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Friday, February 28, 2014
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Monday, January 30, 2012
whoa...it's been a while
Well, life happened...and blogging didn't.
Coupled with being super busy at work and the soccer schedule getting loaded up, I haven't had a chance to write up any blog entries.
So, it's something like 128 days until the North Face Endurance Challenge
Training: (I need to step it up a bit I think..)
1/16: 2.5mi - okay, couldn't get going for a 4 miler today, so a recovery run would have to do.
1/17: OFF
1/18: 3mi - easy
1/19: 4mi - 29:54
1/20: OFF
1/21: 4mi - easy - feeling calf pain and numbness in my left foot during the last 1/2 mile
1/22: 4mi - easy - feeling calf pain and numbness in my left foot during the last 1/2 mile
1/23: 3mi - easy
1/24: 4mi - 28min
1/25: OFF
1/26: OFF
1/27: 3mi - 21min
1/28: 3.1mi - 22min
1/29: OFF
**Having an issue with finding the 'flow' lately, I hope it comes back soon.
Coupled with being super busy at work and the soccer schedule getting loaded up, I haven't had a chance to write up any blog entries.
So, it's something like 128 days until the North Face Endurance Challenge
Training: (I need to step it up a bit I think..)
1/16: 2.5mi - okay, couldn't get going for a 4 miler today, so a recovery run would have to do.
1/17: OFF
1/18: 3mi - easy
1/19: 4mi - 29:54
1/20: OFF
1/21: 4mi - easy - feeling calf pain and numbness in my left foot during the last 1/2 mile
1/22: 4mi - easy - feeling calf pain and numbness in my left foot during the last 1/2 mile
1/23: 3mi - easy
1/24: 4mi - 28min
1/25: OFF
1/26: OFF
1/27: 3mi - 21min
1/28: 3.1mi - 22min
1/29: OFF
**Having an issue with finding the 'flow' lately, I hope it comes back soon.
Monday, January 16, 2012
M H: 6mi Manassas Battlefield
Hannah and I braved the cold temps and had a great 6mi run at the Manassas Battlefield. Although it was a bit muddy, it was a ton of fun being out on a relatively challenging course together. We ran what is called the 1st Manassas Trail, which is 5.7mi in length, but we added in a few extra loops that made our run just over 6mi. Even with the dodging of huge/deep puddles, mud bogs, and steep hills we managed to run at about 8:30 pace for most of the run. All in all, it was so much fun working hard and sharing the experience with Hannah.We took Sunday off, and will be back at it this evening (Mon 1/16) with a 4 miler. Hopefully temps will warm up....running in 12F degree weather this morning just wasn't happening on a Monday. :-)
PS: Looking forward to having some tasty dinner tonight...Hannah is making Gluten Free taquitos and tortilla soup! She is getting pretty amazing at putting together gluten free meals!
Friday, January 13, 2012
updates....
The week of 1/9...started off strong with an excellent run on Monday and Tuesday....here's the rest of the week leading into Friday:Wed: Got up at 5am with the intention to go for another 4miler, but ended up taking the day off from running due to a weird feeling in my left achilles. No need to get injured.
Thurs: Hannah's birthday, so I promised her that I wouldn't wake her up with my alarm going off an hour before she needs to get out of bed. Happy Birthday Hannah!!
Fantastic Birthday Meal:
Apps: bacon wraped scallops and shirmp cocktail
Venison Medallions
Roasted Vegies (butternut squash, potatoes, red peppers, mushrooms, red onions, and carrots)
Fake Mashed Potatoes (mashed cauliflower and potatoes)
Today: No morning run...late night on Thursday celebrating, etc. So, hopefully I'll get a workout in later today, perhaps even a run.
Saturday the plan is going to be getting in a nice run at the Manassas Battlefield. I hope Hannah will want to run there too. I'd love for her to see some trails and enjoy being out running in nature. The Manassas Battlefield (Bull Run) has two main loops: 5.6 mi 1st Manassas, and a 6.4 2nd Manassas loop. I figured that this place would be an excellent location for training runs. We could get a shorter run in using one loop, and for longer runs - incorporate the other loop. Plus, not only is it only about 5 or so miles from home, I hear that it's beautiful....which would hopefully take the mind off any fatigue setting in.
Race update: I have booked my entry into the EX2 Adventure 5mi Trail Race at Hemlock Overlook Park. Who's with me?!
So, next on the agenda....
(1) Stop skipping days and get my ass running every day. :-)
(2) Schedule another race with Hannah....I need ideas.. possibly a valentine's themed one, the St. Patricks Day 8K, and/or the George Washington 10k?
'til next time....Mike, out.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
M: 4mi 31:10 (Planting Field)
Excellent run this morning through Planting Field for a 4 miler. A bit chilly at ~20F, but was pretty beautiful with the fresh snow on the ground and a full moon.
4mi 31:10 (1) ~9:30 (2-4) ~21.50
Monday, January 9, 2012
BRATS Frozen 5K - Race Day (1/8/12)
Hannah and I participated in the BRATS Frozen 5K race this past Sunday. It was a cool day at around 34F, but the sun was shining and we got to enjoy a relatively flat course. We started off pretty strong holding nearly a 7min mile for the first mile. We struggled a little during the second mile and at the turn-around heading into the last mile, but given it was the last mile we pushed it into the finish. Hannah did an excellent job cruising past her first 5K time of ~27:55 and finished in third place in her age group with a 24:40.
Race stats for Hannah:
There were 47 finishers in the Female 30 to 34 age group and 485 finishers in the 5K Run division. Her overall finish place was 115, and 3rd in age group, and a gender finish place of 30.
Pace: 7:57/mi
Race stats for Mike:
There were 26 finishers in the Male 30 to 34 age group and 485 finishers in the 5K Run division. My overall finish place was 113, age group finish place was 8 and gender finish place was 85. My time of 24:37.57.
Pace: 7:56/mile.
Good job!!
Next race will probably be one of the Valentine's Day titled races in Virginia. Likely, Run the One You're With 5k, but we'll see what's out there!
On a separate note, we are left out of the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon on March 17 since it just was sold out. The close date for registration was early March, and we somehow missed the boat here. So, now we're looking for another 1/2 marathon or a 10miler in the DC/MD/VA area before April 14 time-frame. Any readers out there, please suggest a race!
Bye for now....Back to training.
Race stats for Hannah:
There were 47 finishers in the Female 30 to 34 age group and 485 finishers in the 5K Run division. Her overall finish place was 115, and 3rd in age group, and a gender finish place of 30.
Pace: 7:57/mi
Race stats for Mike:
There were 26 finishers in the Male 30 to 34 age group and 485 finishers in the 5K Run division. My overall finish place was 113, age group finish place was 8 and gender finish place was 85. My time of 24:37.57.
Pace: 7:56/mile.
Good job!!
Next race will probably be one of the Valentine's Day titled races in Virginia. Likely, Run the One You're With 5k, but we'll see what's out there!
On a separate note, we are left out of the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon on March 17 since it just was sold out. The close date for registration was early March, and we somehow missed the boat here. So, now we're looking for another 1/2 marathon or a 10miler in the DC/MD/VA area before April 14 time-frame. Any readers out there, please suggest a race!
Bye for now....Back to training.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
M/H: 3mi 23:57 (Braddock)
Hannah and I decided to enjoy the beautiful 60 degree weather and get a nice 3 miler in, which was a nice treat since we haven't run together in about a week. Plus is was a nice tune up for our 5k on Saturday.
3mi 23:57
Race: 1/8/2012 Frozen 5K
Do it to it.
Friday, January 6, 2012
M: 3mi 21:57 (Braddock)
I managed to drag my arse out of bed again this morning with the hopes of there being another good run in store. Well, I was disappointed....I couldn't seem to get a rythem going, my breathing was off (I couldn't catch my breath), and I had some GI issues going on. But as my Dad says, any day outside running, is a good day.
3 miles in 21:57
Thursday, January 5, 2012
H: 3mi 25:53 (Gym)
Hunger and the long drive home got to me....no round two for me today. Hannah, on the other hand, had a great run! She ran 3 miles in 25:53 and finished with a walk/ run combo for another ~1.5 miles. Good job, Love!
Starting to plan 2012 potential race schedule, just have to be careful with the soccer season (coaching and playing) quickly approaching....
http://www.trailrunnermag.com/racecalendar.php
http://www.trailrunnermag.com/racecalendar.php
M: 3mi 19:56 (Braddock)
Well today was my first time in a long time that I decided to go for a run to start my day. On average, it is very difficult to get me out from the covers, so I anticipated this to be a challenge. However, since I my work schedule is a bit chaotic and there aren't more than 24hrs in a day, I figured that I had to do something to make running a priority. So, an early morning run is in order! I managed to get up at 5am and out the door by 5:10a for a 3miler. I figured that it is best to keep my run between 2-4miles to make sure I'm not late out the door for my 1.5hr commute to work. So, there I was out the door and cruising...mainly because it was a chilly 20 degrees outside. I managed to get over the less than favorable temps and pitch darkness, by arming myself with cold weather gear (thanks to full New Balance NBx Windblocker jacket and pants) and a Petzl headlamp (great purchase! http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11518707&cp=3677338.11359841.3693354). The run felt decently good, but I can tell that my body was suffering a little after taking two days off due to getting re-acclimated to the post holidays work schedule. Still suffering from a little pain in my calves and the usual creeky knees, but still managed to average a 6:50 pace; making my first AM 3miler a 19:56. If work and appetite allows, I hope to get a double in today and join Hannah this evening for a run at the gym!
Do it to it!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
New happenings
So, I've totally been in isolation...well in terms of the blogger world. Since my last post, over ~2yrs ago, a lot has happened!I continued traveling all over the place for work. However, during this period, I had started a relationship with a lovely girl that I had my eyes on for years. Her name is Hannah, and she has been coaching soccer across the field from me for as long as I've been coaching soccer in Northern Virginia. The relationship started nice, with probably the best first date I had ever had. It still amazes me to this day how I managed to squeeze in a date during my busy travel schedule. So the traveling continued and began to be a little more aggressive, with being away for four weeks at a time and home for one. So it is no wonder that my new(ish) relationship was still rather casual. I guess it was a good thing since neither of us took things very seriously - even though there was an obvious potential evident. So, after a while of dating, work brought me out to the Pacific Northwest, where I was again supposed to be away for four weeks. Getting tired of the constant travel and interested to see where I was with my new flame, I invited her out to Seattle after seeing that I would only be about 4hrs away from the major city (to this point, I had only been to very remote areas in the Cascade MTS and Sierra Nevadas). Surprisingly, Hannah accepted the offer and got a ticket to Seattle. Now, I know that this was a very bold move....having someone that I really hadn't spent a lot of 'alone time' with fly across the country to spend the weekend with me. Who knows how this could have gone....
The meet-up/impromtu vacation in the Emerald City ended up being the most amazing trip of our lives. It was in Seattle that we fell in love with one another. Months had past, and our relationship continued to flourish, and in November of 2011, I asked Hannah to be my wife....and as you can see by the picture, she said YES (!) making me the luckiest man in the world.
Our wedding was in August of this year (2011), and as I do most things, I made another major change to my life...this one too was positive. I decided to alter my career path and leave Booz Allen and pursue management consulting at Accenture. At the Firm, I will be taking on managerial consulting engagements in the commercial sector focusing on talent and organizational performance....a big change from what I had done in the past. So, since these (very positive) changes, I have decided to take my blog into another direction....now on I will be focusing on the interesting adventures Hannah and Mike (me), workouts/race training, new food plans/recipes to other random events that I want to share!
Bye for now....
Monday, March 29, 2010
Boise....the land of taters.
Arriving to Boise last night and driving the 38 miles to Mountain Home, ID I thought about how this whole area is a total waste land of tumble weed and dust. However, that mindset changed today after driving back to Boise and exploring the town. Given the commute from my hotel (on the outskirts of Boise) to Mountain Home was absolutely barren with literally nothing between mountain ranges with the exception of some cows. My mind wandered...what could I possibly do for fun this week while in the land of potatoes and livestock....raid a potato pasture, cow tipping? Nah…My next idea was much more satisfying. I noticed that the copious amount of cows in the valley were not milk cows! This must mean that this area may serve some damn good steak.
After meeting with a work client, they suggested that I go to the restaurant Angell's. However, their suggestion was not steak, but rather elk. Hmmm elk, I've never had elk, although Mrs. Palin raves about it. So, I venture into town and do a mapping of the city to gain my bearings and never find the aforementioned restaurant until taking the town on foot. It was rather elusive, but not as elusive as the elk on the menu. Absolute bummer, no freaking elk! However, my assumption of steak filled menus proves true. They had steak of all kinds; however I ordered my staple, filet mignon. Now, this restaurant is absolutely one of the classiest places to dine in all of Boise and they offer to serve there steak several ways, including 'blue'. BLUE?! Yes, blue, this is a style of steak basically served to the customer straight off the cow. Albeit, I consider myself to be rather the adventurist, I opt for my steak to be medium. Absolutely lovely, no disappointment here; it was served with wild rice which had almonds and dried fruit in it, the other side was hardy steamed vegetables which offset my late night fast food binge the night prior. It was a wonderful first real meal of the trip, and of course to have paired this fantastic meal with an appropriate beverage of the fermented grape variety, a Syrah from Columbia Valley, WA made it above satisfactory. I figured since that my next stop on my journey is in Washington State's wine country; I'd better give it a go. It matched the meal very nicely and did not disappoint even though the wine varieties from the region sometimes have its quality criticized.
Onward….as I stroll through the ghost town of Boise, it is spring break and a Monday, I come across a hotel bar called Chandlers. Looks like a classy joint and somewhere that may have a wine list worthwhile to look consider. As I belly up to the bar for a night cap…I say this because, due to the higher elevation the one glass of Syrah I had with dinner was amazingly starting to hit my rather hard. Shake it off. Shake it off. Ok…wine list. The wine list was actually okay, rather filled with the typical wines that one would find at a decent restaurant, nothing from the Northwest United States worth trying, so I settle on a Malbec from Argentina. Regardless of the surprisingly mediocre wine list the night gets interesting. As I am sitting there minding my own business scanning the crowd and wondering why girls 20 years younger than their dinner partner are scattered around the restaurant…although I may be criticized for thinking this way, but these old men (we’re talking late 70s) must have deep pockets and prescribed extra strong Viagra to hold on to these women. Regardless…well done lads, decent pulls for being born in the prohibition era, my hat goes off to you. (Disgusting visual) Three sips in to my Malbec a couple sits down next to me. This couple was a lot closer in age. The guy looked like a typical hipster, just like the other ones I was seeing around the town of Boise, but I do what any other curious individual would do…I eavesdrop. After listening in for quite some time, I realize that this hipster was no local. It was actually the Owatonna, MN native and lead singer of the band Owl City, Adam Young. Disappointed that him and his missus were very quiet and really kept to themselves, I leave Chandlers soon after they do and return to my hotel room and after a quick Google search, it appears that Owl City is performing tomorrow, Tuesday 30 March, at the Knitting Factory. It appears that I may have something fun and interesting to do tomorrow. Should be a good show, if I can score some tix! Idaho, so far, so good. For now, it is time to lay my head down and get some shut-eye...let’s see what the rest of the trip has in store.
After meeting with a work client, they suggested that I go to the restaurant Angell's. However, their suggestion was not steak, but rather elk. Hmmm elk, I've never had elk, although Mrs. Palin raves about it. So, I venture into town and do a mapping of the city to gain my bearings and never find the aforementioned restaurant until taking the town on foot. It was rather elusive, but not as elusive as the elk on the menu. Absolute bummer, no freaking elk! However, my assumption of steak filled menus proves true. They had steak of all kinds; however I ordered my staple, filet mignon. Now, this restaurant is absolutely one of the classiest places to dine in all of Boise and they offer to serve there steak several ways, including 'blue'. BLUE?! Yes, blue, this is a style of steak basically served to the customer straight off the cow. Albeit, I consider myself to be rather the adventurist, I opt for my steak to be medium. Absolutely lovely, no disappointment here; it was served with wild rice which had almonds and dried fruit in it, the other side was hardy steamed vegetables which offset my late night fast food binge the night prior. It was a wonderful first real meal of the trip, and of course to have paired this fantastic meal with an appropriate beverage of the fermented grape variety, a Syrah from Columbia Valley, WA made it above satisfactory. I figured since that my next stop on my journey is in Washington State's wine country; I'd better give it a go. It matched the meal very nicely and did not disappoint even though the wine varieties from the region sometimes have its quality criticized.
Onward….as I stroll through the ghost town of Boise, it is spring break and a Monday, I come across a hotel bar called Chandlers. Looks like a classy joint and somewhere that may have a wine list worthwhile to look consider. As I belly up to the bar for a night cap…I say this because, due to the higher elevation the one glass of Syrah I had with dinner was amazingly starting to hit my rather hard. Shake it off. Shake it off. Ok…wine list. The wine list was actually okay, rather filled with the typical wines that one would find at a decent restaurant, nothing from the Northwest United States worth trying, so I settle on a Malbec from Argentina. Regardless of the surprisingly mediocre wine list the night gets interesting. As I am sitting there minding my own business scanning the crowd and wondering why girls 20 years younger than their dinner partner are scattered around the restaurant…although I may be criticized for thinking this way, but these old men (we’re talking late 70s) must have deep pockets and prescribed extra strong Viagra to hold on to these women. Regardless…well done lads, decent pulls for being born in the prohibition era, my hat goes off to you. (Disgusting visual) Three sips in to my Malbec a couple sits down next to me. This couple was a lot closer in age. The guy looked like a typical hipster, just like the other ones I was seeing around the town of Boise, but I do what any other curious individual would do…I eavesdrop. After listening in for quite some time, I realize that this hipster was no local. It was actually the Owatonna, MN native and lead singer of the band Owl City, Adam Young. Disappointed that him and his missus were very quiet and really kept to themselves, I leave Chandlers soon after they do and return to my hotel room and after a quick Google search, it appears that Owl City is performing tomorrow, Tuesday 30 March, at the Knitting Factory. It appears that I may have something fun and interesting to do tomorrow. Should be a good show, if I can score some tix! Idaho, so far, so good. For now, it is time to lay my head down and get some shut-eye...let’s see what the rest of the trip has in store.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
An omen of death?
Day two in the dismal town of Scranton, PA delivered a combination of pleasure and disappointment.
As the whistle blew and I scampered out of work for the day, I felt an urge that I couldn’t identify, that is, until I got in my rental and out came from the speakers, Beautiful Day by U2. An ironic tune to have come on since the weather in Eastern PA is crap. Nevertheless, listening to the Irish band rock out helped me find what I was craving, an Irish pub. As if I was a mosquito on a hot summer night; these establishments are my neon light. I have always been drawn to the Irish pub. I go ahead and pull out my life tool (aka blackberry), something that I probably couldn’t function without, and Google search for an Irish pub. After quickly noticing that Scranton nearly has one on every corner, I sought out one that had some positive reviews. Eureka, The Banshee, deriving from the Gaelic ‘bean sídhe.’ If I was to open an Irish pub, I would likely not consider a name such as this, since that folks will want to eat your food and as folklore has it, a Banshee is an omen of death a messenger from the other-side. I wouldn’t want my restaurants name to be relating to death when I am trying to grow my bottom line by selling food. Nevertheless, I take my life in my hands and enter through the doors.
The building was probably built at the turn of the century and as I take off my sunglasses and wait for my eyes to adjust to the dark room I begin to see the wonderful wood work; stained glass windows; couches arranged near a roaring fire; an amazing beer list and a menu that would rival the thickness of the King James Bible.
Note: As Gordon Ramsey says, always be wary of an establishment that has a large menu. Large menus often lead to food being less than fresh, pre-ordered, and reheated for consumption. May as well just go to Mickey D’s, pick up a sixer and call it an evening….although that’s not my style. I digress…
As I belly up to the bar I quickly make friends with the bartender. A middle aged man that seems to know everyone by name (insert: Gary Potnoy and Judy Hart Angelo’s early eighties hit song, “where everyone knows your name”) the talk quickly moves to questions surrounded by my presence in this town and why I ended up at The Banshee. I give him the 30k foot level explanation and move on to ask about the happenings around town, the upcoming St. Paddy’s Day parade, and of course the weather. The typical small chat continues and other locals join in on our conversation and share some laughs. Some very nice people in Scranton, so nice that I forgot to order a damn beer!
The beer list is an amazing one with a wide collection of both domestic craft brews and international cornerstones. I go with a Sam Smith Winter Welcome. For those of you that have not tried this beer, it is fantastic and I recommend giving it a go.
Zulu time strikes noon, and like clockwork, the bartender looks for his up-sale by offering me the menu. Given the size of the menu, it is no wonder the bartender walks with a limp. I open the menu and give it a good read through, taking several breaks to continue drinking my cold beer. I figured I would have to keep a good pace with my sips; otherwise the beer would turn warm therein disappointing my taste buds. This is actually a suitable rationale given the novel I was reading. Some time passes and I end up going with the bartender’s favorite, crab cakes.
As the bartender limps his way over to my spot at the bar I get a good look at the crab cakes and overall presentation of the plate. For those of you who know this already, forgive me for insulting your intelligence, but when food comes to your table, or in my case, barstool; it should satisfy all of your senses and not only sense of taste. The Banshee has done well, so far. As I begin to cut into my crab cake, I see that it has been deep fried (disgusting) and then I’m wondering where the fuck is my crab!?!? Crab cakes are to have crab in them, if I’m not mistaken, and I do not believe I am. This was all filler and no crab. As I sit there and steaming over the poor quality of my food, I come to two realizations: (1) The damn bastard, Gordon Ramsey was correct in his theory of large menus; and (2) never order crab cakes from a restaurant that is located over a 125 miles from an ocean.
The crab cake ended up wearing me down. I never thought of myself as a quitter, but I quit this crab cake. Staring disappointment in the face, I do as any real man would do, wash down my disappointment with something I know will not disappoint, Victory’s Hop Devil. For those of you out there that enjoy a hopped up bad ass beer that makes your asshole pucker, this beer is for you. It’s amazing. Thank God for this rebound, otherwise The Banshee was an absolute waste of my time. But as Bill Shakespeare says, “let’s not burden our remembrance with a heaviness that's gone.” The Banshee was a nice place for a few sips of the liquid that saved the world from Irish, but not so much for food.
Monday, March 1, 2010
First night in the Scranton area...not disappointed.
Scranton: The “Electric City”: dubbed this title in 1887 when the city successfully pioneered Pennsylvania’s first trolley line. Also, dubbed; Scranton: land of Pennsylvanians with New York accents.After growing up in Erie, PA I am beginning to realize that there is a gravitational pull toward the state, as fore I cannot seem to escape being pulled back North to the ‘state of independence.’ Rolling into Dunmore, PA (a suburb of Scranton) I quickly realized that this is yet another Pennsylvanian town that its streets change names every quarter mile making following any sort of contemporary mapping technology nearly impossible. Regardless of being handcuffed by the lack of street signs and the limited accuracy of Google maps, I’ve arrived at the Sleep Inn nestled away in an industrial park off highway 81. Following the necessary hotel ‘check-in’ procedures, I do my business (nearly getting sucked down the toilet, yikes!...it works! Exhilarating.) I proceed to the recommended neighborhood grill/bar called The Loading Dock.
Driving through the Industrial Park, I find The Loading Dock, docked behind the ECO furniture store…classy. Strolling from my rental car to the restaurant I see a congregation outside the door of the establishment, as I come closer to the door I’m realizing that there is no line to get in this famous local joint, but rather a crew just following Big Ed’s 2008 CIAA law; prohibiting smoking inside public areas and workplaces. Seeing that there was about a baker’s dozen lingering in the cold, made me wonder if there was actually going to be any patron’s inside. I was not disappointed. I entered, the music seized, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched me as I took my place at the bar. I prefer sitting at the bar when traveling alone, it makes me feel less alone. I am sitting there next to my fellow businessmen, road warriors, and the occasional hitch-hiker all of whom is seeking something to stop them from spitting a sweater and maybe fill their stomach. I give the room a good look, decide not to sit next to someone that fits the profile of a serial killer and order myself a beer. I am fairly impressed with their offerings, seeing that they have a decent variety of imports and craft beers ranging from Dog Fish Head 90 Minute IPA to Delirium Tremens. Not too bad for a restaurant connected to the back of a furniture distribution center. I order an Ommegeddon Abbey Ale, delish. Sitting there watching Georgetown Univ. basketball team get slammed by WVU, I decide to take a look at menu. This is an easy decision. Big cursive letters indicate that I must order their signature NY strip steak.
Impressed with the steak, I am less impressed with the mashed potatoes that seemingly came from a box of Hungry Jack; a wee bit powdery. Being the mash potato connoisseur that I am, I am still amazed that my internal criticism of the smashed root was distracted by my eavesdropping of the surrounding conversation. A fellow around the corner of the bar was from Erie! Ahhh a fellow Erie-ite, again…that damn gravitational pull. However, this was the least shocking thing that I was witnessing. The Pepsi drinking 18 wheeler driver/ Navy vet was explaining to anyone that would listen that he was a beer geek. Drinking a Pepsi? Really? More shockingly, he was going on about Straub being one of America’s best beers. I hear this as I sip on my lovely Belgium Ale and resist spitting it back up (that would be a terrible waste), WHAT! STRAUB!? I go on to listen to this intriguing man. His next admission is likely a cardinal sin in Ireland: he puts salt in his Guinness and then goes on to be evangelical about this practice. That’d be ten Hail Mary’s.
I nearly walk out in disgust…but decide to take a detour, head call, my head is now clear. My Mother always said; if you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Well Mom, you should be very pleased. It took every bone in my body to not say anything to the neighboring “beer snob;” moron, ruining a perfectly good Guinness.
Dessert: I go ahead and order a 90 Minute as I scan the room.
Without going on much more of a tangent and going on about my perception of Scranton’s demography and how it still puzzles me how fit birds in power-suits are smitten over grease monkeys and cut-off t-shirt wearing dudes. Perhaps arranged marriages? Nah…this aint India. I cannot imagine what these folks must have in common, but to be a fly on their wall would be priceless.
I will conclude with the best line of the evening from the Navy Vet/ Beer Snob: “Light beer is like having sex in a canoe. It’s near water.”
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