MAY I see your beer list?

4/26 - I started an interesting little weekly online class tonight via Atlas Obscura regarding bugs.  I thought it would be helpful with my current job position and maybe just fun.  And it is so far....and the gal teaching it via Zoom is kind of a hottie...I was sure not expecting that!  

I also played some online poker during my bug class and wound up making another final table in one of the nightly Crazy Pineapple tournaments on Global Poker.  I ended up in 3rd place vs. 33 other players with $40 in profit.

4/27 - I had another promising interview today for a job I think I would really like.  It's a construction manager position with Pool and Spa Depot here in the Middle Tennessee area.  Since the pandemic, these guys have been overrun with pool installation requests as people shift focus to staying home for their leisure and fun times.  These guys put in our pool a few years ago and I think I would do pretty well overseeing projects similar to my job at MTEMC.  We shall see.

I celebrated my hopeful success later on today at our own Pool and Spa Depot creation with a couple of brews from my new Beer Drop order that arrived earlier today.  I started with the awesome Galloping Juice IPA # 8, an NEIPA from Telluride Brewing (CO).  I also had a very sweet and succulent Tamarind Belgian Dubbel from Spice Trade Brewing (CO).

4/29 - After cutting cable earlier this year, I wasn't sure if I was going to get to see any of the 2021 NFL Draft live, but thanks to my Titans, I (almost) did.  They held a virtual draft party that I was able to attend online, but it only lasted until the start of the draft (lame).  I found a couple other online talk-shows following the draft live which worked out fine.  During the Titans broadcast, I cracked open a pint can of Andygator maibock from Abita Brewing (LA).  I am sure I have had this solid beer before, but this was my first check-in on UNTAPPD. 

We only had the 22nd pick in the first round tonight and picked up a cornerback out of VA Tech named Caleb Farley.  Defense is in need of help for sure.  I hear he has some injury issues, so good luck, youngster!. We have three more in the second and third rounds tomorrow night.

While listening to the draft broadcasts, I also landed on another Global Poker Crazy Pineapple tournament final table.  It was a knockout-style and I got four of them and finished third vs. 46 others with right at $50 in profit,

4/30 - We headed up toward Cookeville this evening to the little community known as Baxter to spend the weekend with our friends, Wendy and Charly, in their sweet cabin they bought last year.  I took a few brews from my latest Beer Drop order just in case, but Charly's been getting into craft beer lately (thanks to me) and he had a 4-can variety pack waiting on me as a belated birthday present.  He was sure he had gotten four I had not had...well, he was half-way right! LOL.  They weren't cold, so we popped them in the fridge and I started the evening with one of my Beer Drop boys...the interesting pint can of  Fahrenheit 105 ale/lager from Bruz Beers (Denver).  It drinks like a lager, but was made like an ale and fermented at a very hot 105 degrees (hence the name).   Charly's gifts were now cold, so I had a pint can of the Power TIPA, a tasty triple NEIPA with a massive 10% ABV.  I finished the night with the other original that Charly has found me, another pint can of the excellent (2021) Super Mega Dank 420 Chronic Kush Grand Daddy Supreme (now that's a name!) and also (now that's an NEIPA!).  

5/1  - We headed to the cool little town of Granville today to attend their Cornbread and Moonshine Bash.  No craft beer to be found, but I had some great cocktails and samples from several Tennessee distilleries.   However, on the drive over (since I wasn't driving) I did knock out another of my Beer Drop new arrivals.  The Crispy River (Salted Lim Lager) is a perfect warm-weather beer that I really enjoyed.  On my UNTAPPD check-in where I wished my friend, Wendy, a happy birthday with it, the folks at Resolute Brewing out in Centennial, Colorado, even gave a shout back to us.  Cheers! 

Another cool part of Granville was the grand opening of a Jim Beam Whiskey decanter museum.  There are hundreds of these on display in the neat little building and they were all collected by one man, Charles Barrett. and he has over 1,600 of them!  We even got to speak with him which was fun.  My favorite of the huge collection was this amazing poker table scene shown above, of course
Back at the cabin tonight I closed out my Beer Drop order with a pint can of Eternal Lovibond, an awesome milk stout from Station 26 Brewing (Denver).  I finished the night with one of Charly's repeat gift beers, the still-excellent Hakuna Matata IPA from D9 Brewing (NC).  I will give Charly props that my first check-in of this beer was only a 5 oz. sampler and the now-gone Growler USA in Hendersonville back in 2018 (RIP).   

5/2 - As we were driving back from our weekend of fun, I jumped into a Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global Poker and made the final table in it.  Then I proceeded to win the whole thing!  That's over $125 in profit vs. 53 others in a knockout format of which I had five.  

Immediately after my win, I sent 10%+ to the Go Fund Me account for the rebuilding of Jim Oliver's Smoke House Restaurant in Monteagle which we had just visited recently (see my Sun-Drop pic in the previous blog entry).  

Well, it looks like we got another Dream Team with a Michael Jordan on it!  Man, what a great flick!  After poker tonight, I finished Without Remorse on Amazon and it was terrific.  I mean it's based on a great Tom Clancy book, screen-written by Taylor Sheridan (THE MAN in Hollywood right now), and starring the always-awesome Michael B. Jordan.  That is definitely a dream team!  Hopefully, the success of this film will lead to a Rainbow Six sequel.

5/3 - Did I mention the instructor of the Backyard Entomology course via Zoom that I am taking is a cutie?  Here's screen-shot proof of it!  #hotbuglady 

My signature hand (pocket treys) popped up tonight into a set that helped me get to another final table in a Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global Poker vs. 58 other players, I went out sixth, however, so it only netted me $24 in profit, but you take what you can get.  On to the next battle! 

5/4 - Now we are cookin'!  There's my QUAD TREYS helping me get second in a large (103 other players) bounty NLHE tournament on Global Poker tonight.  I had nine knockouts and a total of $280 in profit!  May the 4th Be With You!! 

5/5 - Since today is The Big Payback Day, I donated $30 [a little more than 10% of last night's poker profits] to the folks over at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN.   I just love those sweet, pretty pachyderms! 

5/6 - I made my first "day-time" final table today on Global Poker today.  I only got 7th and only a little more than doubled my buy-in of $11, but it was vs. 66 other players while taking calls for Aptive (shhh, don't tell).   Multi-taskin'!! 

5/7 - I had a paid day off from Aptive today.  That's pretty good for a crappy little customer relations job.  I went and did some shopping for us at Costco and Trader Joe's over in West Nashville and in between, like before, I stopped at their original location of Tailgate Brewing for a brew.  I had their very solid Grumpy Old West Coast IPA - full of bitter hoppiness just like I like them!! (say that last part as a "get off my lawn" grumpy old man tired of these new-fangled NEIPAs that are everywhere these days.  I feel that was the intention with the name.)  I sat out back in the sunny (but windy) afternoon and enjoyed it in their large beer garden.

After dropping off the groceries, I headed north again to Hendersonville to welcome back the opening of my beloved Indian Lakes Regal Theaters where I saw Wrath of Man in IMAX.  I am not a huge Jason Statham fan, but he's pretty damn good in this flick that's got armored car robbers vs. robbers instead of the usual cops vs. robbers.  It was violent and relentless...as it should be. 

New brew socks...just sayin' 

5/8 - Finally, a win at home!  After three ties to start off the season at home, NSC got the W today over division-leading New England, and I was there to see it thanks to my beer pal, Nate!  Once again, it only cost me some beer.  Some outrageously-priced beer at Nissan Stadium nonetheless, but still a great deal for me.  I bought Nate a $12 New Heights IPA pint can for the game while I got a $12 RecreationAle session IPA pint can from Terrapin down in Athens, GA.  It was a repeat, but a good one...except for the price.  
Congrats to the Nashville Predators tonight too who took care of business vs. Carolina to clinch a playoff berth for the 7th consecutive season.  They are kind of limping in, but, hey, all you gotta do is get in first.  Fang-fingers crossed! 

After the game, we made great time getting out of downtown and over to Various Artists Brewing for a couple rounds.  I started with their very good Futile Gesture India pale lager.  I finished with the equally good festbier called Flax Hammer (photo above).  I love their motto at VABC - "Where dull care fades..." - that's the truth in their cool beer garden they've erected here.  These guys are quickly becoming my favorite brewery in Nashville due to great beer, great locale and proximity. 

Ashlee picked me up from Various Artists and we headed back downtown to check out the new shopping and dining complex known as 5th and Broadway.  We ate dinner in the Assembly Food Hall which is kind of like a high-end food court.  We chose some delicious Hawaiian poke bowls and I found a tasty double IPA from Bearded Iris Brewing here in town called Attention Please! at a bar called "Homegrown."  I got excited for a short time because I thought they were affiliated with my beloved Homegrown Tap Room over in Donelson.  But, alas, they  are not and a closer look at their "30 local taps" revealed maybe a dozen local brews, most of which you can get pretty much anywhere, and the rest is Sheeple Beer.  But you take what you can get I guess.  But I don't like them stealing Homegrown's name and rep.    There are still some empty spaces here, so maybe a legit craft brewery will move into one of them similar to what Five Wits Brewing has done down in Chattanooga.

I hit a pretty good UNTAPPD milestone with my check-in tonight. 

5/9 - I won a 32-person heads-up tournament on Global Poker today for about $70 in profit.

Hoo-ray!  It' s American Craft Beer Week!  I decided to celebrate the seven days of beer with a bottle I've been saving. and then a variety six-pack from Lebanon Wine and Liquor (it's been a while with my life change and my monthly Beer Drop deliveries).  I figured I would have at least one each day of the week.  They went as follows:

Monday, May 10 - I cracked open a bomber bottle of Wet Hop Strata, a wild ale from Barrique Brewing in Nashville that I picked up the other day at their soft opening.  Sheesh!  That baby was sour!  I mean what's the point of using hops at all if all you're gonna taste is sour?  A big thumbs down.

Tuesday, May 11 - an excellent pint can of the Deadhead IPA Series: Soundboard Lo-Cal Hazy IPA from DESTIHL Brewing  (IL) - and only 99 calories! I got a like on UNTAPPD from the brewers on this check in.  Very cool! 

Wednesday, May 12 - a very nice 12 oz. can of the Pepe Cinnamon Milk Stout from here Yazoo Brewing here in Nashville. 

Thursday, May 13 - a very good 12 oz. can of the Wintry Haze IPA from Schlafly Brewing (St. Louis)

Friday, May 14 - whew! needed this one...long week!  I had a 12 oz. can of the really tasty Morning Glory IPA  from Yazoo Brewing 

Saturday, May 15 - a delicious bottle of Dixie Wheat Hefeweizen from Whole Hog Brewing (WI).

Sunday, May 16 - this one was actually a repeat although I've never had it in a pint can before.  The super-tasty Brown Sugar Brown Cow brown ale from D9 Brewing (NC) finished out my week on a high note.  I even got a "toast" on UNTAPPD from the brewery for the check-in. 

5/10 - Today also marks the start of a very important tournament series on Global Poker that I plan to participate heavily in.  With my new focus on my play and my confidence growing, I hope to make this Rattlesnake Open IV a lucrative series for me.  We shall see...

5/12  - Well, no Rattlesnake Open love yet, but I did make a couple of small daily tournament final tables today for about $70 in profit which I needed to refill the coffers from the aforementioned lack of success at the Rattlesnake tournaments so far.  

All right, a 99-cent rental from I-Tunes!  That's a first!  I have been wanting to see Love and Monsters ever since it got an Oscar nod for it's special effects.   It was a pretty good flick and the monsters in it were very cool and very well done.  
 

5/13 - Another daily final table today and this one a bit more lucrative.  I came to the final table as chip leader and finished 2nd (lost a 50/50 race to win it all).  But it was still a nice $180+ profit vs. 114 other players!

5/15 - I got to not one but two final tables today on Global Poker!  I got 6th place in the first one to help replenish my bankroll, and then won the whole shooting match in the second one (photo above) for nearly $500 in profit! The first one was against 132 other players and the winning one was against a whopping 211 other players! 

5/16 - With my Regal Unlimited membership active again, I went to see the new thriller, Those Who Wish Me Dead, directed by my current Hollywood fave, Taylor Sheridan.  It was very good and while I am not a big Angelina Jolie fan, she did great in it and is still looking good after all these years. 

5/17 - It's finally open!!  The new location of M.L. Rose in Mt. Juliet officially opened today, just in time to stop by and watch the Nashville Predators in some playoff hockey!   These guys have been a long-time favorite of mine in regards to great craft beer and terrific food.  It's so awesome to have them here in Wilson County now! 
I actually started my "Wilson County Crawl" tonight at Catch 22 to give my other local craft beer joint some love as well.  I watched the first two period of the Preds/Hurricanes Game 1 which was an even 2-2 clash.  While there I enjoyed some awesome BBQ brisket street tacos for dinner along with a few a libations.  I started with the solid Pearl Street Gold golden ale from Black Abbey Brewing here in Nashville.  Next up was the decadently amazing Eye of the Beholden imperial pastry stout from Orpheus Brewing (Atlanta).  I finished on a down-note with the surprisingly bland Peachful fruit beer from Highland Brewing over in Asheville.

I got down to M.L. Rose just in time for the 3rd period and that where the damn wheels fell off the Preds-wagon.  Sheesh.  They got drummed out of the building by a final score of 5-2.  I don't see this series fairing too well for the boys in gold.  We shall see.  I had to slow my pace since I still had to drive home (albeit not that far), so I just had one pint can of the very good NEIPA called Neon Rainbows from Ommegang Brewing (NY).
Despite the sour Preds outcome, I do see myself making the "Wilson County Crawl" more in the future with sporting events I want to see since I cut the cable cord earlier this year.   

5/18 - I made a final table on an afternoon deep-stack on Global Poker today to net just over $100 in profit which I need to refill the ol' bankroll on there.  I got 4th out of 65 players. 

I finally got to see The Father tonight.  I had been wanting to see it at the theaters, but just never got there, so I rented it off I-Tunes tonight for a reasonable price and watched it on the big screen at home.  

5/19 - Here's where it all went down 20 years ago today!!  We revisited our wedding venue, the lovely Renaissance Commons in the Chattanooga Arts District on our wedding anniversary stay-cation today.  We had dinner around the corner at Tony's Pasta, who has a very nice craft beer list. I started with a pre-dinner Squach Watchin Wheat that was very light and tasty. It's from Naked River Brewing also here in Chattanooga.  I had "an old friend for dinner" (think Hannibal Lector) when I ordered a Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewing (MI). This classic will always be one of my favorites.  

5/20 - I won a nightly Crazy Pineapple tournament on Global tonight vs. 41 other players.  With the 5 bounties I collected, I made over $140 in profit. I began some of my 10% of poker winnings give back by adding an extra $20 to the kid who cuts my sister's grass after learning his brother was in a bad car accident and lost his left foot!  Yikes!  More donations to come. 

Oh, and at lunch earlier today at Urban Stack in Chattanooga I had an OK Blood Orange Gose from nearby  Oddstory Brewing.  More  tart than sour which made it tolerable. 

5/21 - Amen! Finally warm enough to get in the pool...AND DRINK IN THE POOL!! This big, lazy pool sloth is ready for a beer! And I don't mean the float in the picture above!!  I went over to Lebanon Wine and Spirits and got me a variety six-pack for the long weekend.  Today I started with a pint can of the excellent double IPA from Bearded Iris Brewing in Nashville called Mood Ring. I followed that up with another nice pint can called M-43 N.E. India Pale Ale from Old Nation Brewing (that's a new one to me I think outta MI). 

I made a final table tonight on Global Poker, but finished a frustrating 2nd (shoulda had first) vs. 93 others players. It was another $180 in profit at least.  

5/22 -  It was more pooling today, plus a couple more from the variety 6-pack.  I had a pint can of the interesting and tasty Moroccan Tangerine double IPA from Honky Tonk Brewing here in Nashville. I followed that with a pale ale from Mayday Brewing down in Murfreesboro called Tossed in the Sauce which had a bit of strange aftertaste to me and not nearly enough hops for a pale ale.  

5/23 - We finally made it to the Tennessee Renaissance Fair today (it's only been going on for 35 years), and it was interesting and fun, but the beer choices were not good.  I think my favorite thing to see at the festival was on the way out in the parking area, this sweet ride shown above.  That is awesome!  We stopped by Jack Brown's Burger and Beer Joint in downtown Murfreesboro for lunch on the way home, and with my tasty burger and fries, I had a can of the solid NEIPA called Cosmic Turtle from Naked River Brewing down in Chattanooga. 

We got home in time for some more pooling and I finished off my variety six-pack with a bottle of Stone Enjoy By 4.20.21 Hazy IPA. Look at my favorite California brewery making me a double IPA birthday beer!  Thanks, guys! I am sorry I was a month late getting it, but it was still very good! 
I ended the day with a pint can of a very tasty DNEIPA from Bearded Iris Brewing here in Nashville called Compact. 

5/25 - I decided to do another Wilson County Crawl for the Preds/Canes game # 5. I started again at Catch 22 for a couple of brews for the 1st and 2nd periods.  I had the very solid Mountain Candy IPA from Sycamore Brewing over in Charlotte,  NC.   I followed that up with a really tasty Docks Brown Ale from Naked River Brewing down in Chattanooga. 
For the dreaded "3rd period in Raleigh" I moved on down to the new ML Rose location in Providence. I started with an amazingly good Summer Bliss wheat beer (photo above) from New Belgium Brewing (CO).  It has maybe one of the best coconut finishes I have ever had in a craft beer.  Bravo, NBBC!

I was proud to earn this badge with my purchase of the New Belgium wheat ale.  Also happy to drink craft beer for a good cause! I ended the night with a bottle of the excellent Golden Monkey Belgian tripel from Victory Brewing (PA).  I am pretty positive I have had this one before, but it wasn't checked in on UNTAPPD.  The Preds ended their night fairly quickly in an overtime loss.  The dreaded "3rd period in Raleigh" struck again as the Preds lost a 2-1 advantage going in and then bowed out quick in OT.  Onto Game 6 back here in Nashville...

5/26 - I started and ended the day with final tables to help my depleted bankroll somewhat after a few days of brutal bad beats and coolers.  

5/27 - I headed to Opry Mills tonight to catch A Quiet Place Part II in IMAX on its opening night. What a great sequel!  This is going to be a classic trilogy.  I feel confident in that..  Before the show,  I stopped for dinner and a few libations at the Homegrown Taproom in Donelson.  I started with a half-pint of the excellent  Oatmeal Stout (2020) from Czann's Brewing here in Nashville.  They have a new location out in West Nashville...I gotta get out there soon.   I finished with a (free - thanks to an old token I had) pint of the decent NEIPA from Crosstown Brewing (Memphis) called Animal Frequency.  

Some exciting news today!  An actual craft beer bar is opening on the square here in Lebanon! No exact opening date yet, but I can't wait to see what The Cedar Tap brings us!  This is a great addition to The Town Square Social restaurant that brought the first craft beer to the square with a limited, but decent number of craft taps at their bar.

5/28 - Ashlee and I had dinner tonight down in Murfreesboro at the BoomBozz Craft Pizza and Taphouse.  The pies were outstanding, and the taps were pretty good too!!  I started with the decent  Double Jeopardy double IPA from Scofflaw Brewing (Atlanta).  I was expecting a little more oomph to be honest.  I ended on a higher not with a the silky smooth and delicious Chocolate Milk Stout from 4 Hands Brewing (St. Louis).

5/29 - Talk about trippy! The little crown figure is not really there.  It's a projection on my phone's screen from Regal. Just a goofy little " digital collectible" from the movie I saw recently, but it's kinda weird how real it looks "sitting there" on the table! 

5/31 - Happy Memorial Day!  It was finally a decent pool day after a rather cool holiday weekend temperature-wise.  My Beer Drop shipment was cancelled this month due to shipping issues. Bummer.   But I did find a variety four-pack while Ashlee and I were at the World Market store in Murfreesboro the other day.  I banged all four of them out today starting with the interesting and refreshing Nordic Jam (can wrap photo above), a fruit shandy/radler from Two Pitchers Brewing (San Francisco).  Next up was a can of the solid NEIPA from Terrapin Brewing (GA) called High and Hazy.  Coming in third was the decadent, but surprisingly light, Doberge Chocolate Cake Stout from Abita Brewing (LA). Finally, I closed out the variety four-pack with a can of the very good Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown ale from 4 Hands Brewing (St. Louis).
I thought I was done for the day with new beers, but much to my surprise, a six-pack of Voodoo Ranger IPAs that my friend, Danny, brought a few weeks back was in fact the IMPERIAL double IPAs from the folks out in Colorado, and new to me via a check-in on UNTAPPD. Good brew! Thanks, Danny! 

54...3....2....1...BLAST OFF!!

 

4/20 - Happy Birthday to ME!!!  Studio 54 ain't got nothin' on me!!  It was a pretty ho-hum birthday compared to others since I had to work at my lame new job today.  But we did go out to eat where I wanted to go at least and, yes, it was brewery!  We headed over to TennFold Brewing over in Donelson for some cold ones and some of their amazing sandwiches which Ashlee hasn't had yet.  I think she was impressed!!  As we waited on our table I started with their smooth and easy Flat Pedal Golden Ale.  

I moved on to the Groovy Shade NEIPA that I thought was very solid.  At the table, I finished with their impressive barleywine called That Big Feller Over There.   Seven birthdays already on UNTAPPD...where does the time and the beer go....

4/21 - Blasting off for Kennedy Space Center!  When I found out there was a manned rocket launch set for my birthday week, I knew I had to try and get there and knock that experience off my bucket list.  I got a plane ticket to Orlando, booked a sweet rental car (my own silver rocket in the photo above) thanks to my recent big poker win and booked a night at a hotel near the KSC.  I was even able to get off from my new job despite only being there a couple weeks, most of which was training.  And then I got an email that the launch had been scrubbed for 24 hours...hell with it...I am going anyway!!

After checking into my hotel, a decent Extended Stay America in nearby Titusville, I headed due east to catch the sunset on the ocean.  The closest beach I found was Peacock Beach in Cape Canaveral and I headed that way dodging these beautiful birds on the way...guess I know where it got its name...they were everywhere including in the streets! 

Activity at Peacock Beach was winding down as the sun set at my back, but I did capture this young fella taking a last walk in from the surf.  The color rendition is nice, but there is something about this black and white version that I dig...album cover anyone?  

As twilight faded. it was time for beer and I found it close by at the Florida Beer Company in Cape Canaveral.  The place was a little quiet, but very nice.  I started with their light and bright Blue O Blueberry Pilsner.  They were getting ready to close for the night, so I finished up with their Hurricane Reef IPA that was solid.  Interestingly, since the place was kind of quiet, the guy a few chairs down from me at the bar and I got to talking and come to find out he is a real-life Nomadlander.  He retired from the Houston Fire Department back at the end of the 2020 and was now cruising the country in his RV.  We've become Facebook friends, so it will be interesting to see his adventures hopefully.  Cheers to you, Kevin! 

Another craft brewery open an hour later and closer to my hotel was Bugnutty Brewing over in Cocoa.  I started with their outstanding Dark Matter Nitro (photo above) black IPA.  That coaster is gonna look good on my Beer Tree this Christmas!  I shut these guys down as well and ended with an incredible Cocoa Village Spicy Lager.  I mean wow!  This Vienna-style lager was infused with three different kind of hot peppers at the perfect mix of fire and ice cold beer.  Well done, sirs!  

4/22 - The LAUNCH!!....has been delayed one day....doh!! Despite the delay of the launch, I did have a couple of good things going for me...it was a beautiful sunny day in Florida, and I had access to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex all day today with my launch ticket.  So, I headed over and found a pretty crowded place...I might as well be at Disneyland with these lines!!  But, it actually worked out pretty well as I had a fun half-day visit to this amazing place.  Definitely need to come back with more time and planning.

The had awesome exhibits throughout the complex including this bad-ass Mars SUV prototype.  Now that is some four-wheeling I could get into!1

Just before the Atlantis Shuttle Experience, I was able to slip in an see a showing of the IMAX film, Journey to Space, which was very good.  The most amazing thing I learned was that inflatables may be the key to a future of space travel....that's amazing! 

The big reveal of the actual Atlantis Space Shuttle at the end of the presentation was my favorite part of my visit to the KSCVC.  Being that close to his beauty with it's blast marks and wear and tear from flights in and out of space was purely amazing. 

I made a tough decision as the day moved on.  There was another IMAX movie I could wait for to play, but I had seen most everything to see otherwise without getting on a bus tour (which was sold out when I got there).  So, I decided to climb in my own silver Mustang rocket, peel the top down, and do a little more COASTing here in sunny Florida.  Plus, I knew I would be back here "dark" and early in the morning for the launch hopefully.

It was time for some lunch and some brews and I found both right up the coast in the cool little town of New Smyrna Beach (where you can drive on the sand...but I did not).  I did, however, watch people do it while perched on my stool looking out the window of the beach-front eatery, The Breakers, where I had some awesome grilled shrimp skewers and some perfectly-fried fish bites.  I washed it all down with a draft pint of the incredibly good Jefficus Boubon Coffee Vanilla Oatmeal Stout from just up the road at Half Wall Brewery here in New Smyrna Beach.
On the way out of town, I made a quick stop downtown at New Smyrna Beach Brewing and enjoyed a tall pint of their light and refreshing Pontoon Pilsner.  I stopped with that one since I still had some driving to do.  I was really impressed with this town and have already got Ashlee researching it as a possible retirement possibility for us.  We shall see!! 

Another area I really like just a bit farther north is Ponce Inlet and not just because they have the beautiful Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse to visit.  Man, what a beauty!  Gotta come back here when I can tour it properly.  I love this shot with the moon beside it.  I have a very similar shot from Cana Island Lighthouse in Michigan.

After checking into my nice AirBnB private (and very affordable) room at a house near the KSC, I headed out to grab some dinner and some brews nearby.  Playalinda Brewing has two locations in Titusville and the first one is also a pizza kitchen and there was a 45-minute wait just to sit at the bar...WTF?  So, I headed to the other location called "The Hardware Store."  Plenty of seating, good pork tacos and hellaciously good beer!!  I started with the extremely good Playa Pale Ale (cask conditioned).  My "dessert" was their amazingly good Key Lime Slice blonde ale (photo above) with whipped cream on the rim, of course.  Man, what a taste sensation!  The barkeep says it's incredible how much of this beer they sell and I believe him.  

It was also Earth Day today, so I signed up with Tomorrow's Air via Climeworks Ltd. for a monthly donation of $10 for the next year.  This $120 is 10% of my big online poker win the other night.  Thanks to my fave website (and now podcast) AtlasObscura.com for the information and the inspiration!  #teamEARTH 

4/23 - The LAUNCH!!...for real this time!!

Video and pictures cannot do it justice, but, man, what a thrill!  Well worth the time and effort to get here and see (and feel and hear) it happen in real time.  

I even got a sweet hat with the NASA SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew-2 mission patch on it to commemorate my attendance of the launch.   It also has the 4 crew members' names who were aboard and the dragon symbolizes the Dragon Endeavor capsule they will take to the International Space Station for a 6-month stint to relieve Crew 1.  The pre-dawn sky was so clear before launch that we actually saw the ISS go by in its orbit around the Earth.

I love how this screen grab of my video makes it look like sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean when in fact sunrise was not for another hour or so.  The launch was from the famous Pad 39A from where everyone who has ever walked on the moon also took of from.  Another unique aspect of this launch is that it's being done with reused first and second stage rockets.  They will again be recovered and reused after this launch as well.

"My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air..."  - Pink Floyd "Learning to Fly"

As the second stage engaged it created what I call a "Launch Angel" in the pre-dawn sky.

OK, now this is the actual dawn and the signature left in the sky by the Falcon 9 Rocket.

I feel very fortunate to have witnessed this launch in person.  I hope to do it again someday with even closer access...for more moolah, of course.  But well worth it.  Since the visitors complex didn't officially open for a couple hours, and the fact I had a plane to catch this afternoon, I decided to head on out back toward Orlando for the rest of my time here on the Space Coast.

I have never been to downtown Orlando, so I checked with good ol' AtlasObscura.com for some points of interest and the first one that grabbed my attention was beatnik writer Jack Kerouac's modest home where he spent his final years and wrote The Dharma Bums
                             

I was impressed with all the lakes and green space in downtown Orlando.  My favorite one which I walked around completely was Lake Eola (photo above).  

My absolute favorite thing about Lake Eola is located in the NE corner of it called Persimmon Hollow Brewing!  And they open at 8 AM because they serve breakfast.  And if you ask nicely enough you can get a beer poured for you before 10 AM!!  I started with their Sunshine Special honey beer that was really good.  Next up was the Gypsy Hiker NEIPA (photo above) that was fantastic.  And I love their motto on the pint glass.  Nothing weirder than two beers before lunch!! 

After my morning brews, I walked around to the west side of Lake Eola Park to Heritage Square at the Orange County History Center where this cool work of art called "Global Convergence" is located.  It represents an aquarium and the shoal bass in it were actually created by pressing real fish into dye.  It lights up at night which I bet is even cooler.  Thanks again, Atlas Obscura! 
Nearby I had a pretty good Philly cheesesteak sandwich for lunch at The Loading Zone, before heading to the airport for my flight home.  A great bucket-list trip indeed! 

4/23 - The second part of my birthday travel plans involved renting an adorable tiny house in The Retreat at Deer Lick Falls development atop Monteagle Mountain.  This was a make-up trip from last year that got zapped by the pandemic.  It was of keenest interest to me since this development of tiny homes centered around Deer Lick Falls, one of my favorites in the area and one I had not visited in over 30 years. 

Ashlee picked me up from the airport after I flew back in from Orlando and we headed straight for Monteagle.  She was kind enough to pack me a few brews of  my craft beer stash at home for the weekend.  Thanks, sweetie!  I enjoyed this rich and tasty Mahogany Rush brown ale from Perrylodgic Brewing over in Paris, TN, as we relaxed inside our tiny home tonight.  Thanks again to my best friend, Craig, for hooking me up with a good load of PBC brews recently.  

4/24 - As we waited on a table for breakfast at Jim Oliver's Smokehouse today, I spied these two little beauties on a dusty shelf in the store attached to the restaurant.  Talk about a couple of cool check-ins on UNTAPPD this would be!!  Funny enough, they actually did re-release the World's Fair Beer back in 2017 for the 35th anniversary of the event in Knoxville.

If I couldn't drink craft beer for some reason (parish the thought!), I think I might get by with Sun Drop.  This one's in a long-neck glass bottle...as God intended.  I enjoyed it (them, I had two) with my breakfast at Jim Oliver's Smokehouse.
(Editors note:  In a sad ironic twist, Jim Oliver's restaurant burned to the ground just three days later.  What a shame.  All that memorabilia and history gone, not to mention an iconic Monteagle Mountain establishment that had been around since the 1960's.  Guess I should have stolen those beer cans above as the thought crossed my mind, just so I could give them back to those folks today.)

Despite some rainy weather, we got just enough of a window today to hike down and back to the base of the amazing Deer Lick Falls.  She's everything I remember and more.  What a beauty!  I thought this black and white version was just stunning.  Others agree as I got over 100 likes after posting this same picture on a Facebook group devoted to waterfall lovers.

You can never start 'em too early!  LOL!  After our hike, I enjoyed a can of  S.M.A.S.H. NEIPA from Perrylodgic Brewing back at our tiny house.  Our foster kitten, Morris, seemed interested for a sniff, but that was about it.   Too bad for him because it was delicious!  

Man, I have forgotten how much The University of the South at Sewanee looks like Duke's campus.  Sure makes me miss Duke Chapel and Cameron Indoor Stadium.  We walked around the pretty campus after having a great dinner at The Mountain Goat Market.  They always have some pretty unique craft beers there and with dinner I had the rich and heavy Dragon Stout FIRE from Desnoes and Geddes Brewing (Jamaica).  
Back at the tiny house on our last night there, I cracked open my last can from Perrylodgic Brewing, the surprisingly good Apricot Sour.  It was more tart and no aftertaste, so I was content with it.  I had stopped at a local liquor store on the way back and picked up a couple of pinch-hitters in case the sour was not to my liking.  I only needed one of them to finish the night out.  It was a pint can of the H.A.Z.Y. IPA from Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta).  This NEIPA was very good from one of longtime favorite regional breweries here in The South.

4/25 - We got back from Monteagle today, did a few things at the house, and then headed over to watch the Oscars with our friends, Danny and Brenda, and their place in Brentwood.  I had a pint can on the way which was the last of my previous Beer Drop order (got another coming next week).  It was the light and tasty Winter Tullekopp farmhouse ale from Varietal Beer Company (WA).  Danny did not disappoint either by offering me an impressively good NEIPA from Goose Island Brewing (Chicago) called Lost Palate.  I was happy to see Daniel Kaluuya grab and Oscar for his incredible performance in Judas and the Black Messiah...which I also thought should win best picture...but was not surprised when Nomadland took that prize.  Good show despite the restrictions from the pandemic, but I sure am hoping for more normalcy this coming year.