eurotrip 2011: drugs

Belgian Beer

Belgium and the US have the best beer scenes in the world as far as I'm concerned. Below is a list of the beers I took notes on, which is most of the beers I tried. I've put stars next to those I strongly recommend, and alcohol by volume in parentheses. Some notes or stories included as well.

Belgoo (6.6%) - quaffable and crisp, slightly appley.

Boon Lambic Marriage Parfait (9.9%) - smooth, sour and dry. kind of like a sherry. citrus and floral notes on the nose.

Brugge Zot - a locally brewed blonde. good, but nothing spectacular.

Cuvee de l'Ermitage (7.5%) - light and smooth, dry, fizzy. citrus, floral, pepper.

Duchesse de Bourgogne (6.2%) - like a sparkling red wine, sweet and sour, fizzy.

Gueuze Girardin 1882* - a funky delight, sour and tart. very dry.

Gueuze Tilquin (4.8%) - crisp, smooth, and tart. sour cherry.

Kasteel Rouge - cherry bomb in taste and smell. deep red colour with a pink head.

Noir de Dottignies (9%) - bitter, coffee/toasty, lightly floral. a bit watery.

Rochefort 6 - don't bother with this dubbel, just get the quad.

Rochefort 10* (11.3%) - thick and oily mouthfeel, caramel and fig taste. amazing stuff.

Timmermans Kriek (4%) - another cherry bomb.

Troubadour Magma* (9%) - outstanding Belgian IPA, on tap with a nice patio. spicy, sourdough, orangey.

Westmalle Tripel (9.5%) - smells include honey, bread, lemon and apricot. tastes like a dry white wine, peppery and bitter.

Westvleteren 12* (10.2%)- Smells of caramel, cherry, and raisins. Tastes similar, very smooth, sweet, toasty, and not very boozy. I'd been lusting after the #1 beer on beeradvocate.com's rankings for years. The Trappist monks who brew it don't do any marketing, so the only way to buy it from them is to arrange an appointment to drive to the brewery and pick up a maximum of 2 cases. So it is very rare and expensive (which probably influences the rankings). I splurged and spent 12 euros on a 330ml bottle. It was definitely outstanding, but probably not worth the cost of three bottles of the fairly similar Rochefort 10.

French Wine

I actually don't have much to say about the wine. There was lots of it, it all tasted good, and it wasn't very expensive. But I'm much pickier about beer than wine.

Dutch Drugs

At first it was weird walking through a city street and seeing and smelling lots of marijuana, but I got used to it pretty quickly. That's how the rest of the world should be. You can walk into coffeeshops all over town and order pre-rolled joints (3.5 to 8 euros, from what I saw). You can sit down in the shop to smoke, or just take them to go and smoke on the street. Mushrooms were also widely available.

hiber nation

Last few days have been high temperatures in the 20s or lower (F, although most people use C up here), and lots of snow. Forecasts call for more of the same. I've been drinking beer and sleeping a lot. Such is Canada, eh?

Here's the view out our back window:

A dozen things

1. Softball is fun. I can't believe I never bothered to play softball before.
2. Beerfest at the grad student pub is fun. I can't believe I never went to beerfest before.
3. No limit hold'em is fun. I can't believe I never played it very much before.
4. This structure is fun. I can't keep it up much longer.
5. I've been meaning to do some kitteh blurghing but I can't find my camera and I feel like any kitteh blurghing must have photographic accompaniment. So I should get around to that eventually.
6. Canada is sweet, yo.
7. I'm going to the theatre this weekend to see Romeo and Juliet, which I'm pretty sure I've never actually seen. That's probably against some rule about being a cultured white person, so I guess this is all part of the deal.
8. Despite being non-plused with the preview, I want to go see Dark Knight, but I don't want to pay $11 (x2 for the wife) cause that seems excessive.
9. Speaking of the wife, she just got a very cute haircut. Very cute. She donated most of her hair to cancer kids or something nice like that, so it is very short, but in a way that really works for her. So now the hair she sheds at German Sheppard pace will be much shorter.
10. I can't wait until Kira experiences the 1-2 punch of a nice compliment about her hair then comparing her to a dog. That should be fun. I ruin everything.
11. Charles Darwin was a nifty fellow, or so I hear.
12. Fresh local produce is the only way to eat. At least in the summer.

Fin.

Return of the personal rant

I haven't done a rambling bulleted blog post in a long time. Well I just enjoyed a delicious Bell's Hopslam and a heaping helping of stir-fried veggies and rice, and the full belly and 10% ABV IPA have inspired me.

• I just got back from a 4 day trip to Canada to line up an apartment. We found one we both like, but now we're realizing that our application includes barely any income, no recent job history, no Canadian bank accounts or credit history, and my 3 convicted felonies. So we're hoping to somehow work all that out.
• Canada is just a nicer place than this country. You notice this as soon as you cross the border. Their road signs are like "Hey pal, please drive safely! It makes everyone happy!" In the US the same sign is "ATTENTION INSIGNIFICANT PROLES: YOUR SPEED IS MONITORED BY RADAR AND AIRCRAFT. IMMEDIATE PRISON FOR VIOLATORS. WE WILL TASER YOUR GENITALS TOO." And everyone you talk to anywhere up there is friendly and soft-spoken. And all the women are beautiful (but virtuous) and the streets are paved with candy and diamonds.
• I've been rather overwhelmed by emotions over the last couple weeks as the impending move is starting to feel more real. I'm very excited about it in lots of ways, but I'm conflicted because I somewhat feel like I'm running away from problems too. Maybe I'll dig more into that some other time. Or maybe it will be a later bullet.
  
• I still can't quite believe how well this whole grad school thing worked out for me. I honestly still don't quite know how I got my advisers to accept me. And then this week they put us up in their home for our visit. These are people who a few months ago I just knew as legends in the field, and next thing I know I'm accepted to their lab and crashing at their place. And I didn't even know if I'd get into grad school anywhere. It is just very weird and hard to process.
• The Lakers are so much better than it seems like they should be. And Denver isn't as good as people think they should be. Lakers in 5.
• Horus has been making huge strides the last few weeks. He regularly hangs out around us, and loves playing with a lot of toys. He and Katsu play together very nicely, and Hattori is getting a lot better with shy Horus too. Horus is starting to climb and jump up above ground level more often (we have various cat-climbing things around), and he's even taken a couple naps in human-occupied beds. He still won't consent to be petted, but if you try to touch his head now he sometimes will swat at your hand with his claws retracted. So he's just giving you a playful high-five instead of shredding your hand. He does a lot of chattering to himself in his pathetic-sounding meow voice. Good times with feline #3.
• I have to say something political right? Umm... Whatever. Fuck everyone.
• There is an amazing sushi place about a 10 or 15 minute walk from the apartment we want. It is kind of expensive though. That's going to be a problem.
• We'd have a dishwasher in that apartment. Holy shit that will be awesome. I estimate we spend an average of 20 to 30 minutes per day doing dishes now, so that will be a massive time savings. Not to mention we'll probably use a lot less water that way, which is only noteworthy for environmental reasons, as our rent will include water.

That's all.

Trappist Achel Extra - Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Back in October I picked up a bottle of Trappist Achel Extra at Whole Foods for $12. That's pretty expensive for 750ml of beer, so this is a rare luxury indulgence. It is definitely an outstanding beer, even at that price. Beer Advocate calls it a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, although some commented that it should be considered a Quadrupel. Some beer styles tend to overlap, and I could see how this one could be a borderline case. Anyway, those are two of my favorite styles, so I had been looking forward to trying it. An icy Ohio night seemed like as good a time as any for it, and it didn't disappoint.

It pours a deep amber brown with a creamy tan head that fades to a frothy cap. The aroma is very Belgian and dark, a complex bouquet of dark fruits, caramel malt, candy sugar, and spices. The complexity of the smell carries into the taste. It is surprisingly crisp with some tart fruitiness, balanced with a roasted coffee and caramel malt presence. The Belgian spices are prominent throughout, and some slight hops profile shows up in the aftertaste, quenching and leaving you wanting another sip. This beer is very smooth, and the 9.5% ABV can really sneak up on you.

Strongly recommend it if you're willing to pay extra for an amazing brew. Here's one thing that monks can do right!


All my beer tasting notes.

belgian beer value alert (updated)

Trader Joe's 2007 Vintage Ale is now available, which I've never had, but it is brewed by Unibroue and costs $4.99 for a 750ml bottle, which seems like a great value for anything from that brewery. I'll try it soon to let you know if you should rush out and stock up.

I'm just looking out for you.

UPDATE: Delicious. It is a dark brown Belgian-style Dubbel Ale, very spicy and sweet, and smoother than you'd expect from a 9% ABV offering. Great value for $5.

Beer tasting

Since we moved here I've taken to trying a wide variety of beers and keeping notes on all of them. If you're inclined you can check out my records here.

So far my two favorites are Ommegang's Three Philosophers and Stone's Arrogant Bastard. Both of those beers have my name all over them. Here are those two breweries' respective descriptions of their beers.

Three Philosophers Quadrupel

Cynics can't believe it, Epicures hail it a sensation, and Pythagoreans just can't add up what makes this luscious blend of rich malty ale and cherry lambic so delightful. It might be the flavor of dark chocolate and cherry cordials; it could be the way it acquires wisdom and grace in the cellar. Maybe it's a conundrum. What's your theory?

The essence of wonder is a unique and masterful blend of strong malty ale and authentic Belgian Kriek. Our philosophers deduce that this powerful marriage of cherries, roasted malts, and dark chocolate will only achieve more wisdom and coherence as it broods in the dark recesses of your cellar.

Try Three Philosophers as:

a delightful accompaniment for roasted meats, rich cheeses, desserts, and for after dinner sipping as with a fine port.

Reviews:

"A rare international blend of dark and malty quadrupel from Ommegang, and cherry-infused lambic from Lindemans in Belgium. It is a masterful blend that is greater than the sum of its parts - a rich, ruby brew that weaves a port-like subtle fruit into a creamy elixir of chocolaty caramel effervescence."
-THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

"An exciting new addition to the Ommegang lineup is Three Philosophers, a blend of Belgian dark strong ale and Lindeman's Kriek (a classic cherry lambic directly from Belgium). On the bottleneck, it says “Strength in Union,” signaling the beer's portent and possibilities. It produces a wine-like ruby fill in the goblet and a nose of malt, dark fruits, vanilla and sweet cherries...But there's more - coffee, currants, brandied raisins, chocolate and sour notes - all blending nicely across the palate. Careful aging is this beer's friend, and I think it will definitely make this example better still."
-THE ANCHORAGE PRESS

Three Philosophers comes in a 750ml corked and caged bottle like a sparkling wine, costs only $6, and is 33 times better than a $6 bottle of wine.




Arrogant Bastard has "you're not worthy" printed on the caps of its bottles. Awesome.

Friday night notes

Tonight I've just been sitting around, watching the cats (yeah we got another - I should probably do an official introductory blog post sometime soon) play and watching ball. I also ate some sushi, which continues to be glorious.

I submit the following notes for your consideration:

• So far my favorite sushi roll is the spicy crunchy salmon, slightly beating out the spicy crunchy tuna. California roll is ok, but not as good as the raw fish ones, although I don't really like a yellow-fin roll. I've only had an eel roll once, so I'll have to try that one again.
  
• Ray Allen is smooth as butter. That isn't sufficiently superlative, so make it super-duper butter. There is nobody smoother in the league, and the only other name that I think deserves consideration in the pantheon of smoothness is Tracy McGrady. Other top-tier players who exhibit smoothness include Iverson, Nash, Dirk, and Redd, but in lesser quantities than Ray-Ray and T-Mac.
  
• Kittens are insane. By all rights Katsumoto should have 8 concussions already, just from running full speed into solid objects like glass shower panes and metal bed frames. Not to mention the numerous beat-downs Hattori delivers when Katsumoto mistakenly thinks he can sneak-attack with impunity. Meanwhile Hattori seems to be adjusting awkwardly to his new status as the alpha-cat. He's definitely dominating the kitten in direct confrontations, but he seems confused and generally pouty about the invasion of the new dark-haired whirling dervish.
  
• I'm all about Leffe Blonde Belgian Ale. Try some.
• I'm watching Chris Wilcox play significant minutes for the first time since back in the day, and he pretty much plays exactly like everyone who knew him then would expect. He's unbelievably athletic, which can carry him at times, but he clearly just doesn't care. His head isn't in the game, and he absolutely cannot be trusted to make the right cut or pass out of a double team, or properly defend a high screen. He can get a double-double whenever he puts his mind to it, but his low numbers of blocks for a 6-10 guy with unreal hops give you an indication that he's his head isn't in the game.
  

Sam Adams Winter Classics Mix Pack

I've become something of a beer snob, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Sam Adams (other soft spots include Chipotle, Cal Ripken Jr., Bob Dole, The X-Files, Steve Francis, and my mom), as it was the beer that first started me on the transition towards enjoying good beer. So even though I don't really find the beers in this mix pack to be anything especially wonderful (though my first sip of a fresh cold Boston Lager still makes me weak in the knees) , I'm always excited to pick up the Sam Adams Winter mix.

A few years ago I rated the Winter Lager as probably my favorite beer, but while I still enjoy it, it has fallen far down that list. I really like the Old Fezziwig ale, and would probably now call it my favorite in the mix. I'm always weirded out by the Cranberry Lambic. Sam Adams describes it:

Samuel Adams® Cranberry Lambic is a Belgian-style fruit beer that draws its flavor not just from the cranberries it is brewed with, but also from the unique fermentation character imparted by a rare, wild yeast strain. The result is a flavor rich in fruitiness and reminiscent of cranberries, bananas, cloves, and nutmeg. A subtle cereal note from the malted wheat reminds the drinker that, as fruity a beer as this is, it is still very much a beer. It is made with native cranberries and tastes delicious with traditional holiday favorites such as roasted turkey.

Maybe I'm missing the subtle cereal note.

Denver

I was in Denver from Sept 10-13. Denver is like a ghost town. There is nobody anywhere. I don't get it.

Highlights:

• Tour of the Flying Dog brewery and the Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey distillery next door. Including Kira and myself, there were 3 people on the tour. We learned a lot about making booze, and they were generous with free samples. I'd highly recommend checking out this tour if you ever get a chance.
• The Dave Matthews Band setlist that included Last Stop. I've seen this band probably 20 times now and The Last Stop had been #1 on my list of songs I've never seen them play that I want to hear. Now I just need to see Halloween.
  
• Tigers at the Denver Aquarium. I like tigers.
• 16th street is pretty cool.
• Being awoken at 7am by a Mexican construction worker perched outside our open 2nd story window yelling something to his buddy. That was awesome.
  

Dave wearing Robert Randolph's hat during All Along the Watchtower

Boyd and Dave dancing

Nice picture of the full stage.
Rashawn Ross is the biggest man in the world.

I think this looks pretty realistic

Where is everyone? This was like 12:30 on a Tuesday.
Denver is a weird ghost town.

Mile-high adspar on the steps
of the state capitol

I just like this picture Kira took
of the sweating beer taps

Dave Matthews Band
Pepsi Center, Denver, CO

One Sweet World
Proudest Monkey ...>
Satellite
Dreamgirl
Big Eyed Fish ...>
Grey Street
The Idea Of You
Loving Wings
Crash Into Me
The Last Stop
Can't Stop
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
You Might Die Trying
Hunger for the Great Light
All Along The Watchtower

Encore:
Sister
So Right
Ants Marching

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

We've got the potential to make a little magic here. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Just sit back and relax and see where the night takes us.

I'm fascinated with Wikipedia. Completely fascinated. People just built this whole thing in some weird collaborative effort. Anyone can jump in and edit something, and nobody knows who has done that to anything they've read. But everyone uses it, except maybe this guy who is scared of it. He's got some good points. I don't know what to believe. I think my fascination with Wikipedia is because it combines free information and voyeurism and free-association.

Anyway, after cruising through the Wikipedia article about Mitch Hedberg, I decided to check out Fight Club (the movie not the novel). Some things that struck me:

• I had no idea that it wasn't a huge blockbuster. The article says it opened hot, but then it didn't do very well in the theatres, but eventually did pretty well on DVD.
  
• I didn't know, but I'm not surprised that it received wildly mixed reviews from critics. The comment that interested me the most is that some critic compared it favorably to American Beauty, which was the other movie that year that really "moved" me (and I still call my favorite movie). I loved both of those movies and remember vividly feeling like they reached me in opposite ways. I was in my freshman or sophomore year of college, but I must have been home on some break because I remember coming home to my parents' house after seeing Fight Club. I was so full of ideas that I couldn't sleep, and foreshadowing my blogging efforts, I wrote this long letter by hand on notebook paper ostensibly to my college girlfriend but it probably was really just throwing down all my thoughts. I don't remember what I wrote except to compare and contrast Fight Club with American Beauty. Yeah, whatever.
• "In the scene where Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are seemingly drunk and striking balls into neighboring factories, the two actually are drunk and hitting balls at catering trucks." Quite a life these actors have.

High Stakes Poker on GSN is by far the greatest poker TV program ever. If you've ever watched any poker and thought it was good television, you need to tivo this shit immediately. Tournament poker is just a bunch of donkey amateurs occasionally tangling with pros. This show is a table full of the best in the world going to war against each other. Fascinating shit. Maybe more fascinating that its wikipedia entry. All players are paid $1250/hr by the producers to sit and play with their own money (minimum buy in is $100,000).

Why does everything have to flow evenly? She don't know, so she chases them away.

Just when I'm about to give up hope... regardless of how you feel about my atheism, this is some interesting shit:

"Attorneys and jurors in the Smalkowski case did a remarkable thing,"” added Kagin. "They checked their opinions about religion at the front door of the court house and looked only at the evidence."”

Good stuff. On that subject, dead pope JP2 told scientists not to study the origin of the universe. Luckily, those that defy him probably won't be burned alive.

Fine. That's it. I can't live up to the hype tonight. Butter.

JJ Redick: Drunken Poet

Since a disturbing amount of my traffic comes from people searching for J.J. Redick's poetry, I feel I ought to mention that he was arrested last night for drunk driving. Here's his mugshot.


I won't pretend not to be a bit giddy about this news. After posting bail, J.J. slightly modified his classic poem to fit the occasion. Here is his new version:

My life story is read in poetic stages
I was once sober, now I'm wasted
The cause and effect of a party dudes
The mathematical breakdown of micro-brews
It's difficult to fathom the coming of the rapture
What if I awoke hungover in an empty pasture?
Suddenly every ounce of beer had been depleted
And all my determination had been defeated
The booze pours, my tears fall
The pain subsides, I stand in awe
A lightning bolt strikes, I feel a sudden energy
Thunder clouds approach, I can't run from destiny
A tornado of nausea tears me down, but I will puke again
My life is a keg of Bud Light, but I'll chug it to the end
Hey it could have been worse
At least I didn't rape a stripper

I love foosball

Not that you care, but this is a real IM conversation between me and Walt.

Walt: i wish i had work tomorrow so i could play foosball

Adspar:

step 1: go to sports authority

step 2: spend $350 on the best foosball table they have

step 3: buy a case of sam adams winter brew

step 4: inform sparks of your completion of the 1st 3 steps

step 5: play foosball and drink beer with sparks for 25 consecutive hours

Walt: im not going to spend $350 on a foosball table that will get used all of 3 times

Walt: if that

Adspar: dude its worth it

Adspar: if you have a foosball table, i'll come over at least once a month

Adspar: my presence is definitely worth a one time $350 hit

Walt: haha

Walt: we'll see how big my bonus is this year

Walt: it's also difficult to move a foosball table in a miata

Adspar: they come in a silly box probably

Adspar: or they deliver

Adspar: or we could rent a uhual

Randomness

• The Michael Shea's Irish Amber Lager bottle tells me, "Strangers are only friends who have never met." I'd say that perfectly sums up the exact opposite of my thoughts on the matter.

• Stevie Ray Vaughan was the greatest guitar player ever. Prove me wrong.

• Since I decided I'm not going to keep giving Comcast my business, Verizon DSL will be my new internet provider starting 9/22. I had to sign up for a phone line to get DSL; I haven't had a phone other than my cell in over 2 years. I've already begun to be bombarded by unwelcome solicitation. This was how a conversation went today:

"Hello sir, this is Bitchy calling from Asshole Mortgage company. Are you interested in refinancing?"
"Actually I might be. Let me ask you a question though. I quit my job a few month ago and now I'm self-employed. Are you going to be able to underwrite a mortgage with this situation?"
"Well sir, what do you do now?"
"I'm a professional gambler."
"... Professional gambling??"
"Yes."
[derisive chuckle] "I don't think so."
"I suspected as much."
CLICK.

• I've been playing a disturbing amount of Risk online using the service from this site. It is the game of global domination!

• Young humans (infants and children) are built to survive to adulthood. Human adults are built to reproduce and care for young, while surviving and thriving in a complex social structure. These are two very different states, as drastically different as caterpillar/butterfly. No wonder teenagers and young adults are such moody bitches. Their entire being is changing, in preparation for a completely different mode of existence. They should be wrapped in a protective cocoon. What the hell am I talking about?

• Good luck had just stung me. To the racetrack I did go. She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show. The odds were in my favor! I had 'em 5 to 1. That nag to win came round the track, sure enough we had won. Up on cripple creek she sends me. If I spring a leak, she mends me. I don't have to speak, she defends me. A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one.

• Paul Phillip's blog. Larry David's Sitcom. Freakonomics. Adam & Dr. Drew's Radio Show. I love these guys because they speak their mind without apology, and don't put up with anyone's bullshit but their own. And I love how they delicately walk the line of not taking themeselves seriously at all, while simultaneously taking themselves completely seriously. The world needs more highly-principled, unabashedly selfish, ego-fueled bastards like these guys, and I mean "selfish" and "ego-fueled" in a completely respectful and complimentary way. Yes I am completely serious. These were just 4 examples I came up with. I hope there are more. Oooh, Southpark is on that list, whoever those guys are. (By the way, this add campaign for the new season of Curb Your Enthusiam is awesome. "Deep inside, you know you're him." Perfect. Except for me it isn't just deep inside. It is on the surface, in the middle, and throughout the depths of my soul.)

• NFL football is awesome. I wonder what is going to happen to me when NBA season starts.
  

• You don't need a penny just to hang around. But if you got a nickel, won't you lay your money down.

• I contemplate my own mortality at least once an hour. Is it unhealthy to spend so much of my mental energy obsessing about aging and death? Death is completely terrifying, and it is the only thing in life that is guaranteed. Shit. Shit. Hopefully I have 40 or 50 more years. Shit.

• I think next time a mortgage officer cold-calls me, I'm going to repeat the exact same conversation as the last one, but then at the end if they laugh at me, I'll say I was just joking. Then when they act all relieved and ask what I really do I'll say "You just laughed at me, and now you expect me to take you seriously?" I'll listen to them fumbling around in apology and then I'll just put the phone down without hanging up and go professionally gamble. I wonder how long they'll stay on the line before hanging up. STOP CALLING ME YOU FUCKS! DON'T CALL ME AND ASK ME FOR MONEY. I hate everyone. Except you. You're cool.
  

You = chump. Good times.

Haven't written anything in a while. I don't have much to say, but here's what is going on.

I just finished up my financially best week of poker so far (I keep track of my weeks from Wednesday to Tuesday), but I'm not playing enough hours. So I decided I'd take today off, and then play my ass off for the next 6 days.

But Erm, who decided to devote his 2 week recovery from back surgery to online poker, keeps making money in tournaments. So, inspired by his success, I decided to enter a $50+5 Pot Limit hold'em tournament on PokerStars. I ended up busting out 28th out of 178 after almost 2 hours. I needed to hit 18th to make the money, but I won my buy-in back in a NL cash game I played on the side.

As an amusing anecdote, Erm originally hurt his back in college when I made his 6'8" lurchy ass sit in the middle back seat of Heath's tiny Saturn for the ride from College Park to the Baltimore Arena for a Terps basketball game. He whined that I should let him have the front seat because he's too big for the back, but I had called shotgun (2 other guys called "not bitch") and I sure wasn't backing down. When we got to the game, painfully gimpy Erm got picked to shoot a half-court shot for some prize. He awkwardly chucked a weak airball with the form and strength of an 11 year old girl. I felt much worse in the second half sitting next to the pathetic airball guy than I do now about the fact that 6 years later, he's under the knife. Good times.

After busting out the tournament, I was going to revert to my original plan to take the rest of the day off, but Erm talked me into a $20+2 sit'n go on Paradise, which I won. So I played for 3 hours today and won $80. Good times.

Last night around 2am, I had a craving for a cold beer, but I didn't have any. So after I finished that tournament, I ran to pick up a couple 6 packs. As I'm paying for them, the dude behind the counter gets this excited look and asks "have you seen that new punk undercover magazine?!" or something like that. "Fat Mike is working on it. It JUST came out!"

"Oh, cool man. Later." Yeah... why is he telling me this? Then I realized that I was wearing a T-shirt that says "pastepunk.com" and shaved my head last week.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that I bought the shirt to support a guy I knew in college who ran that website, and that I have no clue who "Fat Mike" is. Maybe before the rare occassions that I leave the house, I should check a mirror to see if I look like a guy who got out of bed at 1pm and played online poker all day. Good times.

In conclusion, Samuel Adams Double Bock is good, but doesn't really go well with leftover broiled salmon and potatoes and writing a boring blog entry. But you're the chump who just read the boring blog entry. Chump.

Good day

Personal

• Annual family Easter party in Annapolis
• Brought my girl to meet everyone (I think she still likes me)
• Good food
• Good times

Financial

• Played 4.3 hours
• Played 981 hands
• Won $124.5
• Earned $100 of Party Poker Bonus
• I'll take it.

Temporal

• Terps win. Yay?
• Watched movie: Identity (entertaining)
• 2 blog entries and some excessive template editing
• Drank 1 beer (MGD)
• Ate 6 girl scout cookies (Thin Mints)
• Watched SNL

Inspirational

• "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him." -Emerson
• "If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own." - Henry Ford
• "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving" - Dale Carnegie
• All 3 of those quotes are in Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends & Influence People. I highly recommend the book to everyone that ever deals with humans.