So, how great is Kromm anyway?

[whswhs]

That's pretty damned impressive. Do you have an order of magnitude estimate for how many bottles that setup is holding?

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That's pretty damned impressive. Do you have an order of magnitude estimate for how many bottles that setup is holding?

There are a lot of half-empty and small bottles there, but depending on how you count, there are 200-250 bottles of actual beverages in my inventory. On one hand, that also includes somewhere over a dozen bottles of low-proof vermouth and amari that I keep in the fridge to avoid spoilage . . . but on the other hand, I have 30-something bottles of syrups, more than half sufficiently stable to stay out, so I'd put my estimate at 240-ish bottles visible in that photo. There are also 30-ish tiny bottles of bitters there, not counted in the above.

One friend, upon visiting, said, "Wow, you must be an alcoholic!" I pointed out that the fact that most of the bottles are on a shelf, not in me, indicates almost the opposite.

[Buzzardo]

I'm glad the unpacking is going well. May you be fully settled soon. :)

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

One friend, upon visiting, said, "Wow, you must be an alcoholic!" I pointed out that the fact that most of the bottles are on a shelf, not in me, indicates almost the opposite.

You know, I grew up with an older generation many of whom were alcoholic, and in my young adulthood I tended to jump from "drinking alcohol" to "getting drunk" to "alcoholic" quickly. But when I saw your photo I didn't even think "alcoholic" till you mentioned the word, so I must have recovered over the course of my adult life. Instead I thought "Wow, that's a serious hobby, he has to have invested a lot in that" and "I guess that's the toolkit for Professional Skill: Bartender," and I was a bit amazed to think how many *different* mixed drinks could be made with that collection. And there wasn't even a detour through "No, that's Kromm"; I just didn't think of the alcoholic explanation, though of course I can't know if I would have with some random person's photo of the same thing.

But really, you're right, an alcoholic wouldn't leave the stuff in bottles. . . .

In fact, you know, what I found myself comparing it to was my library, which also is something of an investment, and also represents something of a serious hobby.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

In fact, you know, what I found myself comparing it to was my library, which also is something of an investment, and also represents something of a serious hobby.

Many bartending hobbyists actually use the term "library" for their collection! But in my case, that's other walls. Just the RPGs library is imposing. To first order, my new apartment is basically a place to arrange walls full of hobby materials.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Buzzardo

I'm glad the unpacking is going well. May you be fully settled soon. :)

Thank you! I am fully unpacked and mostly settled. I have a few sins hidden away in closets and cupboards, but I think that's standard even for people who've been settled for years. :) The biggest task remaining is to face up to my Visa bill at the end of the month. I might take that opportunity to finally get around to mixing a cocktail.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Many bartending hobbyists actually use the term "library" for their collection! But in my case, that's other walls. Just the RPGs library is imposing. To first order, my new apartment is basically a place to arrange walls full of hobby materials.

Ah, I wish I had space for that many RPGs. I've had to think my collection on the past couple of moves; now it's down to about six shelf feet (and some of that is C's copies of my published books). I used to have nearly twice that much. Our apartment is basically a space to hold bookshelves—though one set of shelves is entirely filled with DVDs.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ah, I wish I had space for that many RPGs. I've had to think my collection on the past couple of moves; now it's down to about six shelf feet (and some of that is C's copies of my published books). I used to have nearly twice that much. Our apartment is basically a space to hold bookshelves—though one set of shelves is entirely filled with DVDs.

I sacrificed (close to eight shelf meters of) DVDs to move with my bar and games. I also opted to go with minimal furniture, which increases apparent space (don't let the photos deceive: this apartment isn't big) . . . and saves money. My strategy extends to no video devices (TV, DVD player, etc.) or consoles to hold them and their media – those would need a wall I don't have, in a room that would seem cramped if I put them there. When I'm financially viable again, I'll doubtless add one or two items to get junk off floors and out of closets, but even with the generosity of others, the move will limit my spending well into 2018Q3, probably 2018Q4, and conceivably 2019.

Fortunately, I'm not a TV watcher. My at-home hobbies are cooking and cocktails. And my major hobby is Argentine tango, which isn't something one does at home unless one happens to be wealthy enough to own a house (or huge apartment) with space for a studio and good sound system. That kind of wealth is alien to those in my line of work!

[adm]

Alcoholics tend to have one beverage of choice. When I see a setup like Kromm's, I think entertainer, and/or hobbyist.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

I sacrificed (close to eight shelf meters of) DVDs to move with my bar and games. I also opted to go with minimal furniture, which increases apparent space (don't let the photos deceive: this apartment isn't big) . . . and saves money. My strategy extends to no video devices (TV, DVD player, etc.) or consoles to hold them and their media – those would need a wall I don't have, in a room that would seem cramped if I put them there. When I'm financially viable again, I'll doubtless add one or two items to get junk off floors and out of closets, but even with the generosity of others, the move will limit my spending well into 2018Q3, probably 2018Q4, and conceivably 2019.

Our strategy's not quite so extreme as that. We do have 9 shelf feet of DVDs, as compared with 100 shelf feet of books (divided into fiction, gaming, general nonfiction, art and popular culture, cookbooks, and oversize, roughly). We own a television, but it hasn't had an antenna for years, and we don't have cable; it's connected to C's desktop and to a Blu-ray player, and it sits on her desk, next to the keyboard and the mouse.. Though these days a significant fraction of our video is streamed, and we mostly watch that on an iPad—smaller screen but better resolution.

But we spend a lot more time reading (physical or digital books) than we do watching. Many days have no video, and those that do typically have about an hour for one specific program. We have a large backlog of unwatched video.

And I certainly get the issues of tight budget!