The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Wneighbor]

Slight change of topic. Only slight. Still talking about the Lawn Chair Club. Now, none of ya'll go all off the deep end on me here because it's just a thought. A fledgling-getting-started little thought.

I am thinking, back from my days of organic chemistry, it would be very very easy for the lawn chair club to furnish themselves with a little "extra refreshment" from time to time. Now, maybe they'd have to not do it at all. And maybe they'd have to use some really good judgement, and it might be asking for trouble, but, where could I get my hands on some written material that would tell my s-i-l how to cook up a little homebrew over in Saddam's palace?

Now, before you yell at me. My s-i-l has a real good head on his shoulders. I would not even think about providing him with information or any materials if I thought he would be irresponsible. But, truth is, if there was an appropriate time, he would know it and he would be smart about it.

Any ideas? GNAD!! WHERE ARE YOU?

[Lil'freeper]

Er Trading Spaces Doug scares quite a few males as well...if ya get m'drift...

*wink*wink*nudge*nudge*say no more*say no more*

[Wneighbor]

I love you for this.

2J will give you all the details but what we've been doing is either sending her money through a paypal account so she can shop and package and mail. Or we've been buying items and mailing them to her to mail on. She is so meticulous and keeps an accounting of everything. Goes way above and beyond what I expect of her as far as being accountable for the money we send. So, there's no worries there.

The guys we support are the 82nd airborne in Afghanistan. Their portable PX burned just before we started sending the troops over to Kuwait and they did not even have any basic extra supplies other than their MRE's from what I understand. So, we sent wipes, sunscreen, lip balm, all that normal stuff that you always hear they need. But, since we are the Hobbit Hole, we also sent several sets of Tolkiens books as well as movie dvds and things like that for their entertainment. Then we started sending snack type things because of course without the PX they don't get that stuff either. So, that's the background.

And I'm saying thanks personally because my son-in-law that we are talking about here today has also received a care package from us. He is in Bagdhad. Just after he left my daughter found out she is pregnant with their 4th child and so she was kind of bummed because he wasn't there when she found out. But, the Hobbit Hole also sent her a "new mommy care package." So, that has really touched me personally very much.

[Wneighbor]

Thanks. I'm glad you're here. Got a chemistry challenge! You're gonna love it when you get there.

[Lil'freeper]

'been a while, but what have you got in mind?

[Scott from the Left Coast]

LOL! Well...I think I'm going to stay put this time and not carry off on any more wild goose chases! Just going a state or two over was pretty tiring.

[Wneighbor]

All these years of parenting I really thought empty nest syndrome would hit me. But, I had a plan. I figured I would not allow it to come into my life because I would still be young enough to get on my bike and ride ride ride.

But, now, that time is here. And I'm not disturbed about the empty nest at all (yet) but, I find with all the stuff going on with having to go to Germany for the new baby's birth etc. I can't exactly get on my bike and ride like that.

But, when I do, I think I'm going to ride into western Penn. I want to see it. And I'm going to ride up into New England. I have never been in those areas except flying and you really don't get to see anything that way. But, I loved business in Pittsburgh and I want to see that area. And someday, I'm going to Laconia.

[Wneighbor]

See post 42581

[Wneighbor]

I think I'm going to stay put this time and not carry off on any more wild goose chases! Just going a state or two over was pretty tiring.

I don't think that attitude is going to land you a job in Austin Scott. It's still a state or 6 away.

[Lil'freeper]

where could I get my hands on some written material that would tell my s-i-l how to cook up a little homebrew over in Saddam's palace?

oooh, I'd be super, super careful with that one. My understanding is that the US military bows and scrapes and caves-in to every demand of Islam when our people are in their countries. Female soldiers cover up or stay on post and there's no alcohol allowed. Our so sez my submariner brother who did some shore leave in Saudi.

[Lil'freeper]

Otherwise, there's an awful lot you can do with fruit juice and bread yeast. I don't drink, but some fellow camp staffers back in the day brewed up something in an old coffeepot. It gave them bug eyes and puckered faces so maybe it was good.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think I'm going to stay put this time and not carry off on any more wild goose chases!

Sounds sensible to me!

[Wneighbor]

Yep. I heard that too. Tom has to be there for a year. It's only been - maybe 2 months now - so, I figured that's where the part came in of him being an upstanding guy. He's bright about not getting in trouble. But yet, still having a little fun.

I just am wondering if there's a little low-level unobtrusive method to get some non-distilled homebrew made. Sort of a "just in case" he could get by with it.

[RosieCotton]

Gah! Just finished weedwhacking...except I got carried away and did the whole lawn with it. The little old push mower (one o' those with a spinning blade) didn't get all the dandelions and my lawn looked sad.

Looks pretty nice now, but my arm is about half dead! So much for small motor control (of the muscular kind) this evening...better stick to chords.

I guess I need to build up more strength. :(

[Wneighbor]

there's an awful lot you can do with fruit juice and bread yeast.

That sounds plausible. Wonder if Tang works as fruit juice for that?

I never tried making alcohol away from the lab so I don't know.

[2Jedismom]

Hello!

Wneighbor did a pretty good job explaining what we've been doing. The only catch is that right now the Chaplain that we've been sending to might potentially be coming home. So I am anxious about sending any more packages after say, the 20th of this month.

So if anyone wants to send one last big batch of care packages to Afghanistan, then I'll need the cash either by check at my home or by paypal (remember, it has to process which takes something like 4 business days) or items by June 17th. That will be the definite last set until I hear what is going on.

Also, if you donate, give me an idea what you would like me to pick up or you can still just leave it to my discretion.

Any funding that comes in after these packages go out will be held on to and we'll discuss what we want to do after that.

[Lil'freeper]

we'll have guests over soon, but I'll try to scare up some recipes. You'll probably have to order in some supplies- specialized starter yeasts and such. I bet a quick google search on homebrew would turn something up.

[Wneighbor]

Sounds sensible to me!

But, you have hobbit-like tendancies. And Scott is an elf. He likes adventure!

[RosieCotton]

I somehow doubt they could get away with it...I had a friend deployed to one o' those alcohol free places, and they were very strict about the rules.

Not that anyone would think about checking EVERYWHERE for homebrew, but if someone got caught...

[2Jedismom]

OR...on second thought...those of you that have heard from the Chaplain and have his address and want to send something yourself...that would be great too! That would even be better because we could all be working toward one last effort before he comes home.

What do you think? They would all still need to be out by the 20th, at the latest, because they take about 9-10 days to get there. You wouldn't have to write a note, if you didn't want to, just put that graphic I sent via email in with it...although, like he said...he reads the notes aloud to the guys!