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What’s the purpose of the numbered totes?
The numbered totes are where I keep all my wine making stuff. I keep a detailed excel spreadsheet of the items in the totes. It’s the only way I can stay organized and know exactly where stuff is located when I need it.

BTW - Although I’ve been making wine like a madman, it’s not all for me. I co-own a financial advisory firm and my business partner and I spend a fortune annually giving wine as gifts to many of our clients. Four years ago, I decided I would learn how to make it. Since then I’ve been on an incessant quest to make wine better or as good as what we purchase annually and give away. Funny that I have yet to give a single bottle away to a client. But, I’m close. I have wine now that is good enough and aged long enough that I feel comfortable putting myself out there as a wine maker to my clients.

I have enough equipment now to barrel age and bottle 700+ bottles a year. Because I want the wine to be aged at least a year before it goes to a barrel, I have to have enough carboys to accommodate. I’ve developed a robust fermenting, aging and bottling regimen that is finally at full capacity.

If you’re ever in the Seattle area, let me know. I’d be honored to meet you.
 
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Waiting for the better half to wake up. Since there are very few surgeries in the Operating Room these days, she had to find something else to do within the hospital or basically get paid for a day per week of work. So she is now checking temperatures and asking questions of hospital employees as they come in for work each day/night. She worked 10pm to 6:25am last night, same tonight followed by a 2pm to 10:25pm Saturday then a 6am to 2:25pm Sunday. I'm too old to work those hours. I told her we need to make time for an in home date Sunday afternoon. I think it will be a couple glasses of wine and then she'll be asleep in my arms (not a bad thing). I gotta stay away from the baked beans tomorrow for dinner for sure.

If she doesn't get this virus I will be amazed.
 
G.F. picked up materials to make masks for a small company out of Auburn Me. 1500 sets, that she and her band of sewing
circle to make. They will get $1.25 ea. I don't think they are surgical grade masks.

Bill
 
I think we are both on the same pathway at the moment. Nothing like a pandemic that puts a bullseye on your back to give you extra motivation to lose that extra 15lbs!
I was down to 199.0 yesterday! Lowest I've been for quite a while. They said obesity is a factor in the COVID death rate, so here's hoping we've lost enough to escape this and continue to enjoy the finer things of life. I'll drink to that!
 
I have lost 20lbs since October. Need to lose ~15lbs more. I admit I cheat on the weekend. Need to keep my sanity somehow! Stay safe!
 
I have lost 20lbs since October. Need to lose ~15lbs more. I admit I cheat on the weekend. Need to keep my sanity somehow! Stay safe!
I've lost 20 since December. I wouldn't be surprised if I had the Covid stuff which started all of this weight loss. Couldn't smell anything and had absolutely no appetite. Didn't even want to drink beer or wine (the horror)! My nephew just had it and tested positive, but he's in his early 20's, swimmer, incredible shape, almost as good looking as I am..etc, etc. If I could get down to 175 I'd be ecstatic, but my doc only wants me to go to 190 and hang around there. Something about being old and needing weight in case I get really sick. What does he know?
 
Mrs IB went out to visit the kids and grand baby in early Feb. Our granddaughter has been in daycare since 6mo and is now 2YO. She has brought home the "Virus de jour" every week since she has been there. Mrs IB started running a fever and had a cough for 3 days while out there but was never in any respiratory distress. I picked her up at the airport but kept my distance and never got sick. She goes to the grocery store now and I stay home going crazy..... Except for walking the Golden's every day!
 
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Hardest part for me, though I'm normally a quiet person (yeah right), is not interacting with someone who is not a family member. I went to the grocery store today but noticed that 1) most people were wearing masks (didn't realize I was suppose to, got scolded by my better half) and 2) most people were quite edgy and in a foul mood. I attribute that to many being sequestered to our houses for long periods of time, because normally people are quite cordial around these parts.

I've found that I occasionally, before imbibing, will drive the car around our lovely lake community just to be able to drive and go somewhere different for a change (and get out of the house). I should be doing more projects around the house, but for the first week or so I was quite depressed. I'm finding my rhythm now and starting about five projects at the same time, four of which I will struggle to finish, but it makes me happy so screw it.

I did offer to walk the neighbors dog the other day just so I could do something different. Can't have pets with my wife being semi asthmatic. Plus I'm the one who either had to change the litter or feed the pet on a daily basis.
 
30 hours ago I installed a nuk into my new hive (flowhive.com). This afternoon it was a balmy 55 degrees and the bees where relatively active. I was watching them leave and return and the foragers were full of pollen upon return.

Pic is from 6pm and life there has settled in for the night.

Can anyone say mead?

16E8996C-0261-41A7-A925-5C79EC51D205.jpeg
 
It looks like everyone is enjoying their time off with all the activity here. Fortunately work hasn't slowed down much for me. We are allowing more time between trades to avoid (as much as possible) too much of a close proximity of the workers. The biggest problem I have is the porta john. There is no hand sanitizer to be found so we just keep a box of gloves outside.
 

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