A Rousing Game of 52-YEAR Pick-Up

I have voices in my head, but don't get me wrong...we're good people...

It's my birthday month, time to mature and change my evils ways, right?  Nahh!

4/1 - I decided to take off a slow afternoon at work today and go check out the new film, Hotel Mumbai over at the Green Hills Theaters with its recliner seats since it was one of only two places that it was showing this week in Nashville.   It is a well-made, intense thriller that was hard to watch at times, but that I won't soon forget.  

4/4 - I was on my own tonight to catch opening night of  Shazam! at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville.  It was a very enjoyable movie.  It's nice to see DC getting its SHIZZam together as a movie studio.  Before the show, I had dinner and a couple craft brews at Growler USA a few doors down.    I started with a pretty good Powder white IPA from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati).  I finished with the juicy excellence of a Paradise Lost IPA from Southern Prohibition Brewing  (MS).  

4/5 - I had a good Friday night of online poker with a small win against 48 other players in a $5 Crazy Pineapple tournament for a $70+ profit, and then a 5th place finish in a larger $3 NLHE tournament vs. 123 other players for about $55 in profit.  

4/6 - I got this badge today even though National Beer Day is on 4/7.  At dinner in Chattanooga at a great Italian place called Il Primo that had a pretty primo beer list,  I had a solid On-Sight Alt from nearby Hutton and Smith Brewing. 

4/7 - Ashlee and I did celebrate National Beer Day today with a stop at Happy Trails Brewing in Sparta on our way back from Chattanooga.  She had the Pine Divine saison from the guest tap of nearby Calfkiller Brewing which I had a couple sips of and thought it was very good.  I chose Happy Trails' Twin Arches - Cappuccino Tiramisu brown ale that was outstanding.  This was Ashlee's first visit her and she was impressed.  

I got a cool early birthday present from my sister-in-law, Paige, today.  It's a great (and masculine) smelling candle housed in a cut beer bottle from Torched Products.  The label is theirs, but there are some Blackforest Lagers out there from different microbreweries according to UNTAPPD.  

4/9 - Tonight was the final Lebanon Poker Night for the season and it was a BIG ONE as my partner, Derek, and I held on to a slim 7-point lead for second place (which pays $2K) and we were 15 points behind first place which was probably going to very hard to overtake.  I got a variety 3-pack from Lebanon Wine and Spirits to help me through the night.   I started with a pint can of Mango Milkshake IPA from Honky Tonk Brewing over in Nashville.  It was light and tasty.  Next up was a dark and delicious bottle of Old Rasputin stout from North Coast Brewing (CA).  I have had this great beer before, but never checked it into UNTAPPD.  I finished with a so-so can of Can-O-Bliss Tropical IPA from Oskar Blue Brewing (CO and NC).
I never got my favorite hand last night, the above-shown pocket threes, which I have gotten for quads more than once live and many times online, but I did get quad sevens which won me a big pot over a full house!  I was maintaining a good stack and then I ran KK straight into AA for a nasty cooler to be knocked out in 5th.  Fortunately for us, my friend, John, who was right behind us in points got knocked out next and our seven-point lead held for the $2K second-place season win for me and Derek!  Congrats to my pal, Quintin, on his second time winning the league and going to Vegas again to represent us in the WSOP Main Event in July.

4/11 - I was scheduled to see Hellboy at the Opry Mills IMAX Theater tonight, but since it was getting horrendous reviews, I changed my plans and saw The Best of Enemies instead at the Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet since it was getting better reviews, and I love pretty much anything Sam Rockwell does as an actor.   It was a moving and awesome film based on an inspiring true story.  I definitely think I made the best choice!

Before the movie, I stopped by Catch 22 in Mt. Juliet for dinner and a few craft brews.   I started with the must-have Stone Enjoy by 04.20.19 IPA since 4/20 is coming soon, happens to be my birthday, and Stone Brewing (CA) is my favorite craft brewer of them all.  It was excellent, as expected.

I got a cool little badge on UNTAPPD on my second check-in, the fruity and light Dragons and YumYums pale ale from Dogfish Head Brewing (DE).  It was OK, but a little tart for my taste if I am drinking a pale ale.

4/13 - Ashlee and I attended the hilarious comedy show of John Crist today at The Ryman.  Before the show, we had a very early and very tasty dinner at City Tap around the corner.  They have a great beer list, so I opened  with avery juicy and delicious Tropic Flare New England IPA from Braxton Brewing (KY).  

My second beer at City Tap was Game of Thrones: For the Throne Belgian strong golden ale from Ommegang Brewing (NY).  It was decent and seemed like a timely choice since the final season of the epic show starts this weekend.  Too bad I don't have HBO anymore...

4/14 - We had a great Sunday Funday today that included our first visit to the new (and "controversial"...whatever) Kid Rock's BIG ASS Honky Tonk.  They have a nice rooftop bar and it was a beautiful day despite being very windy.  The band was killer and the beer list was decent.  I had a pretty good Hippies and Cowboys IPA from Tennessee Brew Works here in Nashville which seems an appropriate beer for this fine establishment.  

Our next Sunday Funday stop was the also fairly new Pearl Diver tiki bar over in East Nashville.  What a cool place!  Someone dropped some serious coin creating this swanky joint.  I had a can of Rec. League, a New England style pale ale from Harpoon Brewing (Boston) that was just OK.   The food was better, so we will definitely be back.
Our real dinner came next back over in Wilson County at the always-great Cherokee Steak House where my pal, Charly, snuck in a bomber bottle of Dragons Milk (2018) imperial stout that we passed off as dark red wine.  It went terrific with my giant NY strip!! 

4/18 - I had a day off today and headed up to Hendersonville for an early showing of Disneynature's Penguins in IMAX at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters.  It was very good with some amazing footage, and it's good to know some of what I paid goes to helping preserve their way of life.  Before the movie, I stopped by Growler USA for lunch and a couple brews.  I started with a pint of the awesome Frothy Monkey Coffee white stout from TailGate Brewing here in Nashville.  It's the first "white stout" I have had from a local brewer where it looks like a pale ale or pilsner, but has the body and flavor of a stout.  I closed out with a small 5 oz. pour of Guns 'n' Rose' fruit beer from Oskar Blues Brewing (CO and NC).   It might as well be a cider....yawn...not impressed.  

2015 throwback pic from our trip to Wisconsin for my birthday and our stop at Potosi Brewing taken by my pal, Danny.

4/19 - We went to City Winery with some friends as a pre-birthday celebration for me and saw the vastly underrated, Martin Sexton, perform.  His show was amazing, as was the food, and I even had a new beer from their decent beer menu despite being a winery.   I had two pints of the light and refreshing Technicolor pilsner from Bearded Iris Brewing here in Nashville.   

4/20 - My best present I got this year for my birthday today was being allowed by my awesome wife, Ashlee, a chance to play some tournament poker over in Cherokee, North Carolina over the weekend.  I headed that way this morning and stopped in Knoxville for lunch and a couple craft brews.  This was my first visit to the popular and fairly new Abridged Beer Company.  These guys are doing it right and even have the approval of their neighbors, a church, to use their large parking lot during business hours....you gotta love Presbyterians!  I had their famous Abridge Burger for lunch and it was supremely good.  I started the libation list with a Toppy Rock, an outstanding New England IPA (pictured above).  Being big UT fans since they are in KnoxVegas, the beer name is pretty outstanding as well.  Next up was a supremely solid Maple Latte' Junct double stout..  I ended with their Pride of Bearden English bitter (nitro version) that was also very good.  Good thing they had the Preds on the TV so I could kill some time to let these beers wear off before continuing my drive.

Who you callin' an old-timer?  Oh wait, yeah, that's me...Cheers! 

I thought I was making great time and was looking forward to winding through the Smoky Mountains National Park from Galtinburg to Cherokee when I discovered the road was closed over the Newfound Gap due to high winds (and probably snow and ice which I saw on the trees at higher elevations).  So, I had to wind my way around Hwy 321 near Crosby, TN back to the interstate.  At least I found this beautiful cascade along the road their to ease my pain.

I made it to Cherokee, NC just in time to check into my hotel (more like motel...but at least the room was clean and quiet) and buy-in to the nightly deep-stack tournament at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop at the Harrah's Casino.

Despite the structure being horrible, I eked out a small cash-out for a 25th place finish which would pay for most of  the buy-in for tomorrow's target tournament.

4/21 - I celebrated Easter morning with my own kind of sunrise service at my own kind of church:  the Church of Nature.  I took a short drive from my hotel and then a short, but steep, hike just after sunrise  up to Mingo Falls.  My pal, Craig and I, visited and photographed this beauty many years ago, and I impressed myself by remembering the unique shape of the falls before seeming them again.  I was the only person at the falls when I visited this morning, and it was a lovely, religious experience.

At noon I sat down for my first-ever seniors poker tournament which wound up with an amazing 440 entrants (with re-entries).  I never rebought in and lasted to about 190th place before taking a terrible bad beat that knocked me out.  I really enjoyed the experience (up to the end) and will definitely try and play again when possible.  

No, thank YOU North Carolina craft beer!  

4/22 - I woke up to a gorgeous day today and was bummed I had to leave the beautiful mountains, poker and beer of North Carolina, but I shall return for all three!!  The road through the Smokies was opened back up at least, so I got a pleasant drive thru without much traffic this morning.  The leaves aren't even out on the higher elevations as this shot above from Newfound Gap shows, but it won't be long.  

Another great stop and overlook on the way home was Bee Rock in Monterey just off I-40.  I discovered this place for the first time just back in January of this year, but now it all it's spring glory, it's a whole new experience.

My third great view of the day was back home in our pool and the first float of the year and first beer to accompany that float.  I got a four-pack of the tasty Stateside Saison (Remastered; 2017) from Stillwater Artisanal Brewing (Brooklyn, NY) at a liquor and beer store in Cookeville called Happy Hour.  They had a great selection of craft beer, but no singles to make variety packs, so I got something I knew I could share with Ashlee who let me go on this great trip to start with.  Cheers, honey, and thanks! 

4/23 -  My pal Wayne is a Titans season-tickets holder and I was his plus-one tonight at a 2019 NFL Draft pre-party on the rooftop at The George Jones in downtown Nashville.  The free food was delicious and plentiful.  The event was hosted by voice of the Titans, Mike Keith, and the guest speaker was former UT player and current NFL analyst, Charles Davis, who we also met briefly before his time in the spotlight breaking down the upcoming draft here in Music City.  The view from the rooftop was stunning thanks to mild weather and clear skies with high clouds.  In the foreground of the photo above is press row for the draft which starts in a couple days.  Thanks again, Wayne, for the invite.  

We also got a couple free drink coupons with our entry ticket and some nice Titans/Draft swag including this koozie of mine holding a Yuengling Traditional Lager which I have actually never checked in on UNTAPPD.  I started with a local favorite of mine, the Bearwalker brown ale from Jackalope Brewing here in Nashville.  

After the party we walked a few blocks over to the east end of Broadway to see the epic 2019 NFL Draft stage that has been erected.  Note the tractor-trailer in the foreground for perspective of just how big the stage is.  

As we walked closer to the stage, one of my favorite things I spotted in the busy background were these huge Hatch Prints of several NFL teams.  That is SO NASHVILLE! 

4/25 - Opening night of the NFL Draft in Nashville, be damned, my pal, Wayne, and I just had to be there for Opening Night of Avengers: Endgame in IMAX at Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville.  At three epic hours long, it was a great film and an amazing finish to a helluva run by the MCU.  Can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!  Before the show, we had dinner at Growler USA and with my terrific grilled chicken tacos I had a pint of the excellently smooth Slow Jam IPA from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati).  I also had a 5 oz. taster of the hilariously named double IPA Citra Ass Down from Against the Grain Brewing (Louisville) that was pretty good.   Thanks to Wayne for my dinner and brews as a late birthday present.  

4/26 - We did make it down for Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville that has become quite the media phenomenon.  We broke attendance records with close to 600K over the three days.  

The "mystery" craft beer was pricey, but at least available, as a choice at the NFL Experience that was spread around Nissan Stadium.  

Mystery solved!  A can of The Rose blonde ale from Nashville's own Black Abbey Brewing was acquired.  Don't you think they should have served "draught" beer at "the draft?"

Titans OT, Taylor Lewan, was signing autographs, but I bet he'd rather being drinking beer...

The flying camera they had running up and down Broadway made for some cool TV shots as Music City showed off well to the world during the NFL Draft.  Before entering the fray of the huge crowds in front of the giant draft stage, we stopped in HQ Beercade for some snacks and beer and we were lucky to find immediate seating.  I had a good new-to-me IPA that I forgot to check-in (old people problems) and a light, but decent, Radler - Grapefruit and Blood Orange shandy from T.W. Pritchers' Brewing Company (San Francisco).  

We watched a majority of the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft with pretty good proximity to the stage.  It was a lot of fun and the crowds were jovial and polite to each other which was nice to experience.  Overall, it was one of the best times we've had in downtown Nashville in quite a while.  Oh, and TITAN UP!!  

4/27 - Incredibly, I talked Ashlee into driving 100 miles RT this afternoon to Hix Farm Brewery in Cookeville for a doughnuts and beer pairing.    Hix Farm is my favorite of the three breweries in Cookeville and when I saw they were pairing with doughnuts from the legendary Ralph's Donut Shop across the street, I knew I wanted to be there.  It was so worth the trip!!  The pairings were all excellent with the surprisingly best in our opinion being their Beer is My Weiss sour with Ralph's buttery chess square.  First up was their nice Corn Fed Cream Ale with a strawberry cake with cream doughnut.  They paired their solid Hix Tennessee Common (Kentucky Common) ale with a maple nut doughnut.  The finale was their excellent Papa's Peculiar Percolation coffee stout with a red velvet and cream doughnut.
We spent a little more time in Cookeville checking out an outdoor festival they were having and ended up at Father Tom's Pub where we split a giant burger for an early dinner and I had a half-pint of the really good Royal Quaff English Bitter from Calfkiller Brewing over in nearby Sparta.  

4/28 - I won a small crazy pineapple tournament tonight on Global Poker besting 38 other players and turning my $5 investment into almost $70.  I needed this for my confidence as I have been running pretty bad on here lately, and earlier tonight took a huge cooler to get knocked out of my WSOP online tourney very early in the going.  

4/29 - Ashlee did me another birthday-month favor and accompanied me tonight to a SOLD OUT Lucero Unplugged show at Acme Feed and Seed.  It took place on their private-events 3rd floor of which this was our first visit, and it's a great little venue.  They had a great opener, and Lucero's hour-long set was excellent.  I first saw these guys a couple years ago (see previous beer blog entry) open for Steve Earle, and have been intrigued with their sound, especially the unique gravelly voice of lead singer, Ben Nichols, ever since.   Before the show we had a tasty dinner downstairs, and I had a draft pint of the solid Jai Alai IPA from Cigar City Brewing (Tampa) which I have had before but never checked in on UNTAPPD.

Well, I do like continuous blood and love...

MARCH GLADness

3/5 - I attended a Preds game tonight with my honey and we got to see a thrilling back-and-forth street fight with the pesky Minnesota Wild that ended with a 5-4 victory in an overtime shoot-out.  During the game I had a tasty Southside Blonde from Perennial Artisan Ales (St. Louis).  I especially like the GOLD labeling.  GO PREDS!!

It was also Fat Tuesday tonight and I got a cool badge for it from UNTAPPD.  Of course, every Tuesday is FAT for me, but I am starting to do something about that...without sacrificing craft beer hopefully.  

 3/6 - I headed over to Opry Mills tonight to catch a showing of the Apollo 11 documentary in IMAX on its last night showing there.  It was pretty good, although the promised "never before seen footage" wasn't as stunning as I was hoping for, but still an interesting behind-the-scenes account of an event that happened when I was two years old.  Before the show, I stopped at Homegrown Taproom for a light dinner (awesome roast beef quesadillas) and a couple craft brews.  I even saw my beer pal, Nate, there. I started with very tasty German Chocolate Cupcake 10W-40 stout from Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville, NC).   I finished with an even more decadent Liquid Truffle stout from Smith and Lentz Brewing here in Nashville.  It was great, but so rich and full, I couldn't even finish it!   Needed some ice cream to cut the sweetness! 

3/7 - I met my pal, Wayne, in Hendersonville, to catch opening night of the new Captain Marvel film in IMAX at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters there. Before the show, I stopped by Growler USA for a light dinner and a libation, of course.  I started with a pricey (I was warned at least) pint of the High West Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea imperial porter from Ballast Point Brewing (CA).  It was extremely good, but, man, that price hurt.  I balanced the overall cost and caloric-intake with a follow-up of two 5-ounce pours of the solid 400 red ale from BriarScratch Brewing in nearby Gallatin, TN; and the very good Knowledge double IPA from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati, OH).  

3/8 -  We met our friends, Chris and Tarryn, who moved to Indiana a few years ago, but were back in town for a visit at the fairly new, Catch 22 gastropub in Mt. Juliet for a late-night snack a few libations.   I started with the outstanding Enter Night Pilsner collaboration from Arrogant Consortia (CA), an off-shoot of my favorite brewer of them all, Stone Brewing.   I had a taste of Ashlee's pretty good Hollywood Vampire English mild ale from Smith and Lentz Brewing here in Chattanooga.  I finished with a heavy, but tasty, Coffee Copra Kai stout from Southern Grist Brewing which is also in Nashville.  

I unlocked a pretty cool badge on UNTAPPD tonight as well with my beer check-ins.  Here's to you, ladies! Salute!! 

Chris and Tarryn got me a great pair of craft beer socks that I have already worn proudly! 

3/10 - Since Ashlee and I are self-proclaimed "crazy cat people" we just couldn't miss a showing of the SOLD OUT Cat Video Fest 2019 at The Belcourt Theaters in Nashville.  It was hilarious and I enjoyed a nice Longfin Lager from Ballast Point Brewing (CA) during the show.    We met Chris and Tarryn again afterwards at The Ryman Auditorium to catch a show by Amos Lee that was really good.  I picked up a draft pint of the East Nashville Honey from East Nashville Brewing during the show.

3/15 - I took a rather forced day off today to help out my crazy sister down in Whitwell.  It was, at least, a beautiful day for a drive down Hwy. 111 through Cookeville, where I stopped for lunch at the always-good Father Tom's Pub.  I had a decent Blood and Honey pale wheat ale from Revolver Brewing (TX) with my tasty quesadillas.  In Sparta I took a brief detour east on Hwy. 70 to check out the roadside cataract known as Wildcat Falls.  I figured it would be flowing good with all the recent rains and it was flowing at good rate.  The wind blowing the water into mist even before it fell was a pretty cool effect as well.

On my way back I stopped again in Sparta at one of new favorite regional breweries, Happy Trails Brewing, and had their outstanding Pleasant Hill Porter (photo above) and also their tasty Montgomery Bell-gian pale ale with an orange slice.  Isn't their handmade bar the coolest?  

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3/15 - Our friends, Wendy and Charly, invited us over to their house in Donelson tonight for supper and some libations.  They were gracious enough to allow me to watch my beloved Duke Blue Devils and the amazing Zion Williamson take the 2019 ACC Tournament crown with a win over Florida State while we ate, drank and talked.  It's been a real pleasure watching Zion this season.  He's the ultimate one-and-doner and Duke's been lucky to have him even one season.  He seems like a good kid and decent person (he came to Duke didn't he?) who will hopefully not let the growing fame go to his head.  Mark my words he will be in this line of basketball notoriety and world-wide name recoginition fame:  Bird, Magic, Jordan, Kobe, Lebron....ZION!

Wendy and Charly just recently visited the beer Mecca, Asheville, North Carolina, and brought back a slew of craft beer with them that they were even more gracious in sharing with us.  Our first share was a bottle of the really tasty Saxy Machismo Belgian quad from Haw River Farmhouse Ales (NC).  Next up was the solid Red Devil Belgian blonde ale  (packed with cherries and raspberries) from Pisgah Brewing (NC).  I also had a sip of the Gatlinburg Cider Blackberry that Ashlee and Wendy were sharing from Tennessee Homemade Wines that wasn't half bad.  

Wendy and Charly's giant (in size and sweetness) dog, Fergie, poses here with our next shared bottle, the awesome French Toast Stout from Wicked Weed Brewing (Asheville, NC).  Thanks to Charly for sharing this great picture as well.  We ended the evening splitting the tasty, coffee-heavy Valdez stout also from Pisgah Brewing.  Wendy and Charly have become great friends and we value their friendship greatly....and that's not just the generous shared beer talking!! 

3/17 - Happy St. Patty's Day!!  Let's get our green on!  I got a variety 4-pack from Lebanon Wine and Spirits to celebrate the day.  I started with a Trigo India pale lager from Founders Brewing (MI) that was darn good.

We also celebrated the day with a silly, but fun, birthday party for our new kittens, Doris and Byron, who are turning one this week.  Any excuse to drink I guess!  I toasted our sweeties with a can of the excellent Winter Porter from Yee Haw Brewing (Johnson City, TN).  Thanks to our friend, Wendy, for the great pic above.

My favorite  beer of the day was the Stone Moxee Gold IPA from my all-time favorite brewer, Stone Brewing, out of California.  It's a tribute beer to one of the farms that supplies their own hops to the brewery.  In this case, CLS Farms and their El Dorado hops in Moxee, Washington.  

I also closed the day out with a small online win on Global Poker after a fairly long dry-run.  I turned a $5 investment into just under $95 in profit by besting 72 other players in a 6-handed multi-table NLHE tournament.  With this win I added another $10 to my contribution to my friend, Craig, and his wife, Alison, who are going on a mission trip to Africa next month.  My total contribution was $208! 

3/19 - I saved my fourth variety beer to sneak in the theater while checking out the new sci-fi flick, Captive State, at the Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet today after work.  The movie was pretty "lo-fi" in terms of special f/x.  The story wasn't too bad, but I was expecting more overall I guess.  Even the scene from the cool movie poster above is never shown?  Weird.  The brew I had was a bit better than the movie:  the hoppy Brut Pale Ale from Blue Pants Brewing went down smooth.

3/20 - I was able to see one of my favorite films from last year on the big screen again tonight.  Ashlee and I went to see First Man at The Belcourt Theaters as part of their "Science on Screen" series.  After the amazing film, an actual astronaut, , gave a little insight to his time with a space shuttle mission several years ago.  It was a great evening that started with a tasty dinner at the new restaurant, Pastaria, over off West End.  This Italian joint had an small, but outstanding, beer menu which really surprised me.  I had the heavy, yet lovely, Sump Coffee Stout from Perennial Artisan Ales (St. Louis).  Sump Coffee, also out of St. Louis, has also opened a shop next door to the restaurant in this nice new ONE C1TY development.

300+ porters and stouts?  How am I not 500 pounds??

3/22 - We attended an awesome SOLD OUT Mumford and Sons show tonight at Bridgestone Arena.  Before the show we had a pricey, but outstanding, dinner at The Farm House restaurant near the arena and I had a Purple Haze fruit beer from Abita Brewing (LA) which I have had before, but never checked in on UNTAPPD.  

3/23 - We had some family business down in Chattanooga this weekend and I was able to check out the brand new Wanderlinger Brewing Company over near the Choo-Choo.  The beers I had  of theirs were pretty good.  I started with a solid Saison Flaneur (photo above) and finished with their decent Stumpthumper Pale Ale which they were on their last keg of.   Welcome to the craft beer fray, Wanderlinger! 

The one thing Wanderlinger doesn't have (yet?) is food, and I was starving, so I walked to their nearby craft beer neighbor (and Chattanooga original) Terminal Brew House where I had their solid Catherine's Horse stout with an amazing Philly cheesesteak sandwich.  While they aren't my favorite Chattanooga brewer now, they will always be special to me because they were the first (sorry Big River...you don't count)  and the cool building they are housed in remains one of my favorite beer locales of them all.

3/24 - I scored my first win tonight in a local online WSOP poker league that I am in that uses Pokerstars as its platform. I came from way behind to score the victory over 20 other players including the huge chip leader (and organizer of the league).  This puts me in second place in the league and in contention for one of the two top WSOP packages.  I also chopped a $20 last-longer pot vs. 10 of the players for an $80+ profit.    There are still 8 games left, so I am far from wrapping anything up, but I like where I am at least to this point.

3/25 - I had the day off as we remained in Chattanooga for another day, and Ashlee took a break from working to go with me to have lunch at the relatively new Naked River Brewing.  I have been here before, but just for beer, but their in-house BBQ smelled delicious.  Well, it tastes even better!  Yummo!!  With lunch I had their great Tropic Mann IPA and also a taste of Ashlee's very good Seize the Saison.  I also had a glass of their H20, but I gotta admit, it was a little watery....cue the rim-shot.. We will definitely be back for more food and more beer here!!  

While headed back home I stopped to see an old (new) friend again.  I wanted to see Fallingwater Falls for over 20 years and  now I have seen it in 3 times in the last year.  I was surprised it wasn't running a little harder with all the rain we've had recently, but it was still putting on quite a pretty show. 

Also on the way home, I spotted this cool old trestle bridge over the Sequatchie River just outside Dunlap . Seems in great shape for its age. Too bad someone doesn't fix it up as a pedestrian walkway and small park maybe.  

3/26 - Ashlee and I, and our friend, Nate, attended the Blackstone Brewing Beer Dinner at the Makeready Restaurant in the basement of the beautiful Noelle Hotel in Nashville tonight.  This was the same location of the previous beer dinner I attended with  just Nate back in January of this year that featured Smith and Lentz Brewing.  I gotta admit I think the beer and the food was even better this time!  Listed below are the six courses we had and while all the beer pairings were not new check-ins on UNTAPPD for me, they were all very good.

A couple new Blackstone beers I did have were the solid Chaser Kolsch with the first course.and the 2018 Black Belle with Cinnamon and the 2018 Black Belle Barrel Aged with Coconut.  Both of these very hard to find stouts were served with the last course and were unbelievably good. 

3/28 - It was the end of March Madness with the NCAA tournament going on and the "madness" of cleaning out and reorganizing our garage and pool shed.  I rewarded myself after today's cleaning and the fact the UT was in the Sweet 16 with  a can of the really tasty Radio Zombie Phone-in Russian imperial stout from  Brewdog Brewing (Scotland and Ohio) that my friend Nate gave me.  UT had a great comeback after being down double-digits to take it to overtime, but couldn't outlast Purdue in the end.  It was a great year and run for the Vols.

3/29 - It was Duke's turn in the Sweet 16 today and they squeaked by a very good Virginia Tech team with a little help from a last-minute shot by the Hokies that didn't go in.  I celebrated the game and the close shave with a can of the very good Origami Orangutan double IPA also from Brewdog and also from my pal, Nate. 

3/31 - More garage cleaning today and then Duke in the Elite 8 saw a lot of positive work done, but a tough close loss for my Blue Devils to Michigan State.  It's been a fun tournament and fun year watching Zion Williamson do his impression of Superman (stolen photo above) along with the other talented freshmen in this class.  I hate the one-and-done thing in college basketball, but these kids are so talented, that it's understandable for them to move on and make that dough.   I toasted the season with an excellent can of  Opaque Jake IPA from Brewdog, my last gift from good ol' Nate.

BEVruary 2019 - (Dedicated to Evelyn Carroll)

2/3 - Man, was that a boring Super Bowl.  Even the commercials were ho-hum.  Plus, I am not sure I could have cared less who won since the Rams didn't deserve to be there (Saints got robbed) and I will never pull for the Patriots.  But I did have a couple of good beers while I played online poker on the couch with it on.  I started with a solid pint can of Irish Stout from Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville, NC) in collaboration with Zillicoah Brewing (Woodfin, NC, near Asheville).  I finished with another Asheville product, the tasty Midnight Summit milk stout from Highland Brewing.  

2/4 - Not my favorite style of beer by any means, but I have forged through a few of them including a decent Passion Fruit Kicker wheat beer from Green Flash Brewing (CA) tonight while I watched two of my favorite new shows on "regular TV" ---  "The Passage" on Fox and "I Am the Night" on TNT.

2/5 -  I attended the Preds game vs. the Phoenix Coyotes tonight thanks to some good seats in the shoot-twice area that I bought from my co-worker, Dale.  Ashlee was supposed to go with me, but had to be in Chattanooga for her mom, so I was on my own.  I parked at M.L. Rose - Capitol View again for free and had a couple libations there as well.   My pal, Wayne, met me for dinner there also.  The Preds brought the pain and posted a solid 5-2 win with goal # 4 being a two-pass beauty right in front of me as well as the empty-netter at the end.

At M.L. Rose - I had a couple new beers to check in on UNTAPPD including the beautiful can of I'm On A Boat golden ale from Monday Night Brewing in Atlanta.  The brewers even liked my check-in on Twitter with my quote that  "I'm On a Boat - metaphysically, this is true at all times..."  It was a solid beer also.  I followed that up with so-so Juicy Trip IPA from Garr's Beer Company over in Franklin, TN.  

At the game, I got another colorful craft beer can full of the the tart and refreshing Larry's Latest Flamingo Fruit Fight from Bell's Brewery (MI).     

2/8 - I had the day off and was in Chattanooga today and had a couple good beers with dinner tonight at Basecamp Bar and Restaurant.  I started with the Appalachian Alt from the newest local brewery here, Wanderlinger Brewing.  I have yet to go by and check this place out yet, but the beers I have had of theirs, including this one, have been solid.   I finished up with the super-hoppy and delicious Beyond the Galaxy IPA from Terrapin Beer Company (Athens, GA).

2/9 - At dinner tonight in Chattanooga at The Bitter Alibi I had a can of the dank and tasty Lucid double IPA from Bearded Iris Brewing in Nashville.  The food and beer list here are outstanding.  I will be back! 

2/10 - I drove back home tonight from Chattanooga with a heavy heart since I had to leave Ashlee with her mom, Evelyn, in ICU.  She had a serious bowel perforation and had to have emergency surgery.  Luckily, she was already in the hospital for a UTI when it happened which probably saved her life.  I decided to stop by Hix Farm Brewery in Cookeville and hoisted one to "Evie-baby."  The Hoppycock! IPA wasn't super hoppy, but I enjoyed it's clean, crisp flavor.  

2/11 - I headed over to Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet this evening to catch an early showing of Miss Bala which was OK, but fairly predictable and a little eye-rolling at times. Thanks for the Sinemia deep discount at least.   I did sneak a great beer in at least to watch it with.  The Nuttercup porter from Brew Link Brewing (IN) was really smooth and tasty.  

2/12 - They had an early screening of the new flick, Alita: Battle Angel, tonight at the Opry Mills IMAX, so I decided go check it out.  The visuals were pretty good, but the dialog and acting were so-so.  Before the show I stopped by the Bavarian Bierhaus for dinner and a brew.  I had a half-litre of the Pfungstadter Schwarzbier  (Germany) dark lager that was a little better than the movie.  

2/13 - It was Lebanon poker night for me again and I took a 3-beer variety pack with me that I picked up at Lebanon Wine and Spirits.   It was a frustrating 4th place finish, but at least the beer was good.  My first of the night was a tasty pint can of Hard Wired Nitro porter from Left Hand Brewing (CO).  Next up was the super-good Harpoon The Craic Irish Red IPA.  I loved the hops rush of this one.  Harpoon is one of my favorite "old school" micro-brewers from Boston.  The finale was a really good Mardi Gras Bock (2018) from Abita Brewing (LA).  

2/17 - I was in Chattanooga for the day meeting Ashlee who was staying down there with her mom in ICU.  Before the scheduled afternoon visitation, we stopped by Heaven and Ale Brewing for a couple of togs and a tasty cheese plate.  I had a 5 oz. pour of their solid Born Again pale ale and another 5-ouncer of their Hazy Lullaby, a light and flavorful New England style IPA.   They always have the coolest murals on their walls at Heaven and Ale and this new one was pretty cool.
At dinner a little later on at the Frothy Monkey in the old Choo Choo building I had a delightful Citrus Pepper saison from Garr's Beer Company out of Franklin, TN.  

2/18 - I had the day off and cruised into Nashville to catch another Oscar-contender film, If Beale Street Could Talk, at the Hollywood 27 Theaters over at 100 Oaks since it was one of the only places showing it now.   I got to say I was overall disappointed in the film and while I love Regina King, I just didn't see her performance as a front-runner for Best Supporting Actress.  Right now, I would give it to the almost-always-vanilla, Amy Adams, for her impressive portrayal of Lynne Cheney in Vice.  Who really got screwed was Nicole Kidman as she was snubbed for her excellent turn in Boy Erased in my humble opinion.   What didn't disappoint was the Barrel Aged Dubhe Imperial Black IPA from Uinta Brewing (UT) that I had at Craft Brewed before the show.  It was beautiful and tasty.  

Another cool new badge from UNTAPPD.  

2/19 - It was $5 Bargain Tuesday at our local Roxy Movie Theaters, so I went to check out the fact-based dramedy, The Upside, which I had heard good things about and which I did in turn, enjoy very much.  I was able to sneak in a craft beer for the show, of course, and tonight's contestant was the Pixan pepper-infused porter from Left Hand Brewing (CO).  It was smooth and rich with just the right amount of pepper kick. 

2/22 - Had another day off today and so I headed into Nashville to catch a showing of Fighting With My Family in the new recliner-theaters at the Hollywood 27 with my Sinemia account.  I thought it was pretty good even though I am not much of a wrestling fan.  Before the show I stopped by the new, tiny Mill Creek Brewing Taproom over on 12 South and had their Absolute Magnitude double IPA which was solid.  The rent must be pretty high here because this pint was PRICEY!  Doubt I will be back here.  I have not, as of yet, visited their actually brewery in nearby Nolensville, but it's definitely on my list.  

2/24 - I had to watch the Oscars alone this year with Ashlee still in Chattanooga with her mom still in the ICU.  It was an enjoyable show and I didn't have too many gripes about who won although I thought Richard E. Grant deserved the Best Supporting Actor nod.  I did have dinner in Chattanooga with Ashlee before I headed home and we ate at Edley's BBQ where I had their signature beer, the Edley's Granny White Ale, which is brewed for them by The Black Abbey Brewing Company up in Nashville.  It's a nice witbier that goes pretty well with the barbecue and all the fixings.  

The month ended on a very sad note as Ashlee lost her mom, Evelyn, who fought long and hard through a series of medical issues.  As a mother-in-law, I couldn't ask for much better.  She was always kind to me and showed me more than my share of love.  We will miss you, Evie-baby.  I raised a couple to Mrs. Carroll over the weekend of her service.  The first was a Michelob Amber Bock that my brother-in-law, Andy, shared.  I have had this decent mass-produced beer before, but never checked it in on UNTAPPD.  After her service at dinner at Edley's BBQ in Chattanooga I raised a pint of the English Brown Ale from Chattanooga''s own, OddStory Brewing, which was very good.  RIP, sweet lady.

 Evelyn never looked down on my craft beer obsession and even tried a few with me now and then if the flavor sounded good to her.  Here's a great picture Ashlee snapped of her at The Brewhaus just down the street from her home in North Chattanooga.  Salute, Evie-baby!