Things change from...

...year to year. Some people get older (I don't), some people lose more hair (I do), and some people deny the new year. For me, the biggest change came during the Vail Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Festival. Here's how the change went down:

2008: We rolled into the Festival with a bunch of friends, and we all got discount tickets because of Craig the Wunderbrewer. After being overwhelmed, naive, and giddy...we all got completely hammered in 45 minutes. Whoops. There was just so much good, strong beer. Stuff that we normally cant get our hands on. Stuff like Sam Adams Utopias. We chummed it up with Anchor's best employee Bob Brewer, and he gave us a little taste of 15 year old Barleywine that he found in the basement. After the fest, we went over to the Arabelle where I stole all the cookies for Neff, and was escorted out by a man in a full-length coat. After eating at a nice restaurant that we should have NOT been allowed to enter, we went pole dancing at an underground club. We stayed in the illustrious Roost Lodge, the only shitty hotel in the Vail area. All in all, the best time of my life. You know, other than all those other good times.

2009: Dr. Phil and Anchor Chris were in town, and Craig wanted to show them the best beer festival in the country (suck it GABF). Craig pulled some strings and for some reason the lady up front let us all in for free. Free is awesome, by the way. After drinking some really, really nice beers (and after Chris making a wincing face at each one) - we rolled out, sober, and headed back to our posh ski-in/ski-out condo in Keystone. You know, a year older and a year more mature...

Just wait until next year where we will most likely make up for this one. See you in 2010 Bob Brewer!