Trippin' at Work and Lots of Live Music

Just cuz it's Jennifer Connelly
(Mt. Rushmore # 1) 

8/1 - I started the month off with a couple of pool beers this evening including the tart, but refreshing, Cran Orange Wheat from Great Lakes Brewing (Cleveland) followed by the excellent double NEIPA from Heretic Brewing (CA) called You Can't Handle the Juice.  

8/2 - Salute!  I was happy to celebrate International Beer Day with a pool float check-in of an excellent pint can of Dirt Nap, a double NEIPA from The Veil Brewing Company (VA).  

8/3 thru 8/4 - I started another weekend pet-sitting gig with my pals north of town: Gus, Dolly and the Centerville Cats.  This time for straight up $200 cash instead of thru the Rover app.  

I got a small NLCP tournament win today vs. 11 other players on Global Poker for right at 700% ROI.  

8/4 - I had a couple pool beers today including a pint can of the nice collaborative Maibock from Old Nation Brewing (MI) and Urban Chestnut Brewing (St. Louis) called Kastanie; and then an excellent IPA from Edmund's Oast Brewing (Charleston, SC) called Heat Ray. 

I got another small NLCP tournament win tonight vs. 23 other players on Global Poker for right at 1000% ROI.  

8/5 - I had another Remote Workday today and headed out after noon to check out the Bag Lady Fry Joint in North Nashville.  I got their "Beef in the Streets" Philly cheesesteak covered fries and it was fantastic!   Coming back here again for sure!  I headed over to East Nashville next to check out the brand new 5 Points Beer Garden connected to the Buds and Brews Bar/Restaurant.  It's so brand new that the beer garden and its inside bar weren't even open yet (then why say you are??).  They had an impressive number of taps, but only the ones in the restaurant end were operating and they had no beer list (really annoying).  I heard them say they had some new Naked River Brewing beers, so I asked about those, and one was their Italian-style Pisa Pils that was pretty good.  It too was very new and not even on UNTAPPD yet, so I did get to add it.  I will give this place another try maybe later on when they have their shit more together...if they ever do...I mean it's a pot-head place, so who knows.  

8/6 - My buddy, Toney, and I went to see the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Trap, tonight at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!).  His movies can be such hits or real misses so the name of the movie itself had me thinking I was about to be "trapped" in a dumb flick, so I kept my expectations pretty low.  And at least it was on a $6 Bargain Tuesday showing.  The film was very frustrating.  Shyamalan is such a great idea man, a decent director, but the worst hack writer sometimes.  So many parts of this film were so dumb that it was distracting.  Get off your ego, M. Night, and let someone help write for your great ideas.  

8/7 - My office boys and I stopped by Tenn Lakes Brewing after work today for another round of "brew-n-chew" which was great.  I've never really had co-workers I gelled with this much.  I had two great beers from TLBC too.  Their quality of craft beer has really improved!  First up was their solid Vienna Lager.  I finished with their hefty and delicious imperial IPA called Double Hippity Hop.  And the pizza was good despite them parting ways with our beloved Prince Street Pizza up in Gallatin. 

8/8 - I got a nice low-price NLCP tournament win on Global Poker tonight vs. 34 other players with an ROI of right at 1,100%!   

8/9 - Thanks to a last-minute "fire sale" on Stub Hub, my pal, Nate, and I grabbed cheap tickets for tonight's show at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville featuring 90's hard-core acts: Candlebox, Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains) and Bush.  The show was great from start to finish with solid sets by all three performers.  I especially enjoyed seeing Bush again with their dynamic frontman, Gavin Rossdale, putting on an energetic show that included running up to the top row of the arena for one song.  He also brought out Amy Lee of Evanescence for an awesome duet.   With empty seats around me, I was able to stretch out and relax during the show.  Score!! 
Beforehand, we had a few brews (and free parking) at Barrique Brewing and then Ubered to and from the show.  First, I had their excellent nitro golden ale called J.A. Varney.  Then it was their great DNEIPA called Absorption Coefficient.

8/10 - I drove up to Rock Island State Park today where I had a cabin reserved for the weekend with my nutty sister, Melinda, as a late birthday present for her, and the fact now that she's been diagnosed with cancer again.  She's not had a lot of luck in her life, that's for sure, so I need to be as patient and as loving as I can to her, but, damn, if she doesn't get on my nerves constantly.  We ate an early dinner at Nick's Landing Restaurant in Rock Island.  The catfish plates were great! 
Beforehand, I stopped by Happy Trails Brewing in Sparta and had a pint of the surprisingly good Nuka Orange Sour that tasted just like an orange Fanta to me.  I liked it so much that I got a half-growler of it to enjoy over the weekend as well.  

Beforehand, I did watch the USWNT going for soccer gold at The Paris Olympics against Brazil.   Way to go, ladies!! 

8/11 - Our second day at Rock Island State Park included another stop at Nick's Landing for breakfast (excellent western omelet!) and a visit to the awe-inspiring man-made mistake called Twin Falls which there is a great view of from the parking lot which was important to Melinda's limited mobility.  I am really glad she got to see this in person.  We also stopped by Great Falls which wasn't that "great" with its low, dam-controlled water levels, but still pretty cool to see from an overlook with a short walk from the car.  For lunch we had some fried gizzards (you know, God's chicken nuggets!) from Ooh Wee BBQ in North Nashville.  They were pretty good despite the fact they were cooked two days earlier and traveled all this way via cooler.  

We didn't spend the second night in the cabin due to early-morning obligations on Monday for both of us.  On the way home, I did stop by Red Silo Brewing in Cookeville (and then there's was only one in this once-great craft beer town with the demise of Hix Farm and now, Jig Head Brewing - RIP).  I had their solid Scottish ale called McIntyre's Ire.  I was asked to do some dog-sitting on the lake a day earlier than expected tonight and was able to oblige.  It was good to see that goofy Maggie (photo above) again and enjoy here sweet home.  

I also played some online poker tonight and got two very similar NLCP wins on Global Poker vs. 25+ other players for 1,100+% ROI.  I also got a 3-way chop on PokerStars with our local home-game group giving me $20 in profit since I had to rebuy and add on as well. 

8/12 - It was another (mostly) remote workday and night out on the lake dog-sitting today.  Cheers to that! 

In online poker, I won a satellite ticket to a bigger tournament on Global Poker this afternoon valued at 650% ROI vs. 54 other players with the top ten getting tickets and I finished in 2nd place.   The larger tournament took a bad turn when my flopped two pair was bested by a bigger flopped two pair.  SOS in the big tourneys recently it seems like. 

No luck on the fishing front either, but it sure was pleasant out on the lake! Especially with a couple nice beers including a pint of the excellent Neko IPA from Japas Cervejaria (Brazil), (photo above) and another pint can of the light lager called Beer To Drink When It's Hot Outside from Westbrook Brewing (SC). 

8/13 - Hey, watching college sports at work ain't a bad gig!  The Cumberland men's soccer team took on Pellissippi State College from Knoxville this afternoon and I caught a bit of it while on the clock.  After work, I popped a can of Steamer Lane, a tasty pilsner from Fonta Flora Brewing (NC).  

8/14 - Remote Work Day!    I headed out this afternoon and stopped by Yazoo Brewing up in Madison where I had their excellent Pilot Series: Dunkel Weissbier.  From there I moved on to Crazy Gnome Brewing in East Nashville and had a couple of their tasty collabs with other breweries including the Japanese-style rice lager called So Fresh and So Lime with Ebony and Ivory Brewing up in Knoxville.  And then the farmhouse ale with Harding House Brewing who were here in Nashville until recently (RIP) called Mice Among Lions.  From there I walked a short distance to the Vui's Vietnamese restaurant in (struggling?) Hunter's Station and had an excellent beef rice bowl dinner.  I walked again down to Smith and Lentz Brewing and had a their nice Quackenbruck Pilsner.

I headed across the river next to check out The Gaslight Anthem at Marathon Music Works, the second of four $25 flat shows coming up this summer.  I was kind of done drinking, but I parked for free at the M.L. Rose at Capitol View which is surprisingly only a half mile from the venue and a safe walk.   The show was good with a couple of openers including Pinkshift which didn't do much for me, and a tight little punk-rock band called Joyce Manor that were pretty good for that genre which isn't my favorite.  TGE is kind of considered punk, but I think they are more grounded in rock.  I was shocked at the weight gain and long hair of TGE lead singer, Brian Fallon.  So much so I had to check and see if they had changed frontmen!  He still sounded great and the closing of the show with " '59 Sound" accompanied by the always-great, Butch Walker, was worth the wait. 

8/15 - I won a small NLHE bounty tournament on Global Poker tonight vs. 10 other players with three knockouts for a total ROI of just over 350%.   I also won a small NLCP tournament vs. 17 other players for an ROI of just under 800%! 

8/16 - I headed downtown again tonight to catch a solo show by Ben Nichols of Lucero at The Exit/In closing out his Bike Riders Tour with host, Oliver Peck, the famous tattoo artist.  The show was excellent with Ben in top form accompanied by local guitar virtuoso, Cory Branon.   
Beforehand, I walked over to the fairly new House of Beer near the venue and had a couple ho-hum brews from Secret Llama Brewing (FL) including their IPA and their Blueberry Wheat Ale.  This HOB location continues to disappoint in terms of high prices and weak tap selections, so I don't see me coming back here again.  

8/17 -We attended the Seattle Seahawks at the Titans preseason game with my Hawk-loving pal, Craig, and his wife, Allison - we got $8 tickets on StubHub!!  We rode the Titans Express train to and from the game from the Donelson Station.   I chose this station so I could have some pre-game libations at the Homegrown Taproom beforehand.   With a tasty dinner, I had half-pints of the solid Summer Seasonal With Lime ale from local Little Harpeth Brewing, and the tasty Stone (Brewing in CA) Ruination IPA which I was sure I have had before but UNTAPPD said no.  
Beforehand, I got a nice pool float in along with a pint can of the nice DIPA collab between Equilibrium Brewing (NY) and Civil Society Brewing (FL) called Seven Izzup.

8/18 - I did some overnight pet-sitting for my pal, Nate, and his wife, Ginny, at their home in Donelson tonight.  I only charged them beer!  For dinner, I stopped by the nearby TennFold Brewing and a got a tasty chicken pesto pizza to go.  While waiting on my pie, I had their very nice Belgian tripel called Vikings Horn.  
Beforehand, I got another pool float in this time with a pint can of the excellent NEIPA from Timber Ales (CT) called Sleepless Skylines (Mosaic and Citra).

8/19 - Wouldn't this be awesome for the new Titans stadium in Music City!!

I got a small NLHE bounty tournament win tonight on Global Poker vs. 12 other players with four knockouts for a total ROI of right at 600%!  

8/20 - My pal, Toney, and I went to see the new sci-fi horror flick, Alien: Romulus, at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!) on $6 Bargain Tuesday.  I thought it was a good addition to the Alien franchise with a good story and believable characters.  The temps were mild enough that I could walk the mile and a half to the theater from the CU campus where Ashlee and I had $5 dinners beforehand in the cafeteria there.  

My August Beer Box came today with a nice mix of brews including a couple IPAs, a sour Gose, a pale ale, a pilsner, a lager, a fruit beer and a brown ale.  Cheers!! 

8/21 - I don't usually record 2nd place finishes on Global Poker here, but tonight is an exception, as I bested 228 other players in a wild $1 mystery bounty NLHE tournament for a whopping ROI of just under 6,300%!!   I did get a first-place finish in a much smaller bounty NLHE tournament vs. just seven other players getting six of the knockouts for a nice 400%+ ROI.  These deep runs helped me cash out another $100 in profit tonight as well!  

8/22 - They are getting so close!!  ENBC - Wilson Co.!!! 

8/23 - I wasn't gonna have a beer today, but when I heard about the sudden passing of an acquaintance of mine from aggressive cancer last night, I decided to tip one in his honor.  I chose the excellent Ellie's Brown Ale from Avery Brewing (CO).  This one's for you, Andrew.  I didn't know you well, but I do know you liked to hoist a brew or two.   Cheers and RIP.  

8/24 - I went to see Iron and Wine at The Ryman tonight - the third of four $25-flat shows this summer.  I've never seen this eclectic one-man project play live, but have admired the music for a while now.   The show was pretty good, although it reminded me of seeing Jackson Browne there several years ago when he didn't play any of his hits.  To a lesser degree, I only really know a couple of his songs and one he did in a different way that I didn't care for and did not play the other.  Oh well, at least I had a pew to myself upstairs in the balcony as I abandoned my downstair assigned seat when I saw the place was only about 75% full.  The opener, Sunny Wars, was also eclectic, but talented.  

Before heading downtown this afternoon, I enjoyed a couple of pool beers after a hot mowing session including the above-pictured Mango Bubbles fruit beer from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati) which is just about a perfect choice for this locale.  I followed that up with a nice session IPA called Secret Crush from Middel Brow Beer Co. (Chicago).   

Before the show, I had quite the little downtown craft beer crawl starting at Tennessee Brew Works where I had their nice pilsner called Czech, Czech...One, Two.  Next, I stopped by Marble Fox Brewing where they had a Tiki Party going on to celebrate the release of their surprisingly good sour fruited IPA called Torchlight.  They also had the whitest reggae band I've ever seen called Vibright who were actually pretty good. (Shout out to The Cutting Crew cover).  And, hey, you think they've ever played in front of a cooler backdrop that what is pictured above? 

I also got to pick up a rental car at our local Enterprise (a decent little Jeep Renegade) for my very first work road trip next week!!  I drove it downtown saving me miles on one of our cars too.  

Next stop was around the corner to Hi-Wire Brewing with a stop at the Taste of Aloha food truck at Marble Fox Brewing to grab one of their last pork bowls which was fantastic!  Thanks to HWBC for letting me eat it at the bar since the don't serve food anyway.  But they do serve solid beer!  First up was their decent Catbird in the Rye lager.  I finished with their solid West Coast Pils.  

My final stop was a last-minute addition, good ol' Hops and Crafts in The Gulch which was shamefully dead for a nice Saturday afternoon/early-evening.  I worry about the longevity of this place.  Other long-time beer bars in less expensive places to do business have bit the dust in the past few years.  Their "craft on draft" line-up was impressive as always.  I started with the excellent IPA from Burial Beer Company (Asheville) called The Mirage of Substance.  I finished with the a-bit too-sweet pale ale called Charlatan from Maplewood Brewing (Chicago).  

 
I had an interesting walk back to my car up on 4th Street after the show spying not one, but two, new-to-me beer bars showing a lot of taps.  I stepped into the Almost Friday Sporting Club (photo above), but didn't order anything since it was late and I had to drive, but I will have to give it a look next time I am down this way.  The other place, Sip Sobro, boasted 60 beers on tap - definitely worth a future visit! 

8/25 - I got on the road to East Tennessee today for work tomorrow.  I stopped at 1907 Brewing in Morristown for some libations.  I had their very good Peavine IPA and their so-so MoTown Brown ale.  

Morristown's elevated sidewalks from the 1960's (then called the Skywalk Project) which they claim are the only ones in North America (not sure about that) are definitely pretty neat.  This picture got quite the stir on a new-to-me Facebook group I recently joined called "Roadside America" closing in on almost 1,800 likes and tons of discussion/comments.  For perspective, 1907 Brewing Company is just below on the left and that's my rental - the black Jeep Renegade - on the right side of the street in front of the white car. 

I chose to stay at the historic Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City for the next few days. I was pleased with my room and the hotel itself.  I also had some outstanding room service for dinner on the company dime!!  And I love the trains...mainly because they move on the other side of the hotel from where I was! 

I got into pretty, clean Johnson City early enough tonight to drop by the Tennessee Hills Brewstillery just down the street from my hotel.  Cool concept and a beautiful place.  Their beer wasn't bad either.  I started with their very nice Hawaiian Shirt IPA and then their solid Callahan's Irish Red ale.  

8/26 - Hello, Tusculum University in Greeneville, TN!!  My first solo college fair went pretty smooth.  Not a ton of interest, but I did get a couple students to sign interest cards and gave out (too much) swag.  Gotta tone it down to last the week!! 

With my one and only college fair over today at noon, I had the whole afternoon to let the 2.7 mile hike to beautiful Margarette Falls pretty much kick my ass!  Whew!  All uphill going in and then a technical rocky descent that was pretty tricky coming out.  But it was worth it to have this beauty all to myself by the time I got there!! 

I reflected on the beautiful hike and sights like this jaw-droppingly beautiful cascade below Margarette Falls as I pulled into Johnson City Brewing Company downtown.  Set in an old storefront from the hey-day of what was probably a thriving downtown, it's much quieter now.  While not a lot to look at, their beer was unique and outstanding!  I started with their top-notch Hopollo 13 West Coast IPA.  Next up was the sweet, but satisfying, Apple Butter Golden Ale - it's named exactly right.  I even got a taste of their extremely unique Sauerkraut Oktoberfest which smelled exactly like its name and only tasted slightly better.  An A for effort, but an N for "no thank you!" from me.  I loaded up here with a variety four-pack of pint cans to take home and a crowler of a pretzel Oktoberfest that I think Ashlee is gonna love.  

I slipped over the newer and busier Great Oak Brewing next which is co-housed with a BBQ restaurant called Southern Craft.  I had some excellent brisket tacos for dinner along with GOBC's solid Twin Eddie's Coffee Porter and then their serviceable Tennessee UnKommon - their take on a Kentucky common beer.   

8/27 - It was a long day of three different high school fairs today, but I did have a 6-hour gap in between the last two and was able to check out a few places of interest including my first Pal's experience for dinner consisting of their giant signature hamburger with cheese that was delicious.  Time to try some of the famous "Frenchie fries" next! 

I also took a sort of long drive to see the pretty dry Elrod Falls.  At least it was easy access with just a short walk from the parking lot and does show its potential and worth for another visit, just not in the later summer.  A quick drive by Amis Mill revealed the same if not worse results - not even picture-worthy for now.  

Now the Mountain Dew gravestone (thanks AtlasObscura.com) just up the road from my hotel in Johnson City is a hoot to see in any season.  It's an ode to the original bottle design of one of my favorite beverages - not containing hops - which originated here.  Note the bottle opener on the bottom right side!   Very cool! 
I was strapped for time after my late college fair to hit a brewery tonight, so I had a hotel-room libation instead consisting of a pint can of the excellent dry-hopped wheat ale called Chiller from the Johnson City Brewing four-pack that I picked up yesterday.  

8/28 - I had a little bit of time between my two fairs today to jump back over to Johnson City and have a brew at the big-daddy-brewer here in town now:  Yee Haw Brewing.  While not the oldest craft brewery here in town, they have been the most successful with wide distribution, savvy sales tactics (their new Vol Lager could be a barn burner for them), and, yes, making pretty damn good beer.  Their flagship brewhouse is in a beautiful old, refurbed building and the Will's Pills(ner) was solid as usual for their wares. 

I was done with work with enough daylight left today to check out some (hopefully not dry) waterfalls nearby.   First up was Martin Creek Falls.  While easy to get to and find, I decided not to risk the mile in and mile back hike due to probable low water levels.  Gonna save this one for a spring trip return that will include Elrod Falls and Amis Mill from yesterday.  The cardinal flower pictured above and the little fawn I saw on the way made the trip worthy, nonetheless.  

 Next up was what I believe is Middle Spivey Falls.  It was running pretty good down the side of Spivey Mountain, but a little far from the road and a little too steep (and hot) to try and get closer to at this time.  This was a recon mission as well to see where the rental house that claims views of this waterfall is and what it looks like.   I found the address I think, and it looks like a good spot, but was down a private drive that I couldn't access today.  See you next April for my birthday maybe?? 

And finally, I unknowingly saved the best for last with Big Creek Falls just a little inside the North Carolina border on the same road as Spivey Falls.   This little sliding beauty is roadside as well with a quick steep ascent to the base revealing a little slice of Pisgah National Forest heaven with complete cover from the road.  

Afterwards, I went back to the Southern Craft in Johnson City for dinner again and had a couple more Great Oak Brewing libations including their Thunder Pig IPA that was solid and their decent Watauga Lake Kolsch.  Their burnt ends plate was worth the hefty $25 price tag (thanks Cumberland U!).  Delicious!! 

8/29 - After another long day (and night) of fairs today, I headed east a bit to a nice Fairfield Inn back in Morristown.  I had a gap of time between fairs enough to go briefly check out the new Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, VA.  Nothing much of interest to me actually.  No poker room (yet?), too much smoking (yuck), and the conversion to a full-on Hard Rock property isn't complete yet.   I walked thru and left fairly quickly without dropping a dime.  I did have a tasty, and free, lunch at the Blue Moose Burger and Wings Restaurant back in Johnson City.   They gave my order to another table and made me a fresh one for me on the house (you're welcome, CU!).  I did have two craft beers on my dime including a nice golden ale by Johnson City Brewing called Blue and Gold (for ETSU here) and a solid Mexican lager from Yee Haw Brewing called Cerveza Lime.  
Since the casino was a quick bust, I had time to also drop by new-to-me Bays Mountain Brewing in Kingsport for a couple pints also.   I had their delicious Barney's Brown Ale and a very nice NEIPA they called NETN (get in, NorthEast TN).  

8/30 - I had one short fair this morning before heading back from East Tennessee.  I stopped at the beautiful (I had forgotten how much so inside - photo above) Downtown Grill and Brewing in Knoxville for lunch where I had a nice sirloin and a pint of their solid seasonal Patio Perch pale ale.  I gotta hit this place again when I am up here for my Knoxville College Fair Week later this month!  

That was a good "work week" with 7 brewery visits, six of which were new-to-me, 18 new-to-me beers, four (and a half, cuz it was almost dry) waterfalls and a Mountain Dew gravestone.  Not too shabby! 

 
I attended the SOLD OUT Butch Walker show at 3rd and Lindsley with my pal, Danny, tonight.  I got to drive the CU rental downtown since it wasn't due back until tomorrow (score!).  Beforehand, I had a tasty Fat Pug milk stout from Maplewood Brewing (Chicago) at ML Rose - Capitol View where we also parked for free and Ubered to the show and back.  The show was great with Butch playing his entire 20th-anniversary "Letters" album from start to finish, and an encore of some selected favorites.  He also brought out country star, Ashley Monroe, for a pretty cool cover of Aerosmith's "Angel." 

8/31 - It was quite a bittersweet Saturday, as I attended the funeral service of my (younger than me), acquaintance, Andrew.  Ashlee and I are closer friends with his wife, now widow sadly, Emily.  Cancer really sucks.  RIP, brother. 

UT football and for most other colleges started today as well and I celebrated that fact with a can of Vol Lager from recently visited Yee Haw Brewing up in Johnson City, TN.  Here's to my little alma mater, Chattanooga, taking on the chin today in Neyland Stadium by a 69-3 score, but collecting that big check on the way out.  Cha-ching!! 

9/1 - I went to see O/A/R at The Ryman tonight as the last of four $25 flat shows this summer.  Ashlee was supposed to go with me, but booked a conflicting cruise with her sister, so I sold the extra ticket for $20 to a lady who was very grateful to get the bargain price.   The show was outstanding even though I didn't stay until the end (dog-sitting duties).  I even liked the short part of the set from the second opener, Ripe, that I got to see. 
 
Beforehand, Sunny and I met my pal, Curtis, at Cedar City Brewing for a couple beers.  I had two new-to-me beers of theirs including the solid pale ale called Pale Rider from the West, and their surprisingly nice Hibiscus Margarita Gose. 

While at the show, I also finished on the final table (6th) of today's Golden Scrimmage (play money) NLHE tournament vs. 417 other players which should earn me some exclusive Global Poker swag.  (and, yes, it was a "Crazy Game of Poker")

9/2 - I didn't spend Labor Day in the pool today since it was just a little cool to do so and the fact that I was fighting off a cold I brought back with me from Johnson City last week.  Yuck!  But I did get paid today!!  My beer buddy, Nate, stopped by and we had an impromptu beer tasting out on the patio including one of two pints cans he brought me back from Birmingham as "payment" for a night of pet-sitting at his house last month.  I enjoyed the pint can of The Gardener IPA from Birmingham (AL) District Brewing.  We also split a pint can of the excellent amber lager called Peaches that I brought back from my visit to Johnson City Brewing last week.   I will save my other "payment" beer for later.  Thanks, Nate!! 

I got a small buy-in NLHE bounty tournament win today vs. 25 other people with seven knockouts for an ROI right at 1,000%! 

Swimming, Crawling and Other Basic Summering

A disturbing image from America's Prohibition Era.  Don't look at it too long or it will break your heart. 

6/21 - It was another Remote Day at work for me today which worked out well as I planned to drive half-way to Indy for the weekend.  I got a pool dip in before leaving and enjoyed a can of the nice Queen pilsner from Middle Brow Beer Co. (Chicago).   I decided to stay tonight in Louisville and on the way, I stopped at new-to-me Flywheel Brewing in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, where, of course, I started with their lovely Kentucky common called Irregardless (photo above).  I finished with their also very good Rauchbier called Smoke on the Lager.  Along with my beers I had some of the best (and largest) street carne asada tacos I've ever had from the food truck on site called Del Valle Kitchen.  

I stayed at a cheap AirBnb in Louisville that turned out to be a lovely older home in the hip and happening Highlands neighborhood.  Free street parking was an added plus.   

 
My biggest reason for choosing the particular Airbnb that I did was its close proximity to two new-to-me craft breweries.   As I walked to the first one, Gravely Brewing, I was gifted with a beautiful sunset in this shot above that I call the "siLOUette."  Gravely Brewing was very cool with an old-school stereo/music theme and (spoiler alert) the best beer of the trip.  First up was their outstanding flagship IPA called Power Chord.  I finished with their solid blonde ale called Cardinale in honor of UL here in town.  

I walked a short distance on to Mile Wide Brewing - great name and logo - and had a couple before they closed up for the night.  First up was their tasty NEIPA called Force Ghost.  I finished with their sweet and interesting milkshake IPA called Lifesaver. The walk home was pleasant and safe.  My room was quiet and clean.  Patrick, the cat, was friendly. What else can you want? 
 

6/22 - Big thanks to my pal, Chris, for suggesting to check out some of the Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy today.  They've put an Olympic-sized pool (three actually) in a football stadium!  This I had to see in person! 

Our first look inside Lucas Oil Stadium was jaw-dropping.  Yep, that's pretty epic and amazing! The morning session consisted of several heats to qualify for some finals tomorrow as Team USA gets completed and ready to go to Paris next month to compete.  Our reasonably-priced nosebleed seats provided a great view of the races.
Afterwards, we ambled over to Tax Man Brewing for some brews and a lunch.  I had their decent farmhouse ale called La Maison and their nice and light Expat: Key Lime lager.  

After lunch we checked out the free Aqua Zone in the nearby convention center that had a ton of cool USA Swimming information and activities.  We saw pretty former swimming medalist, Elizabeth Beisel, signing autographs.  She turned out to have a very busy day by playing the national anthem via violin before tonight's events, and then awarding medals to competition winners afterwards.  

Before heading back into Lucas Oil Stadium for tonight's races and ceremonies, we dropped by the new-to-me Yard House for a few more brews and an early dinner.  I love their lettuce wraps here!  Beer-wise, I started with the excellent DIPA called Good Monster from Collective Arts Brewing (Canada).  Next up was the solid NEIPA called Wicked Pawesome from Metazoa Brewing here in Indy.  I finished with the tasty and funny-sounding-to-me Baptist Wit from Van Steenberge Brewery (Belgium).  

The evening session was a real spectacle with swimmer intros, music, lightshows, etc. There were several finals and a couple more heats for tomorrow evening's conclusion.  Swimming icon, Michael Phelps, was on-hand and gave a short interview before continuing his broadcasting duties.  It was a historic night for US Swimming with an attendance of over 22,000 spectators, the largest ever in the U.S. 

The highlight of the night was seeing emerging legend, Katie Ledecky, absolutely kicking ass again.  This time it was the 800 Freestyle that she won going away.  To see her swim live was such a thrill. 
Afterwards, we headed back to the Yard House for more beers (and, yes, more lettuce wraps!).  Brew-wise I started with the very good Campside Pale Ale from Upland Brewing over in Bloomington, IN.  I finished with the impressive Yard House Golden Pilsner which is brewed for them by New Belgium Brewing (CO).  

6/23 - Chris and I slept in this morning in our shared room at the nice downtown Marriott Hotel which is in walking distance to the stadium (we might be here again in December for our G.A.M.E. trip) and then had a leisurely and tasty (pesto egg white omelet!) breakfast at the nearby Lincoln Square Pancake House.   We then headed our respected ways - me south, him north.  See ya again soon, friend! 
My first stop south of Indy was Anderson Falls, yep, flat ol' Indiana has a few small waterfalls here and there.  This one is pretty. albeit the flow was down not surprisingly due to the summer weather.  Might be worth another stop-by in December when the flow should be much greater.  

I reserved a small car at our local Enterprise Car Rentals (RIP Hertz local) and all they had available day of was this Toyota Tundra pick-up.  It was comfortable to drive and not bad on gas, so that was fine, but I found it hard to park and with no iPhone display, I was also not sorry to see it get returned. 
The truck did have Bluetooth and I listened to a good true-story audio book on the way and back called "The Wager - A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder"

I moved on south and stopped at Our Lady of Perpetual Hops Brewing in New Albany, IN, just across the river from Louisville.  While I love the name and the logo, the beer did not impress me unfortunately.  First up was a rather weird-tasting NEIPA called One Shining Moment.  Their Feelin' That Way IPA was rather dull as well.  Disappointing. 
The disappointment continued with a stop at the Caesar's Southern Indiana where I bought in to a daily $100 poker tournament at 3 PM and was gone by 3:45.  Lousy cards, second-best hands, folding a winner to an over-bet, and missed draws were all I saw.  Oh well, moving on and further south.   

I did a little waterfall scouting around Fort Knox, KY, next with a stop at Saunders Springs Cascade (photo above) and the Tioga Falls trailhead.  I didn't have time to do the 1.8-mile trek to Tioga but noted it for a later time including a return to Saunders Springs with less people around.  The little park was packed today.  I also noted their close proximity to each other and the aforementioned Flywheel Brewing.  

My last unscheduled stop was in Bowling Green, KY where I spied these pretty shoals on the Barren River downtown along their River Walk.  It was near the new location for White Squirrel Brewing which closed a while back in a different location but has come back from the dead in the place that was once Gasper Brewing which also bit the dust recently.  Welcome back, WSBC!  They were just about to close for the day, but I was able to grab a pint of their solid West Coast IPA before heading home.  

Another nice little trip and experience in the books!! 
For the record:
15 new-to-me craft beers 
5 new-to-me breweries 
2 new-to-me waterfalls 

6/24 - I toasted The Big Orange's National Championship win in college baseball tonight with a beer called (ironically) The Imperial Texan (sorry, Aggies, who the Vols beat. The tasty red DIPA was from my latest Beer Box shipment and is made by Martin House Brewing in Fort Worth.  

6/26 - We lost our sweet boy, Byron the Beloved, today.  So damn young.  So damn unfair.  I cracked a pint can open and toasted my buddy with a Quad Belgin quadruple from Une Annee Brewery (IL).  It was as sweet and warm as a snuggle from Byron. 
We are gonna miss you, beautiful boy.  RIP.  

To get some much-needed distraction from such a sad day, I went to a late showing of the new era-piece film, The Bikeriders, tonight at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!).  In fact, I was the only one in the theater, so it was basically a private screening.   My expectations may have been a little too high since it was directed by Jeff Nichols whose previous films I have really liked and starring Tom Hardy who I feel is one of the great actors out there today, but overall, I was a little disappointed.  It's a fine, well-made film, I just found it to be a little dull at times and the characters weren't that memorable.  Perhaps a second viewing somewhere down the line will be necessary to give it another look. 

6/28 - We drove to Asheville, NC, after work today for a nice weekend with some friends in the mountains and one of my favorite craft beer towns anywhere.  The breweries were closed by the time we got there, so I had to settle for a couple brews at The Rankin Vault cocktail bar.  They did have a decent line-up of craft beer which I think is a requirement by law in this town.  I started with a nice Hibiscus Lavender hard ginger beer from Ginger's Revenge Brewing here in Asheville.  I finished with an OK Jalapeno Pale Ale from Birdsong Brewing over in Charlotte that could've use a bit more pepper power.    

6/29 - I got up before dawn and was on the trailhead at 7 AM (EST) with my long-time (35 years plus) waterfall-chasing friend, Craig, for Tom's Creek Falls near Marion, NC.  It was an easy half-mile hike in, and she's a beauty of a three-tier drop with good flow for this time of year.  How Craig and I missed this one during our earlier times in this area is beyond me?  But I sure am proud to check it off the list now!! 

Afterwards, I got to see Craig's new house in person that's nearing completion in nearby Rutherfordton, NC.  He's retired now and has moved back to an area I know he loves, and I couldn't be happier for him...plus, now I have a free place to stay in the land of waterfalls and craft breweries!!!   

When I got back to town, four of my five companions including Ashlee were kind enough to indulge me in a selfishly arranged Asheville "six-pack" brewery crawl.  Our first stop was in walking distance of our hotel (and open the earliest), the downtown tap room for Highland Brewing where I had their outstanding OG Dub IPA.  Housed in a beautiful old art-deco style building along with a hip food court, this was a great place to start the day. 

Next stop via Uber was 7 Clans Brewing - a fairly new establishment and run by Native American women.  Their location was quiet when we got there, but started picking up when we were leaving which is great because their beer is top-notch, and I wish them the best.  I had the very tasty Bended Tree Chestnut Brown Ale.

The next unplanned stop was Hillman Beer Company which was added because it was close by to 7 Clans and walkable.  The beer was again very good, and we had lunch here too and my Cuban sandwich and fries were excellent! I had their impressive Irish Stout (photo above) and their light and dreamy golden ale called Bailey's Summer Crush.   

Proximity to Hillman Beer Company (across the road) made French Broad Brewing our third (unplanned) stop.   Their black IPA called Midnight Paddle was solid.  

It was Uber time again as we headed across town to the fairly new New Belgium Brewing (East Coast Operations).  This was more of a request for my beer buddy, Curtis, who grew up in Colorado and with NBBC.  I have to admit I was impressed with the facility and my Biere De Queer 2023 fruit (no pun intended) beer was the most interesting of the day.   

The sixth and last visit and the one I wanted to go to the most was Green Man Brewing, one of my favorite Asheville breweries, and I haven't been here since they built the big new addition which is very nice.  I had their smooth albeit a bit less smokey than I like for a Rauchbier called Gather 'Round.   

The next Uber was to catch the Michael Franti and Spearhead show with awesome opener, Niko Moon, at the soon-to-close-due-to-the-man Salvage Station.  That's too bad because it's a great outdoor venue with lots of craft beer available.  As Mike showed his kindred spirit with me and waterfalls on stage, I toasted a great day and show with first a pint can of the excellent Perni-Haze NEIPA from Wicked Weed Brewing here in Asheville, and then a solid IPA called Welcome to Pyramid Country from DSSOLVR Brewing also here in Asheville.  

6/30 - I closed out our too-brief visit to Asheville this morning at 7 AM again on the trailhead of pretty Melrose Falls over near Tryon, NC.  My traveling-nut pal, Michelle, made up for missing yesterday's beer crawl by joining me as well.  This half-mile hike was a lot more technical than yesterday, but the payoff was worth it.  

Good little trip:
11 new-to-me craft beers
4 new-to-me craft breweries
2 new-to-me waterfalls!! 

7/2 - My pal, Toney, and I went to see the new prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!) tonight during $6 Bargain Tuesdays, and I thought it was a pretty good monster flick.  Not as good as the original, but decent.
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7/3 - I had another Remote Day at work today with a lot of work to do around the house to get the place in shape for the holiday weekend.  I did have a nice summer ale with guava called Patio Cat (I got me one of them named Letty) from Upland Brewing (IN) while chilling in the pool today after some mowing.

7/4 - Since we were staying home for the holiday long weekend, I was able to do some dog-watching/walking again with my old pals from Rover, Dolly and Gus, plus 5 cats for the weekend.  It was good to see them again and the $500+ was pretty good too!  It also keep my beer consumption down since I had to drive three times a day to take care of them, but it was worth it.  

In the pool today I did have a few Independance Day beers including a great Midwest IPA from Great Lakes Brewing (Cleveland); a very nice pale ale from Northwoods Brewing (NH) called Landlocks and Brookies with some beautiful can art (photo above); a light and refreshing Shandy from Old Nation Brewing (MI); and even a decent Peach Hard Tea malt beverage from Jack Daniels.    

7/5 - My Friday-off-from-work pool beers today were the excellent German pilsner called They're the Scientists (photo above) from Smith and Lentz Brewing here in Nashville, and a solid NEIPA called Reign of Hera from WarPigs USA Brewing (IN).  

7/6 - My Saturday pool beers today started with a nice session IPA from Edmund's Oast Brewing (Charleston) called Kveik Crusher - thanks to my pal, Nate, for this one.  Next up was the interesting Triple IPA from Hoof Hearted Brewing (OH) called Tailpipin' Dual Exhaust (Sauvignon Blanc/Citra and Nelson Sauvin).  I closed out with the awesome-tasting and awesome-named Evel Knievel Imperial IPA (West Coast-Style) from DESTIHL Brewing (IL).  

7/7 - It was fun to hear today a Hand-of-the-Week that I submitted on this week's Ante Up Poker Podcast.    Beer-wise, I closed out the long holiday weekend with a decent Wild Sour Series: Dragon Fruit Mango from DESTIHL Brewing (IL), and then an excellent NEIPA from Burlington (VT) Beer Company called Little Wizard. 

7/9 - My pal, Toney, and I went to see the new Kevin Costner western saga, Horizon (Part I) at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!).  thank goodness with a runtime of 3 hours!!) tonight on $6 Bargain Tuesday.  The reviews have not been good for it, and I thought it was freaking fantastic!  Great characters, stunning cinematography, realistic action.  I can't wait for Part II!!

Earlier today, I got a nice win in a $1 turbo bounty tourney on Global Poker vs.102 players including heads up with a well-known and tough player on this site.  I had nine knockouts for a total ROI of over 2,500%.   

7/10 - It was another Remote Day for me, and the weather was fantastic.  So, I headed downtown to have a late lunch at Cabin Attic Burgers at Bearded Iris Brewing and had their Burger Week entry, the Surf Shack, which was very good.  Beer-wise, I had BI's golden ale called Nice Job (And it was. Very tasty.  Nice job, BIBC.), and then their excellent honey-infused NEIPA called Queen Bee.   I turned it into a short Germantown crawl by walking over to nearby Monday Night Brewing next, where I had their nice German pilsner called Tettbanger Pils and then finished with their smooth and tasty Vienna lager called Attention to Detail. 

My second (yes, second) Burger Week burger of the day was obtained on the drive back from downtown as I happened by Caliber Coffee Co. in Donelson where Camburgers was set up out in the parking lot serving up their O.G. Burger for $7.  It was fantastic!  As was the iced coffee I got at Caliber.  This was my first visit to both places.  

7/11 - I got another dog-sitting gig over the long weekend starting today at a nice little lake house nearby allowing me to fish a little for free which I haven't done in a quite a while.  It also gave me a chance to have a couple lake beers this afternoon from a pint-can six pack I picked up at The Mt. Juliet Beer Company.  First up was the excellent IPA from Fonta Flora Brewing (NC) called Chip Rack (good poker theme name there).  I finished with a so-so NEIPA called M-43 (2023) from Old Nation Brewing (MI). 

7/12 - Today's two lake beers were the decent Grapefruit Hop Pusher from Printshop Beer Co. up in Knoxville, and the quite nice True Evel golden ale from DESTIHL Brewing (IL).  Each were enjoyed from a nice, air-conditioned view of the lake cuz, baby, it's hot outside! 

7/13 - Today's lake beers were two excellent IPAs from Flora Fauna Brewing (NC) - who are quickly becoming a Top Ten Brewery on my list.  First was the Hop Beard followed by their DIPA called Meanwhile, in Appalachia. Check out the sweet, old bar at this lake house.  I was welcome to imbibe, but, hey, I brought my own!  

I finally caught my first fish off the dock this morning - a nice young healthy-looking bass about the size of my hand.  I followed up catching a little bluegill this afternoon.

Snake:  It's What's for Breakfast.  This is lake life...and death. 

I also had a great day of online poker at the lake house too with three separate small tournament wins!  First up was a NLHE turbo bounty tournament win vs. 19 other players with nine knockouts for a total ROI of 900+%!  Next was the largest field and largest payout on a NLCP progressive bounty tournament win vs. 32 other players.  I had seven knockouts for a total ROI of 1,300+%!!  I closed out the night with another small buy-in NLCP tournament win vs. 21 other players for an ROI of 800+%.   

7/14 - Despite finally seeing my signature hand again on Global Poker today, there was not much else to report after my big winning day yesterday.  Such is poker.  
I did get back to the pool today after my dog-sitting weekend and enjoyed a couple pint cans from a new variety six-pack I picked up earlier at the Mt. Juliet Beer Company.  First up was a light and tasty Italina pilsner called Riding for the Feeling from Resident Culture Brewing (Charlotte) .  I finished with the perfect-for-summer Pap Pap's Salted Lager from Fonta Flora Brewing (NC).

7/15 - I got a small NLCP tournament win tonight on Global Poker vs. 18 other players for an ROI of just over 800%.  

7/16 - I won the very same tournament as last night against the very same number of people tonight with the same ROI.  

I was happy to give some of my recent meager poker earnings to a collection being taken up for my immediate supervisor at Cumberland who's battling cancer and may need help with travel expenses.  I also bought my weird neighbor some gas as thanks for mowing some of our yard this summer.  

7/17 - I had another Remote Day at work today.  I headed downtown early to prep to see Asia tonight at The Ryman - the first of four $25 flat shows coming up this summer for me.   Their first album has always been one of my favorites from start to finish and while only one original member, Geoff Downes, is in the group now, it's still worth a look and a listen at that low price.  The show was great from start to finish and with a fairly small crowd, I was able to move down to within a few feet of the stage.   The openers: Focus, Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash, and Curved Air were pretty good as well.   

Beforehand, I did a little craft beer crawling at Barrique Brewing, Jack Brown's and the Broadway Brewhouse.   At JB's I had a can of the excellent Sunkissed Dreams Nitro golden ale and a can of the solid cold IPA called Wishing Star from Highland Brewing over in Asheville.  At Barrique I had their excellent pilsner called Hunspach and their tasty Mexican lager called Chela.  I concluded at the BB with a surprisingly good fruit beer from Dogfish Head Brewing (DE) called Mandarin and Mango Crush along with some tasty chicken tenders for dinner. 

This month's Beer Box arrived today, and it looks like a nice selection of all new-to-me beer including three IPAs, a lager, a wheat beer, a fruit beer, a maibock and an amber ale.  I also got some swag and beer nuts as usual. 

7/18 - Speaking of old British musicians, I went to a free book-signing and in-store talk with veteran English rocker, Robyn Hitchcock, by also veteran artist, Sean Nelson, at Parnassus Books tonight with my friend, Tom.  It was a fun and interesting time, and they even played a couple songs at the end of the program.  Afterwards, we had a drink at the very cool Greenhouse Bar just across the street.

7/19 thru 7/21 - I got another small Rover gig this weekend:  single cat-sitting just down the street!   I hung out with "Foxie" as much as I could, but she's pretty independent anyway. 
Before heading back to hang out with Foxie the rest of the night, I stopped and had some awesome dry-rub wings at Cedar City Brewing along with a couple pints of their excellent CDR CTY Belgian Wheat ale. 

7/20 - I had some good success in online poker as I house/cat-sat with Roxie tonight.  I got a 3rd place finish vs. 126 other players in a small buy-in hyper-turbo super-deep bounty NLHE tournament (but second-place money thanks to a big mystery bounty collected).  My ROI was a staggering 1,900+%! The tournament was also streamed on Twitch and the host mentioned my username a few times since I made the final three.  
Earlier, I had three enjoyable pool beers including a great IPA called Whitemiata from The Veil Brewing (VA); another refreshing IPA from Sun King Brewing (Indy) called GFJ/Grapefruit Jungle; and finally, a decent session IPA from Whiner Beer Co. (Chicago) called Band Beer. 

7/21 - I had a busy day of pet-wrangling with a finish up of the pet/house sitting with Foxie, and then a last-minute drop-in for Ares, a big sweet young labrador.  But I did have time to get a pool-float in and enjoyed a refreshing Cold Ass Beer red ale from Against the Grain Brewing (Louisville).  

7/22 - After a rather rough evening on the virtual felt, I finally eked out a small buy-in win on Global Poker to close out the day.  I bested 25 other players in a turbo bounty NLHE tournament with 4 knockouts and an ROI of 600+%.  

7/23 - I did a meet-n-greet and booked another long-weekend dog/house sitting gig through Rover today over in Mt. Juliet.  Since I was in the area, I stopped by the M.L. Rose in Mt. Juliet and had a tasty crunchwrap-style burger for dinner along with a couple of good craft beers.  First up was the excellent Grapefruit Holy Roller IPA from Urban South Brewing (New Orleans) and the solid Street Sweeper IPA from Half Batch Brewing up in Hendersonville which I thought I had already checked in on UNTAPPD, but the trusty app said otherwise.  

7/25 - I went to opening night of the new Marvel flick, Deadpool and Wolverine, with my pal, Curtis, at the IMAX Theaters at the Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville tonight.  The movie was fantastic from start to finish.  I can't wait to see it again on Tuesday! 

I also started another long-weekend house/pet-sitting gig in Mt. Juliet today.  This is Tito, a one-year-old pug and his two cat housemates are Captain and Rosie. 

7/26 - I had (half of) a Remote Day today and while continuing to house/pet-sit in Mt. Juliet, I ran over to Donelson to try a toasted sub at the new Cheba Hut restaurant, a pot-centered eatery for those with the munchies...like me, minus the weed! I got their large Thai Stick, and it was fantastic and big enough for two tasty meals. 

Hey, when you're jonesing to see a waterfall and you are stuck in the city, you take whatever you can get!  Even if it's just a pretty gate release at Stones River Dam at Percy Priest Lake here in Nashville.  Which I saw coming back from Donelson today.  I've been wanting to make a funny post about this urban "waterfall" in my waterfall group on Facebook and finally got it captured and posted.  It's already got 25 likes and laughs.  

7/27 -The house/pet-sitting continued today and my beer pal, Nate, and I dropped by Nissan Stadium for a Titans open practice.  There was a good crowd despite the heat and the dismal forecast of the team this season.  But I think they might surprise some people in the NFL if they can stay healthy.   It was free admission and free parking which made it well worth the effort too. 

After the practice, Nate and I cruised up to the Rock n Dough Pizza and Brewery in North Nashville where he shared some BOGO tokens with me.  I had a great "jalapepperoni" pesto pizza along with a couple of their beers:  the excellent Rye Me a River IPA and the light and refreshing Amerifest fest bier.  We watched the USMNT kick the crap out of the Kiwis at the Paris Olympics 4-1.  I shall be checking in more "Olympic beers" the next few weeks as well.  

I had an East Nashville Brewing Tropical Daydream (2nd Vacay) NEIPA at Bridgestone Arena tonight while enjoying the silky-smooth voice of the timeless Darius Rucker with his original band, Hootie and the Blowfish.   Collective Soul opened for them and while showing some age, they still brought the energy and the rock-n-roll.   

I also had some online poker success today while pet-sitting today.  I won a small turbo bounty NLHE tournament on Global Poker against 11 other players with six knockouts for a total ROI of over 500%.  I also scored in a large NLHE freeroll tournament vs. 613 players placing in the top 45 for a future tournament ticket worth 1,100% ROI.  

7/28 - My house-pet/sitting gig was completed today.  Hopefully, I can sit for Tito and the kitties again since it was an easy, fun time.  I watched the USWNT take on Germany in the Olympics and get a solid win and played some online poker to pass the time. 
Why wouldn't I sit for these guys again?  Look at that punim! Got a nice $50 tip as well. 

7/29 - I got a pretty sizable win tonight on Global Poker in The Diesel nightly NLCP bounty tournament vs. 35 players with eight knockouts for an ROI of almost 1,500%!  It was a big enough win for me to cash out $175.00 in profit and still leave a decent bankroll for future play.   With some of my winnings I bought myself a new Cumberland U raincoat/jacket to use this fall and winter.  

7/30 - I went to see Deadpool and Wolverine again tonight at our local Roxy Theaters (recliners!) with my pal, Toney.  So funny, so well-made.  I seriously think this movie should be up for Best Picture at The Oscars next year.  Not a winner but nominated. 

7/31 - Remote Workday! - I bought a cheap ticket to the Leagues Cup game tonight with NSC hosting Mazatlán F.C. at Geodis Park.  This was the team's first game under new coach, BJ Callaghan, and boy, do they need the help after dropping the last 6 games in a row. Yuck!  The game was no better with a dismal 3-0 loss.  I wound up sitting with my pal, Nate, in his season-tickets seats and couldn't even resell the one I bought.  This club needs a lot of help and are almost unwatchable currently.  

Beforehand, Nate and I checked out the new Broadcast Brewing Company near the stadium and walked from there to the game, taking advantage of their free parking.  I had two of their three offered brews:  their decent red ale called Signal, and then their solid golden ale called FM.  It's a tiny place, but it has some potential.  Let's see how they do.  For dinner, we stopped at New Heights Brewing, and I got some great Nashville (mildly) hot chicken tenders from the Nashville Chicken and Waffles food truck on site.  I also had an overly sweet cream ale of theirs called The Roadie Soadie in celebration of the aforementioned NSC team.  

Before beforehand, I stopped by TennFold Brewing and finished up the workday and had a couple of their new beers including the excellent Apollo IPA and the light and refreshing Buchanan House Logger (lager).  I also had a delicious "snack" from the nearby Steam Boys Chinese fast-food joint there in Donelson.