Low-Carb Dieting During the Week...but weekends and the NHL playoffs don't count, right?

No beer, just beauty.  Cagle Mountain on Saturday, May 6th.  

I have been low-carb dieting since getting back from Japan and I was good all week, but then Sunday rolled around and I attended a huge, historic game for the Nashville Predators, so I had to cheat a little...

Sunday, May 7 -  I started my cheat session at Czann's Brewing where I had their  excellent session Citra IPA in exchange for some valuable free parking near the Bridgestone Arena.  

As the game began I picked up a pint can of pretty good Genesee Cream Ale from Genesee Brewing (NY) at the new (at least to me) Daily's Convenience Store inside in the arena. 

Second period, down 0-1 and I picked up a session SeaQuench Ale  from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE) at my favorite craft beer bar in the arena.  I tell you I was about as sour as this beer is until we scored to tie it up just 35 seconds in!!  For a sour, this wasn't bad.  

I went back to my favorite beer bar in the arena and picked up a Pale Ale can from Good People Brewing (AL) who liked my tweet to them from the game.  It held and tasted good as did our 2-1 lead throughout the third period with an empty-netter at the end to seal the deal!!

Here's a full view of the arena decked in gold for the historic win over the St. Louis Blues to get the Preds into the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.  I was proud to be there and even loved my nosebleed seat to be able to see it all unfold in front of me.  Half-way to The Cup!!

May 13th - We went down to Chattanooga to catch a J Roddy Walston and the Business concert at the Revelry Room and I had a Liquid Bliss  porter from Terrapin (Athens, GA) during the show.  After the show I had an Oberon Ale (pale wheat) from Bell's Brewery (MI) at the cool Back Stage Bar next door.   The next day (5/14) was Mother's Day and I had a Vienna Lager at Big River Grille and Brewing with lunch with my mother-in-law, Evelyn. 

J Roddy gettin' down to Business...

May 16th - Back in Nashville tonight we met up with our friends, Danny and Brenda, to celebrate Brenda's birthday and to watch the Preds play an away game on the many TV screens at the Cool Springs Brewery.  I had their Titches Wit, their I'll Be Black scharzbier and their Nice Rack (Mango Infused IPA) with dinner.  Yes, we got the rally win!

May 18th - We flew down to Tampa, Florida tonight for a quick anniversary getaway to The Gulf.  At the airport before flying out I had an Extra Easy Ale from Tennessee Beer Works here in Nashville at the O'Charley's there.

May 19 - It's our anniversary so I took my honey to a real classy place for lunch called The Monkey Bar in Homosassa, Florida, on our way north from Tampa to Cedar Key where we would be spending our weekend.  The Monkey Bar overlooks Monkey Island in the harbor where several spider monkeys reside and you catn watch them frolic while munching on fresh seafood and swigging beers including this Center Field Brown ale from Copp Brewery in nearby Crystal River, Florida.  

Cedar Key, Florida, is an interesting place.  It's kind of a working-man's Key West without all the tourists and high prices.  We rented a house with a nice Gulf view from the Cedar Key Bed and Breakfast and I picked up a six-pack of  delicious Unholy Trippel from Coppertail Brewing (Tampa) to have at the house.  

We did find a couple good bars in town.  I had a Stump Knocker Pale Ale from Swamp Head Brewing (Gainesville, FL) at the ultra-cool Tiki Bar at the Low Key Hideaway (photo above, note the cool walls made of beer bottles) as well as a Jon Boat Coastal Ale from Intuition Ale Works (Jacksonville).  At Steamers Clam Bar and Grill I had a Drift English Mild Ale from First Magnitude Brewing (Gainesville, FL) and a kinda sour Florida Avenue Ale from Florida Avenue Brewing (Tampa).    We stopped at a new World of Beer restaurant right beside the Tampa Airport on our way home for dinner and I had a hoppy beauty of an IPA called Sharrow from Cycle Brewing Company (St. Petersburg, FL). 

May 23 - On my way to see the new Alien: Covenant movie in IMAX out at Opry Mills tonight with my pal, Wayne, I stopped for a beer and some brats at the large, new Bavarian Bierhaus that just opened at the mall there.  It's a fun beer-hall atmosphere with live music and the food was good.  I wasn't overwhelmed with their beer selection but settled on a Hacker-Pschorr Dunkle Weisse from Munich.

The movie was OK, but I didn't think it was a great follow-up to Prometheus which I really liked.

We spent Memorial Day by the pool and I got me a variety four-pack from Lebanon Wine and Spirits to get me through the "tough" day.  I started with a Sumatra Mountain Brown, an imperial brown ale with a wonderful coffee linger from Founders Brewing (MI).  I had a sip of Ashlee's Saison Au Miel from Left Hand Brewing (CO). Next up was a Tropical Torpedo from Sierra Nevada (CA).  The perfect fruity IPA for poolside.  The New Heights IPA from here in Nashville was next and it was excellent.  I finished up with a decent Professor IPA from Cranker's Brewery (MI).  

5/31- 6/1 Frustrated by the atmospheric prices of tickets here in Nashville for the Stanley Cup Finals between my beloved Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins, I decided to make a mad dash to Pittsburgh where ticket prices were actually much more reasonable.  My good friend, Chris, who now lives in Indiana but is a huge Preds fan, agreed to meet me in The Steel City and go to the game also.

I had to drive eight hours, but I got to see a Stanley Cup Final game.  We were in it until the 3rd period when the wheels fell off and we unfortunately lost.  But it was a great time and I do not regret it in the least.

I began my drive north tonight after work with a stop north of Cincinnati for the night.  I took a driving break in Louisville and found the relatively new Holsopple Brewing and had their excellent Project Alpha IPA.  I will be seeking these guys out again when I am in the area.  Strong new player in the craft beer scene!

Our first destination after we met up in Pittsburgh was a place I had been to with Ashlee a few years back on another visit here:  The Church Brew Works, a brewery in a decommissioned church.  We had lunch and a few beers since we weren't driving (thanks Uber!).  I started with their amazing Tequila Mockingbird strong ale.  Next up was the decent Thunderhop IPA and then the 200% Fit Smoked Doppelbock.  I finished with the hoppy delight that is the Thunder Juice IPA.  

Back in our room, Chris surprised me with pre-game pint can of goodness: the Westy IPA from Bare Hands Brewing in Granger, IN.  Game on!!  

I call this one "The Head and the Heart."  Pre-game antics in enemy territory.

The fans were fairly decent to us although there was some chanting of my Nystrom jersey name from up behind me when we the Preds got down.  At least they had decent beer in the PPG Paints Arena.  Here's a pic from our seats of a Stinky Hippie Pale Ale from North Country Brewing in Slippery Rock (best town name ever!), PA.  

Our hotel  in Pittsburgh was a Drury Inn within walking distance of the arena, but the coolest thing is that the building used to be a bank and these huge vault doors are still in the basement....easier than hauling them out I guess! 

I drowned my sorrows from the loss (and cut up the long drive home) with a stop in Cincinnati for lunch at Mad Tree Brewing.  I had some killer pizza and their Mexican Hot Chocolate Brown (Nitro) ale that was a little hot, a little sweet and a whole lotta smooth.  I got a baby growler (half gallon) of the Treesearch #10.5 Experimental IPA to take home with me and enjoy by the pool the next couple days.  

6/1 - Saw Wonder Woman tonight in IMAX.  It was as awesome as this poster.