Odds and Ends

So I've been shopping for beer ingredients. Hmmm...turns out that there's been a run on certain types of hops this year, creating a shortage. All the local stores are completely out of some hops (in whole leaf form), leaving the only other option to use pellets, which they might not even have those in stock! I could possibly buy my stuff online. But even many of the online stores are sold out of what I need. Plus there's the added shipping costs, a real disincentive. Okay. Time to rethink my plan. Might have to switch to a different recipe. It might not be all that big of a deal, since I'm going to do some citrus dry-hopping later anyway. Hmmm...decisions, decisions.

I've got just over a week, before classes start. I'm trying to address the fact that my daily commute is going to be long and (when on the motorcycle) dangerous. I just ordered a pair of motorcycle kevlar riding jeans, so I can add more safety to my commute. I know that I should probably ride in full motorcycle garb every day, but I'm being realistic, knowing that's not going to happen. So the next best thing is to outfit myself with comfortable safety gear. A couple of months back, I was lucky enough to find a screaming deal on some Sidi Doha riding boots, a nice alternative to wearing the full-blown racing Sidis I also own.

Since I'll be spending a good part of my waking hours on a motorcycle, I'm looking into buying a Bluetooth headset for the helmet, so I don't miss important phone calls. That is usually one of the big disadvantages of riding a motorcycle, but with this solution, I've got just about all basis covered.

And finally, as totally uncool as it might be, I'm probably going to have to mount that Givi top case back on the back of my bike. That way, I can store my helmet and jacket away, after I get to school, because I doubt they have lockers available on campus.Wow! so many logistics involved!!