Another solid week

My assorted fitness apps don't show me as having completed 100 km of biking this week. They would, but I failed to record one commute home (I snapped my chain less than 1 km in, fixed it, and failed to restart my watch when I had fixed the chain), and failed to record part of one ride (coming home from my second bout volunteering at the somerville bike kitchen). But I did exceed 100 km of biking, I met my goal of 66 km of running, and I hit 100 reps on my strength exercises on every strength day this week.

Today was very productive. I etched level markings onto both of my 6 gallon glass carboys,with a line every half gallon; perhaps I should do another set of lines for metric levels. I filtered and bottled my makgeolli (the liquid was mixed with 4 liters of water and bottled, 3 bottles with 2.5 mL of raspberry flavoring and 3 with 2.5 mL of orange flavoring), for a total of 36 12-ounce bottles and a 4-liter jug which are all presently resting at room temperature. I removed the airlocks from the honey and maple meads and capped them. The orange zest/vodka mixture got gravity filtered, I took out a lot of trash, stirred my nukadoko bed, bought groceries, did dishes, washed the makgeolli urn, de-iced the freezer, hooked up the AC unit, refilled my water tank, and bought a new belt.

The belt is a "cache belt" from a company called Wazoo survival gear. It has about 65 cm of continuous pocket built in, which I plan to fill with a basic complement of survival equipment. The buckle also has a small storage compartment, which will hold a signal mirror (designed for the purpose) and possibly other equipment. I'm also, for no particular reason, working on designs for a bracelet and a ring designed to help the user escape from restraints. I've become rather interested in kevlar line, possibly with diamond dust or another abrasive embedded in it. Handcuff keys are interesting (while possibly requiring an extension to use effectively), but arguably an abrasive line will work against more restraints. There is also the issue of using tungsten carbide and other materials to break through windows. A ring could conceivably include a tungsten carbide section or bead, possibly worn turned in to the palm side. When needed, it could be turned outwards and used to shatter a glass window.

Bike kitchening

I volunteered again today at the Somerville Bike Kitchen. I went out and bought a lot of extra tubes, chains, brake pads, etc. in case anyone needed anything (using some of the cash from selling my cannondale bad boy lefty). It wasn't as hectic as last week. I can see it becoming a thing.

I also bought ingredients for a clone of Heady Topper. If I get 90% of the way there on the first shot, I'll be ecstatic. I also got a corker, some corks, and two dozen 375 mL clear wine bottles so I can bottle my limoncello like a civilized person.

The makgeolli has matured quite nicely. Every day looking into it is different. One day, there will be floating rice grains. Others, nothing but a gentle yellow fluid. I can hear it fermenting when I come home. I got 20(ish) kombucha bottles from someone at work, which I hope to turn to makgeolli packaging.

There was a recent announcement that there may be a new nuclear plant coming online in Wyoming soon. I sent my resume to the company. Maybe I'll move soon, to a more libertarian-friendly spot. Maybe I'll grow hops, and keep chickens, and bike to work when I want to. Maybe I'll buy an electric pickup truck, put a gun rack in the back window, and drive to see my family on long weekends.

Mass of Makgeolli

Today, I started a massive batch of makgeolli. I tried to steam 4 KG of glutinous rice, but the rice touching the steamer basket seemed to shield the rest of the rice from being cooked. So I transferred it to a pot with water, and let it cool for a few hours while I went for a walk. I then transferred it to my new (to me, and now clean) dehydrator at 135F. It will shortly get added to 800 grams (ish) of nuruk, 4 tablespoons of yeast, and 8 liters of water.

This week has been generally a success. 48 km of running and over 100 km of biking. On Thursday, I volunteered for a few hours at a local bike repair workshop. I achieved 100 reps for every bodyweight exercise 3 days this week. Next week, I should reach 66 km of running, which leaves me at 72 for the next week.

I zested about 16 oranges and added the zest to 1.75 liters of absolut vodka. I also bought two 1.75 liters jugs of Texan vodka for future cordial recipes. I also juiced the oranges; it wouldn't do to let them go to waste.

I went on a long walk today, and bought a fair number of things for a survival kit. Woven wire from the craft store (bead section), safety pins, needles, and thread from the craft store, hooks, sinkers, swivels, and braided line from the tackle store, and some gorilla tape. I also bought needles, thread, safety pins and a pair of scissors for a proper sewing kit; they all fit nicely into a small otter box.

The kind of day that gives me confidence

I got a lot done today. Stretches this morning and 100 reps of all my strength exercises, a healthy breakfast, a good bike ride to work, a good day at work, another bike ride home, and then a 14+km run in the sweltering heat. It wasn't a fast run, but it got done. It feels good to have accomplished so much. Tomorrow, I plan to try volunteering at a local bike repair place, and also to buy all the ingredients I need for a batch of heady topper clone (fingers cross that the local homebrew show has everything). Hopefully, on Sunday, I can get it all in the fermenter. 

Some time since the last post

And a lot has happened. I visited my grandmother in Arizona, along with my mother. My running has improved, and I've managed to keep up with 100 reps of my strength training, even in my hotel room in Tucson and the guest room at my grandmother's house. I ran on schedule in Arizona, along beautiful desert roads with roadrunners and mesquite trees galore. This week is a rest week, with only 48 kilometers of running scheduled, but that means that two weeks from now I should be back up to 72. I did exactly zero biking last week, because of the time I spent travelling, but I should easily get my 100 kilometers done this week.

I bought $10 worth of lemons from a street vendor last week. Turns out that's 42 lemons. I used 30 to make some limoncello (all the zest mixed with 1.5 liters of absolut vodka, left for a week, the filtered and mixed with 1.5 liters of simple syrup). I also chopped up 6 and mixed them with 2 heaping tablespoons of salt and another 2 of sugar. The last 6 had their zest removed in strips, which was placed in a jar with some sugar. I then juiced them all, filtered the juice, and that was that. I need to buy a bottle capper, or possibly a corker, to bottle all this limoncello. I also bought 18 pounds of mesquite honey in Arizona; it's being shipped to me. If I can manage to get some prickly pear fruit, I can make 5 gallons of good prickly pear mead.

Meanwhile, my honey mead and maple mead (?) are progressing smoothly. I think the jugs can probably just get racked to a secondary and capped at this point; the residual fermentation is probably too minimal to be much of a risk. This weekend, I plan to make a large batch of makgeolli. My soy sauce experiment failed; it was a moldy mess and had to be discarded.

I unwrapped my boat yesterday. It feels good to be more connected with the environment, but I'm unquestionably more exposed.

On dehydrators, and other things

This week, I turned my previous athletic declines around. I ran a hair over 50km, biked over 100km, and hit 100 reps of all my strength exercises on Friday. I do need to get back in the water, and start adding weight to my runs, but things are at least improving.

Today, I got a 9-tray excalibur dehydrator...for free. Basically, I saw one on craigslist earlier this week and messaged the seller. They felt so bad about not messaging back that they offered to let me have it for free today. It was a bit of a train ride, and frankly the thing is filthy, but that's fine. It did get me thinking about how I would build a good dehydrator. I think the basic idea would stay the same; horizontal rectangular trays with a heater and fan in the rear. But I don't think this thing has an actual thermostat; the temps are just positions on a potentiometer. I'd also want to use some standardized size of tray and cooling rack, like half sheet pans or quarter sheet pans, so pans and racks from many manufacturers would work. Supporting them is an interesting issue; perhaps making the sides of corrugated metal, or perhaps each of the four corners inside the box could include a vertical spring. In any event, there should be a proper dehydrator, and possibly a timer. Could a humidity sensor automatically shut the dehydrator down once the right level of dehydration was achieved?

I finally threw away my old mattress. 30 year old lump of rubber foam that it was, it was just getting to be too much of a mess. I'm thinking of other options. Buckwheat hulls? Camping sleeping pad? Just continue sleeping on what amounts to a wooden platform? I'm actually intrigued by the last option, if only for minimalist reasons. Insulation might become an issue in the fall.

I do intend to buy a good camping sleeping pad anyway, because I intend to try bikepacking, or bike touring (definitions vary based on source). It seems interesting to consider making some gear myself. for example, a quilt, but perhaps with a piece of netting or a single layer of material where it goes underneath to keep the edges from coming out while still avoiding the wasted insulation in that area from a sleeping bag. Or the tent; I can imagine several modes. A simple, ultralight anti-bug setup with a bathtub floor that reaches a substantial distance up the sides, a rain fly that (working with those sides) would also provide protection from even driving rain (and perhaps a vestibule), and a warmer setup which, combined with the fly, would provide two layers and all the warmth that comes with them.

I also find myself interested in cookless camping. Trail mix, granola with dehydrated milk, various jerkies, and the like could all reduce or even eliminate the need to carry a stove, fuel, cooking utensils, etc. Once I get my new (to me) dehydrator cleaned up, I think I'll try making some jerky and fruit leather. Then maybe I'll eat cookless for a few days, just to try it out.

So I'm 35 now

It's been a couple weeks since I posted last. Things have been very hectic, and not everything has gone well.

I got my second vaccine dose a week and a half ago. That same day, I biked up to Burlington and brought back a 22-liter jangdok to make Korean soup soy sauce in. When I got home, I went for a 15-kilometer run. The next day, though, I felt rather poorly; that was a rest week for running, but I rested more than planned, and only ran about 50 kilometers.

A week ago, the meiji blocks I've been making went into the jangdok, along with ten jujubes, a chunk of charcoal, and a brine made of 8 liters of water with a box (about 1360 grams) of kosher salt mixed in. That week was an even worse week for running; only about 38 kilometers. My knees were bothering me, and I don't want to get into the situation I did two years ago where I ignore little indications and run until I injure myself.

This week has had the least running of any in a long time; just a bit over 21 kilometers. I did end up buying a running belt; the Marathon Gunpack, designed to carry two 200mL water bottles and a firearm, along with another small pocket for things like ID or money. I don't imagine it's any good for carrying anything other than a subcompact; I got the larger of the two sizes, and I can just barely fit an orion flare gun (no, I'm not going to carry a flare gun, it was just a convenient proxy for a firearm). I am considering something like a pepperball gun or other air gun. In any event, I do need to check my diet to make sure I'm doing everything I can to minimize the chance of a knee injury, and get back to a slow, measured increase in distance every week. I am going to start doing more runs carrying a load, like running to work with a full backpack.

My "measured life" experiment is several months old at this point, and it's due for an overhaul. I stopped tracking my water consumption because I originally set my goal at 2 liters per day, and I often found myself drinking when I wasn't thirsty just to meet that goal. I think it might be a good idea to track my water consumption, but just to not have a goal. It's also been some time since I was in ketosis, and so my ketone and blood sugar blocks have been blank and can probably get left out. Even my "calories consumed" and "net calories" blocks have been mostly left blank, since I've been at a mostly stable weight. Perhaps I should keep some of the blocks, but move them to the end of the spreadsheet and blanked out if they have no data. I'm also probably going to delete the long-term tracking sheet, or at least overhaul it.

Elderflower season should be here soon. I plan on making a large batch of elderflower extract and some liqueur. It might be time to try steam distillation out; I can probably use my instant pot as a heat source. I find myself wondering if I can use an Erlenmeyer flask for the plant material; I could use a two-hole stopper to feed steam to the bottom via one glass tube, and attach a condenser to the other hole. I'll have to tinker around a bit.