I Will C U on the Road Again

 

My signature hand - Quad Treys - and this guy's bettin' into me! 
#ROBHANDSTOREMEMBER 

9/2 - I was back in Chattanooga for work today (and some more great lasagna at Silverdale Baptist Academy tonight before their evening college fair.  That stuff alone is worth driving two hours for!!)  

Back at my very nice Townhome Suites hotel in Hixson tonight, I got 3rd in a $1 NLHE turbo mystery bounty tournament with an amazing $260 overlay in it since only 239 other players bought in and there was a guarantee of $500.  I hit the 2nd highest mystery bounty at over 3,700% ROI, plus a couple more smaller ones for a total ROI of just under 6,900%!!  That made for a $75 cash-out of profit again!  

9/3 - I was still in Chattanooga tonight for our BFFFL draft for my new team name this year, "Pisces of Eight" and yes, I love my free AI-drawn logo (thanks, CrAIyon.com).  I got an A+ on my draft according to Yahoo, but you can't hold much credence with that although I am happy with the results given the fact I had a crappy draft position.

Earlier today, I caught a matinee showing of Caught Stealing, the new crime caper movie starring Austin Butler, at the Regal Theaters at Hamilton Place (recliners!).  It was pretty good, but not a classic by any means.  I had lunch beforehand just across the parking lot of the theaters at Community Pie which have several beers from Five Wits Brewing here in Chattanooga.  I had the Clear Skies pale ale which was very good.  

9/4 - I was still in Chattanooga today for more college fair work.  My article in the July/August issue of Ante Up Online Magazine came out a few days ago and I was happy with how it turned out.  

Oh yeah, I bought a tap handle the other day at Mars Theater Brewing.  It used to be in use at Chimney Rock Brewing (RIP) which got destroyed during Hurricane Helene.  Don't know what I am gonna do with it, but I liked the 3's on it and hoped it helped the owners a little in their recovery.  Cheers! 

After my college fair duty was over today, I went by Tanasi Brewery near my hotel here in Hixson and had a couple brews and talked to owner/brewer, Clinton, for a bit.  Good guy. Great beer.  I started with his super smooth and dark Blackfoot IPA.  Next up was his near-perfect habanero-infused Poivre Epice Saison.  I also took home a pint crowler can of his Layover pale lager to enjoy back at the hotel tonight.  

In online poker back at the hotel room tonight, I won a NLHE satellite ticket on Global Poker worth over 700% ROI.  And then in that NLHE progressive bounty tournament that I won my way into I was able to get back my satellite buy-in plus some with my first knockout.  And sadly, that's as much as I got with my own tough knockout close to the money.  Blah! 
Then I won another NLHE satellite ticket (top 6 out of 31) worth 1,000% ROI.  In that corresponding NLH tournament, I flamed out as well in a horrible bad beat that cracked my pocket kings.  Double blah! 

9/5 - I drove back from Chattanooga today and did a couple hours dog-sitting with Teddy.  I hope this weekend to crack open a bottle of Al Wilson's 27 Hard Hitting Tea that I picked up in Knoxville last week.  Let's hopefully toast another UT win by spanking ETSU on Saturday.  And then the Titans take the field for the first time with Cam Ward at QB on Sunday.  Hoping for the best there also.   It's good to have football back! 

9/6 - We had our first fire on the patio of the fall tonight, and I officially kicked off this year's "ROBtoberfest" with an excellent pint can of Butterscotch Oktoberfest märzen that I brought home from Johnson City Brewing last week. 

Beforehand, it was a rainy Saturday, so I got me a nice afternoon $1 NLHE turbo bounty tournament win on Global Poker vs. 99 other players.  Along with my 7 knockouts, I got an ROI of right at 2,500%!!  I also got to the final table on the next scheduled $1 NLHE turbo bounty tournament and got second in it for just under 1,800% ROI! 

9/7 - We had a very good lunch in Nashville today at Rock-n-Dough Pizza and I had their excellent C-Worthy IPA.

9/8 - Now THAT is rental car for work!! Our local Enterprise office offered me this sweet almost (18K miles) brand-new Mustang convertible as my corporate "standard" rental today and I jumped at the chance.  Ashlee and I took it out this evening for a sunset frozen custard run to Mt. Juliet.  
I also had a nice $20 lunch-time dog-sitting gig with Teddy again today. 

9/9 - After a couple of fairs up in northern middle TN, and a sweet top-down drive there and back for the most part, I headed downtown for the Dwight Yoakam show at the Ascend Amphitheater with my work friend, Todd.  It was a great show with two solid openers - first being Ben Haggard, the youngest son of legendary Merle Haggard.  He definitely sounds like daddy.  The country music legend nepo-baby streak continued with Shooter Jennings, Waylon's boy, filling the second slot with his tight band from LA doing a bunch of Warren Zevon cover songs.  Very cool.  Dwight was excellent as usual. He's still got his "Little Ways" on stage at 68 years young.   

9/10 - I was back on the road with work AGAIN today with an overnight stay at a nice Fairfield Inn (points!!) in Clinton, TN, north of Knoxville.  Near the hotel was Norris Dam State Park which has a great little historic grist mill built in 1798 and torn down and rebuilt here on Clear Creek.  Its original location was flooded with the building of the Norris Dam.  Afterwards, I stopped by Orange Hat Brewing and had a couple of late afternoon brews including their excellent DIPA called Stone the Crows and a solid rye porter called Live! At the Ryeman.  I had a great spicy tuna sushi roll for dinner from nearby Tomo Poke Bowl compliments of CU! 

9/11 - On my way to my next overnight stay for work today at another Fairfield Inn (points!) in Athens, TN, I got a chance to stop at the new second location of Monkey Town Brewing in Loudon.  It's set up in the old train deport downtown and is very cool.  I started with their tasty blonde ale called Little Miss Thang and finished with their excellent brown ale called Over-worked CPA.  

After a slew of bad beats and coolers that last couple nights, I finally got back on the winning side on Global Poker with a small NLCP turbo tournament win vs. 17 other players that got me about 800% ROI and maybe halfway back to what I've lost out of my online bankroll this week.  Just keep grindin'.   

9/12 - I drove back home from work on the road today so I could wish my baby a happy birthday!  The miles were easy with a great audiobook called The Plague Dogs from one of my favorite authors, Richard Adams.  I actually read this book many years ago, but don't remember much of it, and definitely don't remember how sad it is!! 
I was able to make a quick one-and-done stop at tiny Creekside Brewing Company in Crossville on my way home and had their darn good GW Porter.  
Tonight, we went to see Will Hoge perform at the Hop Springs Beer Park in Murfreesboro for Ashlee's birthday, and I had a nice Sun Kissed Amber lager from nearby Cedar Glade Brewing.  

9/13 - God, what a dreadful day in sports today.  I enjoyed a pint can of the delicious Big Orange Creamsicle DIPA from my visit to Johnson City Brewing recently just before the Vols played great against higher-ranked Georgia at home only to miss a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation and then go on to lose in overtime.  
And then to make the day a complete bust (other than the great beer), NSC pisses away a point on the road against tough Cincinnati with a literally last-second goal given up and losing 2-1.  UGGGGHH!!!
(Thanks to CrAIyon.com for putting my feelings into graphic art)

9/15 - I went to a show by The Waterboys at Basement East tonight.  This Scottish rock band are long-time, celebrated artists in Europe and other parts of the world who I really never thought I would get a chance to see play live.  The show was very good, although I did miss the fiddle and sax of some of my favorite tunes of theirs. 

Beforehand, I parked for free behind the Waymore Hotel nearby and then had a couple brews at Smith and Lentz Brewing.  I started with their brand new and excellent Dabjacker IPA - only tapped earlier today.  It was so new that I even got to add it to UNTAPPD.  I finished with their solid NEIPA called Flight of the Zebra. 

I skipped the opener and opted to check out Honeytree Meadery across the street from the Basement East instead.  They've recently remodeled and it looks great.  I had a glass of their very smooth Chin Up, Buttercup (12% ABV!) metheglin mead while waiting on a delish smashburger from the Bad Luck Burgers food truck out front.  

9/16 - I attended the semi-final for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament with NSC taking on the Philadelphia Union at home tonight with my pal, Nate. Thanks for invitation, Nate!  I am still sore about the loss on the road Saturday in league play that gave us a now 6-game losing streak and really didn't feel good about tonight's outcome.  The game was, however, was MAGNIFICENT!!  We dominated in a 3-1 fashion with a hat-trick posted by Super Sam Surridge (the current Golden Boot leader in MLS!)!
Before the game, we parked for free (thanks so much) at Broadcast Brewing and had some brews as "payment."  I had their new rich and tasty dark ale called Dark Signal.  My "walking beer" to the stadium in a red Solo cup was the guest tap from nearby Fait la Force Brewing called Drifting Horizon, a piney and solid IPA.   
It was also $1 hotdog night at the stadium, and I bought and consumed the maximum you could buy in one visit - FOUR!!

9/17 - This month's (and this year's last) Beer Box shipment came today, and I only see one that looks to be a repeat.  I got a couple seasonal märzens, two pale ales, a hazy IPA, a sour, a red ale and a lager.  I will start these guys back up again in the spring when the pool reopens.  I continue to be very happy with their service.  

9/18 - Finally!  I finally got a win in one of the Ante Up Magazine Patreon tournaments tonight on PokerStars against just 12 other players, and it was a cool twist on NLHE, crazy pineapple and Omaha called Fusion, where you get two more cards dealt to you after the flop and turn. and then must use two of them in your hand like in an Omaha showdown.  It was an epic 3-way battle as I had the other two players dominated early on, just to see them both luck out and suck out on me time and time again.  Then it got down to two and it was another long battle, but once the blinds got to 2K (about 1/10 of our stacks), I poured on the pressure and my opponent just refused to call any of my all ins until he was just about blinded out and I finished him off with a turned flush.  Not even sure what I won.  Maybe a $50 gift card?  We shall see. (Turns out it was $25).  And will I be on the show like other previous winners?  We shall see about that too, I guess.  (Doesn't look like it, but my screenname did get a shout-out the next day on the podcast).  

9/20 - I got a last-minute overnight gig to sit with my favorite pit bulls out in Watertown tonight.  I just love these big boogers.  

9/22 - I was in Knoxville for work this week.  After a long day of fairs today including an evening one, I went to see the discounted Monday mystery Rated R movie at the Regal Cinebarre West Town Mall Theaters (recliners!).  It turned out to be a pretty good one called Dead of Winter starring Emma Thompson who I've always had a bit of thing for.   She was great in it as was Judy Greer as the psycho human organ hunter!! Crazy story!!  They had order-at-your-seat food service and craft beer at the theater, and I enjoyed a tart but balanced fruit sour from the local Xul Beer Company called Xul-Aid: Fruit Punch.    Between fairs earlier this afternoon, I stopped by Orange Hat Brewing and their excellent weisenbock called Mountain Mama.  I also picked up a nice $12 OHB hat from their bargain basket! 
My Fairfield Inn selection in East Knoxville has been a bit of a disappointment with a front desk person vacant for a good while when I arrived late last night. And then when Miss Meth-head-looking finally showed up, she informed me of a broken elevator and a 3rd floor room assignment, but hey, points is points!! 

9/23 - No early fairs in Knoxville today, so I got to sleep in a bit, and then have lunch at Abridged Beer Company where I had their excellent burger that was on special (thanks CU!) and a pint of the very nice NEIPA called Synchronous.  
Back in the room after my second night fair of the week, I won a small buy-in turbo NLCP tournament on Global Poker vs. 19 other players that garnered me just under 900% ROI.  The ol' online bankroll needed that small pump up for sure! 

9/24 - My night fair was in Maryville, so I was able to stop at Peaceful Side Brewing beforehand and then Tri-Hop and Swäˈrā Brewing Company afterwards.  Nice little craft beer town we have here, Maryville!  At PSBC I had their excellent Hoppy Trail Magic NEIPA and finished with their solid fest bier called October's Gold.  I was one and done at Tri-Hop (my first visit here) and had their very good flagship TrI.P.A. while the rain poured outside (photo above).  I dodged rain again at Swäˈrā (Southern for soiree) Brewing (my first visit here also) and their decent, but hilariously named, Mustache Rye'd, rye IPA.  Even better was their ESB which I finished before driving back to the hotel in the rain. 
Even before my workday officially began, I was able to also have a lunchtime pint at the Hardin Valley location of Xul Beer Company where I had their Trees of Green # 1 IPA that was very good. Pretty good beer/workday!  

9/25 - I was still in Knoxville today, and I went back to the Regal Cinebarre West Town Mall Theaters (recliners! chairside food and beverage service!) tonight, to catch opening night of the new Leo Dicaprio film, One Battle After Another.  I have to say I was pretty disappointed in the movie.  Just not that funny and boring, fairly unbelievable characters throughout.   The pizza I got on the CU dime was pretty good at least.  
Beforehand, I stopped by Hexagon Brewing and had their very good Sexy Cat pale ale.  

A couple hours of my time that weren't a waste like the movie was an afternoon drive to and back from Buffalo Springs Falls northeast of Knoxville.  While not the most scenic or rural of falls, it still had a nice appeal as does the surrounding WMA.  I decided to leave the drain the drainpipe in this picture to remind me of the guy who came chugging along while I was there with an open water tank in the bed of his truck that he backed underneath the pouring flume.  Hillbilly ingenious!! 

9/26 - The drive back from Harrogate, NE of Knoxville, today was pleasant.  It was a beautiful drive down Hwy. 63 and the Cumberland Gap.  I stopped in Norris on the way home for lunch at the Clinch River Brewing Company where I had a tasty grilled chicken salad out on the back patio overlooking their koi pond along with their tasty Almost 29lb Brown Ale.   
Back at home this evening relaxing on the patio with friends and a fire going in our Solo Stove, I enjoyed a can of the Munsterfest 2025 märzen from 3 Floyds Brewing (IN) from my most recent BeerBox.com order.  

9/27 - It was time for Pilgrimage Festival 2025 this weekend and the live music and the beers available this year weren't too shabby.  First up from the craft beer tent was the classic 60 Minute IPA (2025) from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE).  I also found the above-pictured Corona Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza lager from macro-brewing Grupo Modelo (Mexico) that was light and refreshing on this warm day outdoors.  

9/28 - The second day of the 2025 Pilgrimage Festival was great too.  I had another brew from the craft beer tent called Lil' Hippie, a nice session IPA from Tennessee Brew Works in nearby Nashville.  Afterward, the only artist I saw without Ashlee was the impressive young Brit, Sam Fender (photo above).  It was another late-night drive back to Knoxville for work for me afterwards.  

9/29 - I was in Knoxville (AGAIN!) for work today.  I went back to the Regal Cinebarre West Town Mall Theaters (recliners! chairside food and beverage service!) tonight, for another discount Monday Mystery Movie.  This one was PG-13, so a bit of a gamble.  It turned out to be a good one, the post-WWII true-story drama, Nuremberg, starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon and a loaded cast.  Great movie.  Great topic in this day and age as well.  All evil gets its start somewhere.  

9/30 - I went to see the new period film/sequel, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, after work today.  I planned to see it with Ashlee, but since we've not been able to do so together recently, she went tonight with a friend, and I went conjointly while still here in Knoxville. I tried a new-to-me theater, the Regal Downtown West Cinema since it had a showing time that I could work with, and it's actually closer to my hotel.  And it's a Regal theater, so the movies are discounted on Tuesday nights!   I thought it was a fantastic ending to a great TV series and movie run.  Such wonderful characters and story.  

Beforehand, I took down a small NLHE super bounty turbo tournament on Global Poker against just 7 other players, but I got all but one of the bounties for just over 1,500% ROI.  

10/2 - The September issue of the Ante Up Online Magazine rolled out today and my article involving the beloved poker film, Rounders, looks great!  

10/1 - I drove back from Knoxville today in time to watch my beloved NSC Boys in Gold take on Austin FC for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup which they triumphantly brought back home to Music City!!  Tennessee's first-ever professional hardware!!  Now let's run deep in the MLS Playoffs, fellas!!  I toasted tonight's win with a nice can of 90 Shilling, the red ale from Odell Brewing Company (CO) that I received in my last BeerBox.com order.

This was first time getting a second page in the magazine!  Thanks for not editing my content down, Ante Up Magazine!! 

10/3 - I started a different dog-sitting long-weekend gig in Watertown today. Luke, Roxy and Ruby live on a great little farm and are pretty easy going.  This is going to be an easy $400+! 

10/4 - Ashlee and I and some friends attended the SOLD-OUT Cedar City Brewing Fall Brewer's Festival again this year in downtown Lebanon just off The Square.  It was another great time and despite the weather being a little warmer than usual for early October, we got to sample as much craft beer as we wanted in a pretty short amount of time.  I started inside Cedar City Brewing which was only open to VIP early-entry ticket holders (like us) where we had a tasty lunch along with their excellent English Pub Ale on nitro.
At the festival I had the following new-to-me tasters:
the nice Octobearfest märzen from Jackalope Brewing (Nashville) 
the light and easy Jackalope Light lager from guess who...
the rather weak Octoberfest (2025) from Mill Creek Brewing (Nolensville)
the mehh Zest Intensions traditional ale from Middle Ground Brewing (Murfreesboro) 
the balanced Sunraiser IPA from Half Batch Brewing (Hendersonville) 
the very good NZ Hop Hazy IPA from Twisted Copper (Mt. Pleasant) 
the BEST OF THE FEST (IMO) Phantom Shapes IPA from Fait la Force Brewing (Nashville)
the sour AF Hoppy Fields (Batch 2) golden ale from Yazoo Brewing (Madison)
the flat and poor Oberek Baltic porter from Cedar Glade Brewing (Murfreesboro) 

10/5 - My beer and soccer buddy, Nate, and I attended the official Nashville Soccer Club celebration of their recently won Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup outside Geodis Park in Nashville this afternoon.  Mayor O'Connell spoke and deemed today as NSC day in Nashville.  It was a great evening with perfect weather and capped off with a rainbow even (photo above).  So, somebody up there likes these Boys in Gold also!! 

10/6 - I had a nice relaxing Remote Day still out on the farm with the Watertown doggies today.  That's Ruby above dealing with a case of "the Mondays." 

10/7 - Look who's GOLD ELITE status with Marriott, baby!!  All those days on the road with work are paying off with this status that gives me room upgrades, late checkouts and other perks when available.  
This evening, I won a small NLCP turbo tournament on Global Poker vs. 15 other players for an ROI of right at 700%.