Trippin' at Work and Lots of Live Music

Just cuz it's Jennifer Connelly
(Mt. Rushmore # 1) 

8/1 - I started the month off with a couple of pool beers this evening including the tart, but refreshing, Cran Orange Wheat from Great Lakes Brewing (Cleveland) followed by the excellent double NEIPA from Heretic Brewing (CA) called You Can't Handle the Juice.  

8/2 - Salute!  I was happy to celebrate International Beer Day with a pool float check-in of an excellent pint can of Dirt Nap, a double NEIPA from The Veil Brewing Company (VA).  

8/3 thru 8/4 - I started another weekend pet-sitting gig with my pals north of town: Gus, Dolly and the Centerville Cats.  This time for straight up $200 cash instead of thru the Rover app.  

I got a small NLCP tournament win today vs. 11 other players on Global Poker for right at 700% ROI.  

8/4 - I had a couple pool beers today including a pint can of the nice collaborative Maibock from Old Nation Brewing (MI) and Urban Chestnut Brewing (St. Louis) called Kastanie; and then an excellent IPA from Edmund's Oast Brewing (Charleston, SC) called Heat Ray. 

I got another small NLCP tournament win tonight vs. 23 other players on Global Poker for right at 1000% ROI.  

8/5 - I had another Remote Workday today and headed out after noon to check out the Bag Lady Fry Joint in North Nashville.  I got their "Beef in the Streets" Philly cheesesteak covered fries and it was fantastic!   Coming back here again for sure!  I headed over to East Nashville next to check out the brand new 5 Points Beer Garden connected to the Buds and Brews Bar/Restaurant.  It's so brand new that the beer garden and its inside bar weren't even open yet (then why say you are??).  They had an impressive number of taps, but only the ones in the restaurant end were operating and they had no beer list (really annoying).  I heard them say they had some new Naked River Brewing beers, so I asked about those, and one was their Italian-style Pisa Pils that was pretty good.  It too was very new and not even on UNTAPPD yet, so I did get to add it.  I will give this place another try maybe later on when they have their shit more together...if they ever do...I mean it's a pot-head place, so who knows.  

8/6 - My buddy, Toney, and I went to see the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Trap, tonight at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!).  His movies can be such hits or real misses so the name of the movie itself had me thinking I was about to be "trapped" in a dumb flick, so I kept my expectations pretty low.  And at least it was on a $6 Bargain Tuesday showing.  The film was very frustrating.  Shyamalan is such a great idea man, a decent director, but the worst hack writer sometimes.  So many parts of this film were so dumb that it was distracting.  Get off your ego, M. Night, and let someone help write for your great ideas.  

8/7 - My office boys and I stopped by Tenn Lakes Brewing after work today for another round of "brew-n-chew" which was great.  I've never really had co-workers I gelled with this much.  I had two great beers from TLBC too.  Their quality of craft beer has really improved!  First up was their solid Vienna Lager.  I finished with their hefty and delicious imperial IPA called Double Hippity Hop.  And the pizza was good despite them parting ways with our beloved Prince Street Pizza up in Gallatin. 

8/8 - I got a nice low-price NLCP tournament win on Global Poker tonight vs. 34 other players with an ROI of right at 1,100%!   

8/9 - Thanks to a last-minute "fire sale" on Stub Hub, my pal, Nate, and I grabbed cheap tickets for tonight's show at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville featuring 90's hard-core acts: Candlebox, Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains) and Bush.  The show was great from start to finish with solid sets by all three performers.  I especially enjoyed seeing Bush again with their dynamic frontman, Gavin Rossdale, putting on an energetic show that included running up to the top row of the arena for one song.  He also brought out Amy Lee of Evanescence for an awesome duet.   With empty seats around me, I was able to stretch out and relax during the show.  Score!! 
Beforehand, we had a few brews (and free parking) at Barrique Brewing and then Ubered to and from the show.  First, I had their excellent nitro golden ale called J.A. Varney.  Then it was their great DNEIPA called Absorption Coefficient.

8/10 - I drove up to Rock Island State Park today where I had a cabin reserved for the weekend with my nutty sister, Melinda, as a late birthday present for her, and the fact now that she's been diagnosed with cancer again.  She's not had a lot of luck in her life, that's for sure, so I need to be as patient and as loving as I can to her, but, damn, if she doesn't get on my nerves constantly.  We ate an early dinner at Nick's Landing Restaurant in Rock Island.  The catfish plates were great! 
Beforehand, I stopped by Happy Trails Brewing in Sparta and had a pint of the surprisingly good Nuka Orange Sour that tasted just like an orange Fanta to me.  I liked it so much that I got a half-growler of it to enjoy over the weekend as well.  

Beforehand, I did watch the USWNT going for soccer gold at The Paris Olympics against Brazil.   Way to go, ladies!! 

8/11 - Our second day at Rock Island State Park included another stop at Nick's Landing for breakfast (excellent western omelet!) and a visit to the awe-inspiring man-made mistake called Twin Falls which there is a great view of from the parking lot which was important to Melinda's limited mobility.  I am really glad she got to see this in person.  We also stopped by Great Falls which wasn't that "great" with its low, dam-controlled water levels, but still pretty cool to see from an overlook with a short walk from the car.  For lunch we had some fried gizzards (you know, God's chicken nuggets!) from Ooh Wee BBQ in North Nashville.  They were pretty good despite the fact they were cooked two days earlier and traveled all this way via cooler.  

We didn't spend the second night in the cabin due to early-morning obligations on Monday for both of us.  On the way home, I did stop by Red Silo Brewing in Cookeville (and then there's was only one in this once-great craft beer town with the demise of Hix Farm and now, Jig Head Brewing - RIP).  I had their solid Scottish ale called McIntyre's Ire.  I was asked to do some dog-sitting on the lake a day earlier than expected tonight and was able to oblige.  It was good to see that goofy Maggie (photo above) again and enjoy here sweet home.  

I also played some online poker tonight and got two very similar NLCP wins on Global Poker vs. 25+ other players for 1,100+% ROI.  I also got a 3-way chop on PokerStars with our local home-game group giving me $20 in profit since I had to rebuy and add on as well. 

8/12 - It was another (mostly) remote workday and night out on the lake dog-sitting today.  Cheers to that! 

In online poker, I won a satellite ticket to a bigger tournament on Global Poker this afternoon valued at 650% ROI vs. 54 other players with the top ten getting tickets and I finished in 2nd place.   The larger tournament took a bad turn when my flopped two pair was bested by a bigger flopped two pair.  SOS in the big tourneys recently it seems like. 

No luck on the fishing front either, but it sure was pleasant out on the lake! Especially with a couple nice beers including a pint of the excellent Neko IPA from Japas Cervejaria (Brazil), (photo above) and another pint can of the light lager called Beer To Drink When It's Hot Outside from Westbrook Brewing (SC). 

8/13 - Hey, watching college sports at work ain't a bad gig!  The Cumberland men's soccer team took on Pellissippi State College from Knoxville this afternoon and I caught a bit of it while on the clock.  After work, I popped a can of Steamer Lane, a tasty pilsner from Fonta Flora Brewing (NC).  

8/14 - Remote Work Day!    I headed out this afternoon and stopped by Yazoo Brewing up in Madison where I had their excellent Pilot Series: Dunkel Weissbier.  From there I moved on to Crazy Gnome Brewing in East Nashville and had a couple of their tasty collabs with other breweries including the Japanese-style rice lager called So Fresh and So Lime with Ebony and Ivory Brewing up in Knoxville.  And then the farmhouse ale with Harding House Brewing who were here in Nashville until recently (RIP) called Mice Among Lions.  From there I walked a short distance to the Vui's Vietnamese restaurant in (struggling?) Hunter's Station and had an excellent beef rice bowl dinner.  I walked again down to Smith and Lentz Brewing and had a their nice Quackenbruck Pilsner.

I headed across the river next to check out The Gaslight Anthem at Marathon Music Works, the second of four $25 flat shows coming up this summer.  I was kind of done drinking, but I parked for free at the M.L. Rose at Capitol View which is surprisingly only a half mile from the venue and a safe walk.   The show was good with a couple of openers including Pinkshift which didn't do much for me, and a tight little punk-rock band called Joyce Manor that were pretty good for that genre which isn't my favorite.  TGE is kind of considered punk, but I think they are more grounded in rock.  I was shocked at the weight gain and long hair of TGE lead singer, Brian Fallon.  So much so I had to check and see if they had changed frontmen!  He still sounded great and the closing of the show with " '59 Sound" accompanied by the always-great, Butch Walker, was worth the wait. 

8/15 - I won a small NLHE bounty tournament on Global Poker tonight vs. 10 other players with three knockouts for a total ROI of just over 350%.   I also won a small NLCP tournament vs. 17 other players for an ROI of just under 800%! 

8/16 - I headed downtown again tonight to catch a solo show by Ben Nichols of Lucero at The Exit/In closing out his Bike Riders Tour with host, Oliver Peck, the famous tattoo artist.  The show was excellent with Ben in top form accompanied by local guitar virtuoso, Cory Branon.   
Beforehand, I walked over to the fairly new House of Beer near the venue and had a couple ho-hum brews from Secret Llama Brewing (FL) including their IPA and their Blueberry Wheat Ale.  This HOB location continues to disappoint in terms of high prices and weak tap selections, so I don't see me coming back here again.  

8/17 -We attended the Seattle Seahawks at the Titans preseason game with my Hawk-loving pal, Craig, and his wife, Allison - we got $8 tickets on StubHub!!  We rode the Titans Express train to and from the game from the Donelson Station.   I chose this station so I could have some pre-game libations at the Homegrown Taproom beforehand.   With a tasty dinner, I had half-pints of the solid Summer Seasonal With Lime ale from local Little Harpeth Brewing, and the tasty Stone (Brewing in CA) Ruination IPA which I was sure I have had before but UNTAPPD said no.  
Beforehand, I got a nice pool float in along with a pint can of the nice DIPA collab between Equilibrium Brewing (NY) and Civil Society Brewing (FL) called Seven Izzup.

8/18 - I did some overnight pet-sitting for my pal, Nate, and his wife, Ginny, at their home in Donelson tonight.  I only charged them beer!  For dinner, I stopped by the nearby TennFold Brewing and a got a tasty chicken pesto pizza to go.  While waiting on my pie, I had their very nice Belgian tripel called Vikings Horn.  
Beforehand, I got another pool float in this time with a pint can of the excellent NEIPA from Timber Ales (CT) called Sleepless Skylines (Mosaic and Citra).

8/19 - Wouldn't this be awesome for the new Titans stadium in Music City!!

I got a small NLHE bounty tournament win tonight on Global Poker vs. 12 other players with four knockouts for a total ROI of right at 600%!  

8/20 - My pal, Toney, and I went to see the new sci-fi horror flick, Alien: Romulus, at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!) on $6 Bargain Tuesday.  I thought it was a good addition to the Alien franchise with a good story and believable characters.  The temps were mild enough that I could walk the mile and a half to the theater from the CU campus where Ashlee and I had $5 dinners beforehand in the cafeteria there.  

My August Beer Box came today with a nice mix of brews including a couple IPAs, a sour Gose, a pale ale, a pilsner, a lager, a fruit beer and a brown ale.  Cheers!! 

8/21 - I don't usually record 2nd place finishes on Global Poker here, but tonight is an exception, as I bested 228 other players in a wild $1 mystery bounty NLHE tournament for a whopping ROI of just under 6,300%!!   I did get a first-place finish in a much smaller bounty NLHE tournament vs. just seven other players getting six of the knockouts for a nice 400%+ ROI.  These deep runs helped me cash out another $100 in profit tonight as well!  

8/22 - They are getting so close!!  ENBC - Wilson Co.!!! 

8/23 - I wasn't gonna have a beer today, but when I heard about the sudden passing of an acquaintance of mine from aggressive cancer last night, I decided to tip one in his honor.  I chose the excellent Ellie's Brown Ale from Avery Brewing (CO).  This one's for you, Andrew.  I didn't know you well, but I do know you liked to hoist a brew or two.   Cheers and RIP.  

8/24 - I went to see Iron and Wine at The Ryman tonight - the third of four $25-flat shows this summer.  I've never seen this eclectic one-man project play live, but have admired the music for a while now.   The show was pretty good, although it reminded me of seeing Jackson Browne there several years ago when he didn't play any of his hits.  To a lesser degree, I only really know a coupole of his songs and one he did in a different way that I didn't care for and did not play the other.  Oh well, at least I had a pew to myself upstairs in the balcony as I abandoned my downstair assigned seat when I saw the place was only about 75% full.  The opener, Sunny Wars, was also eclectic, but talented.  

Before heading downtown this afternoon, I enjoyed a couple of pool beers after a hot mowing session including the above-pictured Mango Bubbles fruit beer from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati) which is just about a perfect choice for this locale.  I followed that up with a nice session IPA called Secret Crush from Middel Brow Beer Co. (Chicago).   

Before the show, I had quite the little downtown craft beer crawl starting at Tennessee Brew Works where I had their nice pilsner called Czech, Czech...One, Two.  Next, I stopped by Marble Fox Brewing where they had a Tiki Party going on to celebrate the release of their surprisingly good sour fruited IPA called Torchlight.  They also had the whitest reggae band I've ever seen called Vibright who were actually pretty good. (Shout out to The Cutting Crew cover).  And, hey, you think they've ever played in front of a cooler backdrop that what is pictured above? 

I also got to pick up a rental car at our local Enterprise (a decent little Jeep Renegade) for my very first work road trip next week!!  I drove it downtown saving me miles one of our cars too.  

Next stop was around the corner to Hi-Wire Brewing with a stop at the Taste of Aloha food truck at Marble Fox Brewing to grab one of their last pork bowls which was fantastic!  Thanks to HWBC for letting me eat it at the bar since the don't serve food anyway.  But they do serve solid beer!  First up was their decent Catbird in the Rye lager.  I finished with their solid West Coast Pils.  

My final stop was a last-minute addition, good ol' Hops and Crafts in The Gulch which was shamefully dead for a nice Saturday afternoon/early-evening.  I worry about the longevity of this place.  Other long-time beer bars in less expensive places to do business have bit the dust in the past few years.  Their "craft on draft" line-up was impressive as always.  I started with the excellent IPA from Burial Beer Company (Asheville) called The Mirage of Substance.  I finished with the a-bit too-sweet pale ale called Charlatan from Maplewood Brewing (Chicago).  

 
I had an interesting walk back to my car up on 4th Street after the show spying not one, but two, new-to-me beer bars showing a lot of taps.  I stepped into the Almost Friday Sporting Club (photo above), but didn't order anything since it was late and I had to drive, but I will have to give it a look next time I am down this way.  The other place, Sip Sobro, boasted 60 beers on tap - definitely worth a future visit! 

8/25 - I got on the road to East Tennessee today for work tomorrow.  I stopped at 1907 Brewing in Morristown for some libations.  I had their very good Peavine IPA and their so-so MoTown Brown ale.  

Morristown's elevated sidewalks from the 1960's (then called the Skywalk Project) which they claim are the only ones in North America (not sure about that) are definitely pretty neat.  This picture got quite the stir on a new-to-me Facebook group I recently joined called "Roadside America" closing in on almost 1,800 likes and tons of discussion/comments.  For perspective, 1907 Brewing Company is just below on the left and that's my rental - the black Jeep Renegade - on the right side of the street in front of the white car. 

I chose to stay at the historic Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City for the next few days. I was pleased with my room and the hotel itself.  I also had some outstanding room service for dinner on the company dime!!  And I love the trains...mainly because they move on the other side of the hotel from where I was! 

I got into pretty, clean Johnson City early enough tonight to drop by the Tennessee Hills Brewstillery just down the street from my hotel.  Cool concept and a beautiful place.  Their beer wasn't bad either.  I started with their very nice Hawaiian Shirt IPA and then their solid Callahan's Irish Red ale.  

8/26 - Hello, Tusculum University in Greeneville, TN!!  My first solo college fair went pretty smooth.  Not a ton of interest, but I did get a couple students to sign interest cards and gave out (too much) swag.  Gotta tone it down to last the week!! 

With my one and only college fair over today at noon, I had the whole afternoon to let the 2.7 mile hike to beautiful Margarette Falls pretty much kick my ass!  Whew!  All uphill going in and then a technical rocky descent that was pretty tricky coming out.  But it was worth it to have this beauty all to myself by the time I got there!! 

I reflected on the beautiful hike and sights like this jaw-droppingly beautiful cascade below Margarette Falls as I pulled into Johnson City Brewing Company downtown.  Set in an old storefront from the hey-day of what was probably a thriving downtown, it's much quieter now.  While not a lot to look at, their beer was unique and outstanding!  I started with their top-notch Hopollo 13 West Coast IPA.  Next up was the sweet, but satisfying, Apple Butter Golden Ale - it's named exactly right.  I even got a taste of their extremely unique Sauerkraut Oktoberfest which smelled exactly like its name and only tasted slightly better.  An A for effort, but an N for "no thank you!" from me.  I loaded up here with a variety four-pack of pint cans to take home and a crowler of a pretzel Oktoberfest that I think Ashlee is gonna love.  

I slipped over the newer and busier Great Oak Brewing next which is co-housed with a BBQ restaurant called Southern Craft.  I had some excellent brisket tacos for dinner along with GOBC's solid Twin Eddie's Coffee Porter and then their serviceable Tennessee UnKommon - their take on a Kentucky common beer.   

8/27 - It was a long day of three different high school fairs today, but I did have a 6-hour gap in between the last two and was able to check out a few places of interest including my first Pal's experience for dinner consisting of their giant signature hamburger with cheese that was delicious.  Time to try some of the famous "Frenchie fries" next! 

I also took a sort of long drive to see the pretty dry Elrod Falls.  At least it was easy access with just a short walk from the parking lot and does show its potential and worth for another visit, just not in the later summer.  A quick drive by Amis Mill revealed the same if not worse results - not even picture-worthy for now.  

Now the Mountain Dew gravestone (thanks AtlasObscura.com) just up the road from my hotel in Johnson City is a hoot to see in any season.  It's an ode to the original bottle design of one of my favorite beverages - not containing hops - which originated here.  Note the bottle opener on the bottom right side!   Very cool! 
I was strapped for time after my late college fair to hit a brewery tonight, so I had a hotel-room libation instead consisting of a pint can of the excellent dry-hopped wheat ale called Chiller from the Johnson City Brewing four-pack that I picked up yesterday.  

8/28 - I had a little bit of time between my two fairs today to jump back over to Johnson City and have a brew at the big-daddy-brewer here in town now:  Yee Haw Brewing.  While not the oldest craft brewery here in town, they have been the most successful with wide distribution, savvy sales tactics (their new Vol Lager could be a barn burner for them), and, yes, making pretty damn good beer.  Their flagship brewhouse is in a beautiful old, refurbed building and the Will's Pills(ner) was solid as usual for their wares. 

I was done with work with enough daylight left today to check out some (hopefully not dry) waterfalls nearby.   First up was Martin Creek Falls.  While easy to get to and find, I decided not to risk the mile in and mile back hike due to probable low water levels.  Gonna save this one for a spring trip return that will include Elrod Falls and Amis Mill from yesterday.  The cardinal flower pictured above and the little fawn I saw on the way made the trip worthy, nonetheless.  

 Next up was Spivey Falls.  It was running pretty good down the side of Spivey Mountain, but a little far from the road and a little too steep (and hot) to try and get closer to at this time.  This was a recon mission as well to see where the rental house that claims views of this waterfall is and what it looks like.   I found the address I think, and it looks like a good spot, but was down a private drive that I couldn't access today.  See you next April for my birthday maybe?? 

And finally, I unknowingly saved the best for last with Big Creek Falls just a little inside the North Carolina border on the same road as Spivey Falls.   This little sliding beauty is roadside as well with a quick steep ascent to the base revealing a little slice of Pisgah National Forest heaven with complete cover from the road.  

Afterwards, I went back to the Southern Craft in Johnson City for dinner again and had a couple more Great Oak Brewing libations including their Thunder Pig IPA that was solid and their decent Watauga Lake Kolsch.  Their burnt ends plate was worth the hefty $25 price tag (thanks Cumberland U!).  Delicious!! 

8/29 - After another long day (and night) of fairs today, I headed east a bit to a nice Fairfield Inn back in Morristown.  I had a gap of time between fairs enough to go briefly check out the new Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, VA.  Nothing much of interest to me actually.  No poker room (yet?), too much smoking (yuck), and the conversion to a full-on Hard Rock property isn't complete yet.   I walked thru and left fairly quickly without dropping a dime.  I did have a tasty, and free, lunch at the Blue Moose Burger and Wings Restaurant back in Johnson City.   They gave my order to another table and made me a fresh one for me on the house (you're welcome, CU!).  I did have two craft beers on my dime including a nice golden ale by Johnson City Brewing called Blue and Gold (for ETSU here) and a solid Mexican lager from Yee Haw Brewing called Cerveza Lime.  
Since the casino was a quick bust, I had time to also drop by new-to-me Bays Mountain Brewing in Kingsport for a couple pints also.   I had their delicious Barney's Brown Ale and a very nice NEIPA they called NETN (get in, NorthEast TN).  

8/30 - I had one short fair this morning before heading back from East Tennessee.  I stopped at the beautiful (I had forgotten how much so inside - photo above) Downtown Grill and Brewing in Knoxville for lunch where I had a nice sirloin and a pint of their solid seasonal Patio Perch pale ale.  I gotta hit this place again when I am up here for my Knoxville College Fair Week later this month!  

That was a good "work week" with 7 brewery visits, six of which were new-to-me, 18 new-to-me beers, four (and a half, cuz it was almost dry) waterfalls and a Mountain Dew gravestone.  Not too shabby! 

 
I attended the SOLD OUT Butch Walker show at 3rd and Lindsley with my pal, Danny, tonight.  I got to drive the CU rental downtown since it wasn't due back until tomorrow (score!).  Beforehand, I had a tasty Fat Pug milk stout from Maplewood Brewing (Chicago) at ML Rose - Capitol View where we also parked for free and Ubered to the show and back.  The show was great with Butch playing his entire 20th-anniversary "Letters" album from start to finish, and an encore of some selected favorites.  He also brought out country star, Ashley Monroe, for a pretty cool cover of Aerosmith's "Angel." 

8/31 - It was quite a bittersweet Saturday, as I attended the funeral service of my (younger than me), acquaintance, Andrew.  Ashlee and I are closer friends with his wife, now widow sadly, Emily.  Cancer really sucks.  RIP, brother. 

UT football and for most other colleges started today as well and I celebrated that fact with a can of Vol Lager from recently visited Yee Haw Brewing up in Johnson City, TN.  Here's to my little alma mater, Chattanooga, taking on the chin today in Neyland Stadium by a 69-3 score, but collecting that big check on the way out.  Cha-ching!! 

9/1 - I went to see O/A/R at The Ryman tonight as the last of four $25 flat shows this summer.  Ashlee was supposed to go with me, but booked a conflicting cruise with her sister, so I sold the extra ticket for $20 to a lady who was very grateful to get the bargain price.   The show was outstanding even though I didn't stay until the end (dog-sitting duties).  I even liked the short part of the set from the second opener, Ripe, that I got to see. 
 
Beforehand, Sunny and I met my pal, Curtis, at Cedar City Brewing for a couple beers.  I had two new-to-me beers of theirs including the solid pale ale called Pale Rider from the West, and their surprisingly nice Hibiscus Margarita Gose. 

While at the show, I also finished on the final table (6th) of today's Golden Scrimmage (play money) NLHE tournament vs. 417 other players which should earn me some exclusive Global Poker swag.  (and, yes, it was a "Crazy Game of Poker")

9/2 - I didn't spend Labor Day in the pool today since it was just a little cool to do so and the fact that I was fighting off a cold I brought back with me from Johnson City last week.  Yuck!  But I did get paid today!!  My beer buddy, Nate, stopped by and we had an impromptu beer tasting out on the patio including one of two pints cans he brought me back from Birmingham as "payment" for a night of pet-sitting at his house last month.  I enjoyed the pint can of The Gardener IPA from Birmingham (AL) District Brewing.  We also split a pint can of the excellent amber lager called Peaches that I brought back from my visit to Johnson City Brewing last week.   I will save my other "payment" beer for later.  Thanks, Nate!! 

I got a small buy-in NLHE bounty tournament win today vs. 25 other people with seven knockouts for an ROI right at 1,000%!