ATX Winter Formal...

...went off without a hitch. I mean, seriously, it was ridiculous. We partied like we were in college again. The bus was perfect - it was an old converted city bus with a disco ball and "Happy Birthday" decorations to boot. Perfect. Dinner at el Portero was perfect, cheap, and Jose got a standing ovation. The Wymans staff didnt even know we were coming, but were accomodating nevertheless. And the Rockbar...., well, rocked. Some funny stories:

1. Neff picked the tunes and played Ryan Adams "Halloween Head" as the opening song on the bus. Most people dont understand why this is a party song for us, and they didnt get it. Oh, but the ones that did get it sang their throats dry. And these dry throats were cured by the Hamms, Schlitz, Olympia, Pig Eye, Extra Gold and other fishing beers brought on the bus.

2. Pretty much everyone brought their beers into the restaurant. Nobody cared. They were just happy we were there.

3. After dinner, the Tejano DJ let Neff throw his CD into the mix and we danced like a bunch of gringos. We ARE a bunch of gringos. Some of the locals were ready for us to leave so that they can have their dance floor back.

4. We took the bus downtown to continue the Dance Party. Apparently some people on the bus thought that the guys in the car next to us were heading to their favorite fishing spot - so we threw them a few Olympias. They proceeded to chug their beers. I guess they were in a hurry.

5. We only stayed at Wymans for a drink, and apparently I just brought that one drink in with me. Whoops. When we left, I still had said drink in my hand and the bartender made me hand it to her. I pulled it out of the koozie (yes, very fratty of me), she looked at it and yelled, "Wait, we dont sell EXTRA GOLD here!" And I responded very intellegently, "Yes you do," and walked back to the bus.

6. I think the Rockbar might have been fun, because Ive seen pictures.

7. Craig and Amy didnt want to get a cab home, so they had the bus driver take them back. He he.

8. If anybody else knows about anything after this, please let me know. All I know is that I have a receipt for Mama's Cafe, and that I was really thirsty when I woke up.

ATX for life.

One of the...

...best parts of having a brother as a brewer is the festivals. I get to go to all the beer festivals either at a discount or for free. AND Craig gave me a Wynkoop shirt for my birthday, so I wear it to the festivals and people ask me lots of questions. Most of the time I know the answer. Sometimes I dont. Occaisionally there isnt an answer:

Lady: Tell me, how do you pronounce the name of the brewery?

Me: Well, the street is WINE-coop, the brewery is WIN-coop.

Lady: How do you justify that, it is someones name. You cant just mis-pronounce someone's name.

Me: Well, two things: One, you can mispronounce names. People never say mine right. And two, I dont know...I dont even work here. I just get free beer and wear t-shirts.

Lady: Well, you cant just mispronounce a name.

Me: Listen lady...do you want a beer or not?

One of the best parts about this particular festival tonight is that all the other breweries just brought their normal bottled stuff, but Wynkoop brought a few specials out - one being a Oak aged barleywine. I walked around. I know my stuff. Wynkoop brought the best beer of the festival hands down. And I got to pour it all night.

Another funny thing: Erik got attacked by a cougar. Its true, they hunt in packs.

But I did drink pretty lightly. Winter Formal is tomorrow. Its going to be ridiculous. Out.

There was a...

...time when things were simpler in my life. I guess that I will always be able to say that - tomorrow will probably be more complicated than today, the next day even more complex. But there were two years. I broke away. I didnt have a cell phone. My hands got dirty. I concentrated on the important things, because the important things were then only things to concentrate on. I learned to deal with people, and how to love people. I learned that I will never be perfect. I slept with a clean conscience. We cared for eachother, because that was all to care for. The conflicts were important and focused on love. The nights were quiet and still.

I will always look back on those times and remember them fondly. I will always try to apply what Ive learned to my life. I will always question whether I was supposed to leave. I will always question whether I should return.

I have a great life. Ive been blessed. But I miss the quiet sometimes.

When I get...

...sick, I turn into a big baby. And it really doesnt happen that often, so I guess its a celebration. A celebration of me having an excuse to do nothing. I dont have to clean the house. I dont have to work. I dont have to do laundry. I dont even have to go out. Just sit under the blanket, watch movies, nap. I actually did paint today, which I had been meaning to do since...well, since this summer. So if you have enjoyed my series on White in my room (aka: Dove in a Snowstorm, Egg on a Tablecloth, and Cotton Balls in a Bathtub) - you will have to say goodbye, no mas.

Sometimes I forget...

...to look at reviews of hotels. And this past weekend was one of those times. A few of us went up to Vail for the Big Beer and Barleywine festival. It was fantastic, I had 4 snifters of Utopias (thanks Ninja Yeast) and a 22 year old Barleywine from Anchor (thanks Bob Brewer). We also wanted to ski a couple of days, so we grabbed a hotel for two nights. Vail is really expensive right now, and there are really no deals to be had - so I just booked the least expensive place. But hey, you know, its VAIL - it cant be that bad... Wrong. The Roost Lodge was a dump. It smelled bad. It was hot. The beds were lumpy. It was still expensive. It was difficult to get to the mountain. Next time, Ill pay the extra few bucks. I mean, I do have a job. Nevertheless, a few good things happened:
1. Everybody made it up there and back safely.
2. We all tried some fantastic, incredible, delicious big beers.
3. Somehow through the powers that be, some of these beers made it onto a van, were transported to Denver, and are now in our beer room. Dont ask, just enjoy.
4. Craig was inebriated enough to do his dance in the meeting room.
5. POWDER. We had two really great ski days. Lots of snow, and we found some secret stashes of fresh tracks. Where did we find them? You can go to hell...not telling.
6. BRATS. There is another secret place that has grills on the mountain. You can take your own food up there. Where are they? Not telling, but wouldnt be that hard to do a little research.

Tonight I wore...

my "Free Hugs" shirt. For those of you who know me well, this is no ploy - I really think that if everybody gave up their qualms about proximity, affection, and embrace - we probably wouldnt experience war, heated political debates, or even lawyers. We would just be, and whenever anything/anybody threatened our "be-ness" we would hug somebody (or our trespasser/ lawyer) and then the issue would be resolved. Yes, hugging is that great. Besides this point, a few things:
1. I bought a new guitar. A Breedlove. It sounds like heaven...If heaven were loud, full bodied, bright, and made of sitka spruce, rosewood, and mother of pearl.
2. The Adult Fraternity Winter Formal is coming along nicely.
3. Ive found a way to ski and stay at Vail while indulging in Barleywine and other big beers.
4. Brings me to another point: my week of not drinking beer is over. Beer is delicious.
5. I have some new photo toys to play with.

Dearest old friend...

...adieu. You've done so much for me, I hate to part. You have shown me that the world is not in f22, rather in f1.4. That I can focus on one thing, one beautiful thing, and leave the rest to background. You've shown me the souls of people through their windowpanes. You have proven the fact, time and time again, that photography is an art and skill - not a snapshot of people smiling. I will not forsake you, but keep you for special occasions.
"Why?" you ask? Well, we've grown apart. No no, its not you. You take beautiful photographs. You are solid metal. You have wonderful glass. It's me. I'm restless. I need something new, I need something...automatic.

My brother Craig...

...is Bacchus reincarnated. Recreated. Reinvented. Craig loves beer. He loves to drink it. He loves to talk about it. He loves to smell it. Market it. Explain it. Brew it. Contemplate it. Cultivate it. Create it. And you might say, "Well, yes- he is a 23 year old guy. Of course he loves beer." Ah, but Craig is no usual mid-twenty beer guzzler. As Neo is "the one" in the matrix, Craig is "the one" in beer. He is going to revolutionize the world. He will make the (American) public realize that beer doesnt just come in a can and end in "Light".

That being said - Ill have to let you know: I love beer too. I can talk hours about it. I age beers. I drink beer from special glasses. I take beer in the grocery store in plastic cups when I shop. I brew award winning beer at home (much to Craig's chagrin). I am known as a beer guy. I have an extensive beer collection in my beer cellar. And now, I am taking a week off of beer. And really, it shouldnt be that hard, except for a few things:

1. Wherever I go, people offer me beer or want to take me to their local brewery/brewpub.

2. Grocery shopping was a whole new, boring experience.

3. The BCS National Championship was two days ago. Enough said.

4. The weekend is nigh.

Wish me luck.

Today was proclaimed...

...Jimmy Buffet Day. I dont really know if it is Jimmy's birthday, anniversary, laundry day, errand day, or whatever - but it was sunny and warm in Denver so we wanted to wear Aloha shirts, flip flops, grill some meat, and sit in the sun. AND listen to some Jimmy Buffet tunes. Makes sense, right? Jimmy Buffet Day.

Well, we ran into a couple of snags:

1. 1. It was colder than we thought. I mean, when its sunny and warm in the winter in Denver its NICE outside. Really nice. But maybe not flip flops nice. When I walked out to run to the grocery, I threw a scarf on. When we got to the neighbors walkway two doors down, I walked in to get warm.
2. 2. I decided not to drink for a week or so. No beer = no fun. I shouldnt say that...
3. When I did go outside to grill, it got cloudy. Then it got snowing. Boo.

So we werent really able to celebrate the warmness. Am I ready for summer? Not really - Ive only skied 13 days this season. Bring on the snow!

And so it...

...begins. 2008 is the year of the Kevin. Its science.

I celebrated the first day of the new year by never leaving the house, speaking with a scratchy voice, and telling people not to talk so loud. Ive had multiple glasses of water, orange juice, coffee, V8, and Cran-grape Fresca.

I've napped under three different blankets as of present. Ive brushed my teeth twice. I have made a breakfast casserole and turkey pad thai. "Turkey pad thai?" you might wonder... Yes, turkey - because thats what we have, and the grocery store is a whole block away.

I've thought of showering maybe. And I've also thought of going to the bank. I have thought of putting on socks and shoes. I have thought of cleaning my room. I have also thought of doing laundry. And if I stick to the judeo-christian concept of "thoughts as actions", then I have had a productive 2008. That being said, I think I might take another nap.