you know, for kids.

Esteemed COTGB Readers:

I love my brother.

I love Fat Tire beer.

I love bikes.

I love hats.

I even love kids.

Big Brother has ingeniously found away to fuse all those things together in a raffle for the ages. Please get thee to the Tacoma Bike Ranch ASAP to get your name in the hat- literally- to win a handmade piece of American folkart of the highest degree of craftsmanship.

If you aren't interested in checking out the hat, but would still like to give, you can donate to the Mary Bridge Children's Foundation and Big Brother's Courage Classic bike ride to help stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect directly through this link. Thanks for your support!

what i have been doing lately.

Don't think that I've forgotten about you lately!  I've been home living as my alter-ego, Auntie Mel.  As Auntie Mel I find myself getting up before nine, reading stories, trying to placate the baby, partaking in auntie-niece tooth-brushing sessions, supervising the clean-up "game," indulging in the occasional snuggle and getting nibbled by Frankie the Dog.  And drinking.  

It's nice to get in touch with all of the variety that is so easily accessible here in Tacoma.  Between Trader Joe's, Metropolitan Market and the seeming endless number of available draft beers, I have been filled with holiday cheer.  Here's what I've sampled since I got here:

Cook's mimosa, beloved adopted family's house

Big Horn Brewing's Big Red Amber Ale, growler, beloved adopted family's house

Livingston Blush, wine, Grami's house

Boring German white wine, mom stash, Grami's house

Lovely German Pfalz ice wine, mom stash, Grami's house 

Yellowtail Shiraz/Cabernet mix, Grami's house 

Rainier Beer, can, Brother's house

Rogue Dead Guy Ale, forty, brother's house

Dick's Cream Ale, draft, Parkway Tavern

Mac & Jack's Serengheti Wheat, draft, Parkway Tavern

New Belgium Mothership Wit, draft, Parkway Tavern

Trader Joe's Honey Moon viognier wine, brother's house

Charles Shaw ("two buck Chuck") cabernet savignon, brother's house 

more lovely German Pfalz ice wine, mom stash, brother's house

Brown's Point Porter, draft, The Hub

On tap:

Frontier Red wine

Snoqualmie Avalanche winter ale

Pyramid Snowcap Winter Ale

Schloss Biebrich champagne (New Year's)

you are a cynic.

Piece related to Russia: Sarah Palin poetry!!! She gives Donald Rumsfeld a run for his money. This was my favorite:

"Challenge to a Cynic"

You are a cynic.
Because show me where
I have ever said
That there's absolute proof
That nothing that man
Has ever conducted
Or engaged in,
Has had any effect,
Or no effect,
On climate change.

(To C. Gibson, ABC News, Sept. 11, 2008)

Piece related to coffee.

Piece tying coffee and Russia together, more or less: The increasing popularity of White Russians is tied to The Big Lebowski. It reminded me that the only time I've ever had a White Russian, which was while watching The Big Lebowski. It knocked me out pretty early in the movie and as a result of this story, I am not qualified to be an alcoholic nor a hipster.

god love the devastator, and the utes.

Well Humanity, I really wish I could post to you the video of this particular Utes game touchdown from today-- it was amazing-- the guy got swept up from under his legs by the defender and bounced himself-- AND the ball-- into the end zone. If I could find the video, I would post it; but alas it was among many amazing plays by the Utes today at which game I attended. I am sunburned (and cheerful!) in October, of all months. Real friends pay for housesitting with football tix, remember that.

What I really have to attest to though, other than the Utes offensive strength and brilliant passing and unreal tackling, is a particular beer. You know I am a fan of Shiner Bock-- the best beer that can be purchased for under $6 a six pack in Utah, be it at Whole Foods or Walmart. Well today, due to my housesitting's close proximity to the Avenues Liquor Store (one block!) I was able to sample a truly winning beer suited to post game relaxation. That beer is made by Wasatch Beers and has perhaps the most amazing label ever:


And I can say that not just because I watched the silent film "Trapped By the Mormons" last night and am feeling perhaps just a teensie bit anti. This beer it truly amazing-- all of the dark, cola like flavor that you might expect of a Bock like Shiner but (and mind you, at altitude) with all the punch of a beer that logs in at 8% by volume (at alititude!). As someone who gets a bit bloated in reaching her prefered feeling from a certain number of beers-- 6 Skinny Dips?-- this beer is truly a godsend. It's like all of the fun of a Texas beer with all of the needed power of a Utah beer that can't be purchased at the grocery store. Potent but tasty, this is a beer that does you in after two without all of the misery of drinking all those 3.2's. Devastator, I comend thee.

That said, go Utes! Did I mention BYU sucks? Because after all, we are undefeated and they are not. Boooo BYU!

the great liquor store in the sky.

With all the terrible things going on in the world right now*, it is a wonder to me that the author of this article seems surprised that more people are drinking bourbon.

This quote sums up my relationship with the substance beautifully: "You get a taste for bourbon, you don't stop drinking bourbon." So true. It was rough the first time but now it's kind of like drinking caramel.**

*Though being able to hear Wynton Marsalis out my window right now is definitely not one of them.

**Not right now though. There is work to be done.