80

• 2 pints Tecate - Taco Surf, Seal Beach, CA

Driving on the freeway in SoCal is like throwing yourself in Class V rapids and trying to stay in control. There are so many cars, in narrow lanes, going unbelievably fast, weaving in and out, with uneven concrete and close-by center dividers; thank God they banned driving while talking on the cell phone. Driving less than 70 mph (and 60 is the legal limit) is the equivalent to the race track at Disneyland; drivers take their speeding serious here. Christopher was doing 100 (in his Dodge Viper truck - yes, this thing is a beast in every sense) on our southSoCal beer run and out of nowhere a cop pulls up behind him....Christopher slowed down to 80, the cop pulled up alongside him and blasted him with "SLOW DOWN!" through his external megaphone, then floored it himself until we lost sight of him. Like I said, everyone speeds here.

Christopher and the Beast quietly parked in the Port Brewing parking lot.

I love being able to drive this fast however. It's such a relief not having to consciously check the speedometer every two minutes like I do in Seattle. I'm terrified of going over 70 here in Washington for fear of being busted, but driving 80 in California was like a ride on my cruiser at Alki; no worries. I actually think I'm a better driver when going this fast - I keep my eyes on the road and not on the speedometer! I love the speed limit in northern and southern Washington on the 5 when it's 70. I still don't chance going 80, but cruising at 75 feels pretty good.

Stoned.

• 4 oz. tasters - Port Brewing, San Marcos, CA
• 1 pint Stone Smoked Porter - Stone Brewing Brewpub, Escondido, CA
  
• 1 pint Mad River Steelhead Double IPA - Stone Brewing Brewpub, Escondido, CA
  
• 1 can Dale's Pale Ale - Christopher's, HB, CA
  
• 1 bottle Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Christopher's

Christopher and I took a field trip to southern Southern California for some breweries. Port Brewing was our first stop where we tasted some Hop 15, Shark Attack, and others. The tasting room was in the actual storage facility where they make the beer.

The next stop was Stone Brewing. It was amazing! The beer was delicious, the food was delicious (the best vegetarian shepherd's pie I've ever had) and the brewery itself was awesome, as you can see below:

Arrogant Bastard is probably their most well-known beer, but my favorite is the Double Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. Hmmm...I wonder why?

The bar.

The restaurant, with indoor/outdoor seating. (Note the heat lamps in the background.)

Yummers!

• 2 pints Pacifico - Baja Sharkeez, Huntington Beach

Over the course of a week, we ate at several "baja" food establishments >> Wahoo's, Baja Sharkeez, and Taco Surf. We did eat at El Torito Grill, however that isn't really a "baja" restaurant, though it does serve some delicious Mexican food. No Rubio's or Taco Mesa on this trip, but there's always next time. :)

California!

• 1 can Tecate - Michelle's, Shealey's, Winkey's, and Browney's house, Huntington Beach, CA
• 1 pint Green Flash West Coast IPA - Yard House, Costa Mesa, CA
• 1 pint Anderson Valley Hop 'Ottin IPA - Yard House, Costa Mesa, CA
• 1 pint Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA - Yard House, Costa Mesa, CA

I always love returning to Southern California. It brings back such great memories from when I lived there and it's always great to see my sister, Michelle, or SOJO (Sister Of Jon), as she has nicknamed herself. We're in the OC for the next several days enjoying the sun and sand and surf and suds (and miSHELL).

The Day After

• 1 bud light - MnM's house
• 1 bud light - home

Happy happy joy joy! Obama is President-Elect! Yay!

O B A M A

• 2005 Clive Zinfandel
• Rex Goliath Cab
  
• 2003 Walter Clove Columbia Crest Private Reserve

:)
:)
:)

It's been twelve years (twelve years!) since the presidential candidate I've voted for has won! It's such a wonderful, tremendously happy feeling! It's overwhelming! I think President Obama (love the sound of that) will bring great things to the US and to the world. Plus, it's gonna be really kind of cool to see a black person lead our United States (kind of like the early seasons of 24). :) instead of some stupid looking white guy with monkey ears.

Yikes!

• Not sure?
  

Leaves

• 1 bomber Full Sail Dopplebock - home
• 1 can of the High Life - The Jeff's

Today was a leaves-raking day! My there were so many leaves! Those horse-chestnut leaves just kept flip-flopping down off their home limbs, turning up and over on the grass and refusing to go away (or "leave" as I might have said thirty-five years ago). Hey Mister Raik, come and help me out; assist me with these leaves, make them neat and tidy so I can pile them high, scoop'em up and toss them in the bin. (thirty-five years ago i woulda jumped in that pile of leaves. five years from now London will be doing just that. and I'll be right behind him.)

Baptism & Anniversary

• One glass chianti - Angelina's Trattoria

11-1-08

5 pm

London's Baptism

Holy Rosary Church : Fr. Raschko

Godparents: Patrick & Kamila

Reception: Angelina's Trattoria

Beautiful clear night

~

11-1-97

5 pm

Jon & Susan's Wedding

St. Benedict's Church : Fr. Waldie

Best Man: Matt Segal : Maid of Honor: Annette Cuccia

Reception: Skansonia Ferry

Beautiful clear night, calm Lake Union water, stars bright.

Halloween

• 2 bottles Hale's O'Brien's Harvest Ale - K & D's

Madge-estic!

• 1 pint IPA - Yaletown Brewing, Vancouver
• 1 pint stout - Yaletown Brewing, Vancouver
• wine, whiskey, tequila - Westin Grand, Vancouver
• 1 pint Molson - BC Place, Vancouver

Grand Westin!
walk/BC Place
it's a sweatband (yeah!)
/breaaathe/breaaathe/breaaathe/

/tiiiiic...toooooock.....tiiiiiick...tooooock/.....can'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twait...CANDY SHOP!!!!!!!OMIGAWDIT'SREALLYHER!!!!MAAAADOONNNNAAAAA!...she's so sugary sweet! her sugar is raw.....on and on, on the beat goes.......on and on, on the beat goes....and dance, and dance, and dance....get down - beep beep - gotta get up off a your seat now - "didja get that?"......"music can be such a revelation....dancing around I feel the sweet sensation....i hope this feeling never ends tonight".......*borderline - [she plays guitar(!)]....music - makes the people - come together, yeah.....*ohhhhh!...miles away...i love this song! *"and I feeeeell!!!! quicker than a ray.of.light.*"every little thing that you say or do/I'm hung up/I'm hung up on youuuuu!"/*giVE mE ThE BaSS LiNE!.....[get stupid, get stupid, get stupid, don't stop it/get stupid, get stupid, get stupid, don't stop it].......left/left/right/right/leftleft/rightright/...gIVe IT To mE!

/sweat/wet/high/
/energy/
/*sweet*/show/

M A D O N N A

Vancouver

• 1 bomber Sapporo - a Japanese restaurant, Vancouver

I love Vancouver. When I first moved to Tacoma from El Lay in 1993, I drove to Vancouver a few weeks later and instantly fell in love with it. I wanted to move there, but after a friend told me, "Uh, you can't just move to Canada. They don't just 'let you in'." So that kind of blew that idea. It reminded me of Seattle, but had the size of L.A. Seattle seemed small to me (and it still does), but Vancouver was the perfect size, and I loved the density and the architecture - endless glass towers that blanketed the skyline. One rollerblading loop around Stanley Park convinced me that this would be a favorite destination during my years in Seattle. Vancouver, Seattle, and San Francisco are my three most beautiful cities in, well, North America. :)

And, as Susan calls Canada; they're our "friends in the attic." This cracks me up! Or, "the country with 20% off". I'm not too sure that this is accurate anymore, however.

One of my favorotist places to eat in Vancouver is Naam. Not only is it 100% vegetarian food, but it's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! In-fucking-credible! One year when Susan and I first started dating; Susan, her friend, and I drove left Tacoma on a whim one night about 10 pm just to eat at Naam. We were leaving Vancouver just as the sun was coming up - about 4 am - and rolled into T-Town a few hours later; tired, but full of delicious 24 hour vegetarian food.

This time we were in Vancouver for the Madonna concert. "Give it to me, yeah!"

(no) pumpkin carving

• 1 bottle Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale - home

Yelle

• 1 bomber Stone Brewing Vertical Ale - home
  
• Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot-Cabernet - home

Tonight was Yelle, and I was the only one who didn't get to go (well, me and London). But I'm so glad that Susan got to go see her because I know it was an awesome concert! Je Veux Te Voir!

Dopplebock

• 1 bomber Full Sail Dopplebock - home

Oh Full Sail, I'm in Liquid Love.

HUMP

• 1 can Miller High Life - Pre-HUMP at home
  
• 1 shot Jack Daniels - HUMP / On The Boards, Queen Anne
• 1 shot Herradura - Post-HUMP in Jeff's car
• 1 shot Conmemortivo - The Jeffs'
• 3 cans Miller High Life - The Jeffs'

Olympic Club

• 2 pints McMenamin's Oktoberfest - Olympic Club, Centralia, WA

The Olympic Club could be one of the best bars I've ever been to in my life. It was opened in 1908, before Prohibition, (there are tunnels underneath the bar where bootleggers would hide their illiegal liquids), but reopened in 1997 by the McMenamin brothers (which I'm sorry about). But the best thing is that it's probably one of the least "McMenamized" of the brother's properties. It has an original potbelly stove that heats the entire bar (and the terrific smell of burning wood), an incredible backbar that dates from the early 20th century and the men's urinals are so big that I could easily fall into them and never return. There is leaded glass, pool tables, secretive balconies, outside seating, traintracks within 50 feet, and genuine swiveley bar stools. If ever there was a place to take a shot of whiskey with a Rainier back, shoot some pool and smoke a pack of Camels, this is it.

Hood River

• 10 ounces Full Sail LTD - Full Sail Brewpub, Hood River, OR
• 10 ounces Full Sail Brewmaster's Reserve - FSB
  
• wine tasting flights - Cathedral Ridge Winery & Phelps Creek Winery
  
• 1 pint IRA - Sixth Street Bistro & Loft

Wine Kicks Ass.


I've always said that if I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is Travel. Keep the House, take care of the Fam, but leave immediately. I could do it. Really. It might be a bit more complicated with a child, but I always believed that with a few clothes, toothbrush, cologne, iPod and a coupla books, I'd be ready to go. This trip confirmed it. I coulda just kept on driving...

Waterfalls

• 1 glass Truchard Pinot - Columbia Gorge Hotel, Oregon
• 1 pint Big Horse - Hop Ale - CGH
  
• 1 Basil Haydens rocks - CGH

many years ago when i was a more active mountain biker, another rider told me that a good rider "rides as if they were water". i took that to mean smoothly flowing over whatever confronts. i think waterfalls are incredibly beautiful, peaceful, yet unbelievably powerful. i love standing/swimming/sitting underneath them. the Historic Columbia River Highway showcases many amazing waterfalls. Multnomah Falls was the most breathtaking, but this is Bridal Veil Falls below; breathtaking in it's own way.

Furthur

• 1 pint Sleepy Hollow Nut Brown on nitro - The Rams Head, Portland, OR
  

Tom Wolfe documented Ken Kesey's drug-induced bus travels in his book "The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test". The bus was named "Furthur" (sic) by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. "Furthur" is inscribed on my iPod Shuffle because that's where I want to go. I strive for Furthur. There is always further to see, further to accomplish, further to experience.