chicken coop taking up the garage...it's been there for several...months.).  I saw an idea to hang race bibs & medals, of which Steve & I have many piling in the dusty corner.  Certainly, I can purchase one for $40+ but knowing what goes into it, I just couldn't swallow the price tag.  So with a short trip to Ben Franklin & Home Depot, I came up with something I think looks rather nice...

(Don't mind the blurry pics.  Photography is also not my forte).

Sometimes, you just gotta...

...sit in the hammock.  And read a magazine.  Or get your ear scratched.