54...3....2....1...BLAST OFF!!

 

4/20 - Happy Birthday to ME!!!  Studio 54 ain't got nothin' on me!!  It was a pretty ho-hum birthday compared to others since I had to work at my lame new job today.  But we did go out to eat where I wanted to go at least and, yes, it was brewery!  We headed over to TennFold Brewing over in Donelson for some cold ones and some of their amazing sandwiches which Ashlee hasn't had yet.  I think she was impressed!!  As we waited on our table I started with their smooth and easy Flat Pedal Golden Ale.  

I moved on to the Groovy Shade NEIPA that I thought was very solid.  At the table, I finished with their impressive barleywine called That Big Feller Over There.   Seven birthdays already on UNTAPPD...where does the time and the beer go....

4/21 - Blasting off for Kennedy Space Center!  When I found out there was a manned rocket launch set for my birthday week, I knew I had to try and get there and knock that experience off my bucket list.  I got a plane ticket to Orlando, booked a sweet rental car (my own silver rocket in the photo above) thanks to my recent big poker win and booked a night at a hotel near the KSC.  I was even able to get off from my new job despite only being there a couple weeks, most of which was training.  And then I got an email that the launch had been scrubbed for 24 hours...hell with it...I am going anyway!!

After checking into my hotel, a decent Extended Stay America in nearby Titusville, I headed due east to catch the sunset on the ocean.  The closest beach I found was Peacock Beach in Cape Canaveral and I headed that way dodging these beautiful birds on the way...guess I know where it got its name...they were everywhere including in the streets! 

Activity at Peacock Beach was winding down as the sun set at my back, but I did capture this young fella taking a last walk in from the surf.  The color rendition is nice, but there is something about this black and white version that I dig...album cover anyone?  

As twilight faded. it was time for beer and I found it close by at the Florida Beer Company in Cape Canaveral.  The place was a little quiet, but very nice.  I started with their light and bright Blue O Blueberry Pilsner.  They were getting ready to close for the night, so I finished up with their Hurricane Reef IPA that was solid.  Interestingly, since the place was kind of quiet, the guy a few chairs down from me at the bar and I got to talking and come to find out he is a real-life Nomadlander.  He retired from the Houston Fire Department back at the end of the 2020 and was now cruising the country in his RV.  We've become Facebook friends, so it will be interesting to see his adventures hopefully.  Cheers to you, Kevin! 

Another craft brewery open an hour later and closer to my hotel was Bugnutty Brewing over in Cocoa.  I started with their outstanding Dark Matter Nitro (photo above) black IPA.  That coaster is gonna look good on my Beer Tree this Christmas!  I shut these guys down as well and ended with an incredible Cocoa Village Spicy Lager.  I mean wow!  This Vienna-style lager was infused with three different kind of hot peppers at the perfect mix of fire and ice cold beer.  Well done, sirs!  

4/22 - The LAUNCH!!....has been delayed one day....doh!! Despite the delay of the launch, I did have a couple of good things going for me...it was a beautiful sunny day in Florida, and I had access to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex all day today with my launch ticket.  So, I headed over and found a pretty crowded place...I might as well be at Disneyland with these lines!!  But, it actually worked out pretty well as I had a fun half-day visit to this amazing place.  Definitely need to come back with more time and planning.

The had awesome exhibits throughout the complex including this bad-ass Mars SUV prototype.  Now that is some four-wheeling I could get into!1

Just before the Atlantis Shuttle Experience, I was able to slip in an see a showing of the IMAX film, Journey to Space, which was very good.  The most amazing thing I learned was that inflatables may be the key to a future of space travel....that's amazing! 

The big reveal of the actual Atlantis Space Shuttle at the end of the presentation was my favorite part of my visit to the KSCVC.  Being that close to his beauty with it's blast marks and wear and tear from flights in and out of space was purely amazing. 

I made a tough decision as the day moved on.  There was another IMAX movie I could wait for to play, but I had seen most everything to see otherwise without getting on a bus tour (which was sold out when I got there).  So, I decided to climb in my own silver Mustang rocket, peel the top down, and do a little more COASTing here in sunny Florida.  Plus, I knew I would be back here "dark" and early in the morning for the launch hopefully.

It was time for some lunch and some brews and I found both right up the coast in the cool little town of New Smyrna Beach (where you can drive on the sand...but I did not).  I did, however, watch people do it while perched on my stool looking out the window of the beach-front eatery, The Breakers, where I had some awesome grilled shrimp skewers and some perfectly-fried fish bites.  I washed it all down with a draft pint of the incredibly good Jefficus Boubon Coffee Vanilla Oatmeal Stout from just up the road at Half Wall Brewery here in New Smyrna Beach.
On the way out of town, I made a quick stop downtown at New Smyrna Beach Brewing and enjoyed a tall pint of their light and refreshing Pontoon Pilsner.  I stopped with that one since I still had some driving to do.  I was really impressed with this town and have already got Ashlee researching it as a possible retirement possibility for us.  We shall see!! 

Another area I really like just a bit farther north is Ponce Inlet and not just because they have the beautiful Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse to visit.  Man, what a beauty!  Gotta come back here when I can tour it properly.  I love this shot with the moon beside it.  I have a very similar shot from Cana Island Lighthouse in Michigan.

After checking into my nice AirBnB private (and very affordable) room at a house near the KSC, I headed out to grab some dinner and some brews nearby.  Playalinda Brewing has two locations in Titusville and the first one is also a pizza kitchen and there was a 45-minute wait just to sit at the bar...WTF?  So, I headed to the other location called "The Hardware Store."  Plenty of seating, good pork tacos and hellaciously good beer!!  I started with the extremely good Playa Pale Ale (cask conditioned).  My "dessert" was their amazingly good Key Lime Slice blonde ale (photo above) with whipped cream on the rim, of course.  Man, what a taste sensation!  The barkeep says it's incredible how much of this beer they sell and I believe him.  

It was also Earth Day today, so I signed up with Tomorrow's Air via Climeworks Ltd. for a monthly donation of $10 for the next year.  This $120 is 10% of my big online poker win the other night.  Thanks to my fave website (and now podcast) AtlasObscura.com for the information and the inspiration!  #teamEARTH 

4/23 - The LAUNCH!!...for real this time!!

Video and pictures cannot do it justice, but, man, what a thrill!  Well worth the time and effort to get here and see (and feel and hear) it happen in real time.  

I even got a sweet hat with the NASA SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew-2 mission patch on it to commemorate my attendance of the launch.   It also has the 4 crew members' names who were aboard and the dragon symbolizes the Dragon Endeavor capsule they will take to the International Space Station for a 6-month stint to relieve Crew 1.  The pre-dawn sky was so clear before launch that we actually saw the ISS go by in its orbit around the Earth.

I love how this screen grab of my video makes it look like sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean when in fact sunrise was not for another hour or so.  The launch was from the famous Pad 39A from where everyone who has ever walked on the moon also took of from.  Another unique aspect of this launch is that it's being done with reused first and second stage rockets.  They will again be recovered and reused after this launch as well.

"My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air..."  - Pink Floyd "Learning to Fly"

As the second stage engaged it created what I call a "Launch Angel" in the pre-dawn sky.

OK, now this is the actual dawn and the signature left in the sky by the Falcon 9 Rocket.

I feel very fortunate to have witnessed this launch in person.  I hope to do it again someday with even closer access...for more moolah, of course.  But well worth it.  Since the visitors complex didn't officially open for a couple hours, and the fact I had a plane to catch this afternoon, I decided to head on out back toward Orlando for the rest of my time here on the Space Coast.

I have never been to downtown Orlando, so I checked with good ol' AtlasObscura.com for some points of interest and the first one that grabbed my attention was beatnik writer Jack Kerouac's modest home where he spent his final years and wrote The Dharma Bums
                             

I was impressed with all the lakes and green space in downtown Orlando.  My favorite one which I walked around completely was Lake Eola (photo above).  

My absolute favorite thing about Lake Eola is located in the NE corner of it called Persimmon Hollow Brewing!  And they open at 8 AM because they serve breakfast.  And if you ask nicely enough you can get a beer poured for you before 10 AM!!  I started with their Sunshine Special honey beer that was really good.  Next up was the Gypsy Hiker NEIPA (photo above) that was fantastic.  And I love their motto on the pint glass.  Nothing weirder than two beers before lunch!! 

After my morning brews, I walked around to the west side of Lake Eola Park to Heritage Square at the Orange County History Center where this cool work of art called "Global Convergence" is located.  It represents an aquarium and the shoal bass in it were actually created by pressing real fish into dye.  It lights up at night which I bet is even cooler.  Thanks again, Atlas Obscura! 
Nearby I had a pretty good Philly cheesesteak sandwich for lunch at The Loading Zone, before heading to the airport for my flight home.  A great bucket-list trip indeed! 

4/23 - The second part of my birthday travel plans involved renting an adorable tiny house in The Retreat at Deer Lick Falls development atop Monteagle Mountain.  This was a make-up trip from last year that got zapped by the pandemic.  It was of keenest interest to me since this development of tiny homes centered around Deer Lick Falls, one of my favorites in the area and one I had not visited in over 30 years. 

Ashlee picked me up from the airport after I flew back in from Orlando and we headed straight for Monteagle.  She was kind enough to pack me a few brews of  my craft beer stash at home for the weekend.  Thanks, sweetie!  I enjoyed this rich and tasty Mahogany Rush brown ale from Perrylodgic Brewing over in Paris, TN, as we relaxed inside our tiny home tonight.  Thanks again to my best friend, Craig, for hooking me up with a good load of PBC brews recently.  

4/24 - As we waited on a table for breakfast at Jim Oliver's Smokehouse today, I spied these two little beauties on a dusty shelf in the store attached to the restaurant.  Talk about a couple of cool check-ins on UNTAPPD this would be!!  Funny enough, they actually did re-release the World's Fair Beer back in 2017 for the 35th anniversary of the event in Knoxville.

If I couldn't drink craft beer for some reason (parish the thought!), I think I might get by with Sun Drop.  This one's in a long-neck glass bottle...as God intended.  I enjoyed it (them, I had two) with my breakfast at Jim Oliver's Smokehouse.
(Editors note:  In a sad ironic twist, Jim Oliver's restaurant burned to the ground just three days later.  What a shame.  All that memorabilia and history gone, not to mention an iconic Monteagle Mountain establishment that had been around since the 1960's.  Guess I should have stolen those beer cans above as the thought crossed my mind, just so I could give them back to those folks today.)

Despite some rainy weather, we got just enough of a window today to hike down and back to the base of the amazing Deer Lick Falls.  She's everything I remember and more.  What a beauty!  I thought this black and white version was just stunning.  Others agree as I got over 100 likes after posting this same picture on a Facebook group devoted to waterfall lovers.

You can never start 'em too early!  LOL!  After our hike, I enjoyed a can of  S.M.A.S.H. NEIPA from Perrylodgic Brewing back at our tiny house.  Our foster kitten, Morris, seemed interested for a sniff, but that was about it.   Too bad for him because it was delicious!  

Man, I have forgotten how much The University of the South at Sewanee looks like Duke's campus.  Sure makes me miss Duke Chapel and Cameron Indoor Stadium.  We walked around the pretty campus after having a great dinner at The Mountain Goat Market.  They always have some pretty unique craft beers there and with dinner I had the rich and heavy Dragon Stout FIRE from Desnoes and Geddes Brewing (Jamaica).  
Back at the tiny house on our last night there, I cracked open my last can from Perrylodgic Brewing, the surprisingly good Apricot Sour.  It was more tart and no aftertaste, so I was content with it.  I had stopped at a local liquor store on the way back and picked up a couple of pinch-hitters in case the sour was not to my liking.  I only needed one of them to finish the night out.  It was a pint can of the H.A.Z.Y. IPA from Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta).  This NEIPA was very good from one of longtime favorite regional breweries here in The South.

4/25 - We got back from Monteagle today, did a few things at the house, and then headed over to watch the Oscars with our friends, Danny and Brenda, and their place in Brentwood.  I had a pint can on the way which was the last of my previous Beer Drop order (got another coming next week).  It was the light and tasty Winter Tullekopp farmhouse ale from Varietal Beer Company (WA).  Danny did not disappoint either by offering me an impressively good NEIPA from Goose Island Brewing (Chicago) called Lost Palate.  I was happy to see Daniel Kaluuya grab and Oscar for his incredible performance in Judas and the Black Messiah...which I also thought should win best picture...but was not surprised when Nomadland took that prize.  Good show despite the restrictions from the pandemic, but I sure am hoping for more normalcy this coming year. 

Wait, a BILLION beer check-ins? Wow!

Russell Crowe is my fat spirit animal...

 

It's amazing to think that  the UNTAPPD app is closing in on one BILLION check-ins.  That, my friend, is a shit-load of beer....or a weekend at Russell Crowe's house....

3/16 - My currently unemployed ass was sent grocery shopping  today by my wife into West Nashville.  I did as I was told, but I also stopped by Southern Grist Brewing's location in The Nations out that way and had a nice libation out on their warm sunny patio.  I guess I can raise this tasty DDH Mixed Greens LI (51) to the last official day I am an employee at MTEMC since my forced retirement starts tomorrow.  Cheers to that and to my 21 years there...oh, and to those four snakes I have in mind...
go fuck yourselves....

3/17 - Happy St. Patty's Day!!  Decided to go north a bit and honor the Scots instead with this wee heavy ale from Southern Grist Brewing that I picked up yesterday called Dancing on Staves.  It is tremendous!  Glad I got a four-pack!! 

3/18 - I had a promising job interview today by phone and Doris seemed to sense my anxiety and was there to support me up close and personal.  She's so smart and loving!!

3/19 - I have been anxiously awaiting today's premiere of the new Marvel Studios episodic TV show on Disney+ called "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier."  The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes is one of my favorite characters from the Marvel Universe, so that also heightened the interest for me.  It did not disappoint as the premier episode was full of action and a good story line.  Can't wait til next Friday!

I got my first of two Covid-19 vaccinations today.  Old farts first!!  No fuss. No muss. The first step to getting back to normal hopefully.

3/20 - Will work for beer!  Thanks so much to my long-time pal, Chris, for coming over to the Carroll House in Chattanooga and help replace a couple boards on the small deck outside the back bedroom that had rotted.   The irony is that Chris built this deck about 20 years ago when he was dating Ashlee's sister, Paige.  He also helped remove an old weathered outer door and replaced it with a new one.  He would not take money as I knew he wouldn't, so I made sure to give him a nice four-pack of great beers from Southern Grist Brewing here in Nashville.  I helped where I could and figured I earned a can myself of their awesome Hoppy Timbs double IPA.  The beer got its name from when they first started to brew this beer, they stuffed so many hops in that it clogged the tank and when they tried to clear the valve it exploded and splattered all over the brewer's fresh Timberland boots.  Waa-laa! That's a super hoppy beer story and an excellent super hoppy beer as well!

3/24 - Well,  I had my second interview with Duck River EMC today and this time it was in person in Shelbyville at their main office.  I feel like it went pretty good, but there is always doubt in my mind after what happened to me.  Fingers crossed.  I "celebrated" with a stop at Hop Springs Beer Park outside Murfreesboro on my way back home from the interview, and had a couple new brews under the actual Hop Springs moniker which was new to me.  It's still a trifecta of small breweries there with Steel Barrel, Humulus Project and, now, Hop Springs, replacing Mantra Artisan Ales who says they are still there, but maybe not brewing currently?  Anyway, I started with the Hop Springs Excellent Adventure session IPA that was very nice.  I finished with their equally impressive Bragg Porter.  
(3/29 - Disappointing update.  I did not get the job.)

3/25 - Big thanks to the Nashville Film Festival for sending out a couple of free new film screenings that my unemployed ass could take advantage of at no cost.  I still sent in a $5 donation for this first one, Persona Non Grata, which I really enjoyed watching.  What an amazing true story!

The second one is actually showing in theaters right now (and not getting great reviews), but I figure for free it's worth a look tonight.   Boogie is the film debut from "Fresh Off the Boat" writer, Eddie Huang, whose content I have enjoyed in the past, but can get a bit tiresome.    It was actually better than I was expecting.  

3/28 - We threw our one year old tuxedo cat, Dudley, a birthday party today (cause that's how we roll), and to stick with the Black and White theme, I bought a couple of packs of beer at the new-to-me Madison Beverage Warehouse.  The first one I had was the The Long Thaw WHITE IPA from Harpoon Brewing (Boston) that I really liked.    Above is the Duds checking out his cool Star Wars themed toys that he got for his birthday.  Cheers, buddy! 

I was excited to earn the One Billionth Check-In badge from UNTAPPD with my next beer, a tasty pint can of The Doughnut Revolution: Chocolate BLACKout Cake imperial stout from Orpheus Brewing (Atlanta). Congrats to UNTAPPD for reaching this amazing milestone almost two weeks before it was even expected.

I love my sweet boy!  My craft beer buddy, Nate, attended the party as well and as usual brought some tasty beers.  We did some swapping and I enjoyed checking in some of his crowler of Go With The Flow, a solid brown ale from TennFold Brewing over in Donelson, plus a can of rich and tasty Benevolent Overlord imperial stout from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta). 

3/30 - I did some more unemployed houseboy shopping again today in West Nashville and in between my visits to Costco and Trader Joe's, I stopped by the Charlotte Pike original location for Tailgate Brewing.  I enjoyed a delicious Maple Brown Ale as I watched a little NFL Pro-Day going on for a QB at Alabama and felt like a man again, LOL.  

3/31 - I met up with my old work pal, Casey, and his nephew, Colin, at the Roxy Theaters here in Lebanon tonight for the opening of Godzilla vs. Kong,  No IMAX, but the recliner seats are pretty sweet.  It was a fun flick and the special effects were amazing.  #TeamKong

4/1 - No April Foolin', afternoon movies are back!!  I went and saw the bargain matinee showing of the new dark humor film, Nobody, today at the Malco Theaters in Smyrna (recliners!).  Bob Odenkirk is the best thing to come out of "Breaking Bad" in my opinion, so this looked like a great fit for him in terms of a movie - violent and funny.  And it was both.  Fun, fun action flick.
Before the show, I stopped by The Casual Pint in Smyrna for a couple of craft beers as well.  I started with the interesting "white" porter called Death by King Cake from Oskar Blues Brewing (CO and NC).  This is first white porter (gold in color instead of dark) that I can recall having.  I've had some stouts like this.  This one was terrific!  I finished up with a 2018 Gold Medal Winner at the GABF evidently, but I thought it was just OK, but I am not a big expert on Helles lagers either.  It was the Deer Crossing from Nashville's own Little Harpeth Brewing.

4/2 - Man, nothing like Opening Night....on the couch!  LOL.  Netflix Studios continues to impress with original films that are pretty damn good.  I really enjoyed Concrete Cowboy tonight.  Great cast and based on an incredible true story.  Keep it up, guys!! 

4/3 - Well, they have moved a Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint into the old Yesterday's building in Chattanooga.  Great burgers and craft beer vs. memories of great nights there as a young, single stallion looking for love (in the all the wrong places).  The beer sucked there, but the ladies were many and lovely, and the bands were always rockin'.  It was a legendary place and I do miss it.  Back to today, however, our burgers were fantastic and my first beer was as well - the 200 Day IPA - an imperial from Wanderlinger Brewing just around the corner.  My second one was a bit of a miss IMO - the Game of Thrones: My Watch Has Ended imperial brown ale was a little too sweet for my taste (and a little too sweet for the lads on The Night's Watch, donchathink?).  Great beer name from the Ommegang Brewery (NY) at least, but ease up on the maple syrup already! 

4/4 - Check out this pretty Easter egg I found! It was delicious!  Thanks, Easter Bunny Nate!  We had a beautiful afternoon hanging out by our recently opened pool and doing some grilling with family.  My beer buddy, Nate, left this Jet Black Heart Nitro Vanilla milk stout for me a few days ago.  It went down smooth and easy (and was way better than a painted boiled egg!). 

I made my first final table tonight on the sweet new HP laptop I got at Costco recently (my main birthday present this year from Ashlee actually).  It was a Crazy Pineapple Progressive Bounty Tournament on Global Poker.  I wound up winning the whole shooting match vs. 52 other players with 6 bounties for a profit of over $135.   It's been a while since I had a good win on here and it sure feels good since it's also the first win since the work situation.  I've always wanted to try and be a poker pro...could this be the opportunity...?  

4/5 - Well just over a year from now I can start drawing BOTH of my tiny pensions.  Might as well I guess.  #CANNOTLIVEFOREVER  

4/7 - Let's hear it for the beer!  It's National Beer Day once again, and I couldn't NOT drink a craft brewski on this special occasion, so I cracked open my last Beer Drop order and stuck a pint can of Czech Dam Pilsner from Woods Boss Brewing (Denver) in the fridge this morning and cracked her open this afternoon.  I really deserved this refreshing light beer after loading and unloading 54 bags of mulch from Home Depot for our front and back yards.  Whew what a day!  

Oh, yeah, and I got a job today!  Not a big deal.  Just a low-paying work-from-home customer support position for a pest control company called Aptive.  They are impressive in their national reach and growth, and they've treated me good so far with a laptop and headset coming, benefits and incentives for more pay.  We shall see.

I also made another final table tonight in a small Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global.  I finished 3rd and cleared over $35 in profit to cover my night and then some.  It was vs. 44 other players plus it was a turbo progressive knockout of which I got six. 
I proceeded to make another final table in another Crazy Pineapple tournament later tonight vs. 52 others.  I ended  up winning it and clearing over $152 in profit!  This one was also a progressive knockout of which I scored several, but at least it wasn't that stupid turbo format again.

4/8 - I had some time and a Regal gift certificate to burn today, so I went and saw the historical fact-based thriller, The Courier, today at the newly reopened Opry Mills Theaters.  It was well made and Benedict Cumberbatch delivered the goods (as usual) including an astonishing weight loss for his character locked in a Russian prison for two years.  After the show I stopped by Homegrown Taproom for a couple brews.  I started with the solid Printshop Southie Cream Ale from Printshop Brewing over in Knoxville.  Glad to see them on tap here now! I finished with an interesting and enjoyable sour, yes, I typed SOUR...it just happened to contain the two things that will actually entice me to it:  lime and cucumber.  It was the Lime Cucumber Gose from Urban South Brewing (New Orleans).

4/9 - Eff you, Covid!! I got my second shot today and am vaccinated up...at least til the summer.

We headed down to Blue Ridge, Georgia, to spend the weekend at a cabin we rented with a couple other friends.  They are on Eastern time there and by the time we got there, the two breweries I planned to stop by were already closed at 8 PM...on a Friday.  Ugggh!! I am embarrassed to admit how I earned this badge...but out of desperation I drank a Smirnoff Ice Original malt liquor that my friend, Toney, had bought at Wal-Mart.  It wasn't half-bad actually and I did get to check it in out on the deck of our sweet cabin at least.  

4/10 -  Finally, some craft beer in Blue Ridge, Georgia! We stopped by Grumpy Old  Men Brewing which Ashlee and I visited several years ago when it was just starting.  Now, it's a thriving, growing craft brewery that is very popular.  I started with their excellent Tsunami Steve NEIPA.  I had a sip of Ashlee's porter, the Hell's Holler that was terrific as well.  I finished with their equally impressive, Static Shock, black IPA.    I didn't get a chance to visit the other new-to-me brewery in town, Fannin Brewing...maybe next time.  I was also saddened to find out that Blue Ridge Brewery has shut down permanently.  Too bad, it was a cool little place.

Fire-water, you're to blame!  I also got two half-growlers filled at Grumpy Old Men Brewing and enjoyed them in the hot-tub back at the cabin, as well as by the firepit on one of the decks  The Porch Pounder session IPA was solid and smooth (photo above) and the Scentsation Xtra double IPA was decent, but could have used more hops to be considered an imperial.  

4/11 - I had planed to check out two other new-to-me breweries in the area on the way home, Copper Hill and Buck Bald Brewing, but they didn't open til noon, and with a 10 AM check-out from the cabin and them being only 20 minutes away, the timing didn't work out...once again...maybe next time.  I sated myself back at home with another brew from my last Beer Drop order.  The fantastic Snow Reporter porter is made with the water of actual snowmelt by Telluride Brewing (CO).  

4/12 - Well, my first official day with Aptive went pretty well.  It was just training, but it was simple and I was treated nice and with respect.  It's all I ask for.  I celebrated the successful day with another can from my last Beer Drop order:  a fantastic Schwibby Schwarzbier from Wibby Brewing (CO). 

4/13 - I made it to another final table in the nightly Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global Poker tonight.  I ended up going out in third place vs. 62 other players for a profit of over $84 that really wasn't profit since it got my bankroll back up to where it was a few days ago.

4/14 - I attended an Oscars online seminar called "And  The Award Goes To..." via Zoom tonight hosted by The Belcourt Theater.  It was free to attend and I am getting pretty handy with using Zoom since all my training this week with Aptive has also been using the software.  It was short, but informative and I even was told the question I submitted was a good one!  Can't wait for the Oscars in a couple weeks! Even if they will be weird this year with the pandemic still lurking around.

After the online show, I somehow limped into another final table on the nightly Crazy Pineapple tournament that I have been playing lately on Global Poker. I wound up winning the whole thing vs. 60 other players.  With six big knockout bounties, I cleared $155 and most of that that went right back into the bankroll replenishment with 10% going to charity, of course.  

And that charity would be...Nothing But Nets which my new company, Aptive, supports as well and turned me on to.  I gave a $40 contribution to them to help battle malaria around the world by providing netting for protection against the biting pests.

4/15 - I headed back over to the Regal Cinemas at Opry Mills tonight and checked out the new Lord of the Flies in space film, Voyagers.  It was decent, but nothing to write home about.  I was able to sneak in a nice pint can craft beer since the place was really dead.  It was the fourth installment from my last Beer Drop order: the Connect the Dots NEIPA from Progression Brewing (MA).  

4/16 - I made another Crazy Pineapple bounty tournament final table on Global Poker tonight.  I wound up finishing fourth, but my $30 plus profit was cancelled out when I was the bubble boy (always fun) in another bigger $30 tournament tonight as well.  Just gotta keep plugging away...

4/17 - I attended the opening match for the new season for the Nashville Soccer Club vs. FC Cincinnati tonight.  Thanks to my beer pal, Nate, for letting me buy his second seat for tonight's game for the price of....beer, of course! Before the game, we stopped by the new digs for Barrique Brewing who was having a private tap room soft opening for which Nate got an invitation.   They open to the public on May 1.  They have taken over the spot where Little Harpeth Brewing used to be near downtown.  LHBC in turn, have moved out toward West Nashville and were bought by Lippman Distributing recently (boo!!!). 

While at Barrique I was overjoyed to see that they don't just have sours...which they are known for and which I care the least for in the world of craft beer.  Instead I first had their excellent Pub Ale - Ordinary Bitter (photo above).  Next, was their equally great Pub Ale - Proper Porter.  We talked some with the owner/brewer who says English pub ales are actually his favorite and hopes to have a couple on tap all the time.  Well, I guess I will be back!!  I bought Nate's two rounds here as payment for the game ticket.  We both bought a couple of bottle of some of their sours as well.  Thanks, again, Nate, for the invitation here and to the game! 

It was an awesome night for a game.  A little cool, but tolerable.  Nate's lower bowl seats at Nissan Stadium are pretty sweet too.  I found a New Heights IPA pint can to have with my pizza dinner.  Gotta support our local team and our local breweries!!  The game was quite enjoyable with the good guys falling behind in an early 2-0 hole due to some bad luck and freaky plays.  But we battled back and tied it, and probably should have won, but the Cincy goalie saved his team the loss with some great saves.  At least we got the point.

After the game, we met up with my longtime pal, Craig, and his son, Ryan, who were also at the game, and drove them back over to the ML Rose at Capitol View where they were parked.  We went in and had a beer before leaving, of course.  I had an OK double IPA from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta) called Space Lettuce.  Honestly, I was expecting more from an imperial IPA.   Craig hooked me and Nate up with a case of craft beer from his hometown Perrylogic Brewing over in Paris, TN.  Wow!  Thanks, man!  I felt like I should return the favor a little and gave him one of my sour bottles from Barrique since he likes them more than I do anyway.  

4/18 - Popcorn, beer and poker...three of my favorite things!   I scored big tonight with a second place finish in a huge $22 tournament vs. 448 other players. I turned a profit of over $1,220!!  Poker pro, anyone??  During the 6-hour session with my nutritious dinner of popcorn, I cracked open one of Craig's gift beer from last night.  The Summer Wheat from Perrylodgic Brewing over in Paris, TN, was solid and thirst-quenching.  Thanks, Craig, and thanks, Global Poker!!