12 posts tagged “beer snobbery”
The margin of error on this poll would be crazy in my beer drinking circles. We roll for Obama!
This 'survey' is interesting.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
There appears to be no distinction between beer snobbery and those who would chug tasteless yellow fizzy water that I won't mention here, but it's commonly referred to by a cutesy three-letter nickname. There also appears to be no representation for the Female Beer Snob/Obama Supporter. I know I'm not alone.
This article includes a photograph of wine (I think) and Hacker Pschorr Weisse. Hardly fair. I'll drink a Hacker Pschorr any time, and I doubt a McCain supporter would go near one - let alone be able to pronounce it.
Amateurs.
As I was scarfing down a GI-NOR-MOUS salad for lunch (yes, I eat lunch at 11:00 am, sometimes even earlier), I realized I hadn't been over to the Vox 'hood in a while. I guess I could have more accurately entitled this post, "Vox! I Hardly Recognized You!"
I lamented to a friend the other day that I was increasingly disappointed that none of my friends had made themselves available to me socially on my 2.5 hours off each week. Poor me! I need some interaction with real people. While I enjoy the somewhat obtuse random comments from one of my professors, and I enjoy the company of friends who are in my classes, I really just want to have a beer [snob] drinking conversation. Back when I was nowhere nearly as busy as I am now, I was the Queen of Changing Plans. Now that I have no discretionary time at all, I have a bit of a meltdown if someone dishes out that very medicine, let alone miscommunication about going out to brunch or something. And please help the poor bastard who calls me during my Sunday Morning Political Television and Coffee Klatsch! For God's sake, bring over bagels and watch them with me, but don't even think I'll be chatting on the phone with you about anything! Someone had better be bleeding or have a limb missing - that's all I'm sayin'.
This Sunday I have pre-planned a hike with a friend and with Olive. Poor Olive really needs some Spring! It should be a great excursion to break up my painting time.
Exhaustion, back pain and insomnia continue. I was up self-chiropractoring myself yesterday morning and I caught TV's Craig Ferguson going on about Starbucks. I found it hilarious, but then again I was punch-drunk from exhaustion and over-the-counter painkillers. This clip leaves out his comparsion of Starbucks coffee to pudding, but successfully leaves in a reference to Kenny G just for cheekymonkey!
This week has flown by. I have so much to accomplish over the weekend and I am hopeful I can get at least half of it done. Or started. Well, at least written down on a list. Please see after-the-fact notes in PINK.
The truth is that the cavalry will be arriving at Chez Moi tomorrow morning at 8:30. This cavalry will take the shape of my favorite handyman, my Daddy. I'm not exaggerating when I gush about him by saying that he can do anything. Everything. He's amazing. At any rate, the tentative itinerary includes, but is certainly not limited to; Good Coffee (I make it, he drinks it. His taste in coffee is pretty unrefined), Review of List with Marker, Quick Walk of Olive (she calms down so much when guests arrive and take a walk with her), Run to Hardware Store for Supplies (Handyman has oh-so-handyVAN), Outdoor Two-Person Chores, Indoor Two-Person Chores, Trip to Local Pay-by-the-Pound Thrift Store for Goodies, Good Beer (I buy, he drinks. His palate for beer is improving, but I am such a beer snob). I'll post separately about it soon (with pictures), but needless to say, THIS is not what actually happened. I can report that 5 intense hours were spent with both of us working hard (well, I did a little whining, too), and big feats were accomplished. Of note: NO beer was had, instead Dad brought me a bottle of his homemade wine.
As with any list I make, this one is subject to change. That's a fact.
Oh! And my fair city is chock full of happenings this weekend, so there's always traffic and other congestion to consider.
In an attempt to get some drawings stored safely before my Fall semester begins in less than a month, I took snapshots of some pieces so that I can roll them up for safe keeping. I still have to consider every piece to be included or excluded from my portfolio, as I have an advancement review in the Spring before I can continue on with my major. I have oodles of foundation projects, a small house and a pack-rat mentality, so you can imagine the dilemma. I actually made tremendous progress in converting my 3-season porch into a studio space yesterday. When it's completed, I'll post about it. With pictures.
I think I will stop somewhere and get myself a fancy hamburger to go on my way home tonight. That way I can maximize my productivity in preparing for Handyman Day tomorrow when I get home. I so stopped for that burger. I have been off chips of any description for weeks now, but the burger joint put SALT AND VINEGAR chips in my To-Go sack. I'm not turning those down. Don't be ridiculous!!
Wow. I could have done without the humidity, but I had the best weekend. For me, the weekend starts the minute I walk away from my desk on Friday. After driving home with the windows down, I fed Olive then walked to a favorite pub where outside seating is mandatory (see aforementioned issue relative to cigarette smoke). On the way to the pub, I encountered a very dramatic fork in the road:
This fork wasn't actually in the road, but rather in the parking lot of the Dollar Store. I wondered whether or not Uri Geller shopped there recently.
I briefly thought about picking up the fork, as I love found objects, but I decided to photograph it and leave it for someone else to find. I'm pretty sure it's cheap and malleable enough not to give some unsuspecting bargain shopper a flat tire.
On to the pub for outdoor dining, conversation and (of course) beer. I am so glad to have friends who enjoy the simplicity of come-as-you-are merriment as much as I do. Thanks, Barbara, I had a really nice time.
There was the threat of rain, but we stayed out and never saw a drop. Well, we never saw a drop of rain, but we did see many drops of unfiltered heaven in a glass.
Saturday I was able to spend a few hours with my friend Robin, after hitting the jackpot on brushes in the clearance bin at a local arts and crafts store. I bought twenty-two brushes. Twenty-two! They're not great quality, but I only paid 50 cents for each one. Practical economics. Robin and I had lunch outside at a favorite local cajun place, then went to my house to split an organic Schneider and Sons Edelweiss Hefe-Weizen (probably my favorite beer of all time!).
Sunday, I started the day with a trip to my local music store. I still call it a record store, even though this store doesn't sell vinyl. Some things I am completely unable to resist. Red tags and used music are two of them:
Later in the day, my nephew came over and we had a great time trying to see how much we could do outside before the rain came. The fun was non-stop, but the rain once again avoided my house (and my tomato plants). Auntie and nephew walked Olive and did some sketching. Time flew, we were having fun, and almost as soon as he got there, he was gone.
Yes, folks, that is what every weekend should be like.
It's true that I had to cover some of my young plants last night to protect them from frost. Yes, frost! It is also true that I have not and will not see anything resembling a break or a vacation any time soon. I was also made aware that I am soon to experience my first exam for my first Summer Session class yesterday - a class whose grade is based solely on two exams (yikes!).
So, I am now aware that it is Summer.
Tomorrow I am going to a local art fair with a friend. We've now made it a yearly event, as we also went last year. Our Rails to Trails project has given us a direct route for bicycling to the fair, and our local cycling organization provides 'valet' parking near the event for a donation. Considering that today is Bike to Work Day and I failed to bike to work, I'll be sure to make a larger donation than I normally would. The same group provides this bicycle-watching service at many events during the summer, and I have often volunteered to work at the venue to obtain a free ticket to the State Fair. It's a fair trade (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk).
I'm a little sad that this art fair I am going to is rarely about local artists, as it was when I attended with my family at age 8 or 9. It seems that the same 'artists' set up shop there every year for a predetermined booth fee and they rarely have much in the way of new art. I do enjoy looking at rain sticks and playing a djembe drum, but I fail to find the artistic value in embroidered aprons with sentiments like, "Kiss the Cook" and whatnot. I do like that this particular fair makes room for a local microbrewery to vend beer there. Whatever your thoughts about microbreweries, a cold beer beats blue raspberry shaved ice any day. It's about the companionship, potentially seeing people you know and meeting people you didn't know before that really makes this an exciting day.
Next up will be the international and religious festivals. These I love, but I dare say that it ends up being a summer of beer sampling (and by sampling I mean severe over-indulgence). There's Greek beer, then Italian Beer (Peroni, incidentally, is one of the only beers I love that breaks my rule of never drinking beer I can read through), German beer then Irish beer. The folks at the Irish Festival have come to expect me ordering the first Black and Tan the very second the outdoor mass is over.
So... Here's to Summer. May yours be filled with great friends and great beer!
It's been another crazy week for me as I try to wrap up my semester, continue my recovery from surgery and deal with all the things that come up for homeowners when the weather warms up (and your side yard is a muddy mess).
Tomorrow I'll be participating in The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with my school team and a good friend. It should be a fun, albeit circuslike, atmosphere. Our plan is to hop on public transportation after the event to seek out quality beer at my favorite Scottish Pub in the Arts District. We'll have well-deserved great weather, as we have today, so a big event and a special excursion should be quite the ticket!!
Last weekend's crummy weather wasn't great for having a canine houseguest, and I'm sure if you polled Olive, she'd vote for another playdate this weekend, too. My neighbors also just adopted an adorable Sheltie Mix puppy, so there is a lot of running the fence, bouncing and barking going on when I'm home and the dogs are both out. As long as Neighbor Puppy is home and the weather is nice, I should be outside all day Sunday with Olive. Actually drawing outside will be a welcome change, plus I still have to address the mess in the yard (and the fact that my air conditioning unit that plunged into the trench a few weeks back now sits a good 18 inches lower than it did before).
By this time next week, my classes will be over and I'll only be waiting for my final grades. I'm confident about them right now, but you never know. Subjective grading can sometimes bite you on the arse. I am treating myself for the successful completion of the academic term by going to see George Carlin, who said this:
"I often think how different the world would be if Hitler had not been turned down when he applied to art school."
That rings true for me on so many levels, George.
I have to come up with a strategy for cataloging my thoughts. Sure, most of my thoughts are nonsense, but they could come in handy at some point.
Yesterday, a friend loaned me his soundtrack to Grey Gardens: The Musical. Christine Ebersole is simply remarkable. I can't imagine why I would listen to a Broadway Musical soundtrack two times in the same day, but I rather enjoyed it. If you haven't seen the documentary entitled Grey Gardens, by the Maysles Brothers, you just need to find it and watch it as soon as possible. I just love it!
Today, I have been listening to Thomas Fersen.
I would like to think I speak French, but really I don't. My high school French has long-since worn away, but I do tend to catch things when context is involved. Even if you have no idea what he's crooning about, you'd have to be in a coma not to enjoy Les Papillons. In fact, it prompts uncontrollable cha cha cha-ing.
I think I first heard Thomas Fersen on David Byrne's website Radio - but here again, I'm just not sure. If you've never listened to David Byrne's musical selections (changed monthly), you're missing out. I love David Byrne and his taste in music is simply lovely - and somewhat unexpected at times.
As for other housekeeping tidbits: I still have not opened my Chimay Ale. Maybe I just need someone to stop by one evening for an occasion to enjoy it. My air conditioning unit is once again sitting on a platform. I haven't run it for any length of time to be sure it's operational - but in spite of my mowing the yard Sunday, it is only April. Homework continues to occupy my time in the evenings as the semester inches along. My very abbreviated Summer schedule will be a welcome change. I'll have two classes over the Summer, then only two classes in the Fall. It's going to seem like a vacation!! My recovery after surgery seems relatively complete. Now I am dealing with some Spring allergies, but the temperature is supposed to drop into the 20's for lows over the next several days, so that should offer some relief.
Well, probably tomorrow...
The yard is a mess and I have lots of work to do. I will let nature provide rain and settling for a week or two before I try to address the issue too much, but while it's raining tomorrow, I plan to enjoy my Chimay Ale:
More next week about everything.
Things certainly have not settled down since my last post.
My surgery was relatively routine and I am still recovering. I had hoped I would bounce right back, but not so much. Here it is Wednesday and I have been to class and am prepared to leave work early because I'm just not feelin' it. Ah, youth! Wasted on the young, indeed!
My basement/sewer/laundry trouble is nearly resolved. Twice the price I had anticipated and I lost a fence and an air conditioning unit in the process. I'm taking a cue from Scarlett O'Hara and pledging to worry about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day!
Olive has a new blanket just for her and I was able to do two loads of laundry, so my misery shall be short-lived.
I think.
Lest I forget, I need to give a shout out to some of my girlfriends. They all know who they are, but I am overwhelmed and humbled my their generosity. I didn't have to worry about a thing getting to and from the hospital, and once I was home, I was so delighted to have various comfort foodstuffs from which I could take a bite at a time as the mood struck me. I am also thrilled to have been given a bottle of Chimay Ale, but it's waiting patiently in the fridge for the day I can enjoy it.
