Feb's March toward April

2/3 - I got mentioned by name on this week's episode of the Ante Up Poker Podcast with praise for my monthly articles that I contribute to the Ante Up Online Magazine.  The positive recognition makes up somewhat for the zero pay I get for doing it.  Oh well, like this blog, it's a nice writing exercise that I enjoy doing.  

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ante-up-poker-magazine/id283834552?i=1000747429261

2/6 - I had a remote day at work today, so I was finally able to get back over to 3rd and Lindsley for another "Finally Friday" show and broadcast.   First performer up was the soulful husband-and-wife duo, The Waymores.  Next was the clever lyrics and clear voice of singer/songwriter, Susan Werner.  And to close the show (and my favorite performer of the day) was the outlaw country crooning of Chris Canterbury.  With my tasty chicken finger basket lunch, I also had a bottle of the magnificent Bell's Brewing (MI) Two Hearted IPA (2026).

Afterwards, I was finally able to stop by the new Stoke Haus Brewing and Barbecue in East Nashville (where Crazy Knome Brewing used to be) and try a couple of their beers.  They were both outstanding!  First up was their West Coast IPA called Reserve. I finished with their German-style pilsner called Pilsmatic.  I will definitely be back and with an appetite because the barbecue smelled awesome! 

2/7 - It was another classic matchup between Duke and UNC today at The Dean Dome.  My Duke boys held the lead the whole game right until the end and then got cold shooting while any prayer the Tarholes threw up seemed to go in.  Tough loss, but probably good for their egos going into the second half of the season.  We'll get 'em in Cameron!!  I enjoyed an appropriately named Billy Goat Tavern IPA based on the opponent during the game.  It's made by Miskatonic Brewing (IL) and is an ode to the famous and historic Chicago-based bar.  It came from my last BeerBox.com order.  

2/8 - Well, at least the right team won tonight.  My old favorite NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks, dominated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl with a game that wasn't as close as the score of 29-13.  We watched the game at a party at the home of our friends, Todd and Kelly.  I brought some brews to the party including a couple new-to-me ones that finished up the last BeerBox.com order I received a pretty good while back.  First up was the very nice lager called All Time by Middle Brow Brewing (Chicago) and then the pleasant Wandawega Lemon Radler from Solemn Oath Brewing (IL).   I also won $22 by have be most correct prop-bet picks! 

2/9 - I went to see tonight's Regal Monday Mystery Movie at the Regal Theaters at Providence which was not Crime 101 as I was hoping, but turned out to be the rather lame comedy, Nirvanna the Band, The Show, The Movie.  I guess it's based on a popular TV show out of Canada, but just like most Canadian comedies, in my opinion, it's a laugh maybe every 10 minutes or so, and otherwise kind of dumb.  At least it was only cost me the $5 discounted ticket price.  And the beer I snuck in, the Winter Lager from Johnson City Brewing, was excellent.  I picked up a sixer of them at Providence Wine and Spirits near the theater.  

2/12 - Work perk!! It's always nice to catch a few innings of CU Baseball on the clock.  Our boys split a double-header at home today vs. the University of St. Francis out of Illinois in some pretty mild weather for mid-February.  

2/13 - I had a remote workday today and also began a dog-sitting long weekend with my favorite pit bulls in Watertown again.  I've really missed those lug-heads! 

And tonight, I finally got an out-and-out win on Club WPT Gold with a $5 NLHE turbo sit-n-go vs. 7 other players to garner me 400% ROI!  Of course, that's just about what I paid in today, so no real profit.  But I may have finally found my beatable game on here since the MTT's are loaded with crazy players and the variance is awful.

2/14 - Happy V-Day!  I got another 8-handed SNG win today on Club WPT Gold (but only after blanking in the three others beforehand, so good ROI, but no real profit), but still noteworthy since I got into the money (top 3) with the least amount of chips and battled to first place.  I also got 13th out of 734 players in a freeroll turbo NLHE tournament on there that earned me over 1,400% ROI.   

Later in the afternoon, however, I got two more SNG wins! I went ahead and cashed out $20 just to see it if would work and it looks smooth so far.  I am really starting to "heart" this site a little! 

I took a break from the SNG action to go to Valentine's dinner back in Lebanon with my wifey-poo and we joined our friends, Todd and Kelly, at the Lebanon Public House on The Square where I had a Lebanon Public House Ale with my tasty dinner.  The LPHA is really just the kolsch made by Cedar City Brewing around the corner, but I entered into UNTAPPD as is since it's on their menu that way.  XOXO and cheers! 

A little more late-night SNG action when I got back to Watertown included a 3rd and a 2nd place finish for about 210% ROI.  And then another win!!  So, make that $40 cashed out instead of $20!! 

2/17 - I am on the road for work in the Knoxville area tomorrow and the next day, so I headed out after work in the office in a nice, new Nissan Altima rental car and drove to a decent Fairfield Inn in Kodak, TN, near Sevierville.  I bought a new audiobook for the drive from one of my favorite Southern authors, Ron Rash, called "The World Made Straight."  He captures the mountains of North Carolina so eloquently in his stories and they areas big a character as the people in it.   Two hours in and I am loving it!  

2/18 - After knocking out my one fair of the day this morning, I had the afternoon to myself, and it turned out to be a fun and interesting one.  I started with the famous burger at Chubby's Restaurant in Sevierville.  This heart attack on a plate has two beef patties, pulled pork and bacon!  And it was awesome!  I couldn't even finish all the pulled pork that was piled on it.  

I was touring through The Great Smokey Mountains National Park after lunch and happened upon Mannis Branch Falls without even knowing it existed! It's technically roadside, but across from the Little River which it cascades into.  Maybe on a warmer day I can wade across and scramble up for a better view of its 30' drop that's obscured by vegetation.  Still a pretty site and a great accident to stumble upon! 

This was another interesting stop.  This roadside waterfall is for sale!  What a perfect place to put a brewery!  If I just had that extra $500K laying around, I could do it up right! They had it walled off pretty well from site, but I glimpsed it through the trees.  It's a nice little 15 or 20' cascade on Cove Creek just outside Pigeon Forge.   

My next stop was a new-to-me brewery (they've only been around a year so) called Mountain Brothers Brewing Company in Sevierville.  It's nice little nano-brewery added on to a popular general store also ran by the "mountain brothers."  I tried their very good IPA called Jolene.  Next was their brand new Eye-Witness Dunkle that I thought was top notch.  Note the CU sticker going in to the brewery!  I shall return!! 

I finished off the fun afternoon with a great matinee price for a 5 PM showing of Crime 101 at The Forge Theaters in Sevierville.  I thought it was a solid flick, although the ending was a little goofy IMO.  The theaters were great and look pretty new too. 

Beforehand, I had a medal-winning pint of the outstanding brown ale called Don't Feed the Bears from Gatlinburg Brewing.  I had it their Sevierville location which I have not been to before.  And, yes, I will be back!  

2/19 - On the drive back from Knoxville, I stopped at Father's Tom Pub for a couple of pints.  First up was the solid Vienna lager from Xul Beer Company (Knoxville) called Till Death Do We Riot  and finished with the nice Mardi Gras Pils from Urban South Brewing (New Orleans).  

When I got home, I promptly won another $5 SNG on ClubWPT Gold

This month's issue of Ante Up Online Magazine 

Page 2 for review! 

Even got a nice mention in the table of contents! 

2/20 - We flew to NYC today to Jason Isbell perform at Radio City Music Hall tonight

late night pizza on the way for some brews 

Clinton Beer Hall 

2/21 - Still in NYC 

The Yard House at Times Square was busy as hell, but we managed to squeeze in at the bar for a couple pre-show libations.  

Being just two rows from Ray Ramano on stage on Broadway was pretty freakin' cool. 

2/23 - back on the road for work with stops in my old stomping grounds inside the Sequatchie Valley tomorrow and Wednesday.

2/24 - easy day in The Valley today with just a lunch visit to Bledsoe County HS.  Monkey Town Brewing for a late lunch and libations. I had their 

2/25 - long day inside Marion County with three school fair including the ol' alma mater and then a long drive to Johnson City afterwards for a rescheduled two-day fair there to close out the week.  Staying at a nice Fairfield Inn (points!) in JC. 

2/26 - Johnson City 

beautiful Millstone Creek Falls
Homeplace Beer Company
Won a $5 SNG on WPT Gold 

Homeplace Beer Company in Burnsville, NC 

2/27 - It was a long drive back home from Johnson City, but it was just too pretty a day and the streamflow was so good, I just couldn't pass up hitting a waterfall in the area before heading west.   

I will be back - maybe with better shoes and my hiking stick!! 

2/28 - I just barely got my monthly free beer club flight today at Cedar City Brewing along with their kick-ass dry-rub wings for lunch!  They had two new-to-be beers (top right and top middle).  The Emerald Raspberry Riot sour was a little more tart than sour and was actually a little too sweet to my pallet, but not awful.  The Oak Aged Rye IPA was very good, and I will definitely be having that one again!  The rest were just a few faves of mine that were repeats. 

3/2 - I was back on the road for work today, and after an early fair at Rhea County, I was able sneak in a quick hike nearby.  I thought this black and white video of Upper Piney Creek Falls in Grandview is pretty cool.  This is a revisit from years and years ago, but I sure don't remember much about it.  I am staying in Cookeville at a nice Fairfield Inn for a couple nights and I had a great chef's salad with grilled salmon at Father Tom's Pub for dinner along with a couple brews (on my dime).  First up was the solid wheat ale from Green Man Brewing (Asheville) called White Beard.  I finished with the decent Centennial IPA from Founder's Brewing (MI), but I was honestly expecting more hops.  

Back at the hotel I watched Duke win the regular season ACC title by destroying NC State.  This really may be their year!  I also chopped our little PokerStars local game vs. 5 other players.  I had to rebuy twice, so it was nice to get something back which turned out to be double my total buy-in including rebuys and add-on.  On WPT Gold I broke even with a second place and then a DNC in two sit-n-goes.  And I did cash out $20 from other recent success on there. 

3/3 - After an early fair in Cumberland County, I had the afternoon free to slip up into Kentucky for a look-see at a couple of small waterfalls and a natural bridge.  First up was 

 

3/4 - The Lost Sea? 

3/5 - 

3/15 Project Hail Mary movie in IMAX 70mm (poster pic at 2/8 on phone) 

3/25 - In Chattanooga for work 

3/31 - In Chattanooga for work again