Wine Making - Primary Fermentation

Right now my wine is in the primary fermentation stage. Here the yeast are undergoing aerobic respiration [bringing me back to my days of Medical Microbiology & Immunology]. Aerobic respiration is the phase where the yeast are utilizing oxygen and the sugars to rapidly reproduce. At the top of my primary fermentation container is an air gap. That serves two purposes, 1) to prevent unwanted things, especially bacteria and other fungi, from entering the container while 2) allowing gas to escape from the container without allowing more oxygen in. Slowly the oxygen will be depleted forcing the yeast to undergo anaerobic respiration - the secondary fermentation stage - which utilizes a different fermenting container.

Obama Visit

I debated whether or not to go see President Obamaa today or not. Instead of going I decided to go shopping for my nephew's birthday this weekend. Below is a photo I took from my condo of one of the helicopters swirling above head.

Wine Making

As the fall season begins to set in, I decided to start brewing my first batch of wine for the year. Wine making is a rather simplistic process where cleanliness and timing are two of the most important factors. Over the past few years, I have brewed over 120 bottles of wine. Ranging from White Zinfandel, Piesporter, Pino Blanc, and Gewurztraminer. I have enjoyed all of those wines except for the Pino Blanc, which is a little too dry for my liking.

I chose to make a White Zinfandel. It will take me anywhere from 29 to 38 days from start to bottle. The time variation depends on how fast the yeast is fermenting the sugar and how quickly the wine clears towards the end of the brewing process. Then after bottling, the wine will sit another month before drinking.

Getting started it not that expensive. Check out Wine and Hop Shop to see various starter kits. I use a 6 gallon set up, which ranges from about $130 - $155 depending on the quality of the supplies you buy / extra accessories that are not absolutely required, but help make the process easier. On top of that it costs anywhere from $65 - $155 for a kit that contains all the additives and juices to make the wine. Then all you need are 30 bottles and corks. Cheaper bottles tend to run around $1 and corks are much cheaper. Some people use old used wine bottles which is perfectly acceptable. However, I prefer to buy a set of bottles for a couple of reasons. 1) It only costs $30 2) You have a consistent looking end product 3) The bottles are reusable, so next time you can reuse all the bottle [of the ones that do get returned]

Camera Lens

After further research, I am now leaning towards purchasing a Nikon AF-S 10-24mm DX Zoom-Nikkor f/3.5-4.5G ED instead of the Nikon AF 10.5mm DX Fisheye-Nikkor F/2.8G ED. The 10-24mm lens has 61 to 109 degree viewing angle instead of the 180 degree viewing angle on the Fisheye. Currently I have a Nikon AF-S 18-55mm DX Nikkor f/3.5-5.6G VR. The 18-55mm provides a viewing angle of 28 to 76 degrees, so I fell the 10-24mm would be a good set towards wide angle lenses, instead of going to the extreme wide angle of the Fisheye. One concern that I do have is that the 10-24mm lens is not VR - Vibration Reduction. Although the 10-24mm lens is more expensive than the Fisheye, I fell that it will provide a lot more versatility and therefore will have more opportunities to use the lens.

Lindsay & Matt's Wedding

My cousin Matt just got married to Lindsay on September 18th.

The reception was at Miller Park

 

Here my father and Andrea are playing bags.

It was nice that my brother Aaron and his wife Emily

were able to fly in from Washington D.C. for our cousin's wedding

[an excellent excuse to see both of them!]

My brother Andrew and Amanda - playing a little ladder golf 

tailgating in the parking lot prior to the reception

s

Once again, another one of my brothers, Ryan and Nicole

If my memory serves me correctly Nicole and Andrea beat my dad and Ryan

Of course that was right after the girls beat Ryan and I

Looks like the guys need to set up our game!

FMI

This photo is an image of our current landing page. Check back with my blog over the next few weeks to see the refresh unfold. FMI

Wakesurfing Rock Lake - Ryan

A picture of my curly haired brother Ryan, surfin Rock Lake. Ryan is an Architect Major at UW-Milwaukee currently working on his Masters and getting his Architecture License.

New Lens

I am looking into getting another lens for my camera. I would like to purchase a Fisheye lens to take photos inside apartments for my website Forward Management, Inc. A Fisheye lens is an ultra wide angle lens, providing 180 degrees of view. This 180 degree view can be accomplished with a standard lens and a little knowledge of Photoshop. The disadvantage to this method is that you do not know how the image turned out on the spot, but have to wait until the post production is complete. This can be rather problematic especially if you are not customary to bringing a laptop with you as you shoot. Wost case - you have to go back and shoot all the photos for the merge again. With the Fisheye lens you are able to take the shot and review it immediately on the camera's display. That is why I am looking at purchasing the Nikon AF 10.5mm DX Fisheye-Nikkor F/2.8G ED [pictured below courtesy of cameracompany.com] The big disadvantage of these super wide angle lenses is that they create linear distortion, causing straight lines to curves as they get further from the center of the photograph, however this is the case with both Fisheye lenses and using the Photoshop photo merge.

 

Sailboat - Rock Lake

Wakeboarding Rock Lake - III

Andrew again, flying into the sky with the setting sun.

Wakeboarding Rock Lake - II

Andrew again, doing a sweet grab as he sails across the wake.

Wakeboarding Rock Lake - I

My little brother Andrew, tearing up the calm lake. Andrew has the ability to pop, and when he does - he just flies over the wake!

Real Estate Sign

Above is our real estate signs. The blue in the middle of the sign is supposed to look like the arm on a standard real estate sign. The sign is very unique and equally identifiable. Driving around Madison and throughout Dane County you will see our signs on quite a few apartment buildings.  

New FMI Logo

Above is the new logo we are going to be implementing on our web site. The new tag line was thought up by Matt Meske. I added the yellow crescent to go with our yellow oval real estate signs, quite different from the typical rectangular real estate signs seen in the industry.

Web Site Update

I am looking forward to working with Drew again, from LiteWired, on updating the web site for the company I work for, Forward Management. Look for a redesigned landing page including a new and improved search widget. The web site will also boast a new light box method to contact our managers through an online form, instead of needing to launch an email program or copying and pasting the email address.

Long term updates for the web site will be a new about us page as well as a commercial investment page. Looks for these changes to take place in a couple of months.

Google Chrome Experiment

This is an amazing web site. It has experimentations with Google Chrome and HTML 5 Google Chrome Experiment 


One of the really cool experiments on the web site is  The Wilderness Downtown - this allows you to put in your address and designs a movie using Google Maps street views around the place of your choice. It is pretty incredible and is very intense - not only visually but also uses a lot of processor power.

Winter Break ~ Jan 2010 - Mexico

In January a couple friends and I traveled down to the Riviera Maya of Mexico. There we spent seven days at the Palladium Grand Resort and Spa. If you are looking for a luxurious vacation spot this is it. The resort is actually a complication of five resorts: Riviera, White Sands, Colonial, Kantenah, and the Royal Suites. The resort has quite a few restaurants, thirteen bars, and five swimming pools.

We spent our days laying by the beach or pool and hanging out at the swim up pool bars. We also played bags and a few too many game of flippy cup. There was also quite a lot to do at night, from browsing the shop, listening to live music, grabbing a snack on the beach, to dancing the night away in the disco. I would highly recommend visiting the Palladium for your next vacation. Although the food was just ok, I was very impressed with the overall cleanliness and friendliness of the staff.

Although this photo was taken several months ago, I was inspired to post it as we are beginning to plan our Winter Break Trip 2011. We are currently exploring different options the mainland Mexico.

*Above is a picture of us at one of the swim up bars in the pool. You can see the antiquated bridge going over the center of the pool with palm trees and columns surrounding the pool creating a peaceful setting in paradise.

Book Review: Nikon D5000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch

After experimenting with my camera for a couple months, I knew I needed more than the manual to fully understand all the features that the Nikon D5000 has to offer. The book is very well laid out and full of pictures. This make it very easy to use and find what you are looking for. Further, the book is pretty easy to read, although some parts use rather technical language. It is difficult at first, but beneficial to learn the language right away, as it makes it things easier to understand later on in the book.

Not only does the book provide information about the D5000 and everything that comes in the box, it also has tons of information on accessories. This is very valuable especially when looking to expand your lens collection. It provides a lot of information regarding the nomenclature used to describe lenses. An understanding of the nomenclature proves to be extremely useful when searching online or at your local photo store for lenses.

The books does a good job starting with a lot of information about the various settings. As David Busch progresses through the book he tells, and shows you through full colored pictures, how to apply those settings to get the best photos given the lighting, motion [or lack of motion] and spacial setting.

Although the book is rather intimidating at first, I find it a necessary read to really dive into all the settings. After reading a section of the book, I looked for situation where I could directly apply that information. This really helps me understand what David Busch is talking about and provides a great starting point.

I would highly recommend reading this book after purchasing a Nikon D5000. Although there is a lot of information in the manual that comes with the camera, a supplemental book is unavoidable. The through index and extensive glossary make the book a valuable asset on the road to creating better photos.

Forest Ridge - Middleton, WI

Beautifully landscaped property located adjacent to the Pheasant Branch Nature Conservancy. Convenient to shopping, bike path and city bus service. Forest Ridge features spacious studios, lofts and one bedroom apartment homes. All come with a host of amenities.


Forest Ridge Apts
2612 Branch Street
Middleton, WI 53562
rentfmi.com

Branch Creek - Middleton, WI

VERY spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes with HEAT INCLUDED. Each apartment home comes w/ a gas fireplace surrounded by a beautiful wood mantel, twin sink vanity, private balcony and much more.


Branch Creek Apts
2564 Branch Street
Middleton, WI 53562
rentfmi.com

Cedar Crest Apartments - Middleton, WI

Enjoy the convenience and affordability that this wonderful apartment community has to offer. Located in a nice residential setting, Cedar Crest offers 1 and 2 bedroom apartments with HEAT INCLUDED. Located 1 block from city park and on-line bus service. 


Cedar Crest Apts
1203 Sweeney Drive
Middleton, WI 53562
608-274-3800
rentfmi.com

State Capitol, Madison WI

This is a picture of the State Capitol dome in Madison, WI. I just stepped out my front door and snap this picture.

Skyline - NYC

Friends Fountain - Central Park NYC

Here my brother Ryan and father are playing in the fountain seen on 'Friends'. Thankfully there was no water in the fountain at the time this photo was take, it was about fifty degrees Fahrenheit that day.

Time Square - NYC

Time Square, located in Manhattan NYC. Digital advertisements overwhelm visitors with their vivid colors. At the bottom of the Coca Cola sign you can see bleachers glowing red. People wait in line on the bleachers to purchase tickets to the Broadway shows.

Guggenheim Museum - NYC

A photo of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum located in NYC. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Strawberry Fields - Central Park, NYC

A picture of my brother Ryan at Strawberry Fields in Central Park, NYC from our trip out east this past spring. Strawberry Fields is a tribute to John Lennon. John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono lived adjacent to this park, where the late Beatle, John Lennon was murdered December 8, 1980. "Imagine" was the name of one the songs by John Lennon. The mosaic was designed by a group of artists from Naples.

Wakesurfing Rock Lake

A photo of me wake surfing Rock Lake, in Legendary Lake Mills, WI. Wake surfing has to be one of my favorite summer pass times. Having a large wake is essential to follow the boat without a tow rope. My brother Ryan is ready with the rope in hand just in case I drift too far behind the boat. Interesting note, according to one of the lake cops on Rock Lake, you do not need to wear a personal flotation device [PFD] while doing water sports as long as you are attached to a vessel [the boat] that has a PFD on board. The catch is that once you release the tow rope you are no longer connected to the boat and the surf board becomes your vessel. At that point, you do not need to wear a PFD, but need to be hanging onto one or have one stored on the surf board.

Our setup: we are running a Malibu Wakesetter with a Hyperlite Broadcast Wake Surf Board

Skyline - Madison

This glass sculpture, Skyline of Madison, was created by Greg Dinauer. The piece was created from a photograph taken by Greg while on John Nolen Avenue. Other work created by Greg can be viewed on his web site. The sculpture is placed just off my kitchen. I am very happy with the sculpture, only slightly disappointed that my condo building did not make it in the skyline.

Greg Dinauer is truly a passionate artist. How he captured the detail of the isthmus skyline is just astonishing. However his passion did not stop there. Greg swung by my condo himself to do the install. After getting the drywall hangars in place we proceeded to hang the sculpture on my wall...easier said than done. Finally the hangars caught. Stepping back to view the sculpture Greg noticed one the pieces was not hanging as snugly to the other as he would like, so we proceeded to take the sculpture down, adjust the hangars and rehang. I truly appreciated this attention to detail and am thrilled to tell everyone about this experience. It is a beautiful conversation piece enjoyed by all my guests.