Sweet & Sauerkraut

Looking for something festive to do between Labor Day and Halloween?  Why not try a holiday Germans have been enjoying for (two) centuries: Oktoberfest!

Yes, it's an excuse to drink beer like you do already, but it's also an opportunity to cook and eat... sauerkraut!

No, wait!  Come back!  As a prepared dish, sauerkraut is much more than just the shredded stuff you dump out of the jar and heat up.  No, that would be like boiling lasagna noodles, pouring them in a bowl, and calling them lasagna.  The sauerkraut in the jar is only the foundation for a swell casserole-like dish.

You need to accept that sauerkraut is sour and salty, and add ingredients to round it out with all the flavors the mouth can enjoy, for a complete dining experience.  Some people add wine to their sauerkraut, some people add sugar, but I use apples, which are awesome, healthy, high in fiber, and contribute to the autumnal theme.

Here is my recipe:
Serves: 4 hungry people, probably more
Time: About an hour

Ingredients (in order of appearance):
cooking oil
4 sweet apples, chopped (maybe more), and you can leave the skins on
2 medium onions, chopped
chopped bacon, or other pork product like sausages (if you're not vegetarian)
apple cider or water, as needed
vegetarian sausages (if you are vegetarian), maybe cut into short sections
1 32-oz. jar of Sauerkraut
1 T caraway seeds (if your wife will let you)
1 T peppercorns (if your wife will let you)
1 T dill
1 T paprika (sweet and/or spicy)

Directions:
First, get a big pot.  Put some cooking oil in it; I like to use olive oil.

Okay, the only hard parts about this are chopping up the apples and onions.  You chop those up, throw them in the pot, crank up the heat, and wait for the apples and onions to basically go mushy.  Stir occasionally to make sure your apples don't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.  Add some apple cider (if you want your dish sweeter) or water as necessary to keep your stuff from sticking, but try not to make soup.  Add your bacon or other pork at this stage, if you're using them; they're just for flavoring the overall dish.

You've got some time, now.  Stir the pot occasionally to prevent burning and sticking, but take this moment to chat with your friends in the kitchen over drinks.  Kiss your spouse.  Maybe prepare a side dish (see below).

When the apples are nice and mushy, they should be releasing their yummy sugars into the pot, and we can add the sauerkraut.  Yes, do it.  Unleash the sauerkraut!  Mix it up!  Add your vegetarian sausages if you have them.  If you have really expensive refrigerated sauerkraut, you can take some time to let the sauerkraut cook.  If you got the regular shelf kind, it's already cooked, and we're just letting the flavors mingle so the sweet apples and savory onions blend with the sour and salty sauerkraut.

This is also a good time to mix in the caraway seeds and peppercorns; these seeds are pretty solid, and they will need some time to let the warm liquid in the pot draw out their spicy essential oils.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and facilitate flavor mixing.

During the last few minutes of cooking, mix in the dill and paprika.  These shouldn't need too much time to mingle or cook.

And once the dill and paprika reconstitute and the flavors mingle, it's ready to serve.

You can pair this with beer or cider (sweet or hard).  If you want to add a starch as a side dish, consider soft pretzels (popular at Oktoberfest), cheesy spaetzle (a swiss cheese-and-egg noodle casserole), or salted boiled potatoes.

In closing, have a great Oktoberfest meal, and enjoy showing all your friends a great new way to enjoy this wholesome and healthy food.

Keyboard manufacturer forgot to cross a T

At work, I use a Dell L100 keyboard.  It has nice tactile feedback, and I always know where the Enter key is.  For my home, I wanted something just like it, but Dell (foolishly) doesn't seem to sell the L100.  I tried another keyboard; I soon discovered that the function keys are uncomfortably small, and the Enter key is too far away to use comfortably.

I went to the computer store and I discovered a keyboard by Vivitar which looked more comfortabe, with full-size keys and deeper key travel.  The Enter key seems to be in the right place.  I touch-typed on it with no problems.

And then I looked at it closely, and I discovered that the T was missing!  Accidentally replaced by another letter!  I asked myself how this could happen; but mostly I had to qwery: y?

I exchanged the keyboard two days later for an identical unit, except this one has a T key.  The guy at the store was very sympathetic ("I thought I was buying a 'QWERTY' keyboard, but instead..." I explained).  Always keep the receipt and packing materials!

Kids today have way better toys

One Christmas in the 1980s when I was growing up, my parents brought home an amazing gift: a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A home computer.  This computer had a built-in keyboard and a cartridge slot for software (mostly games); you could write programs in BASIC, and save these programs and data to tape with a household cassette recorder.  For a display, you could screw some connectors down to the back of your family's color TV set.  It came with all of 16K of memory (enough to hold over 100 tweets! or several emoji! or almost 4 copies of this essay!).

I learned to program with it, figuring out basics of animation, sound, and numerical computation.  I played a lot of charming arcade-style games on it.  We hooked up a printer, and we found a painful text editor to use with it; if only we had something as capable as Windows Notepad!

There are lots of bad things I could say about the TI-99/4A, and I loved the thing.  My family moved on to other computers, but I still love the idea of a cheap computer you could plug into the family TV.

Today, there are several cheap small computers originally designed for education, but which have been adopted by numerous hobbyists and hackers.  I'm most inspired by the Raspberry Pi, which has wide support.  This fanless single-board computer is about as big as a deck of cards, built around a smart phone CPU, and typically does not even come with a case, power supply, storage (a flash memory card), or keyboard.  The computer itself costs about $35; but add on that other stuff and it comes to about $70.  You can buy a monitor for it at about $100, or (wait for it...) you can hook it up to the family TV (yes!).  And you can download a full 32-bit windowed OS (some form of Linux) and lots of other software for FREE!  Forget BASIC; with this, you can program in C, Java, Perl, and Python!

It sounds great, right?  I mean, I'm sure it is great.  But I don't have one.  It's been observed that Linux is not free-as-in-free-beer, but free-as-in-free-puppies: yes, the price tag is low, but the time required is high.  If this thing takes me more than 2 hours to fiddle with (with no end in sight), I'm worried that I will have to abandon it, and it will sit in a box of wires and gather dust, like my many other projects I started and then gave up on.  My budget is too limited for that, I don't have that much spare time, and I'm at the age where I don't know if I can handle the prospect of another failed hobby haunting me.  Ideally I'd like to hire a 14-year-old (someone I could pay in CD money, or Pokemon money, or whatever kids spend money on now, as long as it's not drugs) to do the purchasing, downloading, configuring, and testing of this thing, and then I could just hook it up and switch it on when I want to play an MP3 through my stereo, or a YouTube video on my TV.

Well, I don't have kids of my own; that's poor planning on my part.  A neighbor just had a baby, but even with the great parenting I'm sure it will receive, I suspect it will be more than a decade before I can expect Linux skills out of it.  I might have seen flyers for baby sitters at the coffee shop, but I definitely never saw any for system administrators.  Also, I'm concerned about possibly violating the child labor laws.

What I really want is to give this thing to myself back in the 1980s.  And that's the real tragedy of the fact that kids today have way better toys: I have the money to buy the toys, but I can't play with them like I used to.  Because that's all I'd really be doing with this gadget: playing with it, just like I used to play with that 16K home computer, experimenting with BASIC code for hours and hours.  I work and I exercise and I try to create art (if this blog can be considered art), and if I have a spare hour today, I'd much rather spend it as quality time with my family than twiddling bits all alone.  Would I be wasting my life, wasting what little youth I have left if I did anything else?

What I Learned at GenCon

I went to GenCon this year, for the first time ever.

GenCon started in 1967 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in the basement of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax ("Gen Con" refers to Lake Gen-eva Convention, and is a joke referring to the Geneva Conventions regarding warfare).  I suspect that first GenCon was all about miniatures wargames.  Dungeons & Dragons started around 1975, and as Dungeons & Dragons exploded, GenCon required more space, moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and currently is held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Today, GenCon is like an amusement park for people who like games, including role-playing, tabletop, miniature, and video games.  Like Disney World, there are long lines, junk food, attractions, and people dressed up like cartoon characters.  Unlike Disney World, the target market is adults, and the attractions are not (usually) rides, but are instead opportunities to play games and visit exhibitor booths, authors, artists, watch movies, and other events.

This year, GenCon activities spanned from August 13th to August 17th. The weather was pleasantly but unseasonably cool for mid-August: in the mid-70s, with only a little rain.

GenCon was awesome, and I hope to go again.  And I learned a lot:

Health is my most valuable asset

I actually did all right in this department: I didn't get sick.  But I can imagine how much I would miss out if I DID get sick.  I took vitamins every day, and I didn't need the headache pills, Pepto, antihistamines, or anything else I carried.  I didn't fly, though; I often get sick when I fly to visit my folks, and I suspect I often get infected on the plane ride.

Don't drive for 10 hours to GenCon

I can't stay focused and perfectly alert for 10 hours of straight driving; I went through 60 oz. of energy drinks on the return trip.  I looked into Amtrak: the prices are high and the times are painful.  Wisconsin Governor Walker's opposition to high-speed rail puts a golden spike through the heart of a fast rail option.  So next time, I'm flying.

Hotels in town are worth it

I spent at least $20 per day on parking.  If I could walk to the convention, it would solve a lot of problems: I'd save some time, I'd get some exercise, and I wouldn't need a car.  There were free shuttles from some outlying hotels, but these hotels took about an hour of valuable morning time to get from my hotel to the convention; so I just drove to the convention every day.

Research parking ahead of time

If you do drive to the convention, resolve your parking needs ahead of time, because the parking fills up fast: http://www.indyparking.com/p/indiana-convention-center.html

Pack Light

You don't need a full sketchbook, or a full 100-page notebook, or more than 3 pencils; you won't fill or use them all up.  You probably won't need any RPG books or miniatures.  A single set of dice are good.  A Sharpie fine-tip marker and some index cards are helpful.

Get a good pack

Having said that, you will need to carry around SOME stuff, and you will need capacity to comfortably carry away swag and games you purchase.  I got a new padded nylon book bag with side pockets for water bottles and I am very glad I had it.

Food is problematic

My hotel had a cheap breakfast buffet which was uninspiring, but saved me a lot of valuable morning time; I had hot eggs and warm biscuits as soon as I walked in, and how much excitement do you really need out of your breakfast?

I expect other meals to be more interesting, and those other meals are not so easy to manage.  There were long lines for everything, including the tempting food trucks.  I am a vegetarian, and vegetarian options were hard to come by.

Downtown Indianapolis restaurants were disappointing, because they were almost all chains, and almost all of them exist in my hometown.

I really liked the Munchkin Tavern (sweet potato fries!), but my wife was not so fond of it, so we didn't get to eat there again.

If you are familiar with Indianapolis and you know of really great places in town that I need to experience, please don't (just) call me nasty names; please tell me about these great locations and how to get there.

GenCon will become your world for the duration

I'm spoiled by the cultural and economic diversity of my hometown metropolis.  I'm sure Indianapolis is way cooler than lots of small towns in America, but from what I can tell, there is only 1 co-op in Indianapolis and only 1 art supply store.  I told you about the restaurant situation.  The city didn't really have anything that competed with GenCon or my hometown, so when I wasn't sleeping I pretty much stayed at the Convention Center.

Again, if I'm missing something, please write.

Take more notes

Not at the gaming table; I'm talking about little notes on a pocket notepad.  I have easily forgotten half of what I saw and experienced.  One valuable note to write down: where, exactly, did I park in the parking garage?  And what's the address of that parking garage?

Gamers aren't as stinky as I'd heard

I've played RPGs in the hometown alongside players who needed showers and a fresh change of clothes; some of these people have issues and live in halfway houses.  As a tubby hirsute fellow, I am sensitive to the fact that I am not always daisy-fresh.  I therefore showered every day before bed and after waking.  I brought antiperspirant and a spare T-shirt every day in case my old one got stinky and/or gross, but either I didn't need them, or nobody felt confident enough to tell me I needed them.  And I didn't notice any other stinky players, either.  Really, everyone I met there was pretty laid-back and really nice.  Bear in mind that it was also a very cool weekend for August, and the Convention Center has excellent air conditioning.

It's time for me to get a smart phone

My old Nokia dumb phone is slowing my ability to text, and my sister was ONLY communicating in person or by text, making it difficult to meet up spontaneously.  If I want to take a photo, hauling out the Canon is cumbersome.  And then there's the bulk of carrying all these gadgets on my (already wide) midsection.  It's time for me to seriously look at getting a smart phone, hopefully one which can take photos of small objects.  GPS wouldn't hurt, either.  Maybe an app with some way to find dinner at a decent sit-down restaurant.

Paizo booth needs to be an event

I wanted to visit the Paizo booth in the exhibitor hall.  Unfortunately, the Paizo booth in the exhibitor hall always had a long line, and I always had lots of other things to do with my time.  I would gladly pay a small amount of money to get a ticket guaranteeing me access to the Paizo booth at a specified time.  If customers balk at the price of admission, the ticket could be used as a coupon to get a discount on purchased merchandise.

Take the Exhibitor hall in small doses

The Exhibitor hall is a kaleidoscopic bazaar of brightly-colored objects and fascinating concepts and people who want your hard-earned money; I immediately became stressed, then jaded by the booths presented.  Fortunately, the aisles in the hall are clearly numbered; take in the Exhibitor hall a small number of aisles at a time, write down the aisle number, then come back hours later.  If you're a little tired of the place, don't say: 'just a few more aisles,' because it all becomes an unmemorable blur and you could miss out on something good.

I have a big example of this effect; please bear with me for some setup: I have been a big fan of Scott Kurtz and his wonderful comics and stories for over a decade.  Lisa asked me about the people wearing fezzes, and I explained that Mr. Kurtz popularized the gaming fez through his daily webcomic, PVP.  An hour later, I'm trudging through the sensory maelstrom that is the Exhibitor Hall, and I'm jaded and low on sleep.  I see Mr. Kurtz sitting in a booth, amicably chatting with his associates in the booth.  I immediately recognize Mr. Kurtz, I point him out to my wife as the man who popularized the gaming fez, but I do not have the presence of mind to greet the man and thank him for all the awesome comics over the years.  I totally blew it!  I hope Mr. Kurtz comes to future GenCons, and that I have another chance to see him and find out what he will be up to.  Scott Kurtz has complained about catching colds at these conventions, so it is entirely possible that he might decide to skip future GenCons, and this would compound the loss of this missed opportunity.

If Scott Kurtz is reading this, thanks for all the great comics, sorry I missed you, and relax: I DON'T want to physically touch you or get germs on you or stalk you or anything.

Get the free GenCon program, coupon book, and shoulder bag early

I had already looked at a map of the Exhibition Hall, with booths I wanted to visit circled.  I visited those booths, and then I got the coupon book; a lot of the coupons were for free stuff in the exhibition hall,  My wife and I love free stuff!  I suddenly realized I would need to re-tour the entire Exhibition Hall.  That didn't happen.

I found Carmen Sandiego

I saw a lovely woman in a matching scarlet trenchcoat and fedora walking by, and I joked with my wife: "THERE in the world is Carmen Sandiego!"  The lovely woman in scarlet stopped and quizzed me and the wife on geography; we answered her questions correctly and we each won a swell Carmen Sandiego sticker.  She was very charming!  I have never played a Carmen Sandiego game, not counting that impromptu experience.

Schedule for more sleep and more travel time in between events

I had scheduled events from 8AM to Midnight, at which point I'd somehow avoid getting lost, pile into the car, drive to the hotel, shower, crash around 1AM, roll out of bed at 6AM(ish), shower, shovel breakfast into my maw, drive into and navigate downtown, park, dash to the convention center, and show up late and cranky for the first event.  There was virtually no downtime to process or plan my day.  Repeat this 3 days in a row, and I was a coffee-fueled jerk.  If I'd had more sleep, I'd be calmer, I'd enjoy myself more, and I'd live in the moment more.

If that were not enough, GenCon is so huge that events have spilled out of the Convention Center and into nearby hotels.  If your next event is in one of those hotels, you might become the biggest jerk at GenCon when you show up late and in a foul mood, like I did (sorry about that!).  If I'd scheduled an hour in between each event, I could finish up my previous game and still have plenty of time to walk the 2 blocks to the hotel for the next event, and I'd be in good spirits.

Take an extra day or two

I arrived late on Wednesday, exhausted after the drive in and skipped Sunday so I could drive out.  I wish I could have spent those days participating in GenCon activities, and skipped 2 days of work.

I experienced a lot

Neither my wife nor I had ever played a miniatures wargame, but the small cost of a GenCon event ticket allowed us to quickly play a miniatures wargame that would easily cost hundreds of dollars for metal miniatures and cost hours and hours of painting, rule preparation, and so forth.  We played lots of swell games which were not yet avaiable in stores, like Grow Garden Grow, D&D Next, and other RPG systems.  We also played lots of swell games which we really liked and we now play at home, like Flapjacks and Sasquatches and Ascension.  These were great experiences that expanded our lives, and I am so glad I was able to share these with my wonderful wife.

I missed a lot

I also missed out on many cool GenCon-only activities, like the film festival, music events, and True Dungeon.  I've played Pathfinder Society at my friendly local gaming store, but it might have been nice to experience Pathfinder Society in the big room they set up.

There's always next year

My wife wants to go again.  I initially wanted to do this as a "bucket list" item, but it might turn into an annual event.

Drawstring Bags

I don't just draw and write; I also like to sew on occasion.  I made these dice bags for family members I would meet at GenCon.

The first dice bag is navy poly fabric with a satiny finish and holographic glitter apparently glued onto the fabric; I was going for a "night sky" theme.  The interior is satin taffeta, in kind of an ocean blue.  The cord is 550 paracord, with a turk's head knot, in a gray "urban camo" pattern which is evocative of clouds or perhaps the moon.  The bag has a square bottom, so it should be able to stand upright and allow for easier retrieval of dice.  This is for a gentleman with a history of seamanship; I wanted something which conveys respect, but not stodginess.

The next dice bag is a violet poly satin fabric with pink glitter apparently glued onto the fabric; the interior is pink satin taffeta.  The cord is also 550 paracord with a turk's head knot, in a pink and magenta "candy snake" pattern.  This is for a lady who loves to fish and who loves the color violet; I was also inspired by a 7-lb. Skipjack Tuna I caught, which looked kind of violet when I was holding it.  The bag does not have a square bottom, but I truncated the interior such that small objects won't fall into the corners of the tail.

This last dice bag is an iridescent green poly satin fabric; the interior is pink satin taffeta.  This bag has a square bottom, like the "night sky" bag above.  This is for a lady who associates with a frog motif, so I tried to make it look like a frog, with flipper feet, bulging googly eyes, and a long tongue.  The cord is also 550 paracord with a turk's head knot, in a bright yellow and green "gecko" pattern.

As the photos indicate, these bags can all accommodate the small essentials of gaming, including dice, a standard-size deck of cards, a 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew, and even a full-size pencil (though it sticks out a bit).

Dice by Chessex.  General's Semi-Hex Pencil by General Pencil Company.  Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide by TSR.