nineteenth

• 1 bottle ice cold Pacifico - Slices Pizza, Alki
  
• 1 bottle Henry Weinhard's Blue Boar Pale Ale - Villa de Rosier
• 1 bottle Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Villa de Rosier
• some frozen blue concoction with tequila and gelato - Villa de Rosier
  

eighteenth

• 1 herencia & rlj - home
  

seventeenth

• 1 Busch tallboy - home
• 2 Smithwicks - Celtic Swell
• 1 Manny's Pale Ale - Mission
  

sixteenth

• 1 bottle Widmer Hefeweizen - Slices Pizza, Alki
• 1 25 oz. mug Bud Light - Bamboo Bar and Grill, Alki
• 1 pint Manny's - Ballard Loft
  

fifteenth

• 1 bottle Bud Light - M&M's new house!
• 1 bottle Corona - M&M's new house!
• 1 bottle Bud Light - home
• 1 bottle Bud Light - Lake Washington Ship Canal (heh heh heh)
  
• 1 Foster's Oil Can - M&M's nh
• 1 MHL tallboy - M&M's nh
  

fourteenth

• 1 Pina Colada - home
• 1 MHL tallboy - home
  

thirteenth

• 1 Busch tallboy - home
  

Baby Daddy

• Vodka-spiked punch
• MHL tallboys
  

blue and pink napkins, forks, clothing, balloons, posters, stir sticks, cups, plates, cake. Mario Kart. ADORABLE PARTY!

Summer Olympics

• 1 pint Pale Ale on nitro - Olympic Club, Centralia
• 2 bottles Rainier - Olympic Club
• 1 pint IPA - Olympic Club

The Olympic Club in Centralia is a very cool old bar that has been around since the early 1900's. About 10 years ago, the McMenamin brothers took it over and reopened it as a hotel and bar, but the best thing is that they hardly changed it at all. It still has the original tile floor, bathrooms (a man could fall and lose himself in the urinals they're so huge), skylights, bar, backbar, pool room, and cast iron stove (which is great in the winter as it heats the entire bar). It used to be a prime spot for bootlegging during Prohibition and the "secret" tunnels below the bar are proof. The Olympic Club even smells old, not necessarily of cigarette smoke, but of aged leather, worn wood, brick, dirt, and hard alcohol. It's not hard to imagine it being 1940 and setting yourself down on the brass bar stool, lighting a cigarette and downing a shot of whiskey followed by a beer, then hanging out and telling everyone about your day working in the nearby dairy. My grandpa John, (my mom's dad and my namesake) might have actually done this. They lived in Centralia for awhile - Aunt Janice was even born there and my great grandfather is buried there - and grandpa worked at the dairy. Their house is most likely gone now, but I like thinking about what it was like for them when they lived there. I also like thinking about how Susan's grandma lived there and how her parent's live in Chehalis, four miles away. That I've moved all over the United States, and my mom's side of the family retired in California, but that our relatives may have crossed paths a long time ago.

The Forest Through the Trees

• 1 Fishtale Organic IPA - Quinault Lodge
• 1 Pyramid Hefeweizen - Quinault Lodge
• 1 Dynamite Cabernet - Quinault Lodge

Today Susan and I visited Olympic National Forest and stayed overnight at Lake Quinault Lodge - "The Rest Is Easy" (haha, clever people they are). Two hikes took us through an amazing section of the rain forest and through a peaceful path of old growth forest. I forget how much I miss nature until I'm back in it. I loved the enormity of trees and it really only occurred to me on this trip that even the tallest, most solid tree in the forest, is still growing; that each day it's slowly getting wider and taller. And they're already so big! It's almost eerie, these massive wooden towers growing straight out of the ground into the sky for no other reason than to exist. I guess I've never thought of it that way before because urban trees are surrounded by buildings and there are so few of them in comparison. Trees in a forest stand together and they become the forest - they are the forest. And when you're standing at the bottom of them, at the point they come out of the earth, it's overwhelming.

The rain forest trail had many downed trees caused by last winter's storm. This gave a more personal look at the trees in the forest because I could walk along the length of trees that were hundreds of feet tall. The one pictured above was about three feet wide and easily a few hundred feet long, and it had to be cut at one point because it had crossed the trail. I walked along some of these trees and thought about the day they came down. What storm was powerful enough to take it down; after all, it had been here for a few hundred years already. Did it cause others to fall? Could anyone hear it when it hit? What will it look like a decade, or a century from now, after it's covered with moss, other trees, and other forestry things?

The Olympic National Park is home to six of the world's largest trees. The world's largest! No other tree of this type is larger! We visited the WL Sitka Spruce and the WL Red Cedar. The Spruce was easy to get to; it was more of an RV side-of-the-road attraction that was set out in the open. It was about 1000 years old(!) and was at the end of it's life and had started to decay. The Red Cedar involved more of a steep hike to get to and was definitely at the end of it's life. The inside was open so you could walk into the center and look straight up and into the sky. I wondered how it was found originally. Hunters? Hikers? High school students from the 1600's? Much to wonder...

Riding and Swimming

• 1 bottle Hale's Kolsch - Canal Street Cafe/Fremont
• 1 bottle Miller High Life - Ballard Loft
• 1 pint Olympia - Ballard Loft
• 1 pint Hale's Mongoose IPA - Anthony's
• 1 Mint Julep - Talarico's Pizzeria
  

There are a few things that I can do now that directly remind me of being a kid; riding bikes and swimming in rivers. Riding a bike reminds me of the true freedom that I had as a kid. I would just hop on my bike - no helmet, no special shoes, no "gear" - and pedal. The faster the wind hit my face, the better I felt. Riding no-hands also brings that feeling of freedom and just a small sense of not being in total control, which is important. Swimming in rivers is another special feeling - summer is here and I gots nothing to do! In Georgia, where I went to high school, there was a river about 20 minutes or so through the woods behind my neighborhood. When the days got warmer and the air more humid, neighborhood friends and I would walk the secluded and shaded leaf-covered jeep trail to the river. Not only was there a perfect swimming hole complete with a rope for hanging and jumping, but a gathering of boulders spaced perfectly so that it sent water shooting down river - a rock flume. We'd position ourselves above the flume and let the current catch us as we maneuvered in between the giant stones and let the powerful jets launch us through the narrow passage. When we'd had enough of this, we'd retreat to the rope and jump off the dirt edge, hanging on tightly and staring down at the cool pool of water at least ten feet below. Getting in a few swings back and forth we'd drop easily into the waiting water.

Today I did both of these things: rode a bike and swam in a river. A perfect summer day as a kid.

the eighth

• 1 pint Dos Equis - Cactus
  

July 7

• 1 Busch tallboy - home

Nothing happened today. Nothing ever happens on a Monday.

Part II or is it III?

• Zero drinks

Part II of yesterday's adventure:

After re-reading my earlier post, I realized I was more full of alcohol than I may have originally thought, so sorry about all the f-bombs there. Part 2:

So JeffF and I cabbed it back to West Seattle because sometime during the night I convinced him to go to the Yen Wor Village for karaoke. He agreed and I remember rambling and complaining pretty much the entire cab ride back. We get dumped off in front of Young Whore and enter and find that the place is pretty empty for a Saturday night. I managed to stumble through a few songs and I'm pretty sure that Leslie (I think that's her name - she has a beautiful voice btw) the host tolerates me, but is secretly filming me and if you do a search for drunken karaoke on YouTube, I'll be the first to come up. We stayed there until closing, but it someone's wise idea (mine) to go Jack in the Box for some food. The dining room is closed, so the only way to access the food is walking and ordering through drive thru. I've only done this a few times before, at other fast food places, in various states of disillusionment, but I've never been turned away. When we stepped up to the menu board, the drive-thru crew looked aghast that we were attempting said stunt. We were told that we couldn't walk through and I think I was telling them that I forgot my car at home and we were really hungry. Then JeffF goes on a rampage! "You mean to tell me that you'd rather me drive through here drunk than order like we are now!?" or something along those lines. About then a car pulled up behind us and we were still arguing with the menu board until Drive-Thru Crew ordered us up to the window, took our order, took the ATM card and promptly (and I do mean promptly - I think that's the fastest I've ever been helped there.) gave us our food - me with medium curly fries and Jeff with a Jumbo Jack. Satisfied, we walked home along California Avenue recalling the events of the day and the injustices of having your beer program notes confiscated, being reprimanded at drive-thru, being told to "get your ass up to the bar to order a drink (that's my favorite), the slow-bus to China, the off-key karaoke; but also thinking about the day's successes - just barely making the Scotch and ale keg tasting, two pints of Pilsner Urquell, the cab ride back to the Westside, pizza at the Seattle Center, many fine tasting beers, the music at the festival, getting into two bars without having any ID, enjoying Maker's and ginger ale, the jukebox at the Mecca, among others.

So about those stupid Washington State Liquor Laws: Why can't a parent bring in a kid if he/she obviously isn't going to drink? And those places that have a brass bar separating the bar from the restaurant? - what good is that? Silly, I say. Silly.

Beer! Part II

Today I returned to the Seattle International Beerfest because one full day of drinking beer simply isn't enough. Jeff decided to go with me because one day of drinking beer is better than no days drinking beer. It was a very long and eventful day probably best summed up by Post Number I; doggedly typed up at 2:47 am after a very full day of drinking, karaoking, taxi'ing, and bus'sing. As you will be able to tell after reading it, I was really worked up. Post Number II will come tomorrow. And here we go:

Okay, so much crazy shit today...and as you can see by the post time, it's 2:47 my time on Sunday morning, so this is genuine:

As posted earlier, Fisher and I went to the SIB via bus, and that was a hoot and a half. Took us 50 minutes to get from West Seattle to the Space Needle and we immediately got in line to taste the 4 oz of golden nectar known as ale soaked in oak Scotch barrels. The line was so long that we doubted we'd have a chance at it, but we waited anyway and low and behold, we made it just in time. The beer was delicious; a combination of scotch and beer. I was marking these down on my beer program that I had since Friday (more on this later).

Fisher and I stayed at the SIB the whole afternoon - children were not allowed, but dogs were - which really didn't bother me, except I've never had a child lick me on the leg, but many of these dogs did just that. Why is that okay? Not that I mind; but why allow dogs in so that they can lick legs, yet children are kept out? Fucking WA liquor laws (more on this later).

Around 5 or so we left and went to the Mecca Cafe for I don't know what reason other than I wanted to go there. We were sitting at the booth for awhile just hanging out not really desiring anything until the bartender guy comes around and tells us: "you want anything, get your ass up to the bar and order it." That was cool though because at least we knew where things stood. Not that we were expecting anyone to wait on us; we were just hanging out. Anyway, I went and ordered a mhl and a manny's, I believe, and then put some good shit on the jukebox (Pixies, Jane's Addiction, QOTSA, Ramones) and settled in. After an hour or so, we left and went to

Ozzies. Which is where I discovered I didn't have a spec of ID on me. No license, no credit card, no debit card, nothing. And it really pisses me off that I forgot all that shit at home too. I can't believe I did. But,

they let me in. I told them I was 40 and I showed them my SIB wristband. I didn't even have to show any leg. Fisher gets a beer and I order a Maker's and ginger ale (thanks Kevin) and then discover that karaoke starts at 9:00. It was 9:02. I down the Maker's and somehow another one appears while I'm off scoping out the giant encyclopedia of music, but can't find any Journey. Before the Ozzie's adventure is over, I sing "In My Life" and "Rebel Yell" to a small crowd in the bar, but many humans are filing in. Fisher pays the bill, but I hadn't quite finished my Maker's/Ginger and for some reason I wrap it in my SIB booklet in which I had taken all my notes in for the weekend. As I exit, bouncer guy deftly takes my booklet, looks at my somewhat filled glass (apparently this isn't Vegas), says "What do we have here?", takes it and dumps the glass, but TAKES MY BOOKLET! I protest to no avail as he throws the booklet in the trash! MOTHERFUCKER! Fisher goes back to get in to retrieve it but motherfucker doesn't let him in and says, "You're with that guy!" (Like I'm a negative example for barfly humanity.) and that's that. All my precious notes are gone! I was really wound up and for that reason thought it best to just leave. So many thoughts came to mind. I was so motherfucking pissed because this guy held all the supposed power and I couldn't do anything about it. here I am a 40 year old and this stupid ^&*%(#&()&# took away my notes! I wanted to go back and tell him off, but the sad thing is is that I knew he was just doing his job and they shouldn't have let me in in the first place without ID, but still. Urrrggghghghghghghhgh. Jeff and I hailed a taxi to WS and I complained the whole way there and we ended up at the Yen Wor Village and I'll tell you about that adventure (along with Jack in the Box) tomorrow. Good night: JON

Beer!

Today I went to the Seattle International Beerfest; a celebration of all things hoppy. It was a delicious affair in which I toured the grounds of the Seattle Center with my 4 oz. taster glass enjoying the hard work of brewery laborers. Some of the beers I tasted were: Port Brewing Hop 15, Dogfish Head 120 IPA (20% alcohol!), Stone Brewing Double Bastard 2005, Full Sail Top Sail Bourbon Aged Imperial Porter (awesome!), Port Brewing Judgement Day, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, something called "reissdor", a Kolsch, Rogue 2007 Brewer, Oska Blues Ten Fidy, Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, Stone Arrogant Bastard, and a Busch Tallboy (this was consumed after the Beerfest at a 4th of July party. btw, it tasted terrible).

Drinks on the Links

• 1 pint Roger's Pilsner - Foster Golf Course
• 1 PBR tallboy - FGC
• 1 MHL tallboy -FGC
• 1 bottle Henry's Summer Ale - FGC
• 1 bottle Bud Light Lime (yes!) - Admiral Pub
• 1 pint Coors Light (a mispour, so I got it for free) - Admiral Pub

I lost so many balls today, (but I only broke one tee!) Bad golf, bad.

'Cause I gotta have faith...

• 2 pints Rainier - Solo Bar
• 1 Maker's and ginger ale - Solo Bar

I had always been a WHAM! fan in high school; I had all three of their albums, including Fantastic, which was their first. George was 19 and Andrew Ridgely was 17 (if I remember correctly) when it was released. The music wasn't that great, but it was fun to listen and sing along to. Later, after I moved to California, my sister and I memorized "Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)" and would trade lines back and forth with each other. If I had known about karaoke back then, I would've been dangerous. So then Make It Big came out and that was a bigger than big album. I listened to "Careless Whisper" over and over and was impressed when I read that George had written it when he was 15. When Music From The Edge Of Heaven came out, I was a little confused because it sounded as if it were for a movie soundtrack. "What is this "Edge of Heaven" movie?" I thought, "I've never heard of it." I was already in California and working at Licorice Pizza/Sam Goody when this album came out and one of my friends, Craig Keipp, and I, would obnoxiously yell the lyrics to "I'm Your Man" whenever we'd go out and hear this song, whether at a club or in the car together. I was 19. "Last Christmas" was a beautiful song, as was "A Different Corner" and it really showed another side to George Michael. Edge of Heaven was pretty much a George Michael album, as Andrew wasn't really a part of it even though he was given credit on the album. WHAM! was huge at this time and Craig and I daydreamed of creating a pop duo much like WHAM!

Faith was released in 1987. It's remarkable to think how closely the three WHAM! albums and then Faith were recorded - four albums in four years. I was working at the record store, back when CD's were really gaining in popularity and they were packaged in the long boxes. We listened to Faith every day while in the store, if not two or three times. Faith was H U G E. It was everywhere and George was loved by everyone, especially me. I bought most every CD single that was available - I have a "One More Try" picture CD (who does these anymore?), "I Want Your Sex" special remix in three parts, a 3 1/2" CD single (these aren't even made anymore) of 3 versions of "Monkey", and a few singles he did with Queen and Elton John. Since I worked at Sam Goody, I was able to keep many of the cardboard squares with pictures of the album cover and I had about 10 and kept them for the longest time, even taking them to UCLA with me and hanging them in my room. I even had a GM poster! Back then, people were OPEN to liking George Michael. Needless to say, I knew all the lyrics to all the songs on the Faith album. Zodiac boots were big back then and I had a pair with silver tips, just like, of course, GM.

I saw George during his Faith tour at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, an outdoor concert venue in lovely Irvine, California. Unfortunately I can't find my ticket stub, but I'm pretty sure I bought the program too. I wore faded jeans, my Zodiac boots, grew three days of stubbly beard, and wore a large gold cross earring in my right ear. I'm even embarrassed to admit all this now. The final piece of clothing was a white t-shirt that Craig had labeled with "I Want Your Sex" in large black iron on letters on the back and given to me. Remarkably, I was not shy (or smart enough to think better of it) to wear it. (Craig and I went to the concert together. Years later when I visited him at his new home in Honolulu, we went to see Ozzy Osbourne. Ironically, we both wore the same boots that we had worn to George Michael.) Anyway, the concert was great even though I don't remember details. That was about 1988.

Tonight George was in Seattle for his 25Live tour. It was his 25th year in the music business and this is supposedly his last tour. He's only 44! I didn't originally have tickets because they were expensive and I also haven't really listened or bought any of his recent albums, although I do listen to his songs on occasion. A week before the concert a certain number of $25 tickets (I know!) went on sale and I was fortunate enough to get some. And I'm so glad I did. The concert was incredible. There were images and videos playing on the gigantic video screen. The pictures above were taken by Susan's friend Karla who was in the 9th row. George has an incredible voice and the production was awesome. I had forgotten how many great songs he had and how easily the words came back to me as he sang them. I felt like a teenage girl singing the songs and yelling the choruses. Wonderful. *sigh*

Gaussian Blur

• 2 pina coladas - home
• 1 bottle Carlsberg - Celtic Swell
• 1 pint Stella Artois - Celtic Swell

First place in trivia! We each went home with 15 extra dollars AND I got me a Carlsberg soccer jersey. Wayyyy cool. Our team name was Gaussian Blur which Danielle, Jeff, Lisa, and Susan know what it is, but all I know is that it's some tool in Photoshop.

Monday

• 1 Herradura and rlj - home
• 1 High Life tallboy - home
• 1 Birra Moretti - Talarico's