beer

Short, late post mostly because this week and next week pretty have/will blow for me.

First Rabbit Day coming week 3.

There are very few qualities about myself that I find interesting. Like at all. I find most of my life to be mind-numbingly boring. Mostly because I've lived it. I guess. Or something. Anyhoo, one of the few things that I do find interesting or "cool" about me is my memory. Like I pretty much actually remember everything that has happened to me while sober. Ok, not totally everything. But at least a good 70%. My sister seems to think that I have an Eidetic memory. Which I don't totally believe. But, hey, anything that compares me favorably with Matthew Gray Gubler I'll take.

Anyhoo, this may seem like a great thing. And for the most part, it is. It helps me at work. It helped me even more when I was in sales. Hell, it helps in remembering random stuff, like Wonderbear3000's love for Toto's "Africa". But for the most part, it's a burden.

For example. Let's say I was dating someone. You know, ever^sd. And I forget something. Like the anniversary of our first kiss. Or the first time we made out. Or something random like that. I'd get grief for it. And deservedly so. I'm the one running around telling random people I remember everything.

That's a kinda hypothetical stretch though. That would never happen.

Ok. Let's try this. What if your cousin, who was also one of your best friends died? Like unexpectedly? I mean, sure, most people would remember that. Maybe even most of them would remember the exact date. Or how they heard. Or where they were.

Me on the other hand, I remember all of that. I remember vividly. And I remember it every year on the day it happened as if it was happening all over again. August 20th, by far, is the worst day in my life. Well, it used to be at least. But I'll get back to that last point.

I didn't go to Ron's funeral. I was at school, it started like 3 days later^sd2. And I wasn't coming home for it. Because I prefer remember people like the last time I saw them. And if I went to the funeral, the last time I would've saw him would've been dead. And I don't want to remember him like that.

What I do remember most about Ron, if I had to pick out one specific time. One specific moment is listening to this song with him for like the first, or maybe 50th time. I don't know. I do remember that I just got back from a program at Kenyon like two weeks before, I had to actually go to school at Kenyon like 5 weeks later, and we were just hanging out, driving around the streets of Cleveland. We were listening to "We Are the Streets" and we were stopped outside some random friend of his', and this song came on. It was lightly raining, and for some reason, we started dancing. I remember for some reason someone brought up the line about the Air Force Ones with yellow checks.

It was a great day. Restropectively, one of the best times we spent together, actually.

Anyhoo, "Fuck You" by The LOX has, subsequently, become one of my favorite songs ever. Like to the point in which if I ever run for election, I want it to play when I win. Hell, the term "Fuck you" is probably my favorite thing to say ever. And I'm not sure if the two are connected.

But back to what I was saying earlier. I know that for a while this day and subject, and other days and subjects were days and subjects that I was horrible about. Like overly emotional and otherwise intolerable. But you see, today, 9 years later, I did a wonderfully good and probably stupid thing. And because of this a) I learned that on some things I just need to move on. and b) that I will not have any opportunity to have any fun ever outside of State games besides this blog.

I know I haven't been writing, or doing much of anything w/r/t cofabg, OMWD, "2160 Fulton" and "Attack of the Moving Bush". It seems as though I've been on a little break. Worrying about, you know, my personal life. Whether or not i should look for a new job. Breaks are good. It's not a bad idea to take a break every now and then. I mean, this isn't the easiest thing to do. Write something. Put some thing of yourself into something so public, so all can see. But it's probably something I need to do more often.

So I'm telling you like this. Break's over. I start getting more awesome on Monday. Or thereabouts.

Also: sorry about the youtube. Hopefully, I'll fix the grooveshark thing, and change this later.

Also: there might be some profanity in these lyrics. Just sayin'

Fuck You
The LOX
We are the Streets

Today's BSOW, which I'm like 85% sure I've done before but am too lazy to check, is "Your Hand In Mine" by Explosions in the Sky. For two, very good reasons.

1) It is Frakking Awesome.

2) It is the beginning of "FNL" here in the Mind of a ditriech.

Ok. Let me explain the latter point.

I have a bunch of weird rules, traditions and shit that I do because I'm not normal. Like at all. Most of them revolve around football, predominately Ohio State football now.^sd. One of these traditions, that I'm pretty sure no one knew of before like now^sd2 is FNL.

It's simple enough really, Basically, starting with the first Friday of August (i.e. today) I watch FNL every Friday until the collegiate football season is over if at all humanely possible. This is, actually, quite normal for me so far. The insane part started about 2 or 3 years ago when I decided that just watching the movie wasn't enough. I had to make a drinking game out of it. This too, isn't all that odd. The worst part is that I made a drinking fantasy game.

That I play by myself.

For like 16 weeks.

Well, technically 15. The first week is like a preseason to get me used to drinking Miller Lite again.

...

At home that is^sd4

But yeah, in case you were wondering the rules go like this:

Points are only counted during the 30 minutes pregame before you are watching FNL^sd3, during the movie itself and for an hour after, but only if a) you don't immediately watch something else and b) you play at least three songs from the sdtk while drinking.

...

I know

Continuing: each 12 oz can/bottle of Miller Lite is 5 points.

Each 12 oz can/bottle of Miller High Life is worth 4.5 points

Each 12 oz can/bottle of MGD is worth 4 points

Each 12 oz can of The Beast is worth 3.5 points.

For each 24 oz you drink, you add 1 point to the score. For each 40 oz, 2 points. For each 22 oz, add 0.8 points.

Highest point total after The Game wins. Low man has to buy the high man a beer.

It's fun. I'll be updating throughout the year via twitter.

Explosions in the Sky
Your Hand in Mine
The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place/Friday Night Lights sdtk

ditriech: should i bring tang? 14:40
zero dutch: No 14:40
ditriech: buzzkill. 14:50
zero dutch: Weirdo 14:51

ditriech:  Also, I'm about to get a Growler of beer. Stay tuned   14:27
zerodutch: And I'm stuck at my boss's place working. I hate you. 14:29
ditriech: I just finished a Growler in 20 minutes. Now a rhino hero 15:22
zerodutch: Hate hate hate 15:23 

Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. Sometimes the random number generator that has been near and dear to your heart for years weeks goes and stabs you by the heart by picking motherfrakking Toledo to cover.

Makes me uncomfortable, mostly because of its track record. And it picked Ohio State. What a sad day.

Well, at least it picked Wisco over PSU.

In other randomly generated predictions, random numbers et al pick Obama to win in November, and ditriech to clean up with this weeks' picks.

The full numerical apocalypse, after the jump.

Another stellar pick from the Random Number generator.  With no "off" games on the board this week, it can't do too badly. But I'd like to point out that it picked PSU, OSU, and Michigan. I gotta respect an algorithm based on atmospheric noise that picks the hometown favorites.  And that also has a soft spot in its digital heart for hating on Minnesota. Despite its successes in the last two weeks, the RNG played it safe this week and predicted that the enimitable ditriech. Full predictions after the jump.

Before you ask, no, it was never the Beirut Song for the Weekend. Why would you think such a thing?^sd1

Anyhoo, the Beirut Song of the Weekend this weekend has probably been a long time coming. Because, well, its me. And its Skynyrd.

You see, my father has only done about 6 or 7 good things in his entire life. One of them is that he has given me a love for music. Especially music with guitars. Which, Skynyrd has in spades. Or threes. Whatever. Skynyrd is frackin' awesome. And I love them. In a completely audiosexual way. So you get Simple Man. Which, truth be told, is pretty much my theme song. Which is fitting. As you may or may not know.

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Simple Man
(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)

Have a good Weekend. Don't get skunked.

---

sd1: I had a girlfriend once who always used this phrase (such a thing) and it annoyed the shit out of me. Then we broke up. And now I use it all the time. And by all the time, I mean, of course, hardly. I still miss her though.

Last week I was on hiatus, watching a foreigner representing a political party (DPP) that is in trouble deliver a defensive speech aimed at her opposition (KMT). It was more interesting than going on a pilgrimage to the holiest of holies: the Brickskeller, where if you are lucky or shagging a waitress they might have one of the 20 beers you are looking to drink that night.

Here's some of what we had on the menu Friday night at the watering hole:

51st State Amber Ale

Only available at my misanthropic hidey hole of choice, this amber ale is better executed than the crap spewed forth by Michelob under the moniker Amber Bock. It's a medium-heavy weight liquid. The brew has low gravity, around 5%. It deserves a slow pour and a moment or two to settle. It possesses a medium head which is not very long lasting provided you don't try to fill the glass in 5 seconds. It has a smooth pull and hints of smoke from lightly toasted barley. It has a syrupy quality that causes it to linger on the tongue. It's a gourmet microbrew that is not entirely suitable for session drinking. It's good for a one off, a change of pace, or accompanying a smoked, mellow barbecue dish.

7.4/10

Brooklyn Lager IPA

Yellow the color of a "Used Saves" sticker from a college bookstore. Powerful bouquet of multilayered hops. It is slightly bitter and sour, but simultaneously tangy, tart, and delightful. This is something to be enjoyed slowly, not chugged like a watery mass manufactured, rice and corn based brew. The medium carbonation adds to the bite of the hops. The head is thin and pale, but will leave notches in a grimy glass. The melange of yeast bitter lurks just behind the cacophonous symphony of at least 3 types of hops. Not for session drinking. You probably won't enjoy more than 4 before it becomes a little too bitter. The gravity is around 6%.

7.3/10

Hocus Pocus (magic hat)

A summer seasonal offering from the little Vermont brewery that could. It has a light liquid weight and a fast pour. It's coloration is a mellow yellow, like that of a pale dandelion. The head doesn't last very long. It has tiny, fine carbonation that does a Fred Astaire dance on your tongue if you let it take a little lap around your gullet before swallowing. It is a refreshing low gravity brew at 4.5%. This gentle ale is sweet and spicy. It has hints of lime citrus and orange blossom honey. Grains of paradise are lurking in their with a tangy kick to the jaw. It has mild North American hops twang like a Minnesotan accent (definitely not Bavarian stuff).

7.8/10

Magic Hat #9

Medium-slow pour on this not quite pale ale. It has a lightly toasted caramel barley sweetness and a lingering stickiness that is naggingly familiar. It has a hoppy jitter that isn't as overpowering or sour as some IPAs. It is a medium weight liquid, slightly darker than your average light beer, but not into red or amber territory. The head is almost non-existent. It is very mellow and has a smooth pull. It is appropriate for session drinking, but not so highshelf that you couldn't use it for ping pong games. It is low gravity at 4.6% and flavored with apricot that brings out the starchy goodness of the barley. Hoppier from the tap, but milder in the bottle.

7.85/10

~

Seriously. EST is made lame by its absence.

First day of my new life was spent having a great cheeseburger, some of that and now falling asleep listening to cars on the 290 outside Chicago. Exactly where I passed by on my way back to the North Shore and Kenyon from western Montana, summer of '05.

With a trunk full of Fat Tire.

Natch.