NoVA Brewfest

I didn’t go to the NoVa Brewfest out in Bull Run Park (next to Manassas National Battlefield Park) in the previous four years because I hadn’t heard anything special about the event. In the past the list of breweries was nothing to write home about but it has gotten bigger each year. And it was out in the ‘burbs. Also their method of distributing beer has changed over time for the better I think. It was ticket based as always this year although you could buy as many extra tickets as you wanted for only $1. Mark asked if I wanted to hit it up this time so I decided to check it out.

It ended up being a decent group of us including Mark, Michelle, Scott, Jen, Teri, Marc, and another couple that Mark knew. Marc from Pburg only lives about 2 miles from Scott but I had to pick him up since Scott wasn’t able to find him on the map. Teri and I filled our bellies at District Taco before getting stuck on I-66 and downtown Fairfax. Traffic was not fun at noon on Saturday. It was a nice day although cloudy. The leaves are getting to that perfect stage when changing colors. Most of us got tickets online in advance for $20 which was $10 off the gate price. I found out LivingSocial had a deal and sold over 1300 so that added to my fears of long lines. Especially after Oktoberfest in Shirlington. The website said the event will not sell out. How can an event not sell out?

The taxi van picked us up at Mark and Michelle’s at 1:45. The driver took some back way. It turns out it would take a lot of people to sell the event out. It was a big open area with some rolling hills. Tons of parking, a huge stage and crowd area, although the two rows of booths were sorta full. We got right through the entrance. There was plenty of room and most beer lines were short. Some food and bathroom lines got long. Teri and I found a secret port-o-potty behind the stage that was accessible but it got less and less secret as the day went on. Also as the day went on I think the volunteers were less and less worried about taking our tickets. People were more strict than the Shirlington Ocktoberfest but after awhile I seemed to be getting away with it more and more. Later while in line someone handed Teri and I a bunch of tickets so we were set. The kettle corn was pretty good. They had a HUGE “kettle” over a gas flame and would mix popcorn and oil in it with a large wooden stirrer. After awhile it would all pop at once and he’d dump it via hinges in another big container. Hot and fresh. There was also bratwurst wrapped in a pretzel but I didn't get to try one of those delights.

We all stuck together for the most part and everyone had a good time. Mad Fox had their Pumpkinator as well as the new brewer at Vintage 50. It was her first brew on that equipment with the help of Bill. Teri talked to her for a minute and unfortunately I never made it back to try her version that she was tapping at 3:00. Schafly had their pumpkin beer and it was just as good as I remembered. They had other vendors and craft booths including wooden croaking frogs. The had different sizes for different sounds and when you rubbed the wooden mallet over their backs they made a rather realistic croaking sound. The people at the booth were jamin’ to the band with the frogs. I’d never spend money on it though. When is there a band in the background to jam to?

The taxi guy came back with just a car so he had to wrangle with another taxi driver on site to get us all back. Marc used him to get home from Mark’s and called to complain afterwards that they guy ripped him off. For some reason I slowed down once we got back but a few of those I was hanging out with were rather toasted. It was a fun day hanging out with everyone outside and being hosted by Mark and Michelle that evening. The brewfest surpassed my expectations. It helps when you have friends that live close by. It is a twice a year event so we’ll see what happens next year.

HEXAGON (KH-9)

Scott, Mark and I hit the Udvar-Hazy Center to check out a one day showing of a declassified spy satellite. I guess it’s not every day you can go check one of these things out so why not.

From here...

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and the National Reconnaissance Office hosted a one-day-only viewing opportunity of the newly declassified HEXAGON (KH-9) satellite in the parking lot of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Saturday, Sept. 17. This was the first time the public was able to view this impressive spacecraft, and it was the only opportunity to see it in the Washington area for some time. Sixty feet long and 10 feet in diameter, the HEXAGONs were the largest spy satellites the United States had ever placed in space. The satellites took photographs of the Soviet Union and other targets around the world from 1971 to the early 1980s. The one-day display is in conjunction with the NRO's 50th anniversary celebration.

We even got to bypass the outrageous $15 parking fee by arriving around 4:00 or so. They had some info around the satellite talking about how it took pictures and dropped the film back to Earth. Someone was there talking for a bit that was part of the program telling a few people about some of the interesting challenges. After checking out the satellite in a temporary tent in the parking lot we walked in the center for a bit. Mark didn’t know what an SR-71 was so Scott and I had to give him a history lesson. They were setting up for some big donor event inside. It was an interesting visit.

Scott’s wedding

Almost 18 months after Beth’s wedding Scott picked 9/10/11 to get married. How you can get married on 9/10/11 and not do it at noon or midnight I have no idea. Thinking about it now if it was me I’d have the reception first and then have the ceremony at midnight with whoever is still around.

The wedding was at the Tides Inn in the northern neck of Virginia. I’ve never been in the northern neck before but have heard about it from boaters and locals. Basically that is the slice of Virginia that extends towards the Bay from I-95 with the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. I was sharing a room with Beth and Matt. They wanted to room up with me at a place a fraction of the price a few miles away but after all kinds of finagling we ended up staying together at the Tides Inn. Scott, Jen, and my parents arrived on Thursday I believe. The rest of the family all showed up before the rehearsal on Friday. Robert and his crew got about a 30 minute head start and arrived about an hour before I because traffic got progressively worse. I-95 between DC and Richmond is the worst. Especially on a Friday or Sunday. After talking to my Dad on the phone from the road everyone at the rehearsal thought I was stuck in traffic all day. Once I got off I-95 it was my kind of ride on rural highways. I picked up some beer on the way assuming that there would be some point during the weekend where alcoholic beverages would be in need. Of course that came to be true.

The Tides Inn was quite the little resort. They had a marina with boats, a sailing school that was unfortunately closed during this weekend, a beach, a pool, a spa, nine holes of golf, bikes, and the nicest staff. I pulled in and caught up with Beth and Matt. After getting settled I met Mom and some other family in the lobby. As my father and his brother get older they look more and more alike. We did the rehearsal. The weather was perfect after tons of rain the last couple of weeks. I get to make the initial entry in to the ceremony escorting Jen’s grandmother. After being the videographer at Beth’s wedding I got the job again at Scott’s wedding. So after walking down Jen’s grandmother I taped the rehearsal and tried to pick out good points of view that complimented Robert and Tiffany’s video camera.

Before dinner Matt, Beth, Robert, and I hit Walmart to load up on beer. We each got a 12 pack. This turned out to be a smart move later in the night. The rehearsal dinner was more time to catch up with extended family and friends of Scott and Jen’s that I don’t normally see. It was nice to hang out with Mike and Steve from Pburg. It was a buffet dinner. I sat with my parents, Beth, Matt, and others but hard to remember after hanging out and talking to so many people throughout the weekend. I do remember they had some fat slabs of beef for the rehearsal dinner. Afterwards all the youngin’s (or young livin’ folk) ended up at the bridal suite partying it up all night long. This is where the beer run earlier paid out because our beer was the only beer everyone at the wedding had to drink that night. Luckily we loaded up. We were happy to share to keep the party going and let everyone have a good time. After carrying my big cooler over I ran back out to grab my stereo to provide tunes for the party (does anyone else not think of these essentials?). While running up the brick steps in the dark I slammed my foot in to the steps and broke my big toenail. Nothing a few drinks couldn’t solve. We had a decent late night party. Cousins Beverly and Adam hung out with us after showing up a little late.

The guys went golfing around 9:30 the next morning. I was passed out in bed at 9:30 in the morning. Beth got up a little later and started helping out with the wedding set up. Lots of nautical themed items to place around. I eventually got up and presented myself around 11:00. After wondering around the grounds and asking people who worked there I still couldn’t find the dinner location where everyone was setting up so I had to call Robert to lead me. My Dad, Phil, and I decided to eat lunch at the place. I wonder if my brother and I will look so similar in 25 years? Robert was trying to get us to start the afternoon activities and after all kinds of meandering around the pool we eventually took out some boats. We took off in two kayaks and a little motor boat. Robert and I explored the coves around the property. Afterwards Steven and I (UK Steve not Sponseller) took off on a bike ride to the boat yard which was close by. The yard was pretty much full of sailboats that were stored out of the water which we thought was odd for this time of year. Maybe people pulled early with Irene coming in. After the bike ride I had less than enough time to make another beer run. I barely made the 4:00 meeting time for pictures. It wasn’t the worst experience I’ve ever had but by the end I was quite warm in my suit. I had to run back to the room and clean up before the 5:15 wedding meeting time.

Because of traffic or a number of other reasons people were showing up right until the last minute. Again the weather was perfect after a forecast of some rain. The band were two of Scott and Jen’s friends playing keyboard and acoustic guitar. They were quite good. I didn’t hurt that they played music I enjoyed. I heard some Grateful Dead and other classic tunes. They learned to play the wedding song the previous day. The ceremony started pretty much on time. I opened the show so of course all eyes were initially on Jen’s grandmother and I. After seating her I picked up my stashed video camera and attempted to capture the live event. It is not easy to capture a live event without much rehearsal. I remember I kicked the camera stand at one point while trying to change locations. I did get Adam knocking over the aisle lantern and taking 10 minutes to pick it back up. The ringing of the bell was a bit awkward for the parents and new couple. Scott and Jen’s ring was the worst. Another classic shot I enjoyed taking was the family getting up from the front rows and exiting after the new couple. Matt had a drink in his hand. It reminded me of Scott drinking during the rehearsal. I like a relaxed wedding.

We took more pictures while everyone else hung out on the patio and had cocktails and snacks. I took video as well. Mostly of the youngin’s playing on the croquet field. It was quite the setting. During this time and all the others when there was an open or cash bar I was either handed beers or I grabbed them out of my cooler in the trunk of my car. I’d have to say I was a rather cheap quest at the bar that weekend.

At first I thought the dinner set up was odd as it seemed to be separated between different rooms but then as the sun went down I saw that we all had a wonderful view of the sun setting over the river. The courses seemed to take their time but dinner was good. Eating a little over a long period of time suits me well so no complaints. The cake was nice with the wedding couple in a small sail boat on top. Afterwards they had the typical DJ. It is as if all these guys had the exact same training and play the exact same playlist. A big topic of conversation was when I was getting married and my three year plan. It is anyone’s guess when that will happen. I promise that I will not have a typical wedding DJ at my wedding. I am very much a music person and there is nothing worse than the party being killed by some crappy song. A crappy song played LOUDLY. It completely turns me off. I’m planning on a live band at my wedding and I’m leaning towards a full latin ensemble. I went to a wedding with a Guatemalan bride and the latin band closed out the reception with only about a dozen of us guests long after the wedding party left and only after an encore. That is how my reception will end. We did get down to a few good songs. Everyone remembered James Brown the next day. And most of us remembered Tiffany doing the Jersey Turnpike. The Tides Inn staff and I literally were rolling on the floor laughing. She was thumpin’ it perfectly.

After a few bad songs I solicited Scott for after-hour plans. I was ready to ditch the reception and relax in a setting where friends could converse and good music was in the background. It was close to the DJ ending so Scott gave us the key and after a stop for supplies we eventually met back up with Scott at the suite. Not as many people showed up as the previous night. The party didn’t rage too hard or late.

I was told to be at brunch between 9:30 and 10:00 the next day. I was there close to 9:30 but not too conscious. I sat with the wedding party and friends. It was the final time to see the extended family and others I don’t normally run in to. There were lots of kids and they were entertainment during many of the events throughout the weekend. After packing up and checking out my parents and I had lunch at the local cafe. As we left the wind was pushing the rain on top of us even though the clouds weren’t directly above us. The weather held out for the whole weekend. I enjoyed taking the Maryland route home and saw some flooding damage.

sailboat transport

Scott’s friend, Lars, has a 28 foot Tartan that he wanted to move from the Washington Sailing Marina near Regan Airport out to Deale, MD. Someone called it a pseudo bachelor party for Scott and there ended up being six of us total. It would be an overnight trip around 155 miles (135 nm) sailing the whole way. Matt was the only person without sailing experienced. I think the rest of us had all done long overnight trips before. A lot would depend on the weather.

Robert and his wife had us over for dinner and to stay the night on Friday so we could leave early Saturday morning. Scott and Robert had dropped Scott’s car off at the destination marina. We ate chili and spicy enchiladas for dinner. Everyone passed out pretty early and by 11:30 I found I was the only one awake. I wasn’t ready for bed on this Friday just yet so I drove the 10 minutes home and eventually passed out in my own bed. The next morning I showed up for breakfast. We had breakfast tacos with farm raised pork I believe. It was a good way to start the day.

The plan was to leave the dock around 9:00 and we got there 15 or 20 minutes beforehand to pack. Lars and Steve’s wives and kids were there to see us off. Once the boat was loaded and all the hugs and kisses were given we left around 9:30. In for the long haul.

We had lots of food, water, beer, and music. The GPS guided us the whole way. Lars had all the way points in for the whole trip so we just followed the route and rounded a buoy on every turn. The GPS map included depth and it was surprisingly shallow in many areas of the Potomac. We had to motor most of the way down the Potomac because of a southern breeze. We used the jib or main as much as we could. The weather wasn’t perfect but not too bad on Saturday. The overcast kept the sun away mostly. It rained around us a lot and on us a bit. We passed the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Fort Washington, Mt Vernon, and a ton of other landmarks. A fire boat passed us with its lights on but we didn’t spot any boats on fire ahead of us. I’ve driven over the RT-301 bridge a lot going from Annapolis to Richmond but had never been under it. We were able to use the auto pilot often and just set the course that the GPS told us to go. After the 301 bridge the river really opened up. Once night settled in we just followed the route on the GPS and watched out for other boats.

Around midnight I think everyone passed out but Steve and Lars who sailed all night in the rain.

I slept in the back berth which was nice because I had walls. Matt and Scott slept in the cabin benches so when we heeled over or came about they would tend to roll off their bench. Around daybreak everyone woke up but Scott. I sailed for a bit on a nice easy beam reach. We had a nice wind coming from the west that kept us on a reach up the Bay until it died. Then we sat in the hot sun with no wind while we motored the rest of the way. The last leg was brutal in the sun and humidity. I managed to protect myself mostly but it wasn’t easy with as much as you sweat in 100 degree heat index. We also managed to drink all the beer but one of the 10% ABV Gubna’s.

The wives and kids met us at the destination marina in Deale, MD. It looked like a nice marina. There was a wedding going on and people hanging out at the beach. We saw two crabs mating in the water at the dock. Once the boat was unloaded and the cars packed we were off. It was a long trip for only being 36 miles away by car. After leaving at 9:30am on Saturday we arrived around 1:30pm on Sunday (28 hours). Our route was 166 miles (144 nm).

GPS map and data

pictures and videos

parents visit

It has been a crazy month so far and this weekend and next weekend will continue the run. This weekend the parents came down for the annual visit. They hung out in Raleigh as usual leading up to the weekend. On Friday we had Jen’s engagement party at Scott’s house. A lot of Scott and Jen’s friends were there as well as Mark and Michelle. I brought over a growler of Sierra Nevada Southern Harvest Ale to share. There was food from Uncle Julio’s as well as cake. Lots of beer and food. Beth, Matt, and I crashed out at Mark and Michelle’s place that night.

Mark made an excellent breakfast on Saturday. We decided to go on a beer run and look for Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. I heard it was supposed to be released on Thursday or so. There are only 20 cases coming to Virginia (or Northern Virginia depending on who you ask). It is a very sought after beer especially since the 2010 version was dumped down the drain as seen on the Brewmasters TV show. I was hoping that Total Wine or Whole Foods may have just gotten their case that day or still had some in stock. On the trip out I made some phone calls and found out it was either sold out or not yet in stock at all locations. Those that were still getting it in were only getting one case and it would be during next week. I assumed there was no way I was going to be getting 120 Minute this year. Quite the bummer. We did pick up some fine brews for the evening though.

We also picked up a bushel of med-large live crabs. After some appetizers we opened my last bottle of Infinium to celebrate Matt’s birthday. Only a few ounces for nine people but it was still tasty. Then Scott steamed up the crabs and I ate a lot. First time in two years. After dinner we drank my two bottles of SAVOR Flowers and people seemed to enjoy it. I got a few comments that it went well with the cake. The SAVOR Flowers appeared to lose a lot of the flower taste and smell but was still present. We went back to Mark and Michelle’s again Saturday night. We played Set and I actually participated and won a round this time. We also ordered a pizza against Mark’s recommendation and it was the best pizza ever. On Sunday we lazed around a bit and waited for my parents to arrive and check out the aquarium. I was dropped off at the metro and went home to relax for a bit before dinner.

The parents, Scott, and Jen came over before dinner to check out the new TV and entertainment center. We watched a few 3D shows from On Demand. Everyone seemed to enjoy the 3rd dimension. We had dinner at Fire Works. I had a Flying Dog Pale Ale on cask and it was very delicious. I can only assume because it was so fresh. It was dry hopped but tasted wet hopped. I could have drank a few of those.

The parents left on Monday and that left one more big weekend coming up.

Phish @ Raleigh

pic by Brad Worsham

Phish played Raleigh on a Saturday night so Teri and I headed down to stay with Beth and Matt for the weekend. I got four pavilion tickets. I didn’t think too much about asking Beth if she wanted to go. I always have a great time so who wouldn’t want to go? The day of though I was a bit worried she may not get in to the tunes.

The other question was how open the lot would be to unofficial vendors and harassment from the cops. It turns out things were quite open. Being that we had four people in the car we were directed to the car pool lot. This was right between the exit from the lot and the entrance to the venue. It was perfect placement. There were a ton of vendors set up in the main lot. There was french bread pizza, grilled cheese, glass pipes, lots of different clothes, and the guy who sold me the upside down belt buckle at Merriweather. I talked to the guy and after they tried to play it off I did believe that he wasn’t aware and he offered to fix it. I didn’t want to give it up for a few weeks so he gave me his number and I told him I’m just looking for a deal in the future.

We met up with some acquaintances of Beth’s and had a few beers. It appeared it might storm but the weather just avoided the venue. We were lucky as well because we ended up having seats that were right outside the roof in the pavilion. Looking at the tickets it does say “No Roof”. It was pretty decent though and we could sorta see. The TVs above us gave a nice view. One guy was a bit of an ass and wouldn’t leave our seats at one point. We were about 10 rows from the back so it was relatively loose compared what was going on in front of us. Finally he felt that he would enjoy the show more without me standing directly in front of him and he moved. Beth and Matt seemed to enjoy the show. They played Been Caught Stealing and Good Times Bad Times which was cool. Another good show and weekend in the books.

Set list...

Set 1: Cars Trucks Buses, Peaches en Regalia, AC/DC Bag, Guyute, Possum, Halley's Comet > 46 Days, The Divided Sky, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Twist > Rift > Prince Caspian[1] > Esther, Been Caught Stealing, Piper > My Friend, My Friend[2] > Kill Devil Falls, Split Open and Melt, Golgi Apparatus, First Tube

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

[1] Unfinished.
[2] No "Myfe" ending.

Notes: This was the first show since November 22, 1992 (846 shows) to open with two instrumental songs. Been Caught Stealing was played for the first time since December 28, 1998 (298 shows). Caspian was unfinished. My Friend did not contain the "Myfe" ending.

Link to official Phish video

SAVOR (Saturday)

I felt a lot better Saturday morning than Friday morning. I took advantage of the day and went on a bike ride.

Beth and Matt showed up an hour or so before SAVOR. We weren’t so lucky this time with the line. The line in back was as long as the line in front. We got in before 7:30 even though we were wrapped around the block. A squirrel seemed a bit pissed that he had a line of people on the sidewalk between him and his tree near the Building Museum. He ran down the street and took a right turn at the end of the block I believe.

On this night we went to the seminar with Ken Grossman from Sierra Nevada. He talked about brewing with the monks from Santa Maria de Ovila monastery and other some of his other crazy brews. It was pretty interesting. I don’t think any of us knew there were monasteries in the US brewing beer. The session had a cool relaxed layout. We all sat around on soft furniture (although no seat backs) and it was limited to a very small group. I noticed one or two other beer celebrities there including the head brewer from Dogfish Head who I recognized from the Brewmaster TV series. I was able to chat with him for a minute which was very cool.

After the session the food and beer seemed to go quicker than the night before. The food was mostly gone when the seminar ended at 9:00 which was a disappointment. It was still a great night with a ton of great beer and beer celebrities. Teri and I saw the same funky leopard skin high heels that I took a pic of on Friday. I was shocked that not only one person thought they were wearable but two people actually wore them to this nice event. I wanted to say something to the lady on Saturday but Beth and Teri convinced me it was not the best idea.

Sam Adams was pouring their New World Tripel from their barrel ages series. I think this beer is distributed in extremely small batches because people online are rating it but I don’t think you could find it if tried. At the end of the night when we were feeling good and everyone else at SAVOR Matt and Teri noticed a bottle sitting on the Sam Adams table that no one was paying attention to. Before we knew it they had it in Beth’s huge purse. Now I have it in my beer stock. Looking forward to opening that with Beth and Matt in a year or so. Hope no one from SAVOR reads this!

It was another fun SAVOR week. Looking forward to the fifth year in 2012.

pics from SAVOR

Raleigh WBF

Another fun beerfest down in Raleigh with Beth and Matt hosting. Mark and Michelle didn't come this time. Teri and I drove down with Scott and Jen for their first WBF. We left the rain in DC and drove in to some decent weather down south.

After a nice baked breakfast from Beth we headed downtown for the noon start. This year they took our tickets and checked our IDs before the start time but had the tents blocked off inside the festival grounds until noon. The line went rather quick this year. Most people were inside at noon who were in line. Everyone was lined up against yellow tape that prevented them from going in the beer tents. Then after some presumed approval one part of the crowd started moving in the tents. The rest of the crowd didn't wait for any word, walked over the yellow tape, and filled the tents. They had water out for drinking and rinsing. People were doing more rinsing than drinking. I should have had more food before the festival or ate in the middle. We never eat at the Raleigh location for some reason although it may have to do with going to the afternoon session. I remember people were feeling good in our group after an hour. I got a new cool belt buckle made from a beer bottle bottom and Teri got a sweet flask belt buckle for her Dad. I took my GPS to record how far we walked and it ended up being only about 3.2 miles. If you look my speed over the duration you can see when I go to the bathroom because I stand still in line for awhile. The frequency increases as the four hours goes on. An interesting data point no?

After the party we went out for food and more drinks. We got to see Beth & Matt's plates in Flying Saucer signifying 200 different kinds of beer drank on premises. It sounded like Beth was well on the way to earning her second plate.

On the way back Scott missed a turn and it allowed me to grab a quick pic of the Lizard Lick Towing company. First they were one of many stories on All Worked Up on True TV but they have since graduated to their own show called Lizard Lick Towing. It is quite funny. Can't believe we actually drove past the place. The town is not more than an intersection off of US-64.

I also brought back some New Belgium beers across the state border for my beer stock since they are not distributed in VA.

pictures and video

GPS data

WBF Durham

World Beer Festival in Durham. This was one of the first times I didn't take pics. I think we had the usual transportation issues if memory serves me correctly which is questionable. Sorry for the lack of info.

Beth's BBQ party

Beth threw a BBQ part with her neighbor. Teri and I went down for some fun and swill. It was catered and they had tons of food. Teri and I did have decent in the corn hold tournament. And as has been habit the last few times I brought back some New Belgium beer. This time it was their Hoptober which I dig a lot.

Pics and videos

Jen's b-day and brunch with Ben

Ben was in town for work and he stayed the weekend to enjoy DC for a couple nights. We stopped by Scott's place on Friday for Jen's birthday. Scott had some alcohol in him and was talking up Teri and her golf. We had brunch on Saturday and did the tourist thing with Ben

SAVOR: an american craft beer and food experience

The week's events all lead up to SAVOR. Beth, Matt, Mark, and Michelle came in town for the fun. The five of us hit up the inaugural event in 2008 and Beth and Matt came back in 2009.

We were in the doors before most people unlike the previous years. The food was different than last year. There were more types of dishes and they were all tasty. Beth, Matt, and I had tickets to one of the salons. They usually sell out within minutes during the presale but I was able to get tickets to the one by Greg Engert of ChurchKey called Tasting Menu: A Food and Beer Experience with Greg Engert.

Join Greg Engert, Beer Director of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, as he discusses the exciting craft of pairing real food and real beer. Engert will draw upon his experience presiding over the tasting menus of Rustico Restaurant & Bar, and—more recently—Birch & Barley/ChurchKey, (where he is also a Managing Partner) to pair four rare American Artisanal brews with a four course-tasting menu designed by Birch & Barley’s Executive Chef, Kyle Bailey. This is your opportunity to see how the appreciation of craft beer has been elevated to the next level in our nation’s capital, and has found itself perfectly placed at the tables of this white-hot restaurant.

Here is an audio recording of the salon. It was informative and came with some good beer and food. Afterwards we went to ChurchKey to continue the night of fine ale and food.

Pics

Beth's wedding

Beth's big day had finally come. Beth and my mother had been planning for a year, reservations had been in place for months, and I sorted out the alcohol a few days before vows were exchanged. Everything fell together well. Its all about the planning. The wedding was at a nice bed and breakfast with some large property. The family and wedding party all stayed on site and had a great weekend.

The boss doesn't like me taking off on Fridays because we have a big weekly meeting with the client. I called it off from work months in advance and woke up about an hour earlier than I would to go in the office. I headed off to the airport 3 miles away to rent a large suburban utility vehicle. It ended up being a loaded Jeep Commander with leather, three sun roofs, crappy GPS, nice satellite radio, and a rear view video camera. I stopped back at my place and loaded up all my crap. Next stop was Total Wine for the keg of Sierra Nevada Summerfest and a case of Bell's Two Hearted Ale (a favorite of the groom's). I rolled in right after 9am when they opened. I would have bought more special brews but I was afraid of not having enough space. After Total Wine I went to Norm's Beer and Wine which is a well known store among the local craft scene. I pulled in while they were opening at 10am. Lucky for me the distributor was there dropping off my beer. The distributor man was nice enough to also load the Stoudts PILS and Starr Hill Jomo kegs (160 lbs each) in the back of my Commander. Also stuffed in the back were three tubs to put the kegs in and two taps. Next was Scott's and I arrived almost exactly on schedule five hours after I awoke. We had some lunch, packed up the Commander with their stuff, and headed off.

Some four hours later we arrived at the Magnolia Manor. We rolled up around 3:30 and check-in was at 4:00. The man of the house greeted us while wedding planner woman of the manor finished with some last minute yard work. We backed up the Commander to the barn where the rehearsal and reception were going to be and dropped of the kegs. My parents had already dropped off the six cases of wine and two cases of champagne they brought down from DC. We took off to the gas station to get ice to stall for time and wait for others to arrive since it was barely 4:00.

Before long my sister, Matt, and my parents rolled up along with other family and friends staying at the B&B. Although there was initially some resistance we tapped the kegs. We played some corn hole and some folks threw around a frisbee. The out of towners started showing up for the rehearsal dinner. It turned out to be a big party with about 40% of the 120 person guest list in attendance for the rehearsal. After a little run through at the ceremony site we headed over to the other side of the estate for dinner in their open air barn. The pasta was pretty good. Everyone seemed to enjoy the beer and wine. It was nice seeing family such as Phil, Jim, Sue, and Beverly. It was also good see old friends from the home town such as the Phillips and Friends. Most people had left by around midnight. Beth, Matt, and I were tripping out on some moonlight fog near the potting shed. We ended up only going through about 2/3's of a keg the first night. The Starr Hill Jomo was good.

Saturday was a hot sunny day. The wind really picked up later in the day as well. After a fine brunch we hung out in the sun, played corn hole, threw horse shoes, and drank beer. Half of the reason I got he keg of Summerfest is because I love how crisp and light it is on a sweltering summer day so that was tapped pretty quickly. The man of the B&B had a huge grill with a 100 lbs pig sprawled across it. He was rotating a dozen or so chickens on a rack above the pig. It was going to be a good dinner. After all day in the sun with beer we all amazingly were present and dressed on time for our assigned duties. Right before my brother and I started seating people I had to run the boutonnieres out to the groomsmen. I found them way out on the property behind a barn on top of an old silo in their suits getting their picture taken.

Most people were early and the venue wasn't ready early so when the manor doors were opened most people walked through and seated themselves. My bro and I only seated a dozen people all together. It was nice. People parked on the front lawn. They were greeted at the front door by the Friends twins. After walking straight through the house out the back my brother and I walked them across the lawn to the ceremony while a harpist played. Finally Scott and I walked Mom across the lawn and down the aisle. During the ceremony Beth and Matt stood on a huge slap of oak (6-8" high & 6-8' wide) from an ancient tree that had fallen on the property just weeks before. I tried to take video since my father was giving away the bride. His biggest part of the weekend. It took awhile to get used to the camera's zoom and how to take good video clips. I think I got some good shots but in many instances I was out of position because I wasn't aware of what was going to happen minute by minute. In those instances, and there were many, I had to choose between continuing with a bad angle or moving somewhere and getting very jerky video in the process. The ceremony went well and the wind didn't cause any problems.

After the ceremony the guests hung out and had drinks and snacks while we took pictures. The reception was a big version of the previous night but with a DJ and wait staff. Beth and Dad danced, we had dinner and tapped the PILS, and there was a toast in the barn that almost was without champagne. I only remember a small piece of cake. The DJ was rather loud. And he played the typical songs regardless of Matt and Beth's Do Not Play list. I opened up an Allagash Victor and Victoria and passed it among Beverly, Adam, Phil, Linda, Beth, Matt, and the Perrysburg table.

The party didn't go too late because most people had to drive home. It got a little chiller at the end of the evening. Beth and Matt ended it with a cool little sparkler run.

We all had to pack and boogie by 10am the next day. Again I was surprised everyone met the deadline.

WBF Raleigh

Time keeps going by quicker and the next beerfest is always around the corner. It's spring and time for the World Beer Festival in Raleigh. Mark and Michelle didn't make it this time. Teri and I drove down together. We hit the evening session which I don't think is our normal pattern for the Raleigh event. We met Jeff Carr and Steve before the festival. They were in town for the Widespread Panic concerts.

It almost rained but it turned out to be just a sprinkle. I brought some hard pretzels but holy cow I must be absolutely wasted when we go to Flying Saucer and order those pretzels because I forgot all about them. They are the best pretzels on Earth.

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Beth's pics

Matt's Bachelor Party

My sister's wedding is coming up this spring which means a bachelor party for her fiancé Matt. Sterling organized things and we ended up getting a house in N Topsoil Beach. Scott, Mark, and myself drove down after work on Friday with a large cooler of beer. On the way we found Gruntz Express which promised "All ratings". Not something you can pass up on your way to a bachelor party. We found some playing cards to keep us entertained for the weekend and a blow-up doll for Matt. Mini Mi Mi was cheaper than Sarah Palin so Matt would have to settle for the midget.

Upon arrival after dark most of the crew was there and feeling good. Matt and Eric and a good buzz after starting early. The chef in the group had cooked some baked zita which was pretty good. Everyone got to know each other over drinks and games. We had a great beer pong table in the main room. Someone decreed that all must drink a (half) yard of ale before the weekend is over. Before long we got a taxi to Cherry's which is one of the fine erotic female dancing establishments serving the local Marine base.

We got there a bit early, not that it got crowded, and had most of the place to ourselves. The ladies weren't all that bad for being in the middle of nowhere. There was some puking in the bathroom, strippers yelling from the stage for lack of payout, and of course the bachelor getting spanked and beat down in front of the whole club by all the dancers. It was a night to remember if possible.

The next day I woke up on the couch with the furniture moved around the room and large air mattresses deployed. I checked out the back tidal lake and the beach out front before most people woke. Breakfast was served and we took stock of who was standing and who was hurting. Matt seemed to be the one suffering the most rightfully so.

It was only about 50 degrees outside but some of the guys felt the need to start the summer party and went shirtless. Sacks were tossed while drinking beers and listening to tunes. The (half) yard of ale made a few more rounds. Once everyone was awake and drinking again the 40 oz'ers came out. We all posed wiger style. Nothing like malt liquor outside in the spring on the beach. The group even walked across the street and hung out on the beach for a few minutes. Only the occasional walker or runner was seen. Mark let the kite out all the way and tied it off to the pier in the backyard. We watched it fly in the front of the house and would check on it on occasion.

After the crazy previous night and a day of drinking Saturday night seemed to be an anti-climax. More games were played and beer was drank at the house. The nude playing cards and blow up doll got their share of fun. Some moonshine made an appearance. I passed out on the couch again but after my evening nap I was one of the last people up this time.

We had to be out on Sunday by 10:00. I was impressed that all the hungover guys were standing and the place was clean by the deadline. This included such things as the kite which was in the neighbor's fenced in yard. I think we were the last in the neighborhood to wake up that day and notice the kite string going over one house and two condo buildings before stretching across to our backyard. Somehow we all forgot about the kite. Mark wasn't feeling too good Sunday morning and I got to drive the boat home.

See public pics here. Ping me and if authorized you may get a URL to the full album.

Christmas in Pburg

Christmas was on a Friday so this year I flew in town on Wednesday and left on Monday. That gave me all of Christmas Eve and the weekend which was about perfect. I can only hang out in the home town for so many days. Unfortunately I didn't get upgraded to first class on my flight out. About 10 minutes after we were supposed to have taken off the flight attendant announced that we were too heavy and asked for a volunteer to get off. Some 130 lbs woman got off the plane and about 10 minutes later they came on and asked for another volunteer. Eventually someone else got off the plane. 10 minutes later they came on and asked for two more volunteers. At some point a flight attendant also got off. After some time we queued up for take off and eventually got in the air.

All that wasn't too bad because I was scheduled to come in to Detroit 45 minutes before my sister. I turned out to be only about 30 minutes late. Dad was waiting for me in the cell lot and after I got my bags and got in the car Beth called and said she was ready. On the way home we stopped by the jerky store. The place has awesome, fresh, thick jerky of all kinds. Later that night I met up with Ben at a bar out in Sylvania. It was a good thing too because I didn't end up seeing him again during the trip.

Scott and Jen showed up after the drive from DC on Christmas Eve. Christmas was pretty typical. We rolled out of bed late and ate breakfast around 11:00. Then we opened up presents. I was bad at getting a list out this year and got a bunch of CDs and books that have been on my x-mas list for awhile. I did pick up the car mount and charger for my phone and that has worked quite well when using it in navigation mode. Later my Mom's brother came over, we had appetizers, ate dinner (yummy Honey Baked Ham), talked, and the old people called it a night.

On Saturday Beth had a wedding shower. Then after some Mancy's Italian I went over to Corey's house with Adam, Nick, and Brett. Karnes and Tony showed up. It was a good night of swill and chill. I remember some snowflakes while hanging on the back patio. Corey has a nice house. The two little ones were asleep upstairs. Kim eventually stopped by. Bummer Ben and Abby were on call.

On Sunday Matt and Beth's Matt flew in to Detroit at about the same time. That night I went out with Matt over to Adams. Adam's girlfriend Heather was over and it was the first time I hung out with her.

On Monday it was snowing pretty good. CNN also caused a ruckus by talking about non-existent long lines at the airport after the terrorist attempt and bathroom incident two days in a row. I did get upgraded to first class this time and was able to avoid the rather long line at the ticket counter. The security line was quite short but I bypassed that as well. Once through security I had 90 minutes till my flight was boarded.

After a few drinks and some snacks I walked over to my gate and found out I was moved and a bit delayed. It turned out the reason for all this was that our plane had a mechanical problem and we were given a new plane. A new plane with 15 less seats. This caused a clustermuck at the gate counter and more delays as they sorted out those who didn't have seats and those volunteering to give up their seat. Eventually we boarded and made the 59 minute flight back to DC. Unfortunately all the snow in DC had melted.

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the Salukis

I posted an album of my Mom's Salukis. Jazz (Sonama's Rhythm and Blues) was born in 1993 and passed away in 2008. Jazz was our favorite but we don't tell the other salukies that. Jazz was a giraffe pup. He had no idea how to use his super long legs. But once he figured them out he could keep up with me as I rode my bike downhill as fast as I could go.

My mom wanted a second pup so in 2002 she got Quest. Quest (Z'bees Quest for the Cup) is named in reference to the NHL Stanley Cup. Quest always wanted to lay on top of Jazz but they got along together well. Quest isn't as smart as Jazz but has all the energy. He did learn from his older brother though.

Once Jazz passed away in 2008 when he was 14 my Mom got her third Saluki Ciara. Unlike Jazz and Quest, Ciara came from a shelter and her breeder is unknown. She was around 5 years old when we got her. She was very scared and skittish for the first few months. She wouldn't go up or down stairs. She is still timid but has gotten comfortable at her new home. Neither Quest or Ciara are feathered like Jazz had been. Ciara is quicker than Jazz was and has become quite the hunter.

Pics of the pups

Beth, Mark, and Michelle come up for The Pietasters

Beth came up to see the Pietasters at the 9:30 Club and convinced Mark and Michelle to join her. Beth is a big fan after meeting them and hanging out with them in Raleigh. We were supposed to have backstage passes but they were in Matt's name and Beth couldn't get them changed beforehand.

Teri joined us and the five of us headed to the 9:30 Club. The Pietasters always play late with 2 or 3 bands playing before them. We showed up to see the second to last band, Ruder Than You, and get a little warmed up. The place was rather empty still. The band wasn't too bad and we got down right in front.

Before the Pietasters went on we could see the band next to the stage and I convinced Beth to go talk to them. The trumpet player was hanging out near by and he recognized Beth once she got his attention. He brought the two of us backstage and we hung out before the show for a few.

The show was great. Teri and I got down with everyone skanking while Beth, Mark, and Michelle hung out on the second floor balcony. The Pietasters are always high energy and we had fun getting down. They let everyone on stage at the end like they always do at the 9:30 Club. I couldn't convince Teri to jump up. One guy did a stage dive and no one caught him. The place wasn't too full.

Afterwards the singer was hanging out on the almost empty venue floor and Beth went up to talk to him. He brought Beth, Teri, and I backstage up to the green room. It was a cool little hangout area but none of the other band members were there. They were lacking beer as well and when it did show up it was Bud. First time I've had Bud in as long as I can remember. We took off quickly after as the band wasn't really hanging out.

The next day Beth woke up with her hand over her head and Teri, Mark, Michelle and I went to Ragtime for the omelet bar, mimosas, and bloody mary's.

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Thanksgiving

Just like the last few years, my parents came down from Ohio and my sister up from Raleigh for Thanksgiving at my brother's. It was another big two turkey thanksgiving.

When my parents arrived on Wednesday evening we went out to eat at Restaurant 3. On Thursday Beth and Matt picked me up on their way to Scott's. We all hung out and munched on snacks till Jen's family, Steve, Yuko, and their daughter Avril came. Avril is 2.5 years old and has spent all of her Thanksgivings with us. She gets more active each year and was the star of the dinner as usual. This year the oven roasted turkey was the favorite over the the deep fried turkey. Scott had Sam Adams and Yuengling and I brought over Bell's Winter White and Sparkling Ale. The Sparkling Ale is an interesting triple.

On Friday the seven of us went to the ICE! scuplture exhibit at National Harbor. It was expensive but interesting. The venue was set at 9 degrees to preserve the ice. Apparently they have a team of foreign artists maintaining it each night. After the ICE! exhibit we ate at Sweatwater Tavern. Then on to the Strathmore to see Brian Setzer and his orchestra on their Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza Tour. We sat way up in the upper tier in the second to last row. Its not a huge theater and every seat is decent but we were up pretty high. It was a rockin' show. Both Santa and the Grinch made an appearance.

We laid low on Saturday. We had a good lunch at Bernie's and dinner at Faccia Luna.

On Sunday we woke and went to Whole Foods together. Last year when we went and there was a jazz band playing. We had to go back this year since the place is huge and we wanted some food and beverages to hold us off for the weekend. Once back at Scott's I made my classic left over turkey and stuffing sandwich. Then we took off to the National Aquiraum in Baltimore. It was smaller than I remember. They had a special jellyfish exhibit which was cool. For dinner I tried to take the family to Brewer's Art but of course it was the one day they were closed. The downstairs bar was open and we walked in but decided to go to Il Radicchio in Arlington for some Itailian.

My Mom brought me my own whole coffee cake which I'll eat for breakfast everyday this week. Good tastes from the childhood.

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World Beer Fest again

It’s October which means it is time for World Beer Fest in Durham. Raleigh in the spring; Durham in the fall. As usual I drove to Fredericksburg and met up with Mark and Michelle for the drive down to my sister’s in Raleigh. We have developed a pattern of attending the afternoon session in the spring Raleigh event and the evening session in the fall Durham event. After arriving we had lunch at Lynnwood Grill which is pretty good. After hitting the store for post fest beer we arrived at Eric’s in Durham around 4:30. Eric, my sister’s bridesmaid next spring, is another regular member of our beerfest gang. His place in Durham makes for a perfect home base before and after the fest.

Each year we get a little wiser. This year we actually had reliable transportation waiting on us. We made him wait over 30 minutes while three people showed up late (and ended up driving themselves) and one person searched for her lost ticket. The temperature was perfect. The Durham venue is not as nice being on a baseball field. The Raleigh location is in a decent downtown park. Others in the group thought the crowd was a little more spread out this event but I didn’t notice any difference. It is always crowded in the beginning and as people start catching a buzz and getting tired the lines get shorter. A good time was had by all. We ate some food during the event which is not normal for us. The samosas were excellent.

It is not uncommon for some breweries to run out of beer at the end of the evening session but it seemed like there was less than half of the booths open at the end of the night. That is not cool at all. Even in the beginning I was looking forward to some St. Bernardus Grotten Brown but there was none left. I took a few more videos than normal this time and am going to try to more short videos in the future. As the evidence shows we were feeling quite good at the end of the fest. We also scored lots of good cheap food. I got 3 more somosas for a dollar each. Another in our group got a few for free minutes later. And Mark got a free gyro.

We had to wait a few for our van ride home but it wasn’t long. My sister’s friend who just recently had a baby had her first crazy night out in a year and she was making herself feel better over the garbage can. When the van did pick us up Mark did a great job smoothing over the driver as the sick one made good use of the passenger window.

Back at Eric’s place the party continued. I busted out some Allagash Black which probably wasn’t the best choice after 4 hours of solid drinking. The crew did well to continue partying till late. A game that Eric had similar to the old-school Pyramid game show kept the group entertained. Eventually we all passed out.

The next day after some mimosas we cruised back to my sisters, played some Wii, and had lunch at the Flying Saucer. Is it legal to have such a wait staff? Michelle and I drove home while Mark stayed in Raleigh for work.

They are going to have a beerfest in Richmond next year but two a year may be enough for me.

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