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Cheers to Hoppy Old Men!! (RIP, fellas) |
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3/2 - Well, this was a new experience. I got asked by my work pal, Todd, today to help pick up the Cumberland U Track Team at the airport in one of two university passenger vans. I was a little nervous since I had not driven this type of vehicle before, but it handled really well and was not a problem. And the OT pay ain't bad either! When I got home this evening, I closed out the night with a NLHE turbo bounty tournament win on Global Poker vs. 17 other players with four knockouts for a total ROI of around 530%! |
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| 3/3 - I went to see the $5 Monday Night Regal Mystery Movie at Providence Theaters in Mt. Juliet tonight with my friend, Toney. It turned out to be the mildly entertaining, but overall, pretty dumb, action film, Novocain, which surprised me since it comes out next week instead of a month or so from now like previous mystery movies I've been too. |
I would have rather just watched the Andor Season 2 trailer over and over...
Andor AND Steve Earle??? That's the greatest trailer ever made!!
3/5 - Despite the typo of my last name (used to it), it was nice to get another shout-out on Facebook about my column and this month's article by Ante Up Magazine.
(Editor's note: I noticed someone had fixed my last name's spelling the next time I saw this post. Thanks, whomever!)
3/6 - I had to go to Brentwood for work today and I got side-tracked a bit afterwards at Curio Brewing in Franklin where I had their very good NEIPA called Eddy and finished with their strawberry wheat beer called Jolene.
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3/7 - 3/9 - I got a last-minute pet-sitting gig down in Smyrna this weekend with Super Cooper (photo above) and his feline friend, Chunky. It was a nice, easy payday. |
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3/10 - I stopped by East Nashville Beer Works - Wilson County after work today for a few pints and some dinner with my beer pal, Nate. The new metallic ENBW beer club membership cards are in, and they look and feel great! I also earned a free pint with some loyalty points. I started with their tasty, but high ABV, imperial stout called East Side Hippie. Next up was their thick and bready Kold Style kolsch, and then I finished with their solid porter called Luna. Dinner was an excellent sriracha chicken pizza with enough left over for lunch tomorrow. |
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3/11 - It's Regal discount night, so I went to see the new sci-fi flick, Mickey 17 in IMAX at the Opry Mills Theaters in Nashville tonight. Unlike most of the world, I hated director Bong Joon Ho's last movie, Parasite, even though it won best picture. But I did like his previous sci-fi pic, Snowpiercer, so I figured that it was a wash. I also really like Robert Pattison as an actor which was a plus. I thought the film was pretty good overall, nothing great. Great set design and a decent story. But for truly visionary sci-fi I will take Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) as a better director/film-maker any time. I also got to enjoy some CU Baseball this afternoon while on the clock. Take those work perks wherever and whenever you can!! |
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3/14 - FINALLY! I finally got back to Finally Friday at 3rd and Lindsley today after a long hiatus and was able to work remote from here this afternoon. Today's performers were Tom Hampton who I thought was very good. Amanda Grace was scheduled next, but filling in instead was Korby Lenker who I really enjoyed. I've bought two of his songs already, and even got to say hello to him briefly after his set. I had a tasty chicken finger basket for lunch as well and enjoyed a cold Shiner Bock beer. |
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Muriel Anderson and her beautiful 20-string harp-guitar concluded the show, and she was fantastic. I stopped at the M.L. Rose in Mt. Juliet on the way home for a couple of pints including The Method, a decent DIPA from Marble Fox Brewing here in Nashville. I concluded with the Pub Ale ESB from Black Abbey Brewing here in Nashville also. I got home tonight to take down a massive second-place finish on Global Poker in a small buy-in turbo NLHE mystery bounty tournament vs. 279 other players. With my seven knockouts I cleared an ROI of a whopping 6,500%. And, yes, I had a chance at the win if not for an awful call preflop by my heads-up opponent and a sickening suck-out. But, hey, I had a couple of miracles to get this far also, so no biggie. |
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3/15 - I watched my Duke boys wrap up the 2025 ACC Tournament Championship tonight (also Regular Season Champs) without superstar, Cooper Flagg, which made it even more impressive. On to The Big Dance!! I also had a good day/night on the virtual felt on Global Poker with two outright small buy-in tournament wins and cashing in two other larger buy-in tournaments - both of which I satellited into. It was enough collective ROI to cash in $100 profit. The info on the two wins is as follows: NLCP turbo vs. 18 other players for an ROI of 800% NLHE turbo bounty with 14 knockouts vs. 136 other players for a total ROI of 3,200% (Editor's note: with the winnings I bought Ashlee and myself tickets to see Tom Hanks live with his daughter and her new book. And also, I bought a new CU hat.) |
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3/16 - I had to run up to Gallatin today for a dog-sitting meet and greet so I stopped by for a cold one or two at Half Batch Brewing over in Hendersonville since I was up that way. I started with their Banzai New Zealand-style pale ale that was decent. I finished with their very nice high-ABV Scotch ale called The Big Fulkin (photo above). I got home tonight to become another double tournament winner on Global Poker. Both were small buy-ins, but they all count! First was a NLHE super bounty turbo with just ten other players, but with five knockouts it gave me a total ROI of right at 600%! Second was a NLCP turbo tourney with 23 other players and an ROI of just at 900%! |
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3/17 - Man, that came fast! My signed and personalized copy of "Blood Game" by Jeffe Boats came today. It's a spy action thriller with a twist of poker as well. Recommended by the guys on the "Poker in the Ears" podcast, I figured I would grab a copy with a little discount as well. Since it came straight from the author, I also got two cool poker chips in the shipment as well. Thanks, Jeffe!! Looking forward to reading this one! Speaking of poker, I got another small buy-in NLCP tournament win tonight on Global vs. 16 other players for an ROI of right at 700%! That's a third of the book cost right there! |
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3/18 - I had a multi-day pet-sitting gig in Gallatin that started today with this little goober named Pippen and his two feline roommates. Another easy side hustle in a very nice home with some awesome pets! |
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3/19 - When in Gallatin, you eat Prince Street Pizza!! And since they have a Philly cheesesteak pie called the Always Sunny, it becomes even more of a must-devour! I got a very small (only 8 other players) NLCP turbo tournament win tonight for an ROI of over 400%. That, along with some deep runs/cashes in some higher buy-in tourneys tonight, got my suffering bankroll back up to where it should be on Global Poker. |
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3/20 - I had to run over to Watertown today to get my hair cut and I always stop in Three Forks Market while I am there to grab lunch (excellent fried chicken tenders) and peruse their craft beer section. If I see something I haven't had I usually get a sixer of it to support them having craft beer in such a small town and store. Today it was the Friday Beers Tasty Light lager from Almost Friday Brewing (NY). And since it was "almost Friday" I cracked a couple back at my house-sitting abode in Gallatin this afternoon. They were pretty good for a light beer. I got another very small (only 8 other players again) NLCP turbo tournament win tonight on Global Poker for an ROI of over 400%. |
3/21 - I see a pattern here...I got another very small (only 8 other players again) NLHE super bounty turbo tournament win tonight on Global Poker. Along with my two knockouts it was an ROI of just under 300%.
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3/22 - We drove down to Chattanooga today to celebrate our niece and nephew's separate birthdays coming up this week. After a great brunch, we stopped by the Play, Wash, Pint dog park (and bar) where I had a few new-to-me libations including a decent NEIPA from Naked River Brewing there in Chatty called Slick and Hazy. I also had a sip of Ashlee's Pina Colada cider from Austin Eastciders (TX) that wasn't too bad. I finished with two much better NEIPAs from Oskar Blues Brewing (CO, NC, TX) called Hazy Blues and then Imperial Hazy Blues (photo above). It was a perfect day for some early spring outdoor beers and doggie shenanigans! |
I actually got to see this incredible play live on Friday at work (3/21) and then it made #1 on the ESPN Play of the Day!! Go CU!!
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3/23 - It was a bittersweet day on the couch today as I watched my Duke boys absolutely dismantle Baylor to advance to the Sweet 16. But it was also tough seeing former Duke player who I've met and was one of my favorites, Jeremy Roach, suited up in green and yellow and taking the loss to his former team. This screen-grab pic was a nice moment after the game with Tyrese Proctor (who had seven 3-pointers) being a good dude to his former teammate. Man, I still love my Duke program so much! So classy! During the game I also enjoyed a pint can of the Parched Pig Pumpkin ale which my awesome wife brought me back from a recent girls cruise she went on aboard the Carnival Mardi Gras that evidently has its own floating craft brewery (damn it! why wasn't I invited!! - next time for sure!!). UNTAPPD says it's made by the Pig and Anchor Brewhouse in Miami, but it does look like they've brokered a deal with several Carnival ships actually to have working breweries onboard. Very cool! I won a low buy-in turbo bounty NLHE tournament on Global Poker tonight vs. 94 other players. With just four knockouts, I still managed an ROI of over 2,000%!! I took some of those winnings and entered a larger buy-in NLCP tournament where I cashed in third place and was able to cash out $75 profit!! |
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3/24 - Look what arrived today! More Global Poker hardware and swag for winning Event # 8-H of the Grizzly Games VIII GC Poker Tournament Series back in early February!! And I didn't even have to wait a month of Sundays to get it. Way to be on the ball there, GP!! |
3/25 - I was on the road today for work today and had to blow off a transfer fair in Harriman after an hour due to it being held stupidly outside in windy-ass March. But that also gave me time to stop by the incredible Stinging Fork Falls outside Spring City. It's been over 30 years since I've been here and it was well worth the visit again. I forgot what a stunner it is. It was a good (and steep) three-mile roundtrip, but I handled it pretty well I'm proud to say.
My day continued to improve with a stop for lunch and libations at Monkey Town Brewing in Dayton. With my tasty smashburger sliders and corn nuggets I had their really good wheat ale called Hefelumps and Woozles, and finished with their fine West Coast (yay! hops!!) IPA called Ma! The Powers Back! These guys are a clubhouse leader in great beer names. That's for sure.
I stayed overnight at the very nice Indigo Hotel in downtown Chattanooga. I walked to dinner at Taco Mac (another blast from the past - been a while since I darked that door) where I had some tasty shrimp tacos for dinner and a couple of new-to-me brews including the excellent Blackberry Smoke American Lager from New Realm Brewing (Atlanta) and finished with another Georgia product, the fantastic Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout from Terrapin Brewing in Athens.
While at Taco Mac, I proudly watched my alma mater, the Chattanooga Mocs, come from 16 down on the road at favored Bradley University to win a berth into the NIT semi-finals. GO MOCS!!!
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3/26 - On my drive back from Chattanooga for work today, the new March issue of Ante Up Magazine arrived in my inbox and this month's article looks good despite the change of artwork by the editor. No biggie. I did a little bit of waterfall scouting and a quick stop at Happy Trials Brewing in Sparta also. I had a couple of their new ones including the tasty cream ale called Easy Hike, and their solid Rock Hop IPA as well. |
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3/27 - We flew down to New Orleans tonight for a long weekend with friends in The Big Easy. Out on Bourbon Street tonight at a bar we picked to go in because of the name - The Cat's Meow - I got gouged ($10!) for a bottle of the very decent kolsch called The Boot from nearby Abita Brewing. Later, at the awesome Carousel Bar and Lounge in the Hotel Monteleone, I had another Abita product, a draft pint of their classic Amber (2024) red ale. Beforehand, at the airport in Nashville I had the solid Nelson West Coast IPA from Tailgate Brewing's Terminal C taproom. |
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3/28- A NOLA beer stroll is truly one of the great things in life! This was my only purchase while strolling through the giant French Market: a draft pour of the tasty Blood Orange Saison from Second Line Brewing here in New Orleans. |
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My first official NOLA brewery visit this trip was to Brieux Carre' Brewing down near The French Market. It's a small place but had a good selection of drafts and some tasty finger food as well. I started with a sip of Ashlee's Malcolm in the Mittelfruh German-style pilsner that was solid. I had their IPA called Nank Dugs (photo above) that I thought was excellent. I finished with The Bamburgler - a decent rauchbier that could have used a bit more smoke IMO. |
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We stopped in a jazz bar because again, we liked the name - The Spotted Cat Music Club. Turns out they have a good beer list too. I had can of the Baltic-style Korova Milk Porter (photo above - now, that is one gnarly beer can wrap!) from Gnarly Barley Brewing over in Hammond, LA. It was tasty! |
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3/29 - Today, we headed out of New Orleans for an awesome swamp tour where we got seriously close to some good-sized gators!! I snuck a can of beer on the bus for the ride over. It was the solid Double Dry-Hopped Commotion pale ale from Great Raft Brewing over in Shreveport, LA. Cheers, big fella!! |
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After the swamp, we had an awesome dinner and beers at Brewery Saint X in downtown New Orleans. Along with my savory two-meat BBQ plate (brisket and sausage) I started with their excellent doppelbock called Misty Blue. Next was their rauchbier called Rauchhaus which again left me wanting more smoke. |
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3/30 - It was time to fly home from NOLA today, but before heading to the airport, we snagged a front-porch table at Port Orleans Brewing for lunch and libations. My street tacos and corn on the cob were excellent. I had a taste of Ashlee's Bacchus Blonde Ale that I thought was decent. My first pint was their Roll With It Juicy IPA that was pretty great. Next was a 10 oz. pour of their boozy Porty (2025) - 4 yr. Barrel-Aged Chocolate Porter that was a little much for me. Probably needed another year in that barrel. I finished with their interesting and tasty RoyalTea Pale Ale which is infused with Earl Grey tea after fermentation. Thanks for all the good times, NOLA, as usual. We will return!! |
3/31 - I closed out the month back on the road for work again. I stayed overnight in Cleveland, TN, at a nice, new Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the company dime. For lunch, I stopped at Father Tom's Pub in Cookeville where I had a nice Seasonal Cerveza Lime Lager from Highland Brewing (Asheville) with my burger and fries.
