"Christmas and New Year's, will find you home" - The Eagles

 

That's right, boys, keep betting into me!! 
#ROB'SHANDSTOREMEMBER

12/11 - I got home to find the newest issue of the Ante Up Online Poker Magazine was out and my column featuring Will Hoge was there and looking pretty good! 

Page 2 - See I can be serious about poker.

I also got home in time to finish this UNTAPPD challenge with an appropriately named can of Only Tourists, a session IPA from Short's Brewing Company (MI), that came in my last BeerBox.com order.  Cheers to 18 hours of flying and getting home safe!    

12/12 - We somehow skipped a day of jet lag, and I actually went into work today, mainly, so I didn't feel guilty about going to our CU office Christmas party at Beyond the Edge in East Nashville.  They had a surprisingly good craft beer list, and I was able to enjoy the nice BTE House Lager.  I'm not sure who makes this for them.  I also enjoyed a can of Donna's Pickle Beer, a flavored lager from another mysterious "contract brewery in the U.S." 

12/14 - Jet lag hit us both hard on Saturday, so I had to put off meeting my pal, Curtis, for a welcome home beer at Cedar City Brewing Company until today.  That had the new-to-me Strawberries and Creem Hazy IPA that I really liked.  I also signed up for another Mug Club year here at CCBC.  

12/18 - I was back at CCBC a few days later for the End of the Year Mug Club Party.  No new-to-me beers but some excellent smoked wings and some good company.  

12/19 - I started a week-long-plus pet-setting Christmas gig out off of Hwy. 109 today.  I've sat with Izzy and Lili before, but the brown puppy, Ivy, was a late addition which I reluctantly agreed to.  She's actually really sweet and hopefully not much of issue.  

Ashlee and I met tonight for dinner and libations across the road from where I'm dog sitting at East Nashville Beer Works - Wilson County.  I had a couple new-to-me beers of theirs including the excellent New England pale ale called Dorothy's Revenge, and the equally good Fresh Hopped Tropical Daydream NEIPA.  

12/20 - Seems appropriate on this final weekend playing with real money on Global Poker (see bullshit update below) that I should win what is sadly maybe my final NLCP tournament on there. It was vs. 16 other players for an ROI of right at 700%.  

12/22 - Hi, Global Poker, Go Eff Yourselves.  Just kidding.  Thanks for all the fun over the years.  It's probably not even their fault really.  It's this stupid backasswards state of Tennessee where I can bet on sports and play the lottery all damn day.  Idiots. 

Today was the last day to play for real money in Tennessee on Global Poker.  I hope to still compete in play money for trophies and swag, but we shall see since they screwed me out of my last trophy win on there. 

12/23 - I had some double-duty doggy care today as I ran up to Watertown a couple times to check on and feed the three rascals on Neal Road.  

12/24 - Whitney, my client and dog-owner off Hwy. 109, gave me some beautiful (and tasty) Christmas cake balls with butter frosting that she made while sitting for her and her hubby over the holidays.  And some great fudge too! 

12/25 - Merry Christmas!  The only craft beer I got for Christmas was a repeat (for me) from my brother-in-law, Andy, but still a good one.  A 4-pack of the excellent IPA from Edmund's Oast Brewing (SC) called Bound by Time.  

12/27 - I completed my longest pet-sitting gig ever today at nine full days.  It netted me just over a $1,000 which was much needed after our expensive trip to Asia recently.   Izzie's my girl and I am going to miss her and her shy sis, Lili.  Their poop-eating cousin, Ivy, maybe not so much!  

12/28 - While at a tasty dinner at Noko in East Nashville tonight, I had a pint of the crisp and refreshing Orion Draft Beer (The Draft) Japanese-style lager from Orion Brewing, a macro in Japan, that went great with our Asian-fusion meal.    

12/29 - I went to see Avatar: Fire and Ash in IMAX 3D today at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville.  I thought it was another good installment and this storyline was actually the most emotional I've felt toward this series so far.  I am just not sure where they are going to go for two more films with this story that's now seems pretty played out.  
Afterwards, I stopped by Yazoo Brewing in Madison and had their very nice Pilot Series: Druncle's Lager, an interesting Vienna-style brew.  I also had an awesome cheeseburger and fries from The Grill Shack there on site.  

My friend, Curtis, brought me back a four-pack of the high-ABV but tasty Belgian strong ale called Death Letter from Olde Salem Brewing (VA) from a recent trip to Virginia recently.  Thanks, C-Dog!! 

12/31 - After dropping some friends off at the airport this morning, I stopped by Homegrown Taproom and had a few half-pints of note.  First up was the solid porter from New Heights Brewing here in town called Porter Disorder.  The Nut Brown Ale from local Yazoo Brewing was next and was tasty.  I ended on a sour note, almost literally, with the Pub Ale from Flytes Brewhouse over in Pleasant View, TN.  It was a bit soapy tasting to me and definitely too much malt for my taste.  

1/1 - Happy New Year!! I started 2026 in bachelor mode with Ashlee gone on a girl's cruise for a few days.  I got an almost-free deal to go see the new zombie flick, We Bury the Dead, tonight at the Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet.  I thought it was pretty good, nothing great.  I did have a private showing of the film since I was the only one in the theater.   This also made it easy to enjoy my snuck-in beer, the very nice Blueberry Wheat ale from Hinterland Brewing (WI).  This can was from my last BeerBox.com order a month or so ago.  

1/3 - Bachelor Mode Engaged continued today with a visit to Cedar Cedar Brewing for some lunch with friends and their new excellent Coffee Stout served up in my new 2026 Mug Club mug!! Cheers to a new year at CCBC!! 

I celebrated the belated 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Batman Begins which I actually didn't see in the theaters with a re-release showing tonight at the Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet.  So epic!  Nolan is the man!! I can't wait for the release of his take on The Odessey later this summer!  

1/4 - I had an airport pickup of some friends today, so beforehand, I stopped by Homegrown Taproom again and had a couple of half-pints with brunch.  They were the quite strong Christmas Ale from (Belgium); and then the decent Are You 'Wit Me witbier from New Heights Brewing here in Nashville.  To eat, I had the Chef's Choice Omelet that was pretty good. 

1/10 - It was Murfreesboro poker night tonight and I got second place along with five bounties!!  After my entry fee, tips to the dealer and the house, I cleared well over 500% ROI vs. over 20 players including rebuys which I did not have to do!

It's a great feeling especially with the fact that I've lost Global Poker for real money and have taken some rough bad beats and coolers last week on PokerStars. 

(With some of my winnings I was also able to give a $50 Grub Hub gift card to my boss, Kari, as she recovers at home from surgery that will hopefully help in her fight against cancer. ) 

Beforehand, Ashlee met me at the Murfreesboro location of BoomBozz Craft Pizza and Taphouse where we had a delicious pie and toasted ravioli along with three new-to-me pints that included the so-so Summit lager from Blackhorse Brewing over in Alcoa, TN; then the spice-laden but enjoyable Christmas Ale from Mill Creek Brewing over in Nolensville; and finally, the decent Kentucky Common from Blackhorse Brewing also.  With still some time to kill before the poker tournament, I also stopped by Deep South Growlers and had the tasty Vanilla Wafer cream ale from O'Fallon Brewing (MO).    

1/11 - I went to see Avatar: Fire and Ash again, but this time at the Roxy Theaters (recliners!) here in town with my friend, Toney, who hadn't seen it yet.   It was worth a second watch.  It's probably the best one of the series so far. 

1/13 - With some recent poker winnings, I got a cheap $25 upper-level ticket to the Preds game tonight vs. the Edmonton Oilers since I was in bachelor mode with Ashlee traveling for work.   Beforehand, I grabbed a brew at New Heights Brewing where I can still park for free on the street and took an Uber to the game (bye, bye ML Rose Capitol View free garage parking).  I had their sleek and refreshing Mexican-style lager called (appropriately for the Preds) Gold Skull.  I stuck with the Preds theme at the game with a repeat - a stovepipe can of the tasty TENN Golden Lager from Tailgate Brewing here in Nashville.  The Preds were winning 2-1 when I cut out in the second period to get back for pet duties.  They wound up winning in OT 4-3.  Dang, sorry I missed that, but they sure needed that win! 

1/14 - The newest issue of the online Ante Up Magazine came out today and my monthly column looked pretty good I thought.  

Page 2 of this month's Ante Up Online Magazine column 

1/15 - Take it down, Mike!!  Despite losing the real money option to play on Global Poker recently, I still found success on there tonight with a NLHE bounty tournament win in their annual GPC Grizzly Series - Event # 04-H vs. 146 other players.  I had ten knockouts along the way also.  It was just gold coins (play money), but I should get another trophy (this would be my second piece of Grizzly hardware) and some swag for the win.  I vow to stay on their ass about it, however, since I got screwed out of my last trophy/swag win on here by waiting too long to contact them.  Allegedly, they say they sent out notice for obtaining that trophy, but I never received it, but somebody did, and then falsely claimed it by the time I reached out to them.  

 I also had a couple dog-watching drop-ins today in Watertown for a little real $$. 

1/16 - I made another couple final tables in the GC Grizzly Series on Global Poker tonight with a fourth-place finish vs. 175 other players, and then a 3rd place finish (aces cracked) vs. 167 other players.

1/18 - Instead of a holiday weekend of hiking and exploring in Kentucky as planned, the frigid-ass weather had me opt for a $130 NLHE bounty poker tournament today at The Barrel Social Club in Franklin, KY, instead.  It was a freeroll for me since I used some of my winnings from my recent Murfreesboro tournament 2nd-place cash to buy in to this one.  You also have to pay $10 to a be a "member" that day.  

Well, I wound up only making $10 but was happy with my play.  My JJ got cracked by AK to send me to the rail in 7th (out of 40 total players with several rebuys which I did not need), but luckily, we had made a deal when it got to seven players and only paying six (and I wasn't the shortest stack then) that we would all let the bubble get their buy-in back.   I also had one $25 bounty, so after tipping the dealers $5 and the cage $5, I came home with $150.  Almost better than the small profit was the fact that I REALLY like the place!  They are in a much nicer building now than the first time I went there a good while back.  It's clean, smoke-free, secure, free snacks and unlimited Diet Mt. Dews!!  No alcohol, so less jerks at the tables.  What's not to love! It sure beats driving to Tunica or Louisville for casino-style tournaments!!  The plan will now be to go there at least once a month or so and hopefully build my bankroll for bigger tournaments elsewhere.  

I also got home in time to "win" a satellite NLHE tournament on Global Poker vs. 40 other tough players with a deep stack format where the top 5 gained entry into the GPC Grizzly Hydra Final next weekend, a GC tournament that you can't buy into.  Hopefully, some swag will come from it, but the confidence building it gives helps too. 

1/20 - I went to see the fairly quickly released sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, tonight at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners and discount Tuesdays!!).  I thought it was excellent.  It's started out a bit rough but turned out to be a satisfying second part of a new trilogy that I can't wait to finish!  

The early 5 PM movie start time got me home in time to win a 3-way chop the local NLHE tourney on PokerStars vs. 10 other players.  I barely got into the final three and the money but then roared back to take a slight chip lead and suggest the chop which was agreed upon and got me right at 330% ROI!  

1/24 - It was a snowed-in Saturday without any luck on the Global Poker GC tables, but then I more than doubled my buy-in on PokerStars in the little local NLHE game vs. 6 other players and a couple of rebuys which I didn't have to partake in.  It was an almost 3-way chop that I suggested as the chip leader probably a bit prematurely, but I wanted to assure myself some dough since only two were getting paid, and my luck has not been the best of late.  Plus, that kind of karma can only be for the good, I hope.  

Tonight's poker winnings will pay for another year's membership in The Mixtape 615 Soccer Club to support our boys in gold, the NSC.  Whether I get this particular hat pictured above is still a wait and see, but if the scarf I receive for membership has this same logo, that would be pretty cool.  

1/29 - ATTACK!!  Well, I had my first-ever really serious credit card fraud situation today, but thanks to the team at Truist for shutting it down quick and getting me a new card issued.  I had another fraud alert on my debit card yesterday also.  That's some scary shit!! 

 

1/31 - We met up with some friends today at Cedar City Brewing where I was able to cash in my monthly free beer flight for being in their mug club.  They actually had three new-to-me brews which I included in my flight.   First up was the decent fruit sour called Tiger's Blood (right side front), next was their fruit beer called Supply Run that I wasn't much of a fan of (left side front), and finally my favorite of the bunch, their East Coast IPA which was exceptionally hoppy (left side back), even more so than their West Coast IPA (a repeat, left side back).  I finished the flight with a repeat of their excellent Coffee Stout. 

The Oriental Cruising Company

 

No, you don't want none of this!!! Signature hand time!! 
#ROB'SHANDSTOREMEMBER 

Ashlee and I took another HUGE CRUISE to close out the year with 5 new countries checked off the Been-There List.  The craft beer was a little hard to find, but I did have some success.  

11/23 - Hello, India (that's one)!  The Taj Mahal was nice but some wonder of the world, at least I could buy a beer on The Great Wall of China.   I was able to have a macro-brewed Kingfisher Ultra lager that was OK from United Breweries in India, a subsidiary of Heineken, at lunch later on.  

11/24 - Hello, Mumbai, and hello to actual craft beer in India!  We had dinner and libations at the Effingut Brewery near our hotel tonight.  The food was good (and spicy) and my decent half-pints of theirs were as follows:  Salted Guava Wheat, Dry Stout, and the Japanese Rice Lager.

All those half-pints got me a badge that I don't think is accurate, but then they never seem to be on UNTAPPD.  

11/25 - Honestly, just like craft beer, it was hard to find a lot of beauty in India with all the smog, the litter and the throngs of people everywhere, but, again like craft beer, it was there if you looked hard enough and with a very narrow focus.  

At dinner tonight at the very-American-named restaurant, The Table, I had the very good Gondhoraj Bajra Ale from Great State Aleworks in nearby Pune, India.  

11/26 - The beer choices on the ship were woeful (and expensive) so I started getting into hot tea.  This sunrise cup pictured above was just the start.  Hey, it's brewed and it's flavorful just like beer!   I wonder if there's an UNTAPPD-like app for tea drinkers?? 

Our first port today was Goa, India, and this was about as close to craft beer as I got there.  There just wasn't time to seek out GBC unfortunately.  

I also struck out on waterfalls in India. I had some flagged for possible visits but came to realize very quickly that with the crazy, snarled traffic there, a location that was two hours away might turn into six hours in commute and I just couldn't risk it with the time limitations of being on a cruise.  Bummer.  

I did find this little beauty that I called a "radioactive Dew."  It was pretty good, especially since I haven't had one in days.  Tasted like they use cane sugar like in a Mexican Coke.  

11/28 - I finally broke down and paid the ridiculous cruise price of $12 for a can of so-so new-to-me beer while at sea for a couple days.  The Yebisu (Premium) lager is made by the macro-brewers Sapporo.  They had another one available, but I just couldn't pay that price again for sheeple beer.   

11/30 - Evidently there are many types of Buddhas, but my favorite is the classic chubby, happy one because, hey, I kind of relate.  Welcome to Sri Lanka (that's 2)!

A big frosty Lion Lager on the verandah of the beautiful Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka is better than no beer at all.  Lion Brewing is a macro-brewing subsidiary of the Carlsberg Group.  Not a bad beer, but I think the setting really helped with its overall perception.  

It's slim pickings in Sri Lanka for any kind of beer, so I checked out the Lion Ice pilsner next which again wasn't awful and didn't cost $12 like on the damn boat.  

A little later in the evening I had a decent Tiger Crystal lager at Ahasa, a very cool bar situated in a skybridge 29 floors up connecting the two towers of the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel and private residences.  This Thai-founded beer is mass-produced currently by Heineken Asia in Singapore. 

Your lack of craft beer angers me, Sri Lanka!!

Waterfalls in Sri Lanka were a strikeout as well due to weather.   The small island country had just recently been rocked by a cyclone that made travel into the interior a bit sketchy especially since I was locked to the ship's schedule.  

12/1 - I guess there's always tea to fall back on.  And Sri Lanka makes a lot of it.    

And what many consider some of the best in the world.

When we got back on the ship tonight, I broke down again and ordered an overpriced can of mass-produced new-to-me beer called The Premium Malt's - a decent pilsner from Suntory Spirits Limited in Tokyo.    

A couple days at sea had me enjoying the cruise ship's outside movie theater up on the 12th deck.  I rewatched F1, such a great movie and a couple others that were OK.  

12/5 - Welcome to Thailand (that's 3)!  I didn't have any waterfalls scoped out for Thailand, but here's a sign to one nearby to put on the Next Time list because I definitely want to try and come back.  What a beautiful place!! 

Thailand did not disappoint when it came to nature porn!  There was tons of this incredible deciduous karst limestone inside the Ao Phang Nga National Park.   

When your long, long bucket list gets one checkmark shorter.  I been wanting to see the karst towers in Thailand's Phang Nga Bay for a long time.  This pic is from James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan).   

Also, on James Bond Island (some of The Man with the Golden Gun was shot here) are these very cool leaning limestone cliffs that create a cave beneath them.  The Thai name for the island, Khao Phing Kan, which translates to "hills leaning against each other." 

There looked to be some great bars in Phuket's harbor to seek out some craft beer maybe, but we just had no spare time.  I had to settle for a bland Chang Beer (3.5%) lager with our tour-provided dinner.  It's another mass-produced bore from Thai Beverage PLC.  

12/6 - Greetings from Malaysia (that's 4)!  I didn't even have to get off the ship to see the nice Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse (original one built in 1882).  It's also known as the Penang Harbor Lighthouse after its most recent renovations back in the 1920's.  It's neighbor to the left is the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower built in 1902.  

I was "floating" in my sock feet high above the streets of George Town, Malaysia, this morning.  65 floors above the streets in the Komtar Tower.  This reminded me of the glass floor in the tower in Calgary, Canada, a few years ago. 

Hey, that looks like a real beer!!  Well, it sure is!!  Still mass-produced, this beautiful and very tasty Connor's Stout Porter is made by Carlsberg Malaysia and was my best beer so far on this trip.  So good, in fact, I had two actually.   I found this beauty at the Brussels Beer Cafe while the gals were shopping in the giant mall nearby.  

Beforehand, I also had a bland Tiger White wheat beer from Heineken Asia on my first stop, a cool bar/eatery called Gravy Baby, but their beer selections were weak.  

I question the accuracy of this UNTAPPD badge, but you do you.   

Always a good SIGN in any country!! I knew I was in the right place when the girls stopped into a nice chocolate shop on a hip little street in George Town and I whirled around and saw this sign!  There were also the words CRAFT BEER!!!  I had stumbled upon the Momokaka Beer Store!!  And, yes, they had a couple of craft beers actually made here (well, over in Kuala Lampur, but close enough).  I bought single cans of the couple local craft brews they had.  More on these babies (that I was able to get back on the ship with no fuss - I was willing to kill them on the dock if need be) later.  

12/7 - Lord, I'm gonna miss these kick-ass omelets and fried rice every morning made to order on the ship.   

 Back on this ship this afternoon after a tour to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, I was able to crack open my first craft beer bought yesterday at the Momokaka Beer Store in George Town.  The Syok IPA was hoppy and delicious.  It's made by Monster and Beer Brewing just north of KL.   Thanks Celebrity Cruise Lines for letting me bring it and its companion back on board yesterday.  

Oh yeah, I found another Asian Mountain Dew.  Well, Ashlee did actually atop the KL Tower.  While it looks like the MD Zero cans here, it was just a regular Asian Mountain Dew in taste. 

    12/8 - I was able to toast our last full day on the ship at sea with my other purchased can of craft beer from the Momokaka Beer Store in George Town a couple days ago.  It was the solid NEIPA called Wah Piang also from Monster and Beer Brewing from near KL, Malaysia.   Cheers to a great cruise and trip so far and onto exciting Singapore tomorrow!! 

12/9 - Hello, Singapore (and that's 5!)    From 57 floors up on the roof of the amazing Bay Sands Hotel, I enjoyed a bottle of the very good session IPA called Star Gazin' from Rye and Pint, a microbrewery right here in town.  There's craft beer out there, folks!! Let's go find it!! 

A perfect place to celebrate year 13 on UNTAPPD!! 

Well, I finally photographed a waterfall in Asia.  Too bad it's man-made.  But it's still over 100' tall and in the amazing Cloud Forest Dome at the Gardens by the Bay here in Singapore.  This city is mind-boggling!!   

It was expensive, but it's a big ol' check off the bucket list.  I've wanted to swim in this amazing infinity pool atop the Bays Sand Hotel ever since learning about it over 10 years ago!! 

12/10 - I captured this incredible bayside sunrise today alone atop the Bay Sands Hotel which was fine by me. 

Brunch was at a familiar name to me, Black Tap, the NYC-founded burger and beer joint that also has a location in Nashville.   And like there, this one had a nice list of local craft beers to choose from and I had the following with my great Americanized food:  the very good SG LAHger from Brewlander, a microbrewery here in Singapore; the Brewlander Joy (Session IPA); and a few sips of Ashlee's decent Belgian Witbier from the macro-Lion Brewery also here in Singapore.  

Live, Laugh, Lager!  I like that mantra!  And it was a pretty special beer that I checked in to earn this badge.  See below.   

Well, I thought it was cool...this amazing pic got no traction when I posted it on Facebook.  WTF? 

She's a rare one! While not the greatest beer I've ever had, this may be one of the rarest in regard to check-ins on UNTAPPD.  Less than 260 check-ins!!  I had to give it 5 stars just for that fact.  The Beach Rd. Lager is brewed exclusively for this one bar by the big German brewer, Paulaner.  And it went great with the free peanuts at this famous and historic watering hole, The Long Bar, in The Raffles Hotel where the Singapore Sling was invented.  

Well, Dim Sum good beers!   I had a pretty good Gold Medal Taiwan Beer tonight with our dim sum dinner at Din Tai Fung here in Singapore.  This Japanese-style rice lager is made by Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation which is listed as a microbrewery in Taipei.  

OK, if you say so, UNTAPPD 

I knew the odds were not STACKED in my favor to find a lot of craft beer in Asia, but I did OK, and there was definitely more I missed.  

12/11 - We got home safe after literally flying around the world on this trip that was great from start to finish even if there were gaps in good beer along the way. 

And remember, if the beer ain't great, you can always do like the Singapore Merlion and spit it out!