Beer Mecca

I'm back in one piece today from my first pilgrimage to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.  Needless to say, it was immensely enjoyable.  While poor Morgan was stuck here with kids who turned sick upon my departure, complete with vomit and lack of sleep, I was tasting some of the best beers in the nation, nay, world.  Brian and I went Thursday and Friday sessions, tasting probably somewhere around 70-80 beers if I had to guess.  No, we weren't a total wreck, they only pour one ounce tastes, and over the course of about 4 hours each night, it's pretty moderate if you're there to actually enjoy the magnificent diverse world of beer and not just party like a frat boy.  Denver seems like a nice city, too.  I find myself lacking any real narrative of the last few days other than thinking in images and little sound-bite-like nuggets of recollection.  So with that in mind, here are some highlights in words and pics:

• Best brewery we tasted - Dogfish Head


• Best beer we totally missed out on - Utopias


• Quite memorable beer - The Abyss


• Local breweries represented - Buckbean, Brew Bros, Great Basin, and Silver Peak.  Reno, represent!


• Best schwag - stamped leather Mirror Pond coasters from Deschutes  (honorable mentions: Session Lager temporary tattoos, stickers galore, and at least four free beer magazines)


• Best non-festival things we did - Killer shopping for beer with Lance and Rosie, lunch at Bull and Bush, and late night snack and beer at Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe, breakfast at Tom's Diner (straight out of Pulp Fiction, seriously), coffee at Illegal Grounds in a neighborhood full of cool old houses

Some pics, courtesy of Brian since I didn't bring my camera...

[caption id="attachment_432" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Great American Beer Festival"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_433" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lance, Brian, and Marc at the GABF"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_434" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Cool buildings in our neighborhood"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_435" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="$15,000 55-year-old Macallan single-malt"][/caption]

Yes, that scotch is really priced at $14,999.  That liquor store has 64 cooler doors full of beer.

PS: added a smattering of new pictures to the miscellany album, from a few various outings, none enough to get their own album.  Oh yeah, and I missed our first snowfall while I was gone.

This doesn't frighten you in the least?

I am not a McCain fan. He's old, he's a repeat of what we have already had for the past eight years, and I think his company says a lot about him. Cindy McCain looks like she is going to need rehab again soon, and if she didn't fit in when he was first a senator when she chose to move back to AZ, she surely is not gonna make it as First Lady.

When McCain picked Palin as his running mate,  he picked the stupidest person possible. Let's be honest and to the point.  Why? Who in their right mind could think that this woman is even close to qualified for ANY political position?  I think this is one of the best clips of things that she has said that only proves my theory....stupidest person......



Really? Never heard of Time or perhaps Newsweek?  The News-Miner perhaps?  This is just one of MANY stupid answers she has given.

And just to reinforce the fact, McCain is old. He has had melanoma - you can still see it in his face. He could fall over dead VERY soon and that would make Palin your president. I say yours because I am moving to Canada if this happens.

Photo update

Finally cleared the camera of some photos and got them posted...Lola photos, a few of Sid (I don't know why we take and post so few of him compared to Lola), a few from the Balloon Races as seen from around our neighborhood, and a bunch from everyone (except me)'s day at King's Beach.  Hope you enjoy.

As an added bonus, in extreme contrast to the warm fuzzy tone of the above, take a look at this disgusting mess.

New site!

I'm somewhat less than proud of it, but the new goEcoReno.com just launched.  Consider this version 1.0.  I'm already looking ahead to a major revision in coming weeks.  Maybe I can time it to launch when the store opens for business!

Fashion and TV

I was introduced to Project Runway a few seasons ago, and I am hooked.  I watch it and am left with a sense that I can sew anything after I watch it. Completely not true. I am surprised when Marc can find a needle and thread. I can sew a great straight seam and was taught to use a sewing machine by my husband. I hope that Manogue is offering Home Economics now.

Here are my thoughts as I have pondered as I have watched the show:

Terri:  Lay off the pants. At first I was such a fan, but as a short wider person, I could never wear your pants anyway.  Can you sew a skirt? Finally when you did, you were kicked off. Maybe pants is the safe bet?

Jerrell: How can anyone not love you? I thought you were very innovative on the Saturn challenge. You used things that totally did not look like car parts. Awesome.  Really, you are very creative. The win for the Elle shoot was fantastic. You deserved to win.

Kenley: efor you, I have never liked you. Never. Not for a second. I never thought you deserved to win any challenge. I am completely annoyed by you and think everything about you evolves around 1950 or 60s and your hair that goes with it. Ugh. Yuck. You have done nothing else.  Mostly, you are self centered and annoying. Get over yourself. I would never wear anything that you have made.

Leanne:  Man, you can really tailor a garment. I am really surprised and impressed with the detail that you put into everything. The tailoring is unbelievable. Seriously. Perfect. A little marmie, but always looks impeccable.

Suede: Morgan hates third person. Come on!  You are fun, creative, and I know that you are Suede.  You remind me of Zach Taylor from Saved By the Bell with blue hair. Nothing about you Morgan really hates or likes. I kinda liked the dress from this week - without the jacket. A cute pair of light, flowy pants under the dress would have been super cute.

Korto:  Super cute and cool. Mostly cool.  You have such a smooth vibe about everything. Your fashion reflects a comfortable, easy look that we all strive for. I really think that you are my choice as an overall winner. Congrats! I have not disliked anything you have done.

Blayne: I never thought I would see you again after the first episode.  No, really. You are so far out there, I know that the sun must have an affect on your brain. Fun, creative - but just too out there sloppy and overall not committed.  This is exactly what sent you home last week.

Joe: Ugh. I am over the straight sports look that you pull with everything. You are too safe and straight. Are you sure that you're not gay? It might help. Most of what you made was not done well.

Stella.  "LEATHA."  No, I LOVE "LEATHA."  I am taken with your innocent biker strength. Something is very appealing about your leather work. I don't think you over work your style as much as Kenley. I was sorry to see you go.

I think this includes everyone that is still on....I am still cheering for Korto and Leanne. And now after two wins, Jerrell has sure stepped up the competition. Please have mercy on me and send Kenly home next week. I can't take it anymore.

Link roundup

Just a few cool things to link to that I felt compelled to share.

• Obama tax cut calculator - $970!  Woo-hoo!


• McCainPedia


• Cory Farley, as usual, right on the money.

Wow, this blog is getting all political and stuff.  Can't help it.

RGJ fodder

Apparently our VW spider is potentially in jeopardy.  Contact the city's Arts and Culture Commission and tell them to keep our spider.

And somebody buy this guy a beer!

stuff

Busy as all get out trying to keep my head above water at work, open a store, and keep my sanity.  I thought my Vespa was finally out of the shop after 4? 5?  weeks sitting, waiting for a part, first from the east coast, then from Italy, but then it turns out Italy sent the wrong part and tomorrow I'll find out what comes next.  Sigh.  For a moment, I imagined myself riding it to work tomorrow and a few more times before fall chilliness makes it too uncomfortable.

Frustrated tonight at my inability to create a simple quarter-page flyer for EcoReno to distribute to nearby businesses as advertising.  For perhaps the first time since I started paying attention to such things, I wish I had a Microsoft program (Publisher) to use instead of the free alternative (OpenOffice) that I have installed on our laptop.  I feel like a total rookie trying to do the simplest tasks, and even once I figure them out, the (admittedly miniscule and feeble) part of brain that thinks like a graphic designer has taken a leave of absence and I can't think of what it should say or look like.   Same thing with the website - my website creation skills were decent in 1996, but there are so many technologies that I don't have a clue about that are practically mandatory to include in this day and age to create even a very basic site.  The site you are currently viewing is easy - the Wordpress software is easy to install, run, and configure.   So if any of you loyal readers know any good, inexpensive freelance web designers, send 'em my way, huh?

That all said, the store is coming along.  In the few nanoseconds between child-rearing tasks Morgan has, she's got some merchandise ordered and a few boxes have started to arrive; we have phone, DSL, computer and cash register up and running, carpet is clean, and signs are in progress.  With any luck, in about 3? weeks, you'll be cordially invited to a grand opening.  Not sure how grand it'll be exactly, but...

OK, well, enough wallowing in my own overwhelmitude for tonight.  Check out this cool little timesuck.  I wish I had even 1% of the skillz it took to create that.  Oh, and this little gem if you want to make yourself totally insane.

Politocrites

It's hard to avoid political commentary on both sides these days, and my ire keeps rising with the right.  Witness the hypocrisy here and here.  And while everyone's gushing about Sarah Palin, read this.

UPDATE: even better description of Sarah Palin plus she tried to ban books at the library.  Scary.

Lola's magnum opus

This is what happens when a 3-and-a-half-year-old helps herself to the digital camera, accidentally puts it in video mode, and gets creative, unsupervised and unbeknownst to any of the adults in the house.  39 little clips of 1-3 seconds each (about 2 minutes total, so be patient, it's a bigger file than most videos around here).  Found later, thoroughly enjoyed, and stitched together for your enjoyment.   Thanks, Lola.  You're really great.