It sounds like you have a nice relaxing evening ahead of you.
The closest I've come to brewing my own beer was about 8 or 9 years ago. They had a place in the south bay where you could pay to brew beer there. All you would do is pick what type(s)/stlye(s) of beer you wanted to make and they supplied everything (ingredients, instructions, timers, hardware, etc...) It was like cooking for men. It wasn't cheap, but it was fun. The best part is that we got to drink while we were brewing. They took care of the fermentation and we returned a month or so later to bottle it. Again, we got to drink while doing it. The beer was great. I know it's not as rewarding as doing everything yourself, but there was something cool about drinking a something that I helped craft. I'm sure doing everything yourself is makes it that much better :tu