Alaska Cruise (and, of course, some brews)!

 8/5 - Fly to Seattle 

8/6 - a full day in Seattle

8/7 - 

8/8 -

8/9 - 

8/10 - Juneau brewery tour 

8/11 - 

8/12 - 

8/13 - Canadian ale trail tour in Victoria, British Columbia

8/14 - 

8/15 - Back in Seattle for a day 

8/16 - Fly home from Seattle 

8/18 -The End of Oak Street 

Summer's Here and so is BEER!

6/2 - I went with my pal, Toney, to see the new historical WWII drama called Pressure tonight at the Malco Theaters in Smyrna.  Beforehand, we had dinner at the Buffalo Wild Wings nearby that was surprsingly good.   The film was fantastic!  Excellent acting, production design and what an amazing true story!  More like this, Hollywood, please!  

6/6 - I started a week-long pet-sitting job up in Gallatin today.  I have stayed here before and it's an easy gig.    I was shocked, however, to find out that my favorite nearby restaurant, Vui's Vietnamese, has permanently closed as of the end of May.  Wow! That really hurts!   Well, at least there's some other good choices including Awedaddy's Bar and Grill out on Old Hickory Lake.  I met Ashlee and some friends there for lunch today and enjoyed a draft pint of the tasty Briarscratch Creekbank Blonde which I've had before but not attributed to Half Batch Brewing over in Hendersonville who look to have taken over the brewing from Briarscratch Brewing here in Gallatin.  It went well with my excellent sweet chili salmon.  

6/7 - I swung over to nearby Castilian Springs today to take a tour of the Wynnewood State Historic Site. Built in 1830 (probably mostly by slave labor sadly enough) as an inn and spa, it's the largest existing log structure in Tennessee.   I had a private tour since no one but me showed up for the 11 AM slot on a Sunday.  It was very interesting and kind of amazing that we didn't lose the entire thing to a tornado back in 2008 that damaged it greatly including taking the entire roof off the structure.  

6/8 - I had a remote workday today and afterwards I went and checked out the SOLD-OUT Japan National Team practice at Geodis Park as they prepare for The World Cup starting at the end of the week.  I had four of the free tickets and gave away three of them as demand to attend got crazier than I was even expecting.  I went with my soccer and craft beer pal, Nate, and we 

6/9 - Half Batch Brewing

6/10 - Campione's Taste of Chicago

6/11 - I had another remote workday and then I went to opening night of the new Steven Spielberg UFO flick, Disclosure Day, in IMAX tonight at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville along with my friends, Casey and Colin. (movie poster pic on phone at 6/2) 

6/12 - Yazoo Brewing

6/13 - Overnight dog/house sit in Watertown 

I started up Beer Box monthly deliveries again and this month's brews arrived today.    

6/19 - Remote workday! USMNT World Cup game vs. Australia at Geodis Park 

World Cup watching (post pic on phone at 4/17) 

6/27 - We attended a World Cup game in Atlanta tonight at the Mercedes Benz Dome.  The teams were Uzbekistan vs. DR Congo and while we don't have a rooting interest in either team, it was about the only game that close enough and affordable enough for us to attend so as to be just a small part of the global event.   

We attended FIFA FanFest beforehand.  

Stayed overnight at a nice hotel within walking distance of the game.

We had a discounted rental car from Enterprise (thanks, CU!) to travel down and back in.  

Supergirl 

7/16 - I went to the SOLD-OUT opening night of the new Christopher Nolan film, The Odyssey, in IMAX at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville (movie poster pic on phone at 5/5) 

See The Odyssey again in IMAX 70MM at the Opry Mills Theaters in Nashville?

7/22 - I went solo tonight to see Lindsey Stirling at The Ascend Amphitheater for $30 flat.  (pic on phone at 6/2) 

7/24 - Toad the Wet Sprocket and Men at Work with my work buddy, Todd.  (show poster pic on phone at 6/2) 

Spiderman: Brand New Day (movie poster pic on phone at 4/15 and 6/2) 

Cheers to 25 Years (of marriage)!!

Ashlee and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage this month.  

Cheers to my baby!! 

5/1 - I was back on the road just for the day for work today.  I was able to stop in at Happy Trails Brewing in Sparta on the way back and had their decent So Passional Coconut Banana Sour and then off their guest taps I had the nice Peach Day lager from Half Batch Brewing over in Hendersonville. 

Well, it happened again.  Our great pearl-clutching, hypocrite of a state called Tennessee has now blocked real money play at ClubWPT Gold.  It's not surprising since they use the same "sweepstakes model" as Global Poker does.  And I was never really much of a fan of the site, but it was all I had, and I was winning on it.  So, I promptly won my last $5 SNG on there tonight and cashed out my entire $76.39 bankroll while I could.  So lame and so frustrating.  

5/2 - I got some nice overtime today working the Cumberland University spring graduation ceremony.  There was a huge crowd there, and I was busy shuttling folks to and from the ceremony from outer parking areas.  One guy even tried to tip me $5!  

5/3 - I am back at the $2-million-dollar house on the lake cat-sitting for the week and I had no luck fishing (although I had a good bite), but I might have found a new online poker site to play on called Bovada Poker.  I was able to make a real money deposit.  Not sure about cashing out yet. We shall see, but it does gives me a place for good practice and keeps me sharp vs. opponents who care about playing which is worth the $25 investment to me.  I even won my first small buy-in 6-handed SNG on there today!  

5/4 - I got another small buy-in 6-handed SNG win on Bovada tonight.  

5/6 - I went solo to see another 80's heavy metal former frontman, David Lee Roth of Van Halen fame, at The Ryman tonight.  This was kind of a last-minute decision that was made on a couple of factors:  1. He's performing mostly Van Halen songs! 2.  I got the floor seat ticket for under $25 on Stub Hub! 
With another big show going on downtown, I decided to Uber to The Ryman from New Heights Brewing where beforehand I had their decent Tail Dragger IPA and then their nice amber lager called Boston Bob.
The show was really great.  Diamond Dave's still got tons of energy and showmanship.  His backing band was solid, and he had a quartet of black male singers to help him with harmonies.  He told stories, cracked jokes, and cranked out hit after Van Halen classic

hit all of which he wrote.  He even choked up a bit talking about Eddie (RIP).  And to top it all off, I had this smokin' hot young girl sitting/standing by me who was also alone.  She seriously looked like an 80's Taylor Swift...who knows, maybe it was her incognito! You never know in Nashville! 

5/7 - I got another small buy-in 6-handed SNG win on Bovada Poker tonight. 

5/8 - Finally!  On my last day cat-sitting at the fancy lake house and on one of my last casts, I caught this healthy young bass off the dock.  I will sure miss this beautiful place.  Hopefully I will get another chance to stay here again in the near future.  
(Editor's note: I got two new bookings for August and September!! Yippee!!) 
I also got two small buy-in 6-handed SNG wins on Bovada Poker today.  

5/9 - We tailgated at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville today, and I brought along a couple of brews from a variety four-pack of pint cans for the festivities that I picked up earlier this week at the Mt. Juliet Beer Company.  I started with the excellent wheat beer called No Spring Kitten from Fat Orange Cat Brewing (CT - on my bucket list to visit) and then a very good DIPA from Burial Brewing (Asheville) in collaboration with Xul Brewing (Knoxville) called The Fabrication of a Most Diabolical Empire.  

5/10 - I headed up to The Barrel in Franklin, KY, today to play in a poker tournament that didn't go great due to two bad beats, but it was a beautiful day nonetheless, so I moseyed over to find the nearby art piece called Fork in Road.  I even ran into the surrounding farm owner while I was there who told me it was created by the local high school welding teacher.  Pretty cool!  

Just around the corner is the Cutting Edge (get it?) by the same welder along with a little park area of other fun creations.  I am going to submit these places to Atlas Obscura and hope they get some notoriety.  On the way home I stopped by Portland Pizza and Pub where I had a draught of the pretty good Banzai XPA from Half Batch Brewing over in nearby Hendersonville.  I also grabbed an early dinner from Vui's in Gallatin that was oh so delish. 

5/11 - I had a remote day at work today, so I walked up to Cedar City Brewing (it's been a while since I've done this) for lunch and to have my Mug Club monthly free flight which had three new-to-me brews including their new and very good Banana Pudding Cream Ale and their new and refreshing Salty Watermelon Gose.  I also added their Apple Cider since a taster is about all I wanted of it to get it checked in on UNTAPPD.  It was actually OK, but too sweet for a whole pint to my palette.  I had their always-awesome dry-rubbed wings to eat.  On the way walking back home, I stumbled upon the NashBrew coffee truck and just had to have one of their delicious honey wildflower chai teas to sip on as I finished my short journey.

5/12 - Hopefully this is $35 well spent.  I paid the CU registration fee for a student over in DeKalb County today, so she can come check out Cumberland University and hopefully go to school here this fall.  She's a smart cookie with a great GPA and ACT score, so I was happy to help.  I know how it was to be poor as a high school student with potential.  Thanks to my dear momma for the encouragement and help as best she could when I was in a similar position.   I dedicate this gesture to her memory.   

When one poker window closes, another one opens.  Despite the recent loss of Global Poker and WPTClub Gold to real money online play here in Tennessee, I've learned of some other options that look promising.  The newest one is the Bluffers Poker Club on Clubb GG which I heard about through the Ante Up podcast.  I've dropped $50 in on this one to get started.  Fingers crossed! 

5/14 - She's back and better than ever!  Our beloved backyard pool got a new dark blue liner this year plus a few leak repairs and she's back in business as of today!  This is our 10th anniversary of the installation of the pool, and we still think it's the best money we've ever spent.  I toasted the reopening with a poolside brew this afternoon.   I cracked open a pint can of the excellent hazy DIPA called Hashtag...Vaguely Italian from Young Blood Brewing (WI) that I picked up recently in a variety four-pack from the Mt. Juliet Beer Company. 

5/15 - I got a nice mention (by my PokerStars screen-name) on this week's Ante Up Podcast as Joe Scales and his co-host (and wife), Elle, gave me some props about my play last night in the monthly Ante Up Patreon Game. Even though that luck-box, Joe, beat me heads up with a runner-runner flush, plus he crippled me earlier when, as chip leader, my AK ran into his conveniently timed AA.  But, in turn, I had already knocked Elle out when my K7 ran down her AK on the river earlier in the game. It was quite the rollercoaster of a night and I could say the same also over on Global Poker where I got just five spots away from another play-money trophy.  

5/16 - More frustration on Global Poker tonight with two final table finishes and another 5th place in PLO that was 4-handed, so I just missed a third final table.  

5/16 - I celebrated American Craft Beer Week and the 60th birthday of my friend, Brenda, tonight at her casino-themed party (the poker didn't go well) with a can of the solid session IPA called Stone DayFest from Stone Brewing (CA).  

5/17 - I sat with my pal, Nate, tonight in his session-ticket seats and enjoyed seeing our NSC boys take a 3-2 victory over LAFC thanks to a hat-trick by team captain, Hany Muhktar, and some incredible saves by our goalie, Brian Schwake.  This victory keeps NSC atop the Eastern Division and now gives us a one-point lead for best record in the entire MLS!  
Beforehand, I parked for free at Fait la Force Brewing and enjoyed their brand-new NEPA called Flower Maiden.  

5/18 - I recently found a great website called TeePublic with some hilarious and nerdy-cool T-shirt designs.  The prices are fair and the material is great.  I chose super-soft.  I love this McCleod Scottish Ale tee inspired by one of my favorite 80's movies, Highlander.  "Best served without a head" - now that's funny!  

I mean, come on, The Tipsy Taun Taun Pub and Brewery located on Hoth...how is that not the funniest Star Wars thing you've ever seen! 

5/19 - It's our 25th Wedding Anniversary!! - We flew very early this morning to Costa Rica to celebrate for the rest of the week.  

With a three-hour drive from the airport to our hotel at an average speed of 25 MPH due to road conditions and traffic, a few complimentary Imperial lagers were helpful to ease the pain.  Made by macro-brewery Heineken Costa Rica, Imperial is the national beer here.  And they're not bad, especially if they're free!   

5/20 - After some beach time today in Nosara, Costa Rica, we had lunch at the Beach Dog Cafe where I chased a chili guaro shot with a bottle of the decent marco-produced Tona lager from Compania Cervecera in neighboring Nicaragua. 

This Rosa Brual brut IPA wasn't even listed on their menu at the Beach Dog Cafe but I am sure glad I asked about the "premium" beer.  It's a microbrewery collaboration between Elviaje Brewing in San Jose, CR, and Juguetes Perdidos Brewing in Buenas Aires, AR.   Spoiler alert:  this turned out to be the best beer of the trip!  And the bottle art matched my swim shorts! 

5/21 - Ashlee actually found Blue Zone Brewing in Nosara.  It didn't even come up in my search for nearby microbreweries.  It's a great little place that like everything here just blends with the jungle surroundings.  There's even a tree growing through the taproom!  I started with the solid flagship NEIPA called Jungle Haze and finished with their decent Mexican lager called Tika's.   The best "beer" here, however, was hands down Ashlee's choice of their non-alcoholic "house ginger beer."  I had to add it to UNTAPPD and proud to do so since I gave it my first 5 out of 5 rating in a long time on there.  We even got a crowler of it to take back to the room with us.  

Beforehand, I had earned this cool badge on UNTAPPD when I checked in a couple other CR craft beers.  First up was a bottle of the nice Passion Fruit Ale from Papagoyo Brewing up in Liberia. It was in our honor bar fridge in the hotel room, and I enjoyed it during a soak in our private plunge pool.  The other was a pint of the crisp Hazy Daze IPA also from Papagayo Brewing that I had at Chancho BBQ in Nosara.

 

5/22 - I enjoyed some of my "white and sneaky" privilege today when I walked up the road from our hotel a half mile or so to another resort called Tierra Magnifica.  I walked around like I owned the place and no one seemed to give me a second look.  Their overlook of the coast and Punta Guiones in the distance is awesome, and they also have their own restaurant as well.  

I saw this beautiful boy on the way back to our hotel.  We've seen a lot of iguanas on this trip, but he had the best markings and color yet.  

We enjoyed just hanging out in our room and plunge pool most of the day today and I had some great brews that I found yesterday at a small bodega market down in Nosara with a surprisingly great craft beer section.  I started with the very nice kolsch called Liberiana from Numu Brewing up in Liberia.  I also had Numu's fruited pale ale called Edulis Tropical which was equally good.  I closed the day with the very good Marbella West Coast IPA from the unimaginatively named Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company over in San Jose.

Costa Rica has a surprisingly good craft beer scene from what limited time I had there to explore it.  Definitely gives me another reason to go back!  My last brew in country was a bottle of the decent Imperial Light lager from the Heineken Costa Rica macro-brewery while I was at the airport waiting to fly home.  Cheers and pura vida, Costa Rica! 

5/24 - I went to see the new film, Star Wars:  The Mandalorian and Grogu, at the fancy new Hooky Theaters in downtown Nashville with several friends tonight.  Despite some critics (and my best friend, Craig) giving it terrible reviews, I thought it was a fun little romp and basically just a long episode from the hit TV show.  Saying it's the worst Star Wars movie ever made is ridiculous.  The prequels will always hold that title.  

5/25 - We had a fun childhood throwback party to celebrate Memorial Day today as well as some recent milestone birthdays for three of our friends.  The rain held off and the giant blow-up Hungry Hungry Hippos game was a hoot!   My friend, Nate, brought a couple of great beers to share from Xul Brewing (Knoxville, but now in Nashville).  First up was the interesting historical beer called Passenger: Grodzisk which is a lightly-smoked Polish style of brewing often referred to as "Polish Champagne." Second was the solid schwarzbier called Room 217.  I also shared with Nate my recent purchase at the Three Forks Market in Watertown:  the very good Shiner Off Road IPA from the Spoetzl Brewery in Texas.  

5/27 - I started another easy pet-sitting gig in Mt. Juliet today and through the weekend.  This is JJ the dog and his snoozy cat friend, Gracie.  

5/28 - My pet-sitting gig house is only a half mile walk from a new Tim Horton's, so I had an enjoyable stroll this morning for a sausage/egg/cheese croissant and an iced caramel cappuccino. Yum! 

Well, I dipped my toe into my first Whale Club tournament on ClubGG Poker this morning (remote workday) with some success.  I got four knockout bounties to lessen my buy-in to just one dollar.  I was second in chips going into the final table of eight only to frustratingly going on the money bubble in 5th with a horrible bad beat.  There were 35 total entries including rebuys which I did not have to do.  Despite the outcome, I do like the format on GG and look forward to playing more on there.   

The pet-sitting house is also located very close to the Mt. Juliet Beer Company, so I slipped over and got me a variety four-pack to enjoy during my stay.  Tonight's pint can was the excellent DIPA called Tidal Balance from Equilibrium Brewing (NY).

5/29 - The latest issue of the Ante Up Online Magazine is out, and my column looks great plus a very cool shout-out in the table of contents. 

I still love seeing my photos published, no matter the format! 

This was a fun one to write.

Tonight's pint can from the MJ Beer Co. variety four-pack was the superb NEIPA from Hop Butcher For the World (Chicago) called Aspect of Aquarius. 

Also, near the pet-sitting house is the excellent Milestone Craft Deli.  I got their huge authentic Philly cheesesteak for dinner which was awesome.  

5/30 - I stopped at the Emeraude Bakery in Mt. Juliet this morning which is also near the pet-sitting house and picked up some tasty pastries for me and Ashlee.  These chocolate croissants were so big and so buttery!  I also got a giant cinnamon roll to split as well as a huge chocolate chip muffin.
 Today's pint can from the MJ Beer Co. variety four-pack was the solid NEIPA from Outer Range Brewing (CO) called Cliff Drops which I took home with me to enjoy with a little pool time this afternoon. 

5/31 - My Mt. Juliet pet-sitting gig ended today without any issues. I took another walk to Tim Horton's this morning which was again great.  Today's final pint can from the MJ Beer Co. variety four-pack was the very nice rye IPA called Winds in the Holler from Edmund Oast Brewing (SC).  

Tonight, I went solo to see Steve Earle at The Ryman with a $30-flat ticket that I scooped up recently during the Ticketmaster/Live Nation big summer sale.  I also got a fairly cheap parking spot ($13 - cheaper than Uber) using the new-to-me SpotHero app at a downtown hotel just a short walk from The Ryman.   My parking spot was near Alley Taps, so before the show, I had their decent Alley Taps Lager (not sure who makes it for them).  The rest of their taps were ho-hum, so I headed to Broadway Brewhouse next and had a couple of dandies:  the Brix Cubed TIPA from Brix City Brewing (NJ) and the TEST - Nitro Cold Brew Milk Stout from Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City).   
The show was awesome!  Just Steve and his guitar covering 50 years of songs with interesting stories about his life in the music business.  Finally hearing "Billy Austin" and "South Nashville Blues" live were worth all the time, money and effort.  Steve's an underrated living legend and that's all there is to it.  

Doin' Fine at 59!!

BIRTHDAY MONTH:  ENGAGED!!

4/1 - I was in Morristown for work today (no April foolin'!) and when I was done, I headed south toward Greeneville for some waterfall hunting.  My first stop was at the historic Nolichucky Dam on the river of the same name where the right side of the old dam (built 1913 and held like a champ during Hurricane Helene back in 2024) looks like a natural waterfall. 

My next stop was to pee, and I was so grateful for the little gas station's super-clean bathroom (and store overall) that I just had to buy something.  I found an interesting regional soft drink called Dr. Enuf that was actually pretty good.  Kind of tastes like a Sprite and ginger ale mixed together.  It has natural energizers (no caffeine), so I got a Sun-Drop as a back-up!  

Kelly Falls is a little roadside beauty on Paint Creek inside the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, TN, and close to the North Carolina state line.  

Dudley Falls is farther downstream on Paint Creek and is signed but is more of a sliding cascade than a true waterfall.  Still, it makes for a nice roadside area with a great swimming hole beneath it.  There were even two people swimming in it when I came back through!!  What??  It's April 1st, you crazies!!  
Delicate little Ricker Branch Falls is across the road from the parking area for Dudley Falls and was just a trickle today but would definitely be worth coming back by to check out after some significant rain.

They even had a sign for this little fella, also on Paint Creek farther downstream, called Stephen Falls. 

Hardy-har-har - UNTAPPD trying to be funny on April Fool's Day - hey, morons, did you know you actually can check a beer in while in Antarctica?  My best friend, Craig, tried to do it recently and got no love for it?  Get your shit together already.  I earned this goofy badge back at the Casual Pint in Pigeon Forge this evening where the beers were back to their pricey $8+ per pint cost (welcome to the Smokies, tourist!).  At least they were both good brews.  I started with the smooth and tasty Wrought Iron oatmeal stout from Iron Forge Brewing over in Sevierville, and then the crisp and rather fruity IPA from Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville) called Cooler Nights.   I even saw a rainbow as I was coming in born of the rain showers that I drove through coming back from the west through the mountains. 

Well, ya got me, Facebook.  Well done.  An ad popped up last night for this Verse Immersive "experience" at Ripley's Super Fun Park in Pigeon Forge, and it looked and sounded kind of interesting, so I plopped down the $30 cost ($25 plus taxes and fees) for a ticket tonight.   Turns out it's more of just a trivia game in AVR (augmented virtual reality) than an "experience" and looked nothing like the ad picture above.   It was still kind of cool, and I even learned a thing or two (did you know that giant-ass Jupiter acts as shield to Earth blocking a lot of interstellar bad stuff - like comets and asteroids- from getting to us), but it was not nearly worth the hefty price.  Oh well, lesson(s) learned.  

4/2 - I headed back west today with some new-to-me waterfalls and breweries in my sights. My first stop was Middle Fork Falls near the little hamlet of Stephens, between Oak Ridge and Wartburg.  It's roadside and fairly free of litter and graffiti which was nice.  

This next one's been on my radar for many years.  I finally got visit Yahoo Falls up in Kentucky.  Not sure why I never came here before since it's only about 25 miles from Oneida, TN.  I knew that it is very rain-dependent, and it was only a delicate stream today, so I didn't venture to the base of the falls.  I will do that sometime again after some significant rain since it's so much closer to home than I realized. There's also the Yahoo Arch nearby that should be worth checking out too on a return trip.  I did get this cool pic from the precipice of the drop of over 100' making it the tallest in Kentucky.  Another reason to come back is that I scouted two other waterfalls - Princess and Lick Creek - very close by but with longer hikes that I couldn't do today but would make for a great weekend return sometime hopefully.   

My next stop was the new Big South Fork Brewing Company in Oneida.  They actually only have one beer of theirs on tap, the solid O and W Light lager.  Their guest taps were pretty good though.  I also had the tasty Around the Bend ESB from Clinch River Brewing over in Norris, TN.  This new brewery is set up in an old bank and even has a small event space in the old vault which is pretty cool.  A nice addition to this small town and this great outdoors area. 

I was running late getting back home but just had to stop and check out the new brewery in Cookeville called Dream Country Brewing.  Great beer in a very neat little bi-level building.  I had their very good farmhouse ale called Strange Folk, and then a half-pint of their nice juniper-infused farmhouse ale - grisette called Hedge Witch.   I am glad to see these guys here since I really miss Hix Farm and Jig Head Brewing (RIP).  

4/3 - I had a day off from work but just hung around the house for the most part since I've been gone all week.  I did take an afternoon drive over to Donelson to TennFold Brewing to have their excellent new IPA called Check Your Latitude and a delicious grain bowl with blackened chicken.  I also stopped by Mt. Juliet Beer Company on the way home and got a variety four-pack of new-to-me pint can IPAs to have at some later dates.  
Back at home tonight, I won another $5 SNG on ClubWPT Gold.

4/4 - Boom goes the dynamite!!  That's 6,000 unique beers checked in on UNTAPPD!  Salute to me and my liver!  That historic beer happened to be the excellent double-hopped DIPA called Wandering Into the Fog (Galaxy) from Abomination Brewing (CT) in collaboration with Twelve Percent Beer Project (also CT) which was part of the variety 4-pack I got yesterday at the Mt. Juliet Beer Company.  Not a peep of recognition from UNTAPPD.  Lame-o's!! 

4/6 - I went to see Sebastian Bach of 80's heavy metal hairband, Skid Row, fame, with my head-banging friend, Nate, at the newly reopened Cannery Hall in Nashville.  We Ubered from Nate's place to Marble Fox Brewing for some pre-show libations.  I had their excellent IPA called Ghost Runner on 1st and their equally good TIPA called Pick Your Prize.  It was a short walk from there to the venue which has had a nice upgrade.  The show was surprisingly good.  SB still has his singing pipes, he's pretty funny too, and has a great way with the crowd.  The opening bands, Blaze Francisco and Stitched Up Heart, were OK, but nothing to get too excited about.                                                         Song companion:  "18 and Life" by Skid Row 

4/7 - I went to see NSC in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Championship vs. Club America from Mexico tonight at Geodis Park thanks again to my pal, Nate, and his season tickets.  It was a frustrating 0-0 tie with NSC having some real chances.  Now they have to go to Mexico City next week and play again, but a win or even a tie with a goal would send them to the semifinals.  I sure won't miss the endless drumming from the CA fans during the match.  I don't how they do it every game!  
Beforehand, after some really shitty traffic, we parked for free at Broadcast Brewing (thanks, Mike!) and had a pre-game brew.  I had their decent new-to-me Belgian Tripel called Arcane Frequency along with an excellent cheeseburger all the way and cheese curds from the Austin's OG Smashburgers food truck outside.  

That is surely not my work rental car and a walking beer from Broadcast Brewing, is it?  Nope.  Can't be.  Well, it was a tasty IPA called Bone from a guest tap of theirs from The Veil Brewing (VA). 

4/8 - I had one last overnight trip to Chattanooga this spring for work today.  I stayed at a nice Fairfield Inn in East Ridge (points!). Before checking in to the hotel, I stopped by Five Wits Brewing for lunch and some brews.   With rare free parking and a comfy place to hang, it's become one of my favorite places in downtown Chattanooga.  I had a solid Philly cheesesteak sandwich and three 10 oz. new-to-me beers including their nice Vienna-style lager called Viva la Vienna; then a quirky but enjoyable wild ale they called Zing It Again; and I finished with their pretty good Scottish ale called Scottish Alexander. 

Tonight, I went and checked out a new-to-me chess-themed microbrewery on the east side of Chattanooga called Mean King Brewing.  I had their very nice DIPA called The Long Game and then their terrific NEIPA called Fog of War.  It's a cool vibe here and along with Alpha Brews nearby, it's nice to see the east side have some great craft beer for once.  

4/9 - I drove back from the Chattanooga area today after a lunchroom visit up in Cleveland.  I stopped at Monkey Town Brewing in Dayton for a late lunch and a brew.  I had their solid red ale called Amber Waves of Grain along with their great club sandwich and corn nuggets.  While there I also logged into my order window queue for some 2028 Olympic women's preliminary soccer tickets at Geodis Park in Nashville.  Now we just gotta wait two-plus years for the game!! 
When I got home, I was able to win another $5 poker SNG on ClubWPT Gold.  

4/11 - I won another $5 poker SNG on ClubWPT Gold. 

4/12 - We had a fun (and tasty) Master's Snacks Party today out on the patio today, and I had a couple of new-to-me-beers during it including the excellent Fugu IPA from Tox Brewing (CT) and another very good NEIPA called My Love Language is IPAs from Little House Brewing (also CT).  They were both from my recent variety 4-pack pick up at Mt. Juliet Beer Company.  
But the biggest news of the day was that my Golf Team: Shank O Potamus tied for first place with two other teams at -23 in a $10 Masters pool vs. 23 other teams.

And then I won the tiebreaker for the full win!!!  Rory McIlroy repeated today as the 2026 Masters Champ with a -13 and my guess of - 9 was closest of the three top finishers!!  That's $230 in profit!!! 

4/13 - Finally, some love on ClubWPT Gold for my favorite hand: pocket threes.  And, yes, I doubled up with them on this hand! 

I hit another milestone badge tonight on UNTAPPD (again, I think with 6K+ check-ins, this one's coming a little late) while meeting my pal, Nate, at East Nashville Beer Works - Wilson County where I started with the interesting (and boozy at 9.5 ABV) imperial stout called Snapback with a lot of ginger in it.  Next up was their new IPA called Truth in Revolt that was excellent.  I finished with a half-pint of their very good collaborative black IPA called Heavy Metal Parking Lot.  They made this one with help from the newish Stoke Haus Brewing over in East Nashville.  

4/14 - Ashlee got us tickets for tonight's live podcast of "The Consumers" at The Lab at Zanies which was part of the Nashville Comedy Festival going on this week.  I am a bigger fan of this podcast than she is, but it was an early birthday present for me.  Thanks, hon!  It was a great time although my "truck nuts" joke was probably a little too blue for them and will probably get cut out of the final version.  But, hey, "it made Randy laugh" and that's all that matters! 

Beforehand, Ashlee picked me up at Homegrown Taproom since she was getting her cut nearby.  While I waited on her, I had a half pint of the very good West Coast Diesel IPA from Mill Creek Brewing over in Nolensville.  I blew out the keg on my next half-pint order and wound up getting a free quarter-pint of the solid PILS from Sierra Nevade Brewing (CA).  At the show, I had a repeat of the always-good Hippies and Cowboys IPA from Tennessee Brew Works here in Nashville. 

4/16 - My trophy for winning the Global Poker Championship Grizzly Series IX Event # 4 back in January of this year came in today along with a T-shirt and a hat.  I stayed on their ass about this one since I lost out on the last trophy I won in their previous Rattlesnake Series which they evidently sent to someone else. Jag-offs! 

4/18 - I flew non-stop to LA today for my 59th birthday trip which will include shows at two legendary and historic rock-n-roll venues in West Hollywood and also checking off another national park visited.  Craft beer, some poker and other fun to be determined!  I traveled solo again which was fine with me.  
Song Companion: California (Cast Iron Soul) by Jamestown Revival 

My flight was going out of the fairly new Concourse D at BNA where they have the new NSC bar and lounge called The Castle.  Very cool, but I opted for the also-new New Heights Brewing Cantina and Taqueria just across the way.  I had a couple of A.M. brews there including their excellent DIPA called Sticky Premonition and their current rotator beer, the solid cold IPA called That's Pretty Cool Man 2.0.  Cheers to the start of a fun trip! 

This was my first time flying on Southwest with an assigned seat.  Prices are a little higher, but it is kind of nice not being in the usual cattle-call.  The flight was smooth and easy with my window seat providing some nice views.  I caught up on some TV shows and watched a great movie called "Rental Family" starring Brendan Fraser.  

Song companion:  "Travelin' Man" by A Thousand Horses 

I got a discounted rental car at Enterprise (thanks to points) and the process was smooth and easy.  I was prepared for the common gridlock of LA traffic with a new audiobook called "The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller (soon to be a Ridley Scott film).  It's great so far, and traffic wasn't that bad getting out of the airport and over to West Hollywood.  

My only hiccup of the trip came early when I discovered that I had booked my AirBnb room in West Hollywood for the wrong night!  Doh!   The owner, who was the one who actually alerted me to the error, was super gracious and allowed me a refund despite being past the time to get one and my offer to pay since it was my mistake.  Who says LA people aren't nice!?!  I was able to jump on my Hotel Tonight app and luckily find a room available for a reasonable price at Hotel Ziggy, a hip rock-n-roll themed boutique spot just around the corner from where the AirBnb is located.  The room was small but nicely decorated and very quiet (photo above).  Works for me!  

Walking around "the fun end of Route 66" in West Hollywood was an eye-opener at times, but it felt very safe and friendly overall.  But they aren't kidding about the "Hollywood hills" - there was some steep urban street hiking to be done here at times! 

After not being able to find a seat at the bar at the famous and historic Barney's Beanery, I settled for my back-up afternoon craft beer location called 33 Taps.  Oh yeah, it's definitely a gay bar, but it's also a pretty good sports bar with a nice beer list based on the name plus good, friendly service.  I was able to watch NSC get another road win in Atlanta while I was there while enjoying their own house 33 Taps IPA (not sure who makes it for them).  Next up was the excellent Dodger-themed NEIPA called Chavez Ravine from Boomtown Brewing here in LA.  I finished with the very good Lush IPA from Fremont Brewing (Seattle).  I also had an excellent grain bowl with steak for my early dinner. 

Tonight's show was at the famous and historic (est. 1964) Whiskey a Go-Go nightclub where rock bands like The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Guns-n-Roses and many others got their start.  I had to settle for Stevie and the Rockers, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band.  It's a tiny place very reminiscent of Exit/In here in Nashville.  Well, I at least got my money's worth with four different openers.  The first three openers - Cherry Project (think poor man's Nirvana); Lucy (think Billie Elish as a punk rocker); and Sinnamonroll (an interesting all black girl trio doing grunge/punk) - weren't really my kind of music, but I could see potential in each of them, especially the (maybe) 12-year-old drummer for Lucy, very impressive.   The biggest disappointments were the closers: Mancini and then Stevie and the Rockers - pretty terrible to be honest - old, washed-up and not even very talented. I left two songs into SatR's set.  I am afraid the Whiskey which is in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame as a location has really fallen on hard times if this is the best they can do for a Saturday night in LA.  The thin crowds all night was another indicator.  
Of course, another reason why maybe no one is here are the beer prices - fifteen bucks for a decent Mind Haze NEIPA from Firestone Walker Brewing (CA) served up in a plastic cup??  What a rip-off.  Go eff yourselves!  
Song Companion:  Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns and Roses 

I could at least come and go from The Whiskey between bands and was able to stroll a little up and down Sunset Boulevard including across the street to the side entrance of the infamous Viper Room.  It was here on that one of my favorite young actors, River Phoenix, collapsed and died from a drug overdose 33 years ago.   Kind of morbid, I know, but it still haunts me.  
Song Companion: "Broken Window Serenade" by Whiskey Myers 

4/19 - I got up early today and headed north for an hour in an easy drive out of LA to the Oxnard/Ventura area to catch a boat out to the Channel Islands National Park.  My choice today was to visit Anacapa Island and its Lighthouse 

It was a perfect day for the 12-mile ride out to the easternmost island in the archipelago.  We saw tons of birds, seals, and dolphins riding in our wake going out of the harbor aboard the clean and roomy two-deck ship. 

Song Companion:  "Maps for the Getaway" by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness  

As we approached East Anacapa Island, we "dotted" the huge Anacapa Arch.  

The lagoon water surrounding the island is the purest aquamarine in color (no filter in the picture above) with huge forests of sea kelp.  I would love to come back and do some snorkeling here! 
The only way on the island is UP!  Besides a ladder climb off the boat to the pier, it's another 150+ steps to the top and the start of the trail around the island. 

Access to the Anacapa Lighthouse (1912) was restricted unfortunately, but there a lot of great photo ops with it in the background all over the island. 

Pictures just don't do Cathedral Cove justice.  Amen! I sat and had lunch here with this incredible view.  I had stopped at a 7-Eleven before boarding the boat and bought some cheese, salami and crackers; some Cool Ranch Doritos; some M&Ms and a Mt. Dew.  A meal fit for a king!  There were sea lions lounging, swimming and barking in a little cove below as well.  Man, what a magical place! 

Song companion:  "These Days" by Jackson Browne 

Inspiration Point is aptly named and quite breathtaking as you are looking west toward Middle and West Anacapa Islands. 

I am very proud of this time-lapse photo of the waves breaking beneath Pinniped Point.  I had this spot (and most of the day) to myself on the island.  With only one boat a day coming here, it's pretty easy to feel (and enjoy) the isolation.  No commercialism, no souvenir booths, and the nesting gulls are so wild they don't even try to steal your lunch!  I truly loved it here.  With all the disappointment of the Whiskey-A-Go-Go experience last night, today's experience exceeded all expectations and added true balance to this trip.  I am so glad I came! 

We got a closer look at Anacapa Arch on the way out along with a close-up view of some lounging sea lions on a rocky beach nearby.  The cruise back was smooth and easy.  What a great day!  
(Editor's note:  Shockingly, just a month later a huge wildfire broke out on the second largest island in the chain, Santa Rosa.  It was contained after several days but is now the largest fire - over 18,000 acres - in the park's history.) 

I stayed overnight (for free with points!) at a nice Springhill Suites in Oxnard, California, tonight before heading back to West Hollywood again tomorrow for my birthday.  It was a brand-new hotel and they even gave me an early birthday present!  Thanks, Marriott Bonvoy!! 

I got off the boat and checked in with enough time to go check out a daily poker tournament at Players Casino in Ventura a few minutes away.  The place got bad reviews, but I thought it was OK.  It even had an ocean view.  The staff was nice and helpful, and the little tournament wasn't too bad in terms of structure based on the $60 price.  I didn't have to rebuy and was doing pretty well early on and even got to the final table with 23 total entrants, but I got crippled when my AQ did not improve against 88 and then got knocked out in 6th and they only paid three.  Womp! Womp!  Still a good time and I was proud of my play that included a great slow-played AA hand, a good semi-bluff with 99, and a big double up with a turned full house with junk cards.  

Besides not cashing, the only other downside was that I played so late that I missed getting to any local breweries before they closed.  I was able to swing by a Yard House back in Oxnard nearby my hotel where I had some of their awesome lettuce wraps and a couple of tasty pints including the altbier called Valkyrie from Enegren Brewing (CA) and the IPA called Weekend Vibes from Coronado Brewing (San Diego).  

4/20 - Happy Birthday to me!!!  I took my time heading back to West Hollywood today as I traveled down the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy. 1) southbound. My first stop was the stunning El Matador State Beach in Malibu.  I see where they get the name with the bull-shaped arched rock on the beach.  I usually don't like people in my nature pics, but it helps here to give the massive scale of the namesake rock.  

Despite a brilliant blue sky, this black and white version of El Matador Beach (although it looks more like an elephant from this angle) is my favorite.  

A convertible would certainly have been nice on this trip since I had perfect weather the entire time, but my discounted black-on-black Honda Civic still had the new car smell with very little miles on it and sipped gas nicely since it's over $5 a gallon out here. Thanks, T-rump!! 

I thought Malibu Brewing might be a little snooty for me, but I really enjoyed the vibe here and the beer was outstanding!  As was my order of grilled halibut tacos and the best guacamole I've ever had (and I'm usually not a big fan of it).   

My first birthday brews at Malibu Brewing were in this order:  their excellent DIPA called Tower 17; their just spicy enough chili beer called Hatch; and their terrific rye extra pale ale called If X, Then Rye.  That's now 12 birthdays on UNTAPPD!  Salute! 

I couldn't believe how easy it was to find Marilyn Monroe's simple crypt.  This was kind of a last-minute addition stop, and I am glad I was able to give my regards.  
Song Companion:  "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John 

The Brady Bunch House was another last-minute addition, but a fun and easy to find Hollywood stop.  The classic station wagon parked outside was the perfect touch!   
Song Companion: "Here's the story of a lovely lady..."

I stayed overnight at the historic (and convenient) Beverly Terrace Hotel which had "cheap for Hollywood" on-site parking at only $30/night.  My room was small, but quaint and cool.  The whole place was very quiet and laid back.  A nice respite from the hustle and bustle.  

I was tired of driving in LA traffic and wanted to drink some more, so I opted for a kind of pricey Uber to All Seasons Brewing. But it was worth it.  What a cool place!  What was once a Firestone Tire and Service Shop has been given new life as an award-winning craft brewery here in LA.  They also keep with the car/tire theme not only in their brewery name after a well-known Firestone brand of tire but also their beer names.  I started with their excellent IPA called Bullitt.  Next was their near-perfect dry stout called O'Reilly's Irish Stout.  I concluded with their sensational DIPA called Five Points Harness.  

The other value I got out of my Uber ride was also being in walking distance from the brewery to check out some places along LA's "Miracle Mile" including the outside area of the famous La Brea Tar Pits.  I didn't have time to go to the museum inside, but it's definitely on my list when I return.  Quite fascinating.

How dare this hot looking LA woman get in my artistic picture! This cool street art outside the LA County Museum of Art is known as "Urban Light" - thanks AtlasObscura.com!  
Song companion:  "LA Woman" by The Doors, of course. 

Another golden reason to come back to LA!! 

I left the artistic stuff behind and headed for more beer.  There's a very cool little place at the LA Farmers Market called Bar 326 where I got a couple more nice brews including the helles-style Lager from pFriem Family Brewing (OR), and then because not only is it my birthday, it's 420, I had the IPA called Gnarly Budz from a collab with Altamont Beer Works (CA) and Shred Beer Company (CA)
Next door was about as close as I got to a movie star while in LA this trip when I had a (very) spicy shrimp grain bowl from (Danny) Trejo's Tacos for dinner.    

I took a quick Uber back to tonight's show at the legendary and historic (est. 1957) Troubadour nightclub where The Eagles, Jackson Browne and many others got their start.  And tonight's show was Nashville's own, Langhorne Slim, with a stop on his current tour for his new album "The Dreaming Kind."   I caught most of the opener, Laney Jones and the Spirits who were very good and from Nashville also I learned.  Very cool.   The Troubadour is a great club too.  Excellent acoustics, not stuffy and well laid out.   It really puts The Whiskey to shame.   

It was an incredible show.  Langhorne Slim is definitely one of the most underrated singer/songwriters around.  How he's not a bigger star is beyond me.  He's today's Joe Cocker with a better voice and more energy and more soul! 
Song Companion:  "On Fire" by Langhorne Slim 

4/21/26 - There's a donut place around here somewhere, I can just feel it!  Randy's Donuts, the original location, was on the way back to the airport this morning, so I had to give it a try.  Famous way before Iron Man sat in its giant donut hole, Randy's is an LA staple.  I had a Boston cream with maple glaze that was awesome, and the biggest sausage breakfast burrito I've ever seen!  I had to finish it later at the airport!  

Goodbye, West Coast.  I will be back as soon as I can! 

Here's a pretty good shot of what I think is the beautiful Sedona, Arizona area (thanks, Waze and SWA internet!).  Yep, it's on the list to visit!!  
It was a smooth flight home and another great trip in the books.  Where to next?!?! 
Song Companion:  Sedona by Houndmouth

4/23 - I started a very easy long-weekend cat-sitting gig at a $2-million-dollar house (yeah, I looked it up) out on the lake north of Lebanon today.  And I am already booked for another week's stay here in May as well!  

Maysie's a fancy Scottish Fold cat and damn cute! 

and Isla looks at me like the hired help I am...but now she's sweet on me!
 

A look back at the construction of Providence Marketplace

When construction started more than 20 years ago, Mt. Juliet’s Providence Marketplace was billed as the largest open-air retail center between Nashville and Knoxville. More than two decades later, city leaders say the development has transformed the city.

https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/providence-marketplace/

Zero love for me saving their asses with my electric design!!!  Typical!  But good to see my first big underground electric project still in the news 20 years later!   Despite how everything went down there, I am proud of my work at MTE.  

Speaking of notoriety, I recently noticed that three of my pictures have finally been uploaded permanently onto AtlasObscura.com along with photo credit for visited places in South Dakota and Montana!  

4/24 - Finally, a bit of MTT success on ClubWPT Gold with an 1,100% ROI satellite ticket won tonight vs. 450 other players and paying the top 41 finishers. I got 21st.
While playing at my sweet cat-sitting gig house, I cracked open a pint can of the excellent DDH NEIPA called Trapper's Pack from Northwoods Brewing (NH).  This was my next to last brew from a variety four-pack I got at Mt. Juliet Beer Company a week or two back. 

4/25 - Well, I was just gonna watch this one on the telly tonight, but my best friend's son, Ryan, was coming through town and was going to the game alone, so I decided to go with him plus buy his ticket.  He can a little bit of a jerk sometimes, but I feel sorry for him too.  And he's still my best friend, Craig's, son and has never been dealt the greatest hand in life.   Plus, the weather is great (despite the forecast) for seeing a game live.  And it's Star Wars night!! Pew! Pew!  And it's against our growing rival, Charlotte FC.  May the force be with us!! 
Well, we stayed on target alright with a dominating 4-2 win!  We had great seats right behind the south goal where we saw Super Sam Surridge put in a brace of two goals after coming in the second half right in front of us!  
I parked at Fait la Force Brewing for free and slipped in and had their very smooth and nice German-style lager called Medieval Market.  I also had a repeat Hub City Brewing (Jackson) pilsner in a pint can at the stadium called My Town.   

Beforehand, I caught this little overachieving bluegill (he's about as big as my lure!) off the dock at the fancy cat-sitting house up on Old Hickory Lake.

4/26 - I got another $5 SNG win on ClubWPT Gold today.  And then a couple of 2nd place finishes and a small cash in an MTT on there tonight as I enjoyed the mild temps out on the elevated deck at the lake house.  My last night here, but I will be back week after next (and I can't wait, cuz this place is so choice!!).  

2/27 - I had a very nice remote day at work in the big house on the lake today.  No luck at fishing, but the beer was biting pretty good as I enjoyed a bottle of the very good imperial stout, Dragon's Milk: Triple Mash (2026) from New Holland Brewing (MI); and then a pint can of the excellent pale ale, Charlatan - 10 Yr. Anniversary Heritage Release from Maplewood Brewing (IL).  
I also got a first and second place in two different $5 SNGs on ClubWPT Gold.  

2/28 - I went to the Concacaf Champions Cup Tournament Semifinal Game at Geodis Park tonight with NSC taking on club Tigres UANL from Monterrey, Mexico, along with my work pal, Todd.  It was a tough night as NSC fell 1-0 to an annoying team that was constantly flopping on the field in what looked to be fake injuries trying to draw foul calls from the refs plus waste time. This followed an hour-long weather delay as well.  But on the brighter side, our seats were good and I had a great beer at Fait La Force Brewing beforehand - it was their new NEPA called Solar Drift - and a tasty Philly cheesesteak sandwich for dinner at the stadium along with a repeat pint can of Homestyle IPA from our local Bearded Iris Brewing.  

4/29 - The latest issue of the Ante Up Online Magazine is out and my monthly article in it is looking good! 

This was a fun and timely article to write since it includes a couple of my favorite songs when it comes to poker being broadcasted again on ESPN this summer. 

I even got a mention in the email announcing this month's new issue saying my article was a highlight of the magazine.
I got another $5 SNG win on ClubWPT Gold tonight.  

4/30 - I got my first-ever bonus while working at Cumberland University today.   We've had a good enrollment year, and a pay increase is also possible soon.  Definitely a nice way to close out my birthday month! 
After work today, I dropped by Cedar City Brewing for my Mug Club monthly free flight which included their tasty new Czech Pilsner.