Beer bottle update

Dedication is how I like to describe my affinity to all things beer. A previous post detailed my beer bottle collecting affliction. Since reading it, a few like-minded soles have contacted me to confess their similar sins so I know that I'm not alone in this ailment or strange act of kleptomania.

A friend of mine, KR, eradicated the problem of having scores and scores of beer bottles hanging around gathering dust by simply soaking the labels from the bottles. In the majority of cases, the actual bottles hiding underneath the labels are rather plain and boring.

I am giving serious consideration to following KR's example and disposing of the needless glass element of my proud hoard. The staff at Moreton Bay Recycling Sorting Depot will love me the week I wave goodbye to 200+ bottles! Perhaps I'll stagger the deluge?

I think the key to a successful collection of beer bottle labels is what you actually do with them once removed.

A while back, it was suggested by another friend, KT, that I should put them all in a book. This concerns me somewhat as I fear that I will be pigeon-holed as a scrap-booker. Scrap-booking, in my opinion, falls into a wider category of hobbies that includes knitting/crochet and train spotting.

KR's solution was to randomly stick them on the front of his beer fridge. This serves as a permanent reminder of his achievements because they are constantly on show. I am fortunate enough to also own a decent sized beer fridge so this is a very sensible option.

I am also lucky enough to possess a bar. So, another option would be for me to clad the outer fascia of it with beer bottle labels. It sits in our family room (sometimes referred to as the 'back room' or even the 'other room'). This is basically the room that contains another TV....the room where I'll watch the football (all codes but mainly 'soccer' just for the record) or the room where the kids can watch their Wiggles DVD collection to their hearts content.

The bar is reasonably small and serves a purpose which is mainly to house pub paraphernalia that has somehow ended up in my possession over the years. It's a rather retro looking piece that I acquired a few years ago for approximately $80 on eBay from an elderly couple on the south side of Brisbane. Their story was rather sad in that they were in the process of parting with every item of furniture, then selling the house, then moving into a care facility. Both had suffered a series of heart attacks and strokes in previous years. I felt a little bit of guilt creep in as I waltzed away with their bar. It came with a heap of lovely, heart-felt family stories which I was happy to listen to. The old lady even threw in some antique wooden coasters, a wooden mouse toothpick holder and 2 polystyrene stubby holders from the early 80's! She told me that she couldn't bear to throw the additional bits away and that they should stay with the bar in one of the drawers. I promised her that I would keep it all together and cherish the bar as they had obviously done for the past 40 or 50 years. I've kept that promise.

The label removal process is something that I think has to happen. It will free up so much space and will keep the wife happy which is the ultimate goal in life isn't it?

I will let you know the outcome and publish some photos just as soon as I've worked out a plan of attack.

Hmmm, but what about all the glorious bottle tops....???