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thejosh1980 · 4 years ago

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Update #21 – 1 week at “The Ocean Shores Resort”

A week ago we left quarantine in Adelaide!!!

It's been another week of mixed emotions, but I have to say, for the first time in months, they've been mostly on the positive side of things.

Last Tuesday, we left the hotel without too much hassle. They'd given us a basic breakfast the night before to have first thing and they called us down early; luckily we were ready and down the stairs we went. Before you know it, we were in the hotel reception taking our masks off!

Adelaide and South Australia are COVID free, so no masks, no problems.

The checkout was quick (the big bill comes in a few weeks!!), the staff were awesome and the police informative. They all understand that quarantine is not easy on anyone, and they were patient with our questions and worries. We had won the jackpot of quarantine hotels: Pullman Adelaide and the staff helped make our stay tolerable.

Jumped in a taxi (with masks on cause we really weren't sure yet how to behave in the outside world) and off to the airport. We had to leave the hotel by 07:30, because another bus of incoming “Covicts” were coming in that morning. Our flight was at 11:50 up to Brisbane, so it was yet another waiting game to check in and fly. But first... coffee! (we actually bought a coffee from a coffee shop! Amazing!! It's the small things...).

The flight was about about 2/3's full, no masks.

Landing in Brisbane we had to do a border check, show our papers, explain where we had been and all that. The check was there to stop anyone who may have COVID from coming in without quarantining. Each State has slightly different rules, and they do change from time to time, depending on hotspots and COVID numbers. Because the flight was from Adelaide and we left the hotel directly to the airport, we made sure we had no problems entering Brisbane (Queensland). We definitely didn't want any chance of another 14 day hotel stay!!!

Our original plan was to fly into the Gold Coast airport, which is only about 35 minutes from Mum, but there were no flights on our leaving day, so we had to fly into Brisbane (which is 2 hours from Mum's). My cousin picked us up (bloody legend!). We were hungry, and we went directly to Yatala pies. This was the moment I started to realize we were almost home. The taste of home! (Yatala Pies is a well known bakery south of Brisbane, a regular stop for many).

My cousin could drive us as far as the QLD/NSW border. Once there, we walked across the border and Dave picked us up on the other side. A little complicated, but sure enough, the plan worked.

The whole experience felt like something out of the movies. Not that it was all “Hollywood”. It was more like: I can't believe this is finally happening. I wasn't really in the moment. Yet.

As we were getting close to “The Ocean Shores Resort” (which is the name we have for my Mum's house) I still didn't feel calm...

Anyhow, we arrived, and if you've seen our IG or FB Story on the day, you'd know that when I knocked on the front door, we had actually surprised Mum (a little early), and she couldn't find the front door key to let us in!! So our reunion started off with a scream and eventually a laugh!!

Mum did cry, but we all expected her to cry more... ;) Honestly, I think we both had cried too much the past 2 months, it was no longer needed. It was all about joy and happiness.

After meeting and hugging Alex (some more tears) we entered the house to find Mum had a “welcome home” sign and our picture up on the walls (lots of me and Alex, can't go wrong with that!!).

It was surreal.

A quick house tour for Alex and we settled down. Lots of chatting and catching up to do, and a roast dinner!

We'd made it.

The next morning (Wednesday), a son's work is never done and I was up early to take Mum to school. She's part of the support unit inside the primary school, working with kids with Autism.

Even though her eyesight is deteriorating, Mum can still work. Driving a car; that's out of the question. Reading the “use by date” on a packet of chips is almost impossible. Keeping an eye on children in the playground, developing their social skills or helping them with their school work (considering the text is usually quite large and the pictures bold) Mum can still do really well.

I've learnt she has figured out ways to cope with her eyes. She has a great memory, so once she's told something, she can remember it really well (like recipes for cooking etc). She's still a keen bargain hunter when it comes to shopping. I enjoy learning that she's kept her life as close to “normal” as possible, making small changes to the bigger things to keep her independence.

But it's those small things that are hard to do alone, which is why I'm here...

After dropping Mum off, Alex and I spent the morning of our first full day in Brunswick Heads. This is the town I lived in from the mid 80's until late 90's. I went to primary school here, learned to surf here, and know the old names of the shops (the hair dressers is now a surf shop, the butcher's is a cafe, the ice cream shop is a real estate agent and the bank has recently closed). Lots of changes for me, lots of new things for Alex.

We also went down to the beach, the south wall of the Brunswick River, where the river meets the ocean. We watched some waves. Taking in the salt air (I don't think I ever realized how salty the air is here until now).

It was a relaxing day.

But I still wasn't quite “here” in my head and heart. Leaving Dresden back in July, only to be delayed for 7 weeks, then another 2 weeks in quarantine, was going to take sometime to overcome.

Time to pick up Mum from school... Home... Unpack a little, dinner, chatting and a little TV.

Thursday morning, it was time for another radio interview. To finish off the 3 part story with ABC North Coast Radio I did another live interview with Joanne Shoebridge. I'm always nervous doing these kinds of things, even though in the music world, I've had to do interviews, they were never quite as personal as this.

After we dropped Mum off at school Thursday morning, we drove up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse and luckily got a park up close to the top.

I wanted to introduce Alex to the area as much as I could, without overwhelming her. Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay all played a big part of my childhood, and I wanted her to at least know these villages a little bit as early as possible. We'd covered Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores a little, so now it was time for Byron Bay.

Bring on the whale watching!!

Within minutes of leaving the car, we could see whales jumping out and swimming around the cape. It was a wonderful morning. I'm so glad Alex got to see them (in fact I can't remember the last time I saw whales so close to the shore). They migrate each year around September/October, so it was perfect timing.

It was a special day for Alex...

The sun was shining, the whales were in plain sight and the tourists were kind enough to stay away from Byron Bay. COVID does have its benefits. Fewer people in these tourist spots isn't always bad (although I am quite aware the economy is suffering. The borders are opening up next week and it'll be very busy then).

Back into Ocean Shores, picked up Mum from school. Home... Dinner.. Chatting... Some TV...

Friday was the first day we had to do “stuff” in regards to living here permanently, and that was banking. So after dropping mum off at work, we drove into Mullumbimby “The Biggest Little Town In Australia”. I went to high school here.

Basically Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby are like Neustadt in Dresden. You can't walk down the street without seeing someone you know, stopping and chatting. It happened in Brunz the other day, I literally parked my car, and lo and behold an old high school friend came out of the video store to say hi... Or in Mullum, as we arrive at the bank I see an old friend who used to teach me rock n roll dancing (yeah, I can still cut a rug)... and even inside the bank, I said hi to a fella from my high school year, we hadn't seen each other since 1997.

It's a small world...

The banking took a bit longer than expected, after much back and forward we settled on our new bank accounts and how to arrange things going forward. While I've had an account here since I was very very young, I cancelled most of my stuff when I left in 2002, so now it was time to set up shop again, especially since I had my wife with me and we have a future to work towards...

We walked the street of Mullum, grabbed a coffee and we let the country hippy vibe soak in. Alex commented on how many folks don't wear shoes here and she can't believe how many new coffee shops there are for her to try (there's a lot more than when I was a kid).

Picked up Mum from school... School holidays for 2 weeks! Yippeee!!

Home... Dinner... Chatting... some TV...

Over the weekend we sorted out things around the house. Set up better internet Wifi around the house, the pool is in good condition after the winter sleep, cupboards got cleaned out and we unpacked and the car was washed (first time I've hand washed a car in over a decade!).

Sunday I watched Mark's live stream (from his front porch in upstate New York) and I felt inspired (he does that to me). So I am considering live streaming next week. I have a guitar and good internet, so why not? I just have to find time to practice ;) I'm thinking net Sunday evening here, which would be Sunday lunch time in Germany. If I don't get to it this Sunday, then maybe next Sunday... I'll keep you posted.

Overall the weather has been warm, often over 20 degrees. But the mornings are still quite chilly, with frosty dew on the golf course out back. It's not bad for coming out of winter...

Today, Monday, we went “up the coast”, to Tweed Heads.

First thing we tried to exchange my German license for a mandatory NSW (State) license, unfortunately I gotta wait for some back checks, no idea what I did 19 years ago in Melbourne, but they wanna check it out. So onwards to shopping...

Yes!!! We bought a coffee machine! Finally we can wake and with a press of a button get ourselves a cup of joe. It's the small things....

Helped mum with the grocery shopping. She knows her stuff. She knows where everything is in every shop, but sometimes she just needs me to reassure her what is actually written on the box or package!!!

So that's basically our first week...

We are settling in well. Alex and Mum get on like a house on fire. I often can't get a word in edgewise and I'm always outvoted!

I still miss Germany and I still miss Europe... (I always will). I miss a lot of the “past life”, but that's just cause Australia has moved on without me these past 18 years. Each day here I get a little closer to that homey feeling I used to have as a teenager (when I didn't know better).

In hindsight, the past 3 months wasn't too bad... We survived... But that's easy to say now...

When we were in the middle of it, it was really tough.

It was really hard packing up our lives into boxes. It was emotionally draining saying goodbye after goodbye to our wonderful friends. Playing my goodbye show was one of the musical highlights of my life, even if it was one of the saddest.

Then we were ready to leave...

As you all know, that didn't go according to plan.

That's when the really bad feelings crept in. You know it's one thing to know you gotta pack up and say goodbye to leave (you are prepared for that)... It's another when you're ready and the world says “nope, not yet”... and again and again that build up and let down was happening, and until the last 2 weeks in Germany, we had no idea why!

As some of you know, I'm not really good at spontaneity. I'm not good when the plan changes... It was tough... But...

When we took control of the situation and booked new flights, it helped a lot. We were back in control.

Quarantine was a difficult time, it got a little dark there. It brought with it, it's own set of challenges and a steep learning curve. I, for one, learnt a lot about pressure. I put too much pressure on myself. Since we arrived here, I have tried my best to relax more, in my own way at least. My to do lists are shorter...

Alex and I had already figured out how to survive the German lockdown, the packing up of our lives and clearing out the apartment. Then we had 2 months at her parents stuck in “limbo” and then 2 weeks stuck in a room together. Our marriage is really new, and we survived that without any damage to our relationship. Sure, we both have a few personal scars, but nothing a little love and tenderness wont fix. I'm proud of her, Alex has a lot of patience for me!

I'm really happy I am here to help Mum each day. Those small things will slowly become bigger things, but for now, it's great to be able to do “stuff” with her. That was always the plan, to be here in time, before things got really bad.

We've been posting often on our IG and FB stories, so I hope folks have seen the day to day happenings. I'm sure we'll continue with that, keeping you up to date visually.

I think I'll end these FB journals here, and switch over to Tumblr full time. The idea being that if you'd like to continue to read these long “new life” chronicles, I'll still post a link here when I do update there... Confused? Me too! ;)

Thanks everyone for your messages of support and love. We are very lucky, we have the best friends.... You guys rock! You're awesome! We love you.

Love

Josh and @dauntlesscoffee

#travelblog #australia #byron bay #whale watching #coming home #covid

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therecoversite · 6 years ago

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NY Mom Charged with the Murder of her 5 Month Old Baby

New Post has been published on https://www.therecover.com/ny-mom-charged-with-the-murder-of-her-5-month-old-baby/

NY Mom Charged with the Murder of her 5 Month Old Baby

The mother of a 5-month-old baby boy was arrested on homicide charges after throwing the infant against a wall, according to Bronx police. Joann McLeod, 30, reported her son as unresponsive to emergency services on June 4 around 10 in the morning.

Raymond Profil Jr was pronounced dead at the nearby St. Barnabas Hospital and police are ruling his death as a homicide, the medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death. His mother admitted to throwing him against a wall and delaying getting him proper medical attention because she was “afraid of going to jail,” in a statement given to police.

This was McLeod’s forth child, the previous three children were taken away from her custody by New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, according to the babies father, Raymond Porfil Sr.

“She was a bad, bad mother. She killed my baby,” said the distraught father “Every time he cried, she would spank and spank him. . . . She was smoking K2 all the time behind my back.”

Profil said he has an older child with McLeod, a 16 month old girl who was home during the time her younger brother was killed. Profil’s sister told media that McLeod told neighbors after she threw her son at the wall that he was crying, she then “stuffed a sock in the baby’s mouth and taped it up, and then (he) fell asleep.”

The city’s ACS had been called previously and was in contact with the family as recently as May 20th, visiting their home. It was the only time the boy had received medical attention. Marisa Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the ACS said “Our top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all children in New York City. We are investigating this case along with the NYPD and have taken action to secure the safety of the other child in this home,”

The infants father lived with the boys mother at one time, but had left a year prior to enroll in a residential rehabilitation program.

“I was using heroin and I had to go to a program to get myself straight,” he told the Daily News, during a phone interview from his Bronx treatment center. “I just had to walk away.”

Neighbors acknowledged people were known to come and go from McLeod’s 13th floor apartment at the Bronx River Houses on Bronx River Ave.

“Everybody out here knows about her and K2,” said Estella Walker, the boys’ aunt, K2 is a reference to the street name of powerful synthetic marijuana. “She had a drug problem. She did everything in her power to keep the kids away from us.”

Porfil mentioned McLeod struggled with bipolar tendencies. “If I wasn’t there, she would hit him. He had a black eye and a bruised mouth. I wanted to hit her, but I didn’t want to go to jail. I don’t hit women,” he said.

“I feel so bad. That was my only son,” Porfil said. “He was my first boy.”

McLeod has since been placed under suicide watch while she awaits further court appearances in county jail.

Source : The Recover Newsroom

#Featured

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nehslebasi · 8 years ago

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2016, in pictures and text

This is going to be a very long post. A very very long post. A very very very long post.

I’m thankful this year happened. All the tears, laughs, travels, anxiety, everything. Hoping 2016 will shape me (positively) into who I’m meant to become in the future - 2017 and beyond.

January 2016

I honestly don’t remember anything I did this month lol. I was still consistently running. Outings with Crew. Outings with my (then) 8th grade girls. Visited Lighthouse in Torrance. All I have are good, if not neutral, feelings of this month.

February 2016

Let’s just say it turned out to be the worst month of this year, and I’ll never stop missing her and wondering how different this year would have been if she were still here. So what do you do? Drink it away with your friends on Valentine’s. Go to the beach. Play board games. Go to Zinc cafe and drink Blue Bottle. Pretend you’re fine until you’re fine.

March 2016

Clara’s birthday at Bestia, where we ran into one of our Sunday school kids, asked if we wanted to take shots through lamb bone marrow lol. The setting sun and deepening pink sky behind the LA skyline as we coasted by on the freeway. Driving down to Playa Del Rey and squeezing through their narrow lanes to an ADX alumni reunion by the beach. Jack Garratt concert with Jacky, losing myself in sound. A day of exhilaration and pressuring my friends to ride roller coasters at Knott’s, and pretty much failing at that haha.

April 2016

Coffee dates/study parties at Arts District. OC sushi and sake, where our waiter gave us complimentary sake and ice cream! Weekly Sunday lunches in Pasadena, always wearing a summery dress, always getting acai bowls. Multiple beach trips. Brunch at Perch with APR. Noah Gundersen at Hotel Cafe, where he answered a question I asked! Visited my sister’s work at Scripps even though I was dead-ass sick. And probably the #1 favorite concert I’ve ever been to, FOREVER, so much that I’m going to find them again every time they’re near me. Hullo Shadowboxers, hullo Hotel Cafe.

May 2016

Ran a half-marathon! (And couldn’t walk for days afterward) Turned 23. Treated to brunch at Republique and gifted a beautiful stick-figure drawing of us. Took a million jumping pictures by a fabric warehouse. Caught strep throat and a disgusting case of conjunctivitis. Election anxiety kicking in. Started taking this “applying to PA school” thing seriously.

June 2016

Took a break from running (read: got lazy). Upset that the Cavaliers won. In the library or coffee shop every weekend to work on PA school apps and write my personal statement. (Shout out to Bean Town, Nest Teahouse). A Koreatown night market, lots of smoke, lots of food, lots of red lipstick. Drove to San Diego for a large-scale sleepover/reunion (and screenshotted the pictures lol)! Oscar’s fish tacos, a rooftop bar, a Werewolf bar, more ramen and pork belly than we could stomach...

July 2017

One of my favorite, if not most stressful, months of 2016. Submitted my completed grad school application. Sushi and drinks with Angie in Pasadena. Sparklers and pyro activities at Jacky’s on the fourth. Roller-bladed by the sea with Bri from Santa Monica down to Venice, drank our way into a happy sunset buzz at a rooftop bar by the Pier, and rode the warm smooth buzz all the way back to USC on the Expo Line. Watched HP 1 with a live orchestra playing the score at the Hollywood Bowl. Ice cream and boy-stories in South Pas. Viv’s birthday right in our home turf. Started volunteering at my city’s hospital ER. Relient K released a new album. Started going to community group with Reality LA. Discussing political issues every Sunday with my friends, because I’m surrounding by men and women who care about them. Such a wonderful month :)

August 2016

Pizza and catch-ups at Old Town Pas, spilling about relationships with old friends. Exploring Santa Monica and walking for miles with the Crew in a looooong scavenger hunt that we have yet to complete! Frank Ocean drops his albums and changes my life, again. Oliver Sacks dies and I’m heartbroken. Drove through the winding Palos Verdes for a friend’s birthday. Crush on every young Murse. A wedding in San Diego, feeling regal in a borrowed navy dress and tall heels, a little too much to drink, as per usual haha.

September 2016

Crashed summer retreat at UCSD, ate too many tacos, more Tacos El Gordo, ate too much pho, just too much of everything in general lol. Crossed that rickety bridge. Binge watch Atlanta and Stranger Things. Start prepping for PA school interviews. Fly to New York for an interview at Cornell. Drag my little blue suitcase everywhere with me. It’s pouring rain the first day. Meet with Yenmin to eat Halal Guys, and Jaimie for udon and gelato. Navigating the city at night and running to catch the trains and buses. A couple nights in Jaimie’s beautiful apartment in Manhattan five stories up from the sidewalk, a brisk morning in my mom’s borrowed heels, a vegetable cream cheese bagel and coffee, a stressful interview at an ivy league, bleeding raw feet the whole day till I just had to give up and take them off. Walk through Central Park, the Met, coffee shops wearing Walgreens roll-up flats and business formal for 15+ miles till I can feel my feet bruising and my hair frizzing. Pizza and drinks with Jackie and Joyce in Soho. Little Italy’s night market. Frank Ocean, and a NY Times to and fro from NY--a beautiful city I won’t forget. JR JR/Saint Motel concert with Jess the night I land back in LA. Watched an ER patient get lungs drained, car dies in the hospital parking lot at midnight. Oh Wonder, Kevin Garrett concert with Feebs. Another memorable month :)

October 2016

Lightbulb/Third wheel dates with Clara and Justin begin (ok, unofficially in September, but officially in October)! Get a hit list of things to do in Chicago from ER guy. Fly to Chicago for an interview at Northwestern. Get picked up by Angie and drive toward her apartment in the city, become captivated by the skyline and sky. Eat my first Chicago dog. Absolutely enthralled by her cat Wrigley (and am now a cat person as a result). Venture out to Navy Pier and get caught in the pouring, storming rain. Deep dish at Giordano’s. Coffee and croissant before the interview, become attached to the program, would do ANYTHING to be accepted. Tacos at Del Seoul, some rain, Big Hero Six in pajamas as the wind blows and sun sets. Traverse through The Loop, see the Bean, the river, eat brunch/pancakes/everything, inspired by the running people preparing for the Chicago Marathon, in awe at the peace and clean grandeur of this place. It was difficult to leave. Cried after the second presidential debate because I couldn’t believe what my family was saying. Chop off my hair. Fly to Boston for an interview at MCPHS, immediately struck by the cold and beauty of this old city (and how much I suck at navigating its public transport system). Wrapped up with happiness and love while staying with my big. Walking by the Charles to the trains in the rain, a huge Bartleby’s burger and milkshake, a bookstore by Harvard U. A cloudy morning at a coffee shop with a bomb playlist and apple turnover and chai. Most amiable interview. Museum of Fine Arts, fresh seafood, another bookstore with a cafe in the middle, a long walk back home :). Coffee, the Library, Boston Commons and Boston public Gardens, a cemetery where many founders were buried, Flour bakery (nerded out about Joanne Chang), Quincy Market, Warren Anatomical Museum, JFK Library. I am in love with this city, it was also difficult to leave (plus Logan Airport had the nicest staff). And on the 31st, Hallelujah Night in a onesie.

November 2016

My friend Lynette gets engaged! We’re there to surprise her in the parking lot of the Huntington Gardens, and plan her engagement party. 11/8, the most wonderful and horrible day. I get the call that I was accepted to the school of my dreams. America elects a fool. Fly to New Jersey while listening to The Shins and watching the changing leaves through the airplane window. Stay with a gracious family during the interview at Rutgers and catch up with an old friend over Halal Guys. Kill time by reading Profiles in Courage. Realize that at this point, I’m a little burnt out with interviewing and flying back and forth across the country. Watch USC win the USC-UCLA game! Make my friends watch Stranger Things. Thanksgiving at Vincent’s. Relient K and Switchfoot concert of my DREAMS with drinks and fries before and during. Binge watch Gilmore Girls reboot and argue about who’s better: Jess or what’s-his-name, and how awful Rory and Lorelai are and how awful this reboot was!!

December 2016

Second Shadowboxer’s concert, which becomes my 2nd favorite concert ever, after my 1st favorite, which was also a Shadowboxers concert (I’m obsessed with them can you tell). Coworker shows me how to put on falsies. Dinner and stomachaches and being babysat in Old Town. The Paper Kites with Viv, and way too much food from friendly restaurant staff, and hand-banging fans who scream and clearly love The Paper Kites lol. Once more the Duke of Mediterranean Cafe. Last day volunteering. Jon’s Bday in Pas. A day in Little Tokyo and Arts District with Hannah. Vivian’s first sleepover. La La Land on Christmas Eve, dumplings on Christmas, no day off. Catch up drinks with gov kids. Administer my first Rocephin injection via dorsogluteal IM. Lots of visitors, including Yenmin and Jacky. Spend New Years Eve at Urgent Care, popping meds, and rereading A Swiftly Tilting Planet. :)

And that’s a wrap! This was supposed to be reflective and not a catalog of stuff... but welp that’s what it turned out to be. I’m grateful for surviving another year with inspiring and supportive people and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Thank you thank you thank you, because you guys make life more interesting and beautiful. :)

Favorite Books: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, Profiles in Courage by JFK

Here’s to a brighter 2017.

#real life post

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boozedancing · 8 years ago

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AK: Hey, G-LO, you’re an experimental sort, ain’t ya?

G-LO: Depends on the subject. Sometimes I’m a creature of habit. Sometimes I like to get jiggy with it.

AK: OK, Mr. Jiggy, we’re gonna go where many have never gone.

G-LO: Ohhhh! The final frontier? One of those new planets?

AK: Very close, Captain Jiggy. We are going to the future… Sort of.

G-LO: Do we need roads? Maps? Binoculars?

AK: Only glasses, Mi Amigo. Glencairn glasses, which are better than roads. No tolls or potholes.

G-LO: Beautiful! Sign me up! So where we going?

AK: Well, it’s the future in a very interesting way. Wouldn’t it be great if you went to work on Monday morning and when you got there, it was Friday?

G-LO: That would be spectacular! And a bit disorienting.

AK: Nah! You’re tough. Well, let’s bring this back to something that we love way more than work. Whisky!

G-LO: Ahhhh! Now we’re speaking in similar tongues. What are we drinking?

AK: Remember our friends at Lost Spirits? Well, we’re going to dive into the “future” with their new Abomination whisky.

G-LO: Hey now! If anyone’s an abomination around here, it’s you, Pal!

AK: Guilty as charged. But this is a far better evil creation since it’s our favorite beverage. Remember we’re going to the future. And our friends Bryan and Joanne have got something really cooked up here.

G-LO: Bryan Davis is the Voodoo High Priest of all things beautiful and distilled! Is this one of those rapid aging things he does?

AK: Indeed it is. Abomination is the first whisky he’s made using his rapid-aging technology gizmo, THEA. Throw the spirit in and – BOOM! – a few hours later you have Abomination that’s supposed to be aged like it’s been in a barrel for years! The future is now! Nutty, huh? The spirit goes to work on Monday and the next thing it knows, it’s Friday Friday, Gotta get down on Friday, Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend!

G-LO: Insanity, Rebecca! And if it’s as good as that Santeria Rum we had, then we’re gonna have some good old fashioned whisky fun tonight!

AK: Yep! Abomination is the name of the whisky line though the label says “malt”. It’s whisky in my book. But I’m not much of a reader.

G-LO: I’m with ya. If it looks like whisky, and it tastes like whisky, then it’s whisky in my book too! Though I guess there are a few regulatory bodies that would say otherwise. Screw those guys!

AK: I’m anti-The Man so I’m right there with you! Now aside from the fast aging science-y stuff. These first batches from Lost Spirits have another interesting quirk: The spirit comes from an undisclosed distillery… in Scotland…on…Islay! No clue which distillery supplied the spirit, but we can narrow it down to eight guesses. We know all about Undisclosed distilleries, don’t we?

G-LO: The plot thickens! So we’ve got new make Islay spirit that travels all the way to Cali, then goes through some monolithic rapid aging machine and then comes out looking like a very mature looking Islay whisky. That’s a helluva concept! It’s practically Weird Science! Cue the Thomas Dolby!

AK: You’ve blinded me with whisky! But there’s more…

G-LO: Do tell, Maestro! I’m all ears.

AK: That malt is heavy peated. Now you can say BOOM!

G-LO: BOOM!

AK: Well said. There are two expressions of The Abomination. Let’s dig into the first one, uniquely named “The Crying of the Puma”.

G-LO: And all this time I thought only doves cried. Pouring. (glug glug glug…)

AK: Doves really cry on The Island of Dr. Moreau, and that’s where the name of the expression came from. Apparently Mr. Davis is a fanboy of that classic book and he’s naming the whiskies in the Abomination line after chapters in the book.

G-LO: Fascinating! Never read the book. Never saw the original movie. Never saw the remake. Never saw Cats either.

AK: Let’s just say, you’d make a great Panda/St. Bernard. Care to put that schnoz to work?

G-LO: Certainly! We’re not gonna talk about the appearance. Cause then we’ll get all sad when we dare speak her name. Again.

AK: Correct. No names! I love inside blogger references, by the way.

G-LO: It sure does smell like whisky!

AK: Indeed it does. And whiffy of peaty. Licorice and a bit maritime-y. Dirty old leather. The smell, not you.

G-LO: Absolutely! But not overpoweringly so. It’s subtly peaty.

AK: Smoked leather! There’s a bite in that aroma.

G-LO: Gingerbread cookies! Getting some baked apple and cinnamon too.

AK: No thanks, I had dessert. Oh, the smell! Yes, I get that too. I love the color. I want shoes that rich color.

G-LO: I own shoes this color. The whisky is cheaper.

AK: Big spender.

G-LO: Well, when you only buy shoes every 5 years, ya gotta make sure they’re gonna last!

AK: You’re a pro’s pro. Very economical!

G-LO: You get what you pay for. Your label says they “aged” this using toasted riesling staves. Getting some raisins too.

AK: According to Bryan, the “Puma” uses toasted staves from the riesling barrel made of American oak.

G-LO: I love toast! Rye. Extra butter. Now I smell caraway seeds.

AK: Hey, me too! Lost Spirits buys specific ends of staves from a undisclosed cooperage. They are cut into neat little squarish things that get put into the magic aging machine. Let’s call them Stave Ends or Stave Cubes. The staves are from the same wood recipe so there’s consistency in the batch. Who knew you could buy that?! The barrel maker normally throws away the ends after they’re cut off to make the staves the right length.

G-LO: I’ll buy almost anything if the price is right! How do you know this, Mr. Wizard?

AK: Funny you should ask, Funny Man. The Rocket Scientist wife and I got a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Lost Spirits distillery in the Arts District of Los Angeles. The public opening is coming soon. Fascinating place! Like no distillery I’ve ever been to.

G-LO: No doubt! Bryan is a mad man in a very awesomely spectacular way! Thanks to you, I’ve been able to try mucho from Lost Spirits. Shall we taste?

AK: Uh, I might have already. So, sure!

G-LO: Mmmmmm….

AK: Oh, by the way…it’s 54%. Easy there, fella.

G-LO: Lightly oily and surprisingly smooth for 54% ABV! I really hate the “smooth” expression when talking about whisky, but it applies here. It’s like liquid silk.

AK: Wow. Rich and oily. And sweet!

G-LO: But not too sweet! And there’s peat. But not too much peat. Balanced? Absolutely!

AK: I get way more of the peat on the nose now. It’s about 45 ppm but your mileage may vary. I love the young, peated whiskies. Call me nuts but sweet and smokey is right in my wheelhouse.

G-LO: WOW! This stuff coats your mouth with flavor. It’s quite dry too.

AK: There’s a flavor there that I can’t place…

G-LO: Give me a hint.

AK: Uh, bigger than a bread box but smaller than Louie Anderson. Maybe cinnamon. Maybe barbecue sauce.

G-LO: Hmmm. Cardamom? NUTMEG!

AK: Definitely Cardamom, Mon.

G-LO: Maybe some candied ginger too. This is dangerous. I can drink the entire sample in one sitting.

AK: What’s interesting is that it has that Lost Spirits “funk” that was so omnipresent in the whiskies they made and barrel aged, pre-THEA. How is that possible?

G-LO: Totally agree! Like in Ouroboros or those crazy Navy Rums.

AK: The spirit is from Islay and the aging is from a machine. I no get. But the funk is there. (Scratches head. Drinks more.)

G-LO: It’s an awesome funk! Like Super Funkadelic Funkity Funk Funk!

AK: I like the finish. Think this thing is getting peatier for me. It Ard-begs for another pour.

G-LO: The finish lingers for a looooooong time!

AK: Crazy long actually.

G-LO: Geez. We’re gonna need an intermission before Act 2. Got water in the Southland?

AK: We do now. #AlmostDroughtFree. It is really easy drinking, isn’t it? I gotta tell you, that new space Lost Spirits has carved out is crazy. I need to go back after they officially open.

G-LO: I may need to fly out again for a visit! And yes. SUPER easy drinking!

AK: It’s a wacky combination of the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean rides.

G-LO: Well that sounds fun! They make Tiki drinks?

AK: Apparently Bryan designed amusement parks in a former life. And the new Lost Spirits home is another wacky creation of his with amusement park-ness minus the churros.

G-LO: Really? He gets crazier by the minute. Love it!

AK: No tiki drinks yet but there’s a rum bar that is something right out of Polynesia…

G-LO: Polynesia! They serve Pupu platters?

AK: No pupu, Papa. Then you take a few steps up to wooden landing that’s in a jungle and you get on a boat… Did I mention that we’re in an old warehouse with no windows?

G-LO: Ummm. I’m in my family room. How much have you been drinking? Though if you’re alone in a family room, is it really a family room?

AK: Sometimes I wonder myself. Seriously, you step off the landing that is in this indoor jungle and get on a boat. Think: raft from Adventureland to Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland without the little kid who is about to fall overboard because his parents are too busy inventorying all the pins they’ve bought in the last three days. But I digress. The Lost Spirits boat is on a “river” of water. Did I mention that this place is in a warehouse? Am I making any sense?

G-LO: You did, Rabbit. You did. And, no, you’re not.

AK: …and then Bryan captains the boat “upriver”. This boat can easily fit 10 people. The water in the river is used in for the condenser for the stills when they start distilling there.

G-LO: Madness abounds in the land of Lost Spirits! Definitely sounds like my kind of Magic Kingdom. But does he have a DiVine?

AK: BoozeLand! Once you get up river and disembark, you’re at the mash tun. Then you walk a circuitous route through the jungle by the fermenting tanks and right up to the stills that look like dragons. Bryan likes dragons.

G-LO: That sounds wild! Very Game of Thrones.

AK: Then you walk through two big doors that were probably stolen from a castle and you are in THEAland, or as Bryan calls it, “our barrelhouse”. But of course, there are no barrels because HE DOESN’T NEED ANY!

G-LO: So right from THEA to the bottling line?

AK: Right! Now after you check out the THEA reactors which are the about the size of Coke machine you head back from whence you came and it’s back to the boat. Cuz you have to go back downstream, right?

G-LO: You know, now I’m thinking Apocalypse Now. The Horror. The Horror. Did you find Kurtz?

AK: I heard shrieks but didn’t investigate. I forgot my machete. There’s another stop along the way: The Whisky Room. This room faces out to the jungle and the decor is early Captain Jack with feng shui courtesy of The Addams Family. There’s a long dark wood table surrounded on three sides with antique looking furniture. Bryan says this is where he’ll do tasting events. But this is a techie jungle Whisky Room; we need more of these, by the way. A huge screen comes down from the jungle sky and Bryan leads us through a fascinating presentation on the science of whisky and flavor. Bring a periodic table if you come out. You’ll need it. The Rocket Scientist followed along easily. I just wanted another shot of Abomination.

G-LO: Captain Jack may not get you high tonight, but he might get you drunk! I want more Abomination too!

AK: Let’s jump into the other expression, “The Sayers of the Law”.

G-LO: Let’s! Similar color. Don’t say her name!

AK: She will remain unspoken. Now when I got these bottles, being the idiot I am, I couldn’t figure out the difference. The labeling is exactly the same except one is black and one is red. Pinhead me didn’t see the expression name vertically off to the side. Luckily, Bryan pointed out the names and the differences.

G-LO: So they’re both aged with riesling staves, but one set of staves is toasted while the other is charred.

AK: Correct, Professor! Same heavily peated Islay malt. Different stave cubes used in the reactor. Less peat on the nose for the “Sayers”.

G-LO: More vapory though for whatever reason. I love it when distillers play around like this, i.e. messing with one component to get different results.

AK: Yep. Fascinating how things are so different. Definitely more vapory.

G-LO: I know I’ve said this before, but I want Chip Tate and Bryan Davis to make something together. And to get even nuttier, let’s throw Dr. Bill into the mix!

AK: The Evil Doctors of Whisky!

G-LO: Totally! Lords of the Spirit World!

AK: I’m getting a little cumin.

G-LO: This doesn’t smell as sweet.

AK: Nope. Not a whole lot of aroma.

G-LO: Getting some fennel and peat.

AK: I might drop a bit of water in on a second go with this one.

G-LO: Just caught a note I can’t place. Mesquite perhaps? Like in Brimstone. Burnt sugar too. Like when you leave BBQ sauce coated chicken on the grill to long.

AK: Hmmm. I’m not getting much of anything. Definitely no smoke. But, again, you’re a pro.

G-LO: Nah. I’m using my imagination.

AK: You’ll do well in college. Shall we partake?

G-LO: Or maybe I’m just hungry? Partaking…

AK: Mmmm..food. Love that deep rich….color.

G-LO: Scarlett! Not that other vixen. Once again, it’s lightly oily. A bit hotter though.

AK: Yep. Bit hotter but still 54%. Oddly less smokey to me.

G-LO: Yep. Still totally drinkable sans agua. There’s a little bitterness in the finish. Not bad bitter. More like Fernet bitter.

AK: I get that bitterness too. Second taste is much sweeter. Not nearly as much as the “Puma”. More astringent. Cloves, burned cloves actually.

G-LO: I’m getting that too! I think I like the Puma a bit better. This is still quite good, but not as well balanced as the Puma.

AK: The smell is different now. I’m getting the “funk” now.

G-LO: George Clinton! Or is this more Bootsy Collins?

AK: I agree, P-Funk. Puma feels more complete.

G-LO: Yep. Though to tell you the truth, the second taste was better than the first.

AK: I’m going to get a bit Bill Nye-y here and add a bit of that two hydrogen atoms/one oxygen atom combo and see what happens.

G-LO: It improves as you drink more of it. Or maybe I’m just getting tipsy? Then again, how can you tell the difference? This is me we’re talking about after all.

AK: Always talking about you. So narcissistic.

G-LO: What’s your point?

AK: Wow. Way more licorice on the nose with the added water. Maybe even those elegant band-aid notes too.

G-LO: Band Aid brand or Curad?

AK: I’m a generic shopper. More CVS brand than Target. Smells “hotter” too. This thing changed with water. And wayyyy more sweeter. Different dram all together.

G-LO: Opens it up a bit?

AK: More than a bit.

G-LO: Releases the oils perhaps?

AK: Chewier too which doesn’t make sense either.

G-LO: Kinda like when you splash water on your face after the Hai Karate dissipates. Brings the aromas back to the surface.

AK: That’ll get you all the hot babes!

G-LO: I’m getting some sweetness now in the nose.

AK: Did you add agua, Mi Amigo?

G-LO: Si! With my handy dandy Jewbilee dropper.

AK: Fancy!

G-LO: That’s Mr. Fancy to you, Buckaroo! Definitely hotter tasting too! Like a chile pepper and cinnamon red hot. Though not overwhelming.

AK: Speaking of Jewbilee, Bryan told me that a certain Jewbilee organizer told him that Abomination tasted like it could have been a 15 year old whisky. He was only off by… 15 years.

G-LO: The Scot or the Other Guy?

AK: No comment. Wait, there’s two guys?

G-LO: Maybe the other Other Guy???

AK: There’s always an other guy.

G-LO: Do we need another guy?

AK: Guys we got. We need gals! I can defiantly say that these are not young tasting. And I guess that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

G-LO: Agreed! Kinda have a Bowmore Devil’s Cask vibe. Could it be Bowmore spirit?

AK: Ooh, interesting comparison! I was thinking Caol Ila but who the heck knows and Bryan won’t say. Still like Puma more than Sayers, but Sayers got better with water. Bryan says that the LA spot will be a rum distillery initially. Right now, any distilling going on is happening up at their original location in Salinas, CA. LA won’t be operational for distilling until the federal permits come through. You know how the government is? But when they get the official go-ahead, it’s full speed ahead up and down their river.

G-LO: Oh, don’t tell me about the governmental pencil-pushers! I absolutely concur on the Sayer with water! Puma has a better balance. More nuanced. Ain’t I fancy?

AK: You know all the big words.

G-LO: Not big, but definitely fancy. Sounds French. I can go for a baguette or a croissant. But not a croissandwich. THAT’s a real abomination.

AK: Sayers might be really good for cocktails. I like that you like food.

G-LO: Thanks! You’re cute too, Doc.

AK: Evil Abomination combinations, which is really hard to say.

G-LO: Tongue twister!��Next you’re gonna ask me to make like Audrey Horne and knot a Maraschino cherry stem.

AK: You’re my kind of date! Care to guess on the name of the next expression? Pick one of these…

I. IN THE DINGEY OF THE “LADY VAIN”

II. THE MAN WHO WAS GOING NOWHERE

III. THE STRANGE FACE

IV. AT THE SCHOONER’S RAIL

V. THE MAN WHO HAD NOWHERE TO GO

VI. THE EVIL-LOOKING BOATMEN

VII. THE LOCKED DOOR

VIII. THE CRYING OF THE PUMA

IX. THE THING IN THE FOREST

X. THE CRYING OF THE MAN

XI. THE HUNTING OF THE MAN

XII. THE SAYERS OF THE LAW

XIII. THE PARLEY

XIV. DOCTOR MOREAU EXPLAINS

XV. CONCERNING THE BEAST FOLK

XVI. HOW THE BEAST FOLK TASTE BLOOD

XVII. A CATASTROPHE

XVIII. THE FINDING OF MOREAU

XIX. MONTGOMERY’S BANK HOLIDAY

XX. ALONE WITH THE BEAST FOLK

XXI. THE REVERSION OF THE BEAST FOLK

XXII. THE MAN ALONE

G-LO: Geez… Insanity abounds!

AK: I want Abomination “A Catastrophe”!

G-LO: I really like “Catastrophe” on Amazon Prime. Sharon Horgan is brilliant!

AK: Brilliant show! A good drinking show! Rob Delaney is hilarious. The final frontier for Carrie Fisher too.

G-LO: Oops. For a second there I thought this was a pop culture podcast.

AK: It’s not?

G-LO: It is? IT IS! If we want it to be.

AK: I’m very confused. Isn’t this Bill Simmons’ podcast? Boy, did I make a wrong turn at iTunes.

G-LO: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

AK: In the opposite direction. A flute with no holes is not a flute. A donut with no hole is a Danish.

G-LO: Truth.

AK: Na-Na-Na-Na-Na….

G-LO: Parting thoughts? Word association! Bryan Davis?

AK: Nuts/Creative! Puma?

G-LO: Delicious! Balanced! THEA?

AK: Futuristic. Sayers?

G-LO: Restrained.

AK: Better with water.

G-LO: Agreed

AK: Lost Spirits?

G-LO: Genius!

AK: That will be $90. Should we bill your insurance company?

G-LO: Yes. I got the good plan. IBX Personal Choice. No referrals. Add on an MRI and a colonoscopy while you’re at it.

AK: I like a bonus procedure! I like the Abominations too. And it’s hard not to like the inventiveness of Lost Spirits and the playground that’s their new home in Los Angeles. Get off your butt and come out here so we can get lost in the indoor jungle only to survive on rum and whisky! That’s my kind of episode of Lost and you won’t be disappointed after Season 2.

Tangents abound in @AaronMKrouse + G-LO's "review" of @LostSpirits1 Abomination. #whisky #popculture AK: Hey, G-LO, you're an experimental sort, ain't ya? G-LO: Depends on the subject. Sometimes I'm a creature of habit.

#booze #Bryan Davis #Comedy #Drinkwire #Humor #Liquor #Lost Spirits Distillery #Pop Culture #Review #Reviews #Spirits #Whiskey #Whisky

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