Red Ring Tupperware Party, Autumnal Equinoctal Edition (24)

Harm wrote in post #17373620
Grey Lady was the drink of choice last night. Local brew down from Nantucket.

We go out almost every Thursday with a group of friends for dinner and drinks. Last night my drink of choice was vodka and cranberry.

While I like some of the local craft IPA's, I prefer good Pinot Noir from the Carneros appellation - nothing fancy or expensive. The wine I usually buy is about $15 a bottle.

JJ - because of my not so great experience with the first copy of the new 100-400, the lens rental folks were kind enough to send me a second copy to try for a few days. The 2nd copy is much sharper. The improvement in sharpness is a real step up from my old version 1 100-400.

I still dislike the new foot/collar design. You have to tighten the heck out of the little thumb wheel in the foot and even then there is a very tiny bit of play in it. I don't understand why they changed it.

One of our local breweries just had their first beer, Cougar Bait, go national. It's pretty good and if you can find it on tap its even better. I've also been enjoying the Abita Grapefruit IPA that has popped up in our local stores here recently.

Timphoto wrote in post #17373670
While I like some of the local craft IPA's, I prefer good Pinot Noir from the Carneros appellation - nothing fancy or expensive. The wine I usually buy is about $15 a bottle.

JJ - because of my not so great experience with the first copy of the new 100-400, the lens rental folks were kind enough to send me a second copy to try for a few days. The 2nd copy is much sharper. The improvement in sharpness is a real step up from my old version 1 100-400.

I still dislike the new foot/collar design. You have to tighten the heck out of the little thumb wheel in the foot and even then there is a very tiny bit of play in it. I don't understand why they changed it.

$15 a bottle for wine in the US, is like $25-$30 here. Taxes are a killer. You can get lots of great wines for that price though.

Hope the results are better with this lens. Looking forward to hearing the results.

BearLeeAlive wrote in post #17373753
$15 a bottle for wine in the US, is like $25-$30 here. Taxes are a killer. You can get lots of great wines for that price though.

Time for you to move to Australia then, Jim:

http://www.bbc.com/new​s/business-30390414

Harm wrote in post #17373771
Time for you to move to Australia then, Jim:

http://www.bbc.com/new​s/business-30390414

At least stay there and drink, until I save the amount my ticket cost.

Water for me. Sometimes cranberry juice, lemonaide, etc. I've even given up sodas. Now if I can just stay away from sugar, and chips.

LV Moose wrote in post #17373798
Water for me. Sometimes cranberry juice, lemonaide, etc. I've even given up sodas. Now if I can just stay away from sugar, and chips.

I'm sad to say that the holidays kind of killed most of my healthy dietary habits. I had been soda free for most of the previous year and had my diet and workout routine pretty well in check before november. Ended up having some Ale81 (pronounced a late one for the uninitiated) while I was out with some friends and have had one or two most days since .

At least I have been able to keep the workouts up, my bench press and dead lift are both up about 10-15 lbs from november.

solepatch wrote in post #17373806
I'm sad to say that the holidays kind of killed most of my healthy dietary habits. I had been soda free for most of the previous year and had my diet and workout routine pretty well in check before november. Ended up having some Ale81 (pronounced a late one for the uninitiated) while I was out with some friends and have had one or two most days since .

At least I have been able to keep the workouts up, my bench press and dead lift are both up about 10-15 lbs from november.

For the most part I still have almost no soda. I went from 44+oz of soda a day to less than 2-3 cans a month. Generally eating better, almost no fast food, and running three times a week. Lost some weight but a lot in size.

Traci_Ann wrote in post #17373812
For the most part I still have almost no soda. I went from 44+oz of soda a day to less than 2-3 cans a month. Generally eating better, almost no fast food, and running three times a week. Lost some weight but a lot in size.

I need a new running buddy, mine moved to a different city, and its just so much harder to motivate myself to do cardio than it is to lift.

The holidays killed me this year as well. I ended up -50 for the year but was at -65 mid-November. I had kicked the soda habit years ago but it has slowly filtered back. Always the diet stuff so no sugar, but still that stuff is not good for you. I can't drink water as it makes me nauseous if I drink too much. Trying to switch to teas this year.

Just a casual observation on craft beers...there are many that have excellent flavor, but there are equally as many that taste like something made from used bathwater. People here rant and rave about how wonderful some of them are, simply because they want to be cool. If I have to drink that crap to be cool, I'll stick to being my old lukewarm self.

Woolburr wrote in post #17374129
Just a casual observation on craft beers...there are many that have excellent flavor, but there are equally as many that taste like something made from used bathwater. People here rant and rave about how wonderful some of them are, simply because they want to be cool. If I have to drink that crap to be cool, I'll stick to being my old lukewarm self.

well, if I am at a bar, i'll always ask for a sample first. So there are plenty I have said "danke, but no thanks, i'll try abc instead..."

at home, i get on with the people who source the beers for the beer/liqour stores, so i will ask about the beers etc. I would say it would be more of an 80:20 ratio for me of good to **** crafts.

some things i just stay away from 100% of the time, like pumpkin flavoured beers. **** that.

Harm wrote in post #17374138
well, if I am at a bar, i'll always ask for a sample first. So there are plenty I have said "danke, but no thanks, i'll try abc instead..."

at home, i get on with the people who source the beers for the beer/liqour stores, so i will ask about the beers etc. I would say it would be more of an 80:20 ratio for me of good to **** crafts.

some things i just stay away from 100% of the time, like pumpkin flavoured beers. **** that.

In general I have been very pleased with the offerings from our local breweries with two very notable exceptions. #1(because it is the foulest tasting beer I have ever encountered) BBC's IPA, I am generally a big IPA fan but this was terrible. #2 the lemongrass wheat from West Sixth, mostly just disappointingly bland but with an extra layer of disappointment because everything else they have ever produced has been fantastic.

I don't mind the craft beers. Been very much in James Squires lately, mostly the 150 Lashes Pale Ale.

Captured my first Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo yesterday. I'd see a few about in trees nearby but not in good positions to shoot. A pair stayed in the tree for 30min eating the seeds of the Bottle Brush. These are the same size as the Sulfur Crested White Cockatoos, also come in a red tailed black variety but those are mostly found in central Aust.