National Treasures

Just home from a memorable ten-day visit to Oregon to see some family, we are unpacking, dealing with eight-hour jetlag, and generally getting our lives back in order. While unpacking, I admired all of the American treasures we brought home with us – things we can't find easily in Ireland.

S'more S'upplies

One of the most mysterious American treats is the s'more. We get asked about this famous s'nack more than any other, mostly because the ingredients are difficult or impossible to find in Europe.

The Holy Trinity

The traditional s'more is an outdoor campfire food. It has three perfectly-balanced ingredients, and while some hipsters try chic variations on the classic trinity, most American s'mores are simple.

Graham crackers sandwich milk chocolate pieces (traditionally Hershey's) and a roasted marshmallow. When trying to explain a graham cracker to an Irish person, I'm often stumped. "They are...like...sweet, kinda buttery crackers that taste like...honey?" Needless to say, they aren't on most Irish supermarket shelves, despite having such a British name.

Marshmallows can be found in Irish supermarkets, but they are often sold as candy rather than a baking ingredient. Marshmallow fluff might be in the baking aisle, but large, solid 'mallows will usually be in a package of mixed gummi candy. In a s'more, the marshmallow is traditionally roasted – to the eater's preference of browning or charring – over an open flame, but we'll probably be committing a slight breach of s'more etiquette by cooking the chocolate and marshmallows in the oven or microwave. 

As for Hershey's chocolate, well, let's just say that Cadbury-loving Brits and Irish don't much care for it. I can taste very little difference in the two basic chocolate bars, but Irish people who have tried Hershey's in the States seem to find it too bitter. In fact, when imports of British Cadbury's chocolate were banned in America, there was a run on import candy shops as desperate expats rushed to stock up on the last supply of their favorite sweet.

Mac & Cheese

Nothing new here. Boxes of instant macaroni and cheese are a staple for us when we visit our home country. Suspiciously quick-cooking noodles complement a sauce made of nuclear yellow cheez powder, butter, and milk in this classic American home convenience food. For best effect, serve with hot dogs.

Generic Store Brands are a Plus

Drugs! Drugs! Drugs!

It might be due to heavier drug regulations, or it might be due to a general lack of big box chain stores, but whatever the reason, over-the-counter medicines are much more expensive in Ireland than in the States. Large bottles of basic household medicine cabinet drugs like antacids, pain relievers, and antihistamines are difficult to find and very expensive when available. Savvy Irish travelers to the States usually stock up on ibuprofen for themselves and their family while abroad, "smuggling" in the pills upon their return. They (and we) buy the big, cheap, store brand bottles.

Antacid, Antihistamine, Deodorant, and Contact Lens Solution

We also stock up on contact lens solution in America, as it is dizzyingly expensive and not even available at all pharmacies in Ireland. When we first needed solution back in 2013, I had to ask around a thee different pharmacies before someone pulled a small, dusty old bottle off the shelf with an eleven-euro price tag. "Is dis what yeh want?" Since then, we've made it a point to buy it on our return visits – at two dollars per bottle.

Be on the lookout for more about our trip to Oregon, and let me know what treasures you bring back from your home country!

At Day at the Smithfield Christmas Market

Disappointed with St. Stephen's Green Christmas Market this year, we decided to take another stab at the Christmas shopping scene when we saw a notice in this week's Dublin Event Guide for a big, indoor Christmas and flea market in the north Dublin neighborhood of Smithfield.

We got underway after breakfast on what looked to be the last warm day of the year -- or for about a decade if current weather predictions are to be believed. 

As we neared City Centre, I found some new beer glass gems on the streets. It's been a quiet few months for my collecting hobby as I've begun to ignore common glasses (like Heineken and the older Guinness glasses) because I have so many already. Now I'm looking for new brands and collecting matching pairs for single glasses I already have. Of course, the new design of Guinness glasses (with the raised harp logo) are always valuable, as I give them away as gifts whenever I run into American friends and family.

By the end of the day, I had a pretty good haul.

This bush is growing beer glasses in #dublin! pic.twitter.com/ZE9cv56WuJ
— Cory Hanson (@HansonCory1) December 14, 2014

Two different Carlsbergs, another Guinness "New Style" and a rare sight indeed - Peroni. Not a bad take for one day! pic.twitter.com/GOofTbxEpj
— Cory Hanson (@HansonCory1) December 14, 2014

When we made it to Smithfield, the market did not disappoint. One hundred different stalls offered antiques, crafts, books, soap, food, music, and anything else one might find at a Christmas or flea market.

With so much to do, it was not surprising that the market was jammed with holiday shoppers. It was forced to close down for a while when the power was lost. Eventually they gave up waiting, lit every candle they could find (there were several craft candle and aromatherapy stands) and continued.

We pushed our way through just as power was returning to the crowded hall.

The indoor Christmas Flea Market in #Smithfield, northside #Dublin was a real Circus - but a great time! pic.twitter.com/6oRgHy8r7c
— Cory Hanson (@HansonCory1) December 14, 2014

Crowded Smithfield Christmas and Flea Market 2014

We poked through the crowds, looking at the old silverware, vintage clothes, and used books. If we had more time, more money, and more room in our apartment, we might have been much more loaded down with cool kitsch and retro treasures.

I [Heart] Curry Chips Tote Bag

As it was, we settled for a few snacks and a large tea towel with a stylized "map" of Dublin design.

Map of Dublin Tea Towel

This will be one of the few Dublin souvenirs we bring home with us. We are viewing our three-odd years in Ireland as a kind of extended vacation, and thus, we need some physical reminders. We've decided to ignore most of the standard tourist charms for a few unique and special pieces like this.

Sadly, the Smithfield market ran only one weekend, but we'll keep our eyes open for it next year.

Free Safety Swag!

Ireland is famous for its green. Green grass, green ivy, green hills. The Land of a Thousand Shades of Green. But most of the outside world doesn't know about a lot of other green in Ireland: Hi-vis lime green.

People in Dublin (and I presume the rest of Ireland) wear a lot of vis-vests and other hi-vis gear. Cyclists, walkers, workers, kids, and even pets are decked out in green and orange- and I think it's a great idea.

In a busy city like Dublin, it's always a good idea to be visible in any light, especially on those wet nights when headlights reflect off the damp pavement and mist clouds visibility. And that's where RSA Ireland comes in.

RSA Swag Box

In an effort to keep people seen and safe, The Road Safety Authority distributes free (!!) high vis materials for individuals, families, and organizations. They are also the driver licensing authority for the country, but I wasn't so much interested in that. I just needed some safety swag.

Vests, Armbands, Bags, and Bag Covers

I made an account on the website and picked out what we needed: a biking vest, a drawstring bag, a knapsack cover, and a set of reflective armbands for each of us. They also offer some running-specific gear and a few other accessories, but I didn't want to be greedy or ask for equipment we wouldn't need.

Less than a week later, everything arrived, free of charge. I wish I had looked this up so much earlier. I spent 8 Euro on a really low-quality, too-small running bib when I needed something for night cycling. Little did I know that I could have gotten so much better for so much less.

If you're in Ireland, get in touch with RSA and get (and wear!) your set of safety swag. 

...I guess I'll SEE you all on the road!

Thanks @RSAIreland for the hi-vis gear! We'll be cruisin' in style AND safety from now on. pic.twitter.com/e6E47xl1f0
— Cory Hanson (@HansonCory1) October 21, 2014

Cashing in some Change

I'm a total cheapskate. A penny collector and a penny pincher. I feel like most of the Irish people I meet think it's a strange attribute. The virtue of thriftiness in the extreme doesn't seem to be as big here as it is in the States. At least they don't have extreme couponing reality shows...

...But change collecting is a different game here. The pennies still clatter to the ground, and I can still collect gobs of them every time I go out, but I long ago learned why people here devalue small coins as much as they do.

Bank fees. Back in the States, banks and credit unions competed for business with low fees and high rewards. Many fees and interest rates are set by EU standards here, so banks don't have to up the level of service to attract customers. One of the services that I took for granted in Iowa was free coin counting. I could show up with a jar of mixed change, dump it into a sorting machine, and take the printed receipt up to the teller for cash or deposit. For free. Easy as that.

Here, ANY teller service draws a base charge, like a plumber's one-hour service minimum. Some services add additional fees. Coin services are no exception. Banks can choose whether or not to take coins, and some require that they all be counted and sorted into handy bags to reduce costs for machine counting.

And they can still charge both the standard teller service fee AND a percentage of the total take for their trouble of taking in coins that they will then charge someone else to collect for their cash registers.

But I won't be taken in by this racket, and don't even suggest I go to one of those green coin counters at the supermarket. Those fees can be higher than those at the bank... and that's saying something!

But how to solve the problem of turning several Euros of small coins into something of value? It hit me. The self checkout at the supermarket! Yes! Handing a handful of dirty pennies to a busy clerk at the checkout seemed a bit rude, but stuffing a handful of dirty pennies into a soulless machine, one at a time? Perfect.

I already knew the perfect target. Our local supermarket has cans of cheap whole tomatoes for an even 40 cents. In our mostly-vegetarian, one-pot cooking style these days, we go through about 4 of these cans a week. We always need them, they're cheap, and 40 cents is just enough to feed into a machine without jamming it.

I counted out 4 Euros of 1-and-2-cent coins into bank bags of 40 cents each. Over the next ten days, I went to the market every day, usually around 10 o'clock, and bought a single can of tomatoes- with 40 pennies.

It worked! I got the rhythm of the machines down; I knew exactly how fast I could feed them without jamming up the works. I wonder what the employees who saw me were thinking. I wondered if I should act like I was obsessive or otherwise mentally ill, but decided that would be insensitive to people and families who really struggle with mental illness.

Luckily, to date, no one has asked me why I come in with bags of pennies for a single can of tomatoes. My initial ten bags have already been spent, but now I know how to get rid of them quickly, easily, and without a fee.

If you're in a south Dublin supermarket, be on the lookout for the guy wearing headphones, humming to himself, and buying a single can of tomatoes with a bag of copper coins. If you see him, come over and say hello.

...Or back away slowly.

First Time Fishing in 2014

Fishing season on the River Dodder began the day after St. Patrick's Day. Fortunately for the fish in the river, we were so busy traveling and sightseeing in March that I just couldn't find a free moment on a day with good fishing weather.

Finally, I was able to squeeze in a few morning hours in April. I cycled over to the newly-cleaned Dodder and found my favorite pool. It might not be the very best fishing on the river, but it is conveniently located for me and one of the most beautiful views in all of Dublin.

It is locally known as The Waterfall in Donnybrook. The river cascades down a short stone weir that looks natural, but is actually a carved weir, or dam. Opposite the river is Beaver Row, an interestingly-named Donnybrook street. The street is so named for a beaver pelt hat factory that stood on the river in the nineteenth century. Maybe more on that story in another post.

Below the Donnybrook Waterfall

I was trying some new bait for trout on my first trip out. I have documented before that live bait is expensive and perishable here in Dublin. Maggots are the most popular live trout bait, and are very effective. Unfortunately, the cost and storage problems of live maggots (Honey, what is that bag of squirming larvae doing on the refrigerator?) keep me away from the tackle shop.

As an alternative to expensive maggots, I decided to try a new bait that I can collect for free. Mussels and cockles (of should I phrase it Cockles and Mussels?) are easily collected on nearby Sandymount Strand but are a bit too gritty and sandy for my human taste. If I could collect some shellfish and cook them to firm up the meat, would they be effective as a freshwater trout bait? I did just that earlier in the Spring on the strand. I picked a handful of mussels from the old Victorian Baths foundation and dug a few live cockles (small clams) from the sand at low tide. I steamed them just enough to open the shells and firm the meat, and froze them in hook-sized pieces. I took them fishing on the Dodder to find out if they would be tempting to the trout.

Fishing on the Dodder

 Well, the answer is inconclusive. Just because I spent a whole morning fishing with a bait with no bites doesn't mean the bait doesn't work, right? Most anglers I know would agree. Lots of other factors can result in a skunk day. Water levels, weather conditions, time of day, and the always-easy-to-blame blind luck of fishing can all be the difference between bent rods and broken dreams.

...And other anglers will also agree with the old American fishing motto:

A bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work.

Too true.

Dodder Pool

Donnybrook Waterfall

Sunny Waterfall

How Much Vodka?

It's amazing the things one can find out on the streets.  We all know that I have been amassing a huge collection of beer glasses here in Dublin stolen from pubs and abandoned by revelers, but what other useful treasures can we find?

On the same day we had picked up two more glasses, we were walking home past one of our favorite neighborhood pubs, Kiely's of Donnybrook.  Outside the back patio area, we saw the large glass bottle with an attached note.  The bottle was empty (of course) but I thought a 3 liter glass bottle with such a cute note [Please take me! =) ] could not be ignored.  I decided to use is as my own personal 3L fermenter for batches of cider.

How much vodka?

I had already been using the 5L plastic bottle for fermenting, but I could now make some small specialty batches in this bottle, maybe some long-fermenting applejack recipes?  The glass is much easier to clean and sanitize than the plastic, as it can stand up to the heat of boiling water while plastic shrivels and shrinks under intense heat.

First (but not last) batch in the Huzzar vodka bottle

Within days, I had a small batch of an experimental recipe in the bottle.  It fermented out nicely, and I was able to use my larger bottle to ferment a bigger, more well-known recipe.  With an almost-tightened lid, I can create a modestly sanitary environment for fermenting.  The next step will be getting a rubber stopper with airlock to create a proper seal on this bottle.  Who needs a glass carboy when you have Huzzar vodka!?

Bike Fenders

It rains in Dublin.  No surprises there.  Ireland, of course, is internationally known for its mild temperatures and its number of rainy days per year.  This Summer and Fall here have been the driest in years, we're told, but the driest Fall in years is still pretty wet for us.

When bicycles are the primary form of transportation in a wet climate, fenders to protect from backsplash are essential.  I learned this the very hard way one fine afternoon just after a rain.  The sun was out and the rain was gone, but the puddles all remained.  I felt a constant stream of cold, dirty, street water splashing up on my back through the ride.  Yuck.  What was one to do?

We all know the personal motto of Ron Swanson and myself- Buying things is for suckers.  Why buy a worthless piece of plastic when there are hundreds of worthless pieces of plastic in every garbage dumpster to be collected for free?  I decided to see what I could find in the bins of our apartment complex.

Ready for the operation

I found two perfect candidates within easy reach of the top of the dumpster- luckily it was almost collection day so the dumpsters were full enough to easily reach the top few layers.  We had a 1L milk jug for a small front fender and a 1L laundry soap jug to be stretched out into a nice long rear fender.

Milk Jug

The milk jug was the easiest piece to cut.  The plastic was thin and shaped perfectly for these small segments.  As a bonus, the inside of the jug wasn't too moldy or curdled, so a quick rinse with laundry soap (from the other container!) was all it needed to be bike fresh and road ready.

Laundry Soap Jug

The laundry soap jug turned out to be a bit trickier.  The plastic was much more durable and difficult to cut with our cheap-as-free-scissors.  The soap inside was also much thicker, so rinsing was more of a chore.  I had to be careful not to let the blunt scissors slip on the soap-suds-water mix inside the jug while cutting.  After zero injuries to myself, the jug was cut to the shape above.

Rear Fender Attached

After shaping, the next step was to get these things attached to the frame of the bike in the correct places.  The attachment also had to be durable and stay in place during the turns and bumps of cycling in the big city.

I poked a series of holes in the fender, and was able to run several layers of cordage to fasten it to the rear rack.  I used bread bag twist-ties, plastic zip ties, and my favorite- maroon wire from a set of smashed earphones I found on the street.

Front Fender

The front fender ended up being much easier to attach- despite the problem of steering.  I was able to attach the fender to the handlebars just above the "shocks."  I used a plastic-coated wire saved from some packaging to hold it tightly in place over the tire.

Since I have attached these, they have saved my back from dirty street water countless times.  They have held up for a couple of months already, with no signs of slowing down.  I sometimes make minor adjustments to keep everything lined up correctly, but I would expect to do this with any store-bought fender.  Some of these adjustments can be made without even stopping.

I don't know how much money I have actually saved with this, but once I get an idea to do something like this in my head, I just have to follow through.  These projects usually work out well, and the ones that don't always make a good story.

Seapoint Beach Sea Glass

On another low-tide trip to Seapoint Beach, I walked along the rocky shore on a pleasant morning.  I noticed among the rocks some pieces shining a bit more brightly than the surrounding smooth stones.  Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was sea glass, something I had heard and read about but hadn't ever seen.  When I got a look and feel of it, it was very beautiful and I wanted more, so I started digging.

The full one-day selection

Sea glass, upon some further reading, is formed when chunks of human-made glass are littered in the ocean and are ground smooth and frosty by the caustic properties of seawater and the mechanical action of waves pounding the glass against sand and stone.  This process takes time, and the age of glass can be determined by looking at how much the glass is 'frosted.'  The frosting occurs when the surface of the glass is pitted and scarred deeply by the sand and salt, causing light to be diffused.  The grinding of the salt and sand also smoothes and rounds sharp edges from glass, so it is all safe to collect and handle.

Closeup of the Brown of the Day

The most common colors of sea glass are the most common colors of glass that is littered into the ocean- brown, green, and clear.  Glass of this color was usually drink bottles in its past life.  Glass of other colors was used to make everything from medicine bottles and stoppers to marbles in days gone by.

One of My Favorites of the Day

Some pieces are clear enough to see exactly which part of the bottle or container it was.  Many of the bottle tops still have part of the lip or neck clearly visible.  Some pieces curve at a 90 degree angle if the piece was from the bottom and part of the side of a wine bottle.

Love this Rare Color

I love the idea of sea glass- litter made into treasure by the natural processes of the ocean.  One must be careful when collecting sea glass on the beach, because some of it is actually...just...broken glass...  Given a few years, this may become treasure from trash, but it still makes me sad to see litter.  I feel like I'm picking up trash when collecting sea glass, even if I'm really not.  Oh well.  I am still thinking about what I will do with this sea glass.  I'd like to find something aesthetically pleasing and constructive.  I'll post it here if I do.

Finding the Golden Goose, the Guinness Glass

Whew!  My glass collection is growing.  I am still baffled by home many people steal glasses from pubs around here.  I am almost ready to feel a moral dilemma, but it's hard to tell if I am stealing.  Secondary stealing?  Finding something stolen?  Should I turn these in to the local Garda (police) station and collect them when no pub claims them?

Until I figure out where I sit ethically with these glasses, I'm gonna keep pickin' 'em up!  On this particular day, we found what we thought might be the Golden Goose:  The Guinness glass with the shaped contours and the raised harp logo opposite the printed Guinness logo.  Also, not as exciting, the red Budweiser glass.

Clearly Awesome

We wondered about the Guinness glasses: Would I ever find one whole on the street?  Think about the logic involved here-  Lots of Guinness gets ordered in this town, mostly by tourists, older folks, and young-people-who-happen-to-be-stout-and-dark-beer-fans-who-also-happen-to-be-from-America-but-we-live-here-and-aren't-tourists-anymore-thank-you-very-much like us.  With so many glasses being ordered, might more of these glasses be floating around?  Especially if it is commonly ordered by tourists?  On the other hand, if the people drinking Guinness fits the above stereotype, than we could expect the older folks to finish their drink and leave their glasses in the pub (like adults) and the tourists who steal the glasses to keep the glasses with them as a souvenir. Finding glasses on the street requires two steps:  1) Steal the glass.  2) Abandon the glass.  It seemed like Guinness might be tricky if those rules held up, as the tourists would be likely to steal and keep and the older folks would be unlikely to steal.

Black backing to show logos

Well, on this magical day, lightning may have struck as we did find the Golden Goose, abandoned on a street corner where someone likely hailed a cab.  It was even about 1/4 full of Guinness (and rainwater...) when I found it!  Yay!

[edit:  In the time since this post was written, we have found several Guinness glasses around Dublin, so our original Golden Goose designation was maybe a bit off.  We have other glasses that are now our G.G., but we'll comment on those on this blog later... when we find them!]

Bicycle Basket

While out doing some glass collecting one day, I thought I would try my luck in Temple Bar in Dublin City Centre.  The Temple Bar district is like the New Orleans French Quarter, Dublin style: a neighborhood with an interesting and diverse history taken over by touristy kitsch and wild party bars.  Temple Bar is the place for the Stag and Hen Dos (a do is what the English [UKish?  Great British?  I don't know what to call these people!] call a party... don't ask me why) and a place of pilgrimage for most visitors.  I thought it might be a great place to pick up some glasses left over from the wild parties (dos!?) of the young twentysomethings trolling the alleys every night.

Turns out the pubs in Temple Bar are smart enough not to give drunk partiers (doers!?) real glasses.  I found a boatload of plastic cups with Guinness, Heineken, and Carlsberg logos all over the street, but no glasses.  The day turned out not to be a total loss when I saw this guy on the sidewalk near a toppled-over trash can.

Twisted Metal Black

This closeup was taken after I had dragged it home and started the repair process, but it might be identified as a bicycle rack!  Right there in the trash!  It was, to be fair, crushed and bent almost beyond repair in the trash pile.  The rack clearly was supposed to be mounted on the front handle bar, but the mounting bracket was missing altogether.  The potential I saw with it was not in the front, but bolted to the rear rack of my own bike.  First, it needed some structural support.

Shoelaces hold it together

After bending the wires of the frame back into a mostly square shape, I reinforced the sides with a shoelace I found while out on another walk on another day.  The lace holds closed the gap left by the broken mounting bracket, as seen in the above photo.  A piece of wire I found on the seashore adds more support to the mounting gap.

Today, many weeks after finding and installing it on my bike with plastic zip ties (not pictured), the rack is still in service and holding weight like a champ.  Now when I go fishing I don't need to bring along our big backpack, and when I ride my bike to work, I can put my suit in a plastic bag and throw it in here for the ride.  This lends further credence to the classic Ron Swanson line...

Winter is Coming: A Rainy Day at the Beach

When our first American family visitor arrived, our first priority was to keep her awake.  The best way to get from North America to Dublin (in our opinion) is to take the overnight flight, leaving on an American evening and arriving on the next Irish morning.  Most people can not sleep on airplanes, so usually any visitors will be pretty tired upon arrival.

When she got here, Sara was at work, so I went to the bus stop for collection.  She had actually gotten some sleep on the plane, because she apparently is a jet lag champion, so it wasn't quite so much a challenge to keep her active and awake until a normal sleep time.

My idea (planned weeks beforehand) was to go on a bike ride to Seapoint Beach and Dun Laoghaire.  This would keep us active and pass the time before Sara was finished with work.  The morning of the planned bike trip, we checked the weather forecast from The Irish Meteorological Service and saw the dreary outlook of rain and wind. Well, I hoped she was a trooper, because the beach looked like this.

No diving, as if we needed to be reminded

The tide was at mid-point and rising, the rain was the standard rain we have been getting used to- light, persistent, and soaking.  The bike ride took us through some of the busy streets getting wet and wind-blown.  The beach, even looking like it did, was a welcome change to the soggy, loud streets.

Sea Glass on the Rocks

We walked up the coast, watching the waves crash on the rocks and collecting a few handfuls of sea glass as we went.  We walked all the way from Seapoint Beach to the Dun Laoghaire piers, enjoying (?) the steady soaking mist and the fresh, cool sea breeze blowing in our faces.

Fancy a Swim?

It ended up being a pleasant trip even with the wind and rain.  After all, we did see someone (not pictured) swimming in the bay- in just a bathing suit.  That water must have been cold, but this person was toughing it out.  We took inspiration from the thick skin of this bather and pedaled through the mist back home to meet Sara after work and get ready to go out that night.  A change of socks (and pants, and shirt, and... everything) was certainly in order.

Real-Time Update: Thanks, Lord Stilton!

Some of the readers of this blog may have looked down in the comments section and wondered, "Who is that Lord Stilton who is always correcting Cory's massively inaccurate facts and dropping addition links, hints, and advice?"  Who is he?  The answer, quite simply, is my brewing guardian angel godfather.

Another Godfather

Lord Stilton began offering his advice after I posted the blog post of my first home brew on the forum of The National Homebrew Club, Ireland's home brew community.  Since then, his bits of wisdom have led me to discover new hobbies, learn more about the culture of Ireland, and now, to step up my tiny homebrew operation.

He let me know that he had some homebrew equipment not in use after he had upgraded his setup.  If I could use it, I could have it.  WOW!  I couldn't believe I had received such a generous offer.  He lives outside of Dublin, but offered to bring them to me next time he was in town.  On Monday, we set up a meeting at Kiely's Pub in nearby Donnybrook.  We chatted for a while about our recent trip to Northern Ireland (photos and stories of that to come), the Irish sports of Hurling and Gaelic Football, and further travel plans.

There isn't a way to put this without seeming overly excited, but it was really great to get to meet Lord Stilton face to face and pick up this wonderful gift.

The generous gift

Pictured here on the counter:  A large bucket fermenter with lid, one-piece airlock, a length of siphon tubing, a large piece of muslin material for brew-in-the-bag, a spigot, two heating elements for boiling in the bucket, a beer glass from the All-Ireland Craft Beer Fest, and a bottle of homemade Elderflower Champagne.

With this equipment booster shot, I can go from making cider in 5 Liter jugs to making full batches of tasty beer.  I'll be putting together an order of beer ingredients and getting that ready soon.

Thanks again, Lord Stilton.  Cheers! Prost! 17! Slainte!

Fishing Net

After assembling my fishing kit, I took to the River Dodder to try my luck.  Learning to fish a different kind of river with different species has been tough but enjoyable.  While I don't usually have too much luck on the fishing front along the Dodder, I always have fun.  I also always keep my eye out for any discarded trash worth collecting. 

One morning, a bright blue green streak caught my eye tangled in some thorny branches.  It was a severely damaged, unloved, and abandoned landing net.  The handle had broken off and much of the netting had torn away from the frame.  What was left was a tattered and torn piece hanging loosely on a bent wire frame.  I knew it could be mine and working again with some tender loving care.

Sewing it up

I brought it home and sized up the situation more thoroughly.  I have to pick several dozen burrs from the netting, but the material of the net was strong and held up.  All of the tearing happened at the frame, there were no large holes in the scoop of the net.  I borrowed Sara's sewing kit, cut a long piece of fishing line from my reel, and got to work.

Tying off

I had never sewn anything in any capacity before.  My original plan was to sew up and tie off the individual tears.  I'm sure experienced sewers wish I had taken video of my attempt at this the first time.  I couldn't get correct tension, my thread length was much longer than my arms could pull with each stitch, and I was generally a mess.  Sara did help with some pointers, but I was determined to get this thing myself.

I abandoned the idea of sewing up the holes individually and decided to sew up around the entire frame, putting extra stitches in the damaged areas.  This was the ticket- for me, at least.  In the first photo, observe the fishing line stitches are doubled up and close together on the most damaged parts of the net.  On the rest, I made stitches about 1/2 inch apart, just to keep the line going.

When I had gone around the whole frame, I made my (thankfully only one) tie-off.  In the second photo, the tie-off is seen as the line wrapped tightly over and over around the frame and the standing line.  I finished it with several overhand knots, clipped the tag, and tucked the knot pile into the netting.  Beauty.

Finished net

The handle is still missing, but I can hold on to the little nubbin of wire at the base to reach and lift out fish.  So far, it has stood up to the rigors of use in and out of water.  I am always proud when I can do something like this.  I accomplished so many different small things with just a few minutes of my time.  I removed a piece of litter from the riverbank (probably the most important part of this project), learned the basics of a new skill, and acquired a nice piece of optional fishing equipment- all without spending a cent.

All-Ireland Hurling Final- It's a Draw!

After our trip to Phoenix Park, we moved on to our real objective of the day:  The Hurling Final.

Be aware that I am (intentionally) writing this based solely on anecdotal observations after watching one match.  I will be watching and reading a lot more about this game, but for now, I am recording my knee-jerk, ignorant reactions.

Hurling is a fast-moving, high-scoring field game played and enthusiastically enjoyed here in Ireland.  In 90's America, hurling had a much different meaning, but I quickly got hooked on the game after a quick chuckle.

The game is played on a large field (pitch) with a small ball and goals at each end.  The goals have two parts: the lower goal with a net and a goal-tender like a soccer goal and the upper goal with uprights rising like goal posts in American football.  Points are scored in the game by getting the ball into either the lower goal for three points or through the upper goal posts for one point.

The players move the ball with their hands and short sticks with slightly curled, flat batting surfaces called "hurlies."

A Hurley

The ball can be batted, carried, or thrown around the field.  The ball can not be picked up with hands from the ground, but rather scooped up with the hurley.  Once in the hands, the ball can be carried for a brief time (not sure how many steps without looking up the rules, but remember- I'm not looking up the rules here) or carried on the flat end of the hurley indefinitely, or until it gets knocked away by an opposing player.

We Found More Glasses!

So, finding awesome stuff on the ground here is going to be a big part of our lives here.  It's official.  Many of you read how excited I was about finding this glass.  On a fine Saturday morning, we walked from our apartment to City Centre in Dublin to catch a bus going north.  Just down the block from our apartment, I saw the Heineken glass sitting on an electrical box on the sidewalk, with just a half-sip of stale (staler than Heineken usually is?) beer.  I tapped it to confirm it to be made of glass and not disposable plastic.  Nice!  We weren't sure whether to take it with us for the rest of the day or to run it back to the apartment.  Not being in any hurry, I decided not to drag a dirty, sticky, stale beer glass around all day, so I ran (skipped!) home to set down this glass for later.

I don't like light lagers anyway!

It should be noted here, for maybe the first time on this blog, that many pubs serve tap beers in glasses marked with the brand label of the beer.  Many an American bar might go for the clear plastic throwaways or the old-fashioned Lite Pilsner glasses for everything.  Here in Dublin, and the small number of pubs we've visited, the bartender carefully pours your drink from the draught into a specially labeled (and specially shaped) glass.  Different styles of beer do require different shapes of glass, according to many beer aficionados.  Just like we drink champagne out of flutes, merlot from merlot glasses, and Pilsner beers from Pilsner glasses, different styles of beer behave differently with a different surface-area-to-mass ratio and more or less head in the nose of the drinker.

Beer snobbery aside (maybe another post!) the glasses served here are marked with the logo and look beautiful.  I imagine it must be tempting to order a pint for 4-5 Euro, enjoy the drink, and slip out the door with a glass that would have cost 7 or 8 Euro at the gift shops.  Maybe tourists think that any glass bearing a beverage company logo automatically counts as a free souvenir, especially after so many ball game cup promotions.  I suppose it isn't a surprise that I find more of these glasses near City Centre after Friday and Saturday nights.  As bad as I feel for the pubs losing their property, I can't hardly think of a way to properly return these scattered glasses to the specific pubs from which they were stolen.  On the other hand, maybe I can increase my take by exploring the Temple Bar district of town early on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  That neighborhood gets pretty rowdy of an evening, I'll have to check that out...

In the meantime, I had to put a dark backdrop on the labels of the two glasses I found.  I could think of nothing better than cold Guinness, even though the shape of the glasses were fit for more lighter beers.  Beer aficionados will just have to forgive me.

I Found This Awesome Glass!

Just as the title says, I found the awesome glass pictured below.  Well... I can't take the credit for actually finding the glass.  That belongs to Sara.

Sweet!

It all happened during the week of the Dublin Horse Show at the nearby RDS-Royal Dublin Society.  This event is a week-long celebration of all things horse.  I imagine, even if it isn't actually accurate, people in red coats and black helmets getting credit for horses doing funny things, ladies (and little girls) with ridiculously large hats, and way-too-drunk "gentlemen" staggering around the neighborhood with their Jameson Whisky.  Just like what I imagine an American horse show to be!

Cool shape, not quite square

Sara got home from work one evening to meet me for dinner.  She said she passed by a present for me on her way home.  She knows my hobby of collecting way cool things and cold hard cash from the gutters of the world, so I was excited to see what this surprise was.  We started walking towards Donnybrook where we had dinner plans.  At the nearby corner, we saw the above glass sitting by the bus stop on someone's garden wall.  It was beautiful, even with the dregs of someones red-colored cocktail.  I would love to have grabbed it right there and taken it to dinner, but something stopped me.  What stopped me was my fear of taking something that isn't fully abandoned.  I have rules about collecting change from the ground which are pretty easy to follow, but abandoned items make me a little more nervous.  It was entirely likely that someone was a little too tipsy when they left the Horse Show, brought along the drink, and left it at the bus stop when the driver wouldn't allow it on the bus.  But, it was also possible that someone was enjoying a refreshing red beverage and had a sudden emergency that necessitated this poor individual to set down the drink on the nearest surface and depart with the intention to return for it.

Wracked with uncertainty, I decided to give the drink some time.  We went to Donnybrook to dinner, with the intention of snagging it if it was still on the corner when we came back.  If it was gone, it meant the owner had returned or someone else needed it more than me.  If it was still there, it was always mine.  If you love something, set it free, right?

After dinner, I felt the magnetic pull of the glass on the corner all the way back.  I began to get ahead of Sara as my stride length and pace increased.  Sweat beads dotted my forehead, my focus was clear:  get that glass.  

I was rewarded for my patience with the gleaming red beauty sitting on the same corner.  All doubt and guilt fled me in an instant.  Clearly no one was coming back for this glass after so many hours, and I felt like I was doing the owners of the garden walls a favor by taking the "trash" away from their pristine wall.  I dumped out the red sludge and almost skipped home to wash the glass and enjoy a tasty glass of cheap white wine from it.  Nice.