All quiet ...

I got to looking over my recent blog posts and I realized it's been way too long since I reported on some crazy event from my dysfunctional life. I figured I should remedy that, but as I thought and thought, I realized nothing really zany has happened to me of late. Hmm, is my weirdo magnet in hibernation or have I simply lost the ability to recognize the arcane in the ordinary? I shiver to think what will happen once the dam bursts and the "weirdness" returns. In the meantime, ...

I saw this story on Kevin Federline (aka Mr. Britney Spears) joining the campaign to save the penny. I apologize for even mentioning him, but I talk about the looming disappearance of the penny in my macro classes, so this caught my eye. My favorite part? When Mr. Federline explained his affinity for the coin:

"You know I think, it has a monumental value to it, you know, it's gotta stick around," he told Access Hollywood yesterday in New York. "I remember when I was a kid we used to fill the jars up with pennies, you know. We'd save like $60 or $70. And when you're a child, you know, and you get that kind of money after saving for six months, seven months, throwing a bunch of pennies in a jar, you know, it pays off...

First off, how is this relevant to whether the penny should continue to be minted today? I mean just because he saved up pennies and bought things of value when he was a kid, how does that lead to the conclusion that we should keep producing pennies (at a cost of 1.4 cents per penny) in 2006? Second, what kind of childhood did he have where he routinely saved up $60 or $70 every few months? I don't recall childhood coin scrounging being that lucrative. Regardless, I'm glad to see K-Fed (as some evidently call him) is lending his "celebrity" profile to a noble cause. Oh, in a sure sign that America has too much free time on its hands -- there's a retire the penny and a save the penny organization. Sheesh.

While it's WAY to hot for me to hike out in the woods on a camping trip right now, I do like this sarcastic reminder that not everyone has the same thing in mind when "camping" is mentioned:

Bringing proper gear
Sure, as you're unpacking your gear, you might think: "Did I really need a massage chair? Was it a little over the top to bring the queen-size inflatable Eddie Bauer Raised Insta-Bed and the two-sink collapsible "gourmet kitchen" and all those backpacker's martini glasses that nest together so nicely and are made of incredibly durable Lexan? polycarbonate?" The answer is, you're going camping, not joining a monastery. The outdoors is the new indoors, which means you'll need all the gear you can possibly fit in the trailer you'll be pulling behind your car. But if you really insist on "going native," don't bring the champagne flutes.

Backcountry camping
This is when you go someplace that lacks a store, showers, volleyball court, swimming pool and amphitheater. Never advised.

If bitten by a snake
You'll probably die horribly, but there are fabulous social opportunities in the meantime as you search for someone to suck out the venom. [There just HAD to be a snake reference, didn't there?]

Finally, I'm going to brew up a new batch of beer in a couple of weeks. This time I've got some volunteer help coming down from TN. Problem is, I'm not 100% set on just which beer I want to make. Since it's summer, I'm not going to attempt a dark ale and, in fact, I'm leaning toward a light ale . Of course, I usually prefer ambers to light ales. Right now I think the front runner is a nut brown ale. I've always had pretty good luck with brown ales and this one sounds good. If you want to check out the possibilities above, feel free to chime in with your own suggestions.

P.S. I just realized that I shouldn't be freaking out about my weirdo magnet hibernation. This weekend is the 4th of July Family Reunion and Hog Roast -- weirdness will be rampant. If that weren't enough -- this year's event will be followed by the wedding of a Caffeine cousin! Problem will be solved anon.