The Pipe

The best gift I've recieved in a long time. Gifts that you know will be with you through a signifigant portion of your life to come are always the best. With the exception of herpes of course. My brother gave me this pipe for christmas. It was hand made in denmark by a company called Bjarne.

Christmas

Anyway, christmas yadda yadda..... what does it have to do with jesus.....yadda yadda....

I made my girlfriend this quilt for christmas by hand, myself. My mom (expierienced quilter) showed me how to read the pattern. Here's my dog Riley giving it his doving off seal of approval.

Lunar Rover

Think about this in a mind-set outside your norm and you might see why conspiracy theorists love to call bullshit.

NASA sends a rocket to the moon so Armstrong can walk around, post a flag, and drive around in a cool dune-buggy. Billions of dollars so some guy can drive a dune buggy on the moon, how do I apply for that job. Here's the training, get drunk (simulating reduced gravity) drive your little brothers go-cart in the dessert (lunar surface). Did you flip the go-cart over? No. You pass, welcome to NASA. I can only hope that going to the moon did something more than give society the phrase "If they can land a man on the moon, they should be able to...." You might be thinking "Well where would we have gotten moon rocks?" I'll tell you where, at a gift shop on your next vacation. In this situation, bullshit is plausible. Note: The real reason conspiracy theorists call bullshit is because of the cold war. Kennedy made his famous speak about space travel being a priority and within a year we were there. Russia had sent Copernicus into orbit and America wasn't going to lose that battle, so it came down to principle. Do it or fake it. Thats the short version.

Tiss The Season of Gift Giving

Some time in my life I would like to take a gift given to me for Christmas by someone close and put it in the basement. Then the following year re-wrap it and give it to them and act like I didn't know. I would do that to my friend Mark but he doesn't buy me anything, maybe if I reiterate the Christmas card he sent me last year.

Success!

For the first time in my life my family is seeing success in all its' members. My brother was recently hired on as a full time employee at the local K Mart. At 29 years old, his job is to assist any customers in the digital media department, and get Albert when he needs to take his break. Next thing you know one of us might move out of our parents house. (This is all a joke)

New job cash flow

You're probably wondering how I'm doing at my new job and all that jazz. Well, I'm good, my job is good because it's interesting but thats not why you're here, you're here for either A) Comedy, B) Philosophy, or C) Other interesting facts. Today my friend, you are in luck I have news to share, I actually followed through on a promise made to myself many moons ago, I bought a "big ticket" acoustic guitar. I just bought and have next to me right now a brand new Gibson Songwriter Deluxe, eat your heart out.

Long Days at the Office

I started my new job and it's going great. And to top it off, I got payed on my second day of work because it happened to be the 15th of the month. The cafeteria (open 6am-1:30pm) serves Starbucks Coffee at a reduced rate. I'm sure that will taste good out of my "Worlds Best Boss" mug.

Oh hell yeah!!

Sometimes.... I just want a fucking beer.


Coffee is good but beer is better, in all circumstances. Enjoy this pic and try not to drool in your cubical. (Click on it so it's the whole screen)

Title Change

I haven't had a beer since thursday. Today is the last day I will be known as Unemployed-Pete. I think we will go back to my favorite title, Dependable-Pete. I start a job tomorrow, as read in a previous post. I haven't felt like I really got a job until today when they called to tell me they were looking forward to seeing me tomorrow. I'm calling in sick. I'll get used to working everyday, but I feel terrible because the blog is going to be hurt by this and in turn the millions of bored cubicle sitters will suffer. I'll do my best for my supporters.

O.C.C.

I took my two little cousins to see the Orange county dudes at the Sears headquarters today. They (OCC) weren't very excited to be there but I met and got their autograghs. I also managed to get a photo with Mikey. Check it out.

Unemployment

Unemployment is fun for the first month but then you get so bored. I mean, really bored. I'm really bored. It's pathetic. I'm bored and pathetic. Oh well, where I stand now I'll be starting a new job on november 14.

You're Nuts!

He who can sew up a scrotum wins the prize. I took home the Best Costume award for my elephantitis costume. The costume was especially fun once I was drunk and "tea bagging" everyone. Anyone is welcome to borrow my ball sack costume anytime.

Elephantitus

As most of you know I can sew. I made my halloween costume. I'm going as the disease Elephantitus. Which we all know is severe swelling of the testes.

The Future

The ancient greeks had an interesting perspective when it came to time. They saw the future as something that is creeping up from behind with the past receding before their eyes. When you sit and think about it, that's a more accurate metaphor than our present one. Who really can face the future? All you can do is project from the past, even when the past shows that such projections are often wrong. Tommorrow I shall try to get a job, wish me luck.

Back to my Handsome self

Modern dentistry has come through for me yet again. If it weren't for advances in dentistry over the last twenty years I would have no teeth at all. Fifteen years ago I knocked out a tooth falling off a bicycle. Ten years ago my lower front teeth were pushed up and back during a youthful baseball game. Countless chipped teeth through out the years and the most recent came as a result of a long board ride. Never the less I'm still the handsome man that god made me to be. Kudos to you Dr. Grower, kudos.

Safety First

Be careful on longboards!!!


I chipped my tooth, destroyed my hand, and seriously thought I broke my leg. I guess the steepest hill isn't always the best.

The joy in surprising others

Today I was sitting on my futon when suddenly there was a rap on the door. I thought to myself "who could it be" as I walk to the door hesitantly as to the expected Mormon or girl scout I was delighted to see a UPS guy standing tall in his brown little get-up. I opened the door expecting a scented candle my mother may have ordered but was perplexed as the long box was stamped with my own name. "I didn't order anything" I thought. My girlfriend surprised me with a brand new longboard, hand crafted from the boys at Bustin Boards www.bustinboards.com out in hobuckon NJ. Arguably the best longboard on the market. I Love my KT Way-T.

False-Micro Test

Most people around me know that I enjoy microbrews to the point of obsession (Alcoholism). I want to say that if I should say something about beer and all-things-related I'm not bullshiting you. The Reinheitsgebot of 1516 is real, very real.

Here's a rule of thumb I'd like to share with all of you in case you want a microbrew and you're at a grocery store or liquor store. If the six pack box has a map to a brewery on the bottom it's no bullshit, the beer is microbrew, if you don't see a map don't trust it unless you know it.

Look

I got a hundred bucks if you can spot a hair on this mans head. Kinda freaks me out. He was the bartender at the Moosejaw.

Today

Today Boo Boo Bear is experiencing a bout of diarrhea. As he frantically searches the backyard for a suitable spot I .... I post my resume on monster.com hoping for one day to earn money for someone else while receiving nominal compensation for my time.

golf

I recently went on a little golf trip with a friend. We went to the Wilderness Resort, in Wisconsin. I played a decent round of golf, landing it on the green two times, avoided all sand traps, put one in the water once. The course was set in a mountainous area with cool veiws and several cool far-off-a-cliff kind of shots. Also I got wasted at a local microbrewery called Moosejaw. How would I (being a beer expert) rate their beer? I had the "Kilborn hop ale" a pale ale, it tasted like a pale ale should only a little faint. I tried some other beers they had, a honey lager that tasted like water, an oktoberfest that had a strong malt taste. Also they had a oatmeal stout that they called a Milk Stout, I didn't try it, I should have though. The stout is a conerstone of a microbrewery. All in all, if you are in the Dells go there for a couple beers it's pretty decent for what you might expect in Wisconsin and the food is excellent. We had the pizza (A+).

vitamin

I take vitamins. I got in the habit back in high school and have taken vitamins consistently ever since. I don't take centrum vitamins, those are garbage. But here's the point, it's a habit and if I forget or run out I feel like I'm being unhealthy and I feel guilty. At the same time I worry that taking vitamins will cause me to live a long time and in effect they will force me to watch everyone I know and love die. Leaving me all alone in some nursing home shitting all over myself getting no respect. WTF.

classic favorite

Today I've fallen back on a favorite, with advice from my bro, it's extra soupy. I love soupy mac n' cheese. I wonder if I'm really having Irish mac n cheese?

I spent two hours in Ireland yesterday.

I have a hobby, it's nothing new but its fun, I love to laugh at cultural and social bullshit. A favorite is the Irish pub or restaurant. There has to be more Irish bars in American cities than in the whole country of Ireland. I wonder if all the Irish pubs in Ireland are owned mostly by Greek people? Here's the formula; get some nice dark wood on the walls, paint everything green and BOOM!! it's an Irish pub. My favorite of all is Bennigans, the same wood and green formula applied to a Denny's. Yesterday I was brought to a Irish restaurant in alington heights and I had a "Cajun fish sandwich" and "Irish fries". Now I'm partial to "freedom fries" but I'll try them, they were sliced up potato that was deep fried, I failed to see where Ireland came in. The sandwich was a spicy Cajun fish sandwich, I guess Ireland could have cajun food too. It's so silly, like an adult chucky cheese, "lets pretend we're in Ireland" and "those aren't fries those are Irish fries, stupid head".

Chinese Food

Whats better than left-over chinese food? Nada. It was good at the time of purchase and it's good now 19.6 hours later. Take a peek, it's chicken chop suey mixed in with some fried rice with a egg roll on the side, and of course a Pepsicola.

The idea of the "Mug"

It's funny the way things go as time passes. Three years ago I along with several friends joined the mug club and as time would have it only mark still has his mug in service. I was the first to retire my mug, why you ask, because the mug club was changed for the impersonnal. Later my brother retired his, why, the mug was worth to much to him to risk ever having to see it break or stolen, it now sits on a shelf with an action figure standing guard. Kevins mug was, to much of ours dismay, broke, what a loss. Although now it is being held together by adhesives, it shall sit on a shelf as a monument to beers drunk (estimated at 364) and time spent. Mike, who moved away, returned from st.Louis to find his mug broken, another memory held together by a simple adhesive. My mug you will find proudly displayed in my folks living room amongst heirlooms and old photos. Over time things close to you become too important, too valuable to risk, an interesting aspect of our daily lives when added time. I shall shed a tear. Who'd of thought a simple ceramic mug would become so important to a few local area drunkards.

Russels Beef

Damn, I had to do it. I fuckin love this shit. oooooowwwwwweeeeee!!!

lunch time classic

I love this stuff, whole heartedly.

Dawn

Looking at that picture of the building burning down it just dawned on me what it must of sounded like when the douchebag running the place and the gay guy who was second in charge told there wives. Picture it in your head. Guy gets home from work...wife says "how was work honey?" Douche says "The building burnt down." (I'm in tears laughing) How did the building being destroyed make them feel? I guess the way I saw them as a complete joke is what makes it funny. Enjoy this photo too.

Thinking

I was thinking of writing down and blogging stories from my past. I've got some funny ones but it might be wierd, I don't know. But in the mean time, enjoy this picture of the Coast Guard Station Oak Island burning down. While it had no emotional bearing on me (I thought it was karma, and funny) others were in tears. Go figure.

No lunch pic today

The fridge just doesn't seem to hold anything that is appealing to me right now. Tell me if you see anything I might enjoy.

Chicago Favorite

The Chicagolands own "Portillos" is home to what many believe to be the best hot dogs on earth. I think they also have a really good burger too. I am a bit sick of the 50's theme but I'm not sick of these dogs, they rule! Paying for my lunch today was the fourteen dollars in change I found in my bedroom and personnal vehicle, but don't worry the bank changed it to paper money so I didn't look too broke.

Shopping

Today I went shopping with my sister,we had a ball. I looked at purses, sweatshirts, and T-shirts. Then we ate lunch with kevin and I had sushi. Don't tell her but I bought my ol' lady pearl earnings, ssshhh..

lunch

Todays lunch, the big mac.

Lunch time

I went to get a hot dog at a local hot spot, "Frankly Yours". The name makes no sense to me but the dogs do, they rule. For under five bucks one can dine on a deliscious vienna beef frank with real fries and a beverage.

Pathetic

This last week of my life has really been pathetic. I guess I'm banking on the idea that as soon as my resume is buttoned up and passed around town things will start to come together for me. God in heaven, let's hope.

Riley B. Bear

Here's the Boo-Boo Bear on my futon after my hair cut.

Job search hair cut

Got my hair cut today to look a little bit more professional.

Chef Boyardee

The deliscious "cheesey burger mac" from Chef Boyardee. A delightful lunch on a pleasant afternoon. Cheesy, beefy, and noodley.

Lifes Journey

The journey of life has taken a turn and the road ahead is shaky, uncertain and exciting. I have quit my job at Best Buy to look for new employment. I shall not look back, but I may pause every once and a while to recall the hot little "pop tarts" (girls) and then look forward again. I shall set out on an adventure seeking full time employment and hopefully soon after, my own place. Until then you can look forward to clever blog entries, cuz I'm sure I'll have alot of time on my hands. Read on young bloggers, read on.

Messenger bag

Here's the messenger bag I custom made for myself. I used the front pocket section from the backpack I carried around all through high school. Also I used a strip from the navy C-bag I carried around the four years I was in the service. I used suede leather for the side panels, and black ballistic nylon for the rest. I must say, it came out perfect. Going in to it I wasn't sure how I would lay it out, but I got struck by lightning and had a brilliant idea of making a stripe out of the C-bag and lineing up the green strip to show U.S. right on the front. The original idea was to construct a bag out of other bags, the idea evolved into making it out of the bags I used to carry around alot as to continue useing them. So high school and military service are both represented and some leather for style. I wanted to get a suede strap but when I went to a luggage repair shop the nonenglish speaking shop owner didn't understand my idea so I defaulted to a standard strap. I'm sure the bag might see some modifications in the distant future, but for now it's everything I could ever have hoped for.

computer trouble

Problems with my computer or internet service is among the most frustrating shit on Earth.

Genius

It has recently come to my attention that there is a genius among men. A man has put photo's of food on the internet! Check out the coolest chicago based website I've ever seen. www.greasefreak.com This is incredibly original and I love everything about it, I'm also starving right now so that might help too.

Wonderment

I hope some day I will be content with my possessions and stop thinking of what it is that I want. I know damn well it won't make me happy. Inner peace is one thing you can't buy.

follow up on the guitar thing

What is it about a guitar that makes me want the relationship between me and a guitar to be one that is something special and meaningful? I think of the idea of a custom made guitar. It is made specially for me by someone you meet and establish a repiore. It's like a romantisism. If the guitar has a deep meaning to me maybe it will inspire me to play the saddest songs and delightfulest of melodies. A guitar company I've recently found interest in has a four day vacation thing where you pay (a shit load) and get to go to the shop and sit down with a luthier and pick out exactly what you want and they make it custom for you, and on the last day they have a open mic night. This is appealing to me, but maybe I don't have to go to such lengths. Enter the notion of a gift. Instant meaning and importance, although a lot to ask. To much money to spend, that would be like buying an engagment ring but for the dude. So trash the notion. Also I made mac and cheese for lunch then realized there is no milk so the only substitute was sour cream, bad idea.

Guitars

I recently came to the conclusion that I play the acoustic guitar and the electric bass. I've formally put the electric guitar behind me in terms of priorities. I still don't hestitate to shred an axe once in a while but I've gotten past dreams of les pauls and tube amps and all that shit. People who are close to me know that I'm a bit of an instrumentalist, but I've got to focus here, I mean, I'm twenty five, I don't want to find myself old and only decent on a shit load of instruments. I want to be kick ass on this and that with a good foundation on everything else. Can you dig? So my plan is to (once I have a decent job) get a big ticket acoustic guitar and that will be it, no more buying guitars, one really good guitar to be THE guitar. One I can grow with and be known for. I'm thinking, maybe, a gibson hummingbird, just an idea, or maybe a guild D-55 but I have a few other favorites too.

This week

I don't have much going on this week so I think I'll begin posting a little something of each microbrewerie I've been to. Now you've got something to look forward to.

3276 beers drunk

I wonder how many beers I've drank in my life so far. It wouldn't be hard to estimate but the number could vary by the thousands.


So lets see, I'm twenty five (2/3/1981) now so i've been drinking for four and a half solid years. Most of which is in a style called "alcoholic". I think a good estimate for like a day would be like two a day, because some days I have less and some thursday nights or weekends I have signifigantly more but when I go out I rarely have more than four. So thats 14 beers a week, 52 weeks in a year plus half a year, thats like 3276. It's got to be more like five thousand but that can't be to far off, like I said it could vary by the thousands.

[Note: Recent estimates land within the upper 5K, 1/22/08]

Called in sick

To follow up on a previous post, I called in to go to Lollapalooza. Yep, I went through with it, I had to, I paid alot of money for thoughs tickets. Here's how it went down:

My coworker knew what my plans were because I had expressed my interest in going to Lollapalooza and he was able to put two and two together. So, using what I've learned in the military (trust no one, especially your fellow soldier) when I called it went like this:

Me: "Dude, I must have bad karma or something."
coworker: "Whats up?"
Me: "I woke up puking this morning at like 6 am"
coworker: "Ha Ha, Douchebag"
Me: "So now I'm calling in for real, for the first time, ever"
coworker: "Damn, what about lollapalooza?"
Me: "I'm Pissed man, now I can't go. Oh well, transfer me (my call) to the manager".
manager: "Hello this is the M.O.D."
Me: "Hey, it's pete".
manager: "whats up pete"?
Me: "I was scheduled to work today but I've been puking all morning".
manager: "Do you think it was something you ate"?
Me: "It probably was".
manager: "well call me back at 1:00 and maybe you don't have to miss you whole shift".
Me: "ok"

I knew damn well I would be jammin out to aqualung at 1:00, so in an act of despiration I called my mom to see if she could get me a fake doctors note, she said no it's unethical and said "just don't call back, and tell him you slept all day". So I didn't call back, I went to the show, had an awsome time.

Monday when I had to work again I saw the manager and he didn't say a word about it, he must've forgot. Can you believe that, it's that easy.

Brew haus

I'm in the process of writing a little something of the microbreweries I've been to and I feel it might be wise to put the type of establishment into focus a little bit to inform the uninformed.

There are 22 microbreweries on my list, of all of them, I would say from #10 through #18 (give or take) are all about the same in terms of beer quality you can expect. There are some microbrew pubs that are brewing only because it seems like a good business idea, these places typically have mediocre beers. You can tell these places in the staffs behavior. They never sneak sips of beer, and after their shift they won't stay and have a beer no matter how free it may be, if you ask them about a particular beer they will say something really lame or have the menus description (horoscope) memorized. Avoid these places.

Some brew pubs really care about what they are serving and strive for the highest quality and consistency. These would be the top 8 or 9 on my list, and that comes naturally to these places. These are the brew pubs with a dedicated following that is very much an intricate part of the pub and a staff that takes the beer personnally. Common with these elite pubs, they won't have just one or two good beers, they will all be good with the exception of maybe one. If there is a pub like the near your home my advice is to really charish it, they are few and far between. An excellent example is the #1 spot on my list, Emmett's Tavern and Brewery.

As for the run of the mill brew pub here's some good rule of thumb, look around see what everyone is ordering while considering the beer list. Most brew pubs will have one beer that is really good. If the pub has a huge list of brews, none of them will be very good, hope for a couple decent beers. Some brew pubs try to confuse a well seasoned pallet into thinking its a good pub with styles that no ones heard of like (hard to think of an example of a nonexistent beer style) names that are words that are completely foriegn. Usually it seems that they try to mask a bad beer with an unusual name hoping to give the idea it's a good beer that most of us just haven't heard of. Here's what I do in that stituation, taste a beer, if it tastes bad it's not a good beer, try something else.

The bottom few on the list, again, these places will always suck until someone slaps the owner and/or brewmaster in the back of the head. I need to use an example, Water Street Brewery, I sat down at the bar and i thought "Man, cool place" I knew I didn't have all night so I ordered the stereotypical sampler paddle. It came and the bartender said what each one was dispite the labels. I did what any beer guy would do, start from the lightest moving to the heavier beers. I really wondered how the brewmaster tastes a beer and says "This is good, lets serve it". He must be a complete moron or have no real idea of what he's doing. The beer had a thickness to it and I found it to be not the least bit drinkable. I was curious so I read a brochure they had stating the bars history and I read that it was opened recently and the brewmaster was also the owner, disapointing but logical. I have to assume that running a restaurant is stressful now pile on top of that brewing, you're not superman asshole. It's no wonder the beer blows.

I have to include this last part. The ever present beer menu complete with a helpful description of the beer. These are absolutly no different to that of a horoscope. Completely vague, usually says nothing of the actual beer. I wonder if it's the idea of what the brewmaster was hoping to brew. The best advice I can give is to just ask the bartender or somehow find out the type of beer i.e. Lager, pale ale, stout. Go into the place knowing what types of beer you enjoy and the differences in a few types and order using that as your guide. A little fun later, read the description for a good laugh.

Anyway, so thats the jist of the microbrewery.

Calling in

I've never called in sick before. I'm forced to do this on friday because my priorities are to go to lolapalooza and not work. I'm debating what to say. I'm pretty sure I'll just go with the classic "I ate something and now I'm puking and can't come in". Part of me is like, I really don't care, it's a part time job anyway. I've worked there for a long time so having never before called in they should give me this one. Plus whats the worst they can do, write me up, I'm currently looking for a full time job anyway, they can fire me for all I care, I'm so burned out on that lame-ass job. I should quit and then really pound the pavement looking for a full-time gig, but I won't, I'm spineless.

Outdoor Urination

I really do prefer peeing outside. I don't know why. It will dawn on me that i have to pee and my immediate thoughts are "where should I pee, over there, behind there?" and then my friend kevin will say something like "There's a bathroom right there ya know". The truth is I prefer peeing in nature because its natural. Peeing is natural. It feels better when I go outside. Plus you don't have to aim.

Micro brews

I've ranked all the microbreweries I've been to. So scroll down and check it out. Soon I'll put a little something up about each one because I'm an expert. Also if anyone is hiring, I just got my associate degree, and I'm looking for something full time that I can make long term as well as a priority.

the past

When i think of the past I tend to always unconsciencly assume that the people I knew then are still doing what they were in such memory and haven't aged any either. Logic then tells me "Pete, those people are older and, like you, have moved on". The fact of the matter is my memory of them, the place and time haven't aged in my mind. Obviously the real world outside my head is constantly ageing and moving on. I guess thats the beauty, and in some cases the downfall, of my memories, it will always be as I remember it inside my head. I wonder if I'm the only one who does this. Also I'm always bothered by the thought of times when I've said something I shouldn't have or did something that made me look like a jerk. These memories haunt me. Oh well, F it.

Beer

There is one moment in my life that I shall never forget, it happened about three years ago. I tasted a beer and it had a taste to it, so fresh, I had never experienced this before. The fresh quality to the taste is not something a person comes across often (if ever). I don't know how to relate it to something so someone who knows nothing of good beer might understand. (the average fisherman is expected to catch a muskie every twelve years, this is close) My brother and I were drinking at our favorite microbrew-pub and they had on "cask" a beer we both would consider our farvorite beers on earth, Victory Pale, so we discused and asked the bar tender, I said "F it". I ordered one. The best beer i ever tasted in my life to date, seriously. Since then I think i've had maybe three other times experienced this fresh taste. The pale ale that night had been put on tap that very morning, fresh, normal beer at a micro brewery might be on tap for up to a month (give or take) and who knows when you might get it. Even so it could sit in the brewery tank for a little long to drain the exiting beer to maximize resources. Although at some brew pubs should you get it fresh will it taste fresh, i.e. at the prarrie rock in schaumburg, they must have dirty beer lines or something, all their beer tastes wierd, so I wouldn't go there expected to EVER taste that fresh taste. Also, i shouldn't have to say this but miller and budwieser will never and have never sold a beer with the fresh taste (pasturizing a beer strips it of most flavor). The taste is a crisp, bright, and clean taste, all the ingredients will be recognizable and it may smell of soap (citris). The first time I encountered this I couldn't believe it, the second was a month ago and i immediatly took full advantage, i commented to the owner of the pub and he said "well it is fresh" and i noticed him tasting it the second i walked away. The third, tonight. The Onion had their pale ale and the bartender said "just tapped the batch today" so, like a reflex myself and my brother-in-law asked for a sample. There it was, the kiss from an angel, the beer had it, freshness, he immediatly was trying to pawn his current beer onto his friend and i was planning on getting a growler (half gallon to bring home). It's like a dream when this happens, I can't wait till the next.

I self medicate.

CONSTANTLY.

crazy yelling bitch

it seems every once in a while some crazy, usually a lady, comes up to me and/or the people i'm with and starts yelling at me/us. I can't begin to explain how much that irritates me. No matter if they are partially correct or not I immediately will argue or say something to push them further. Not to pick a fight or anything just to really piss them off because of the way they are so ridiculous in randomly yelling at strangers.

Most recent, the fouth of july, I had four moon rocket style bottle rockets. I lit one of without a hitch. Me and a friend Kevin teamed up to light the second, after we did that a lady approached us yelling because the dead bottle rocket landed near her. Now for that I'm sorry, but she could have just said the error in our aimming judgement and not verbally attacked us. So, because she was ridiculous in yelling at us I had no reservations in lighting a third rocket. After this one, myself and group of friends were really reemed out by this crazy bitch and after she threated to call the cops I offered her a phone. She didnt call anyone. But shit man. I hate those people.

Now no one ever leaves comments to my blog enteries (cuz noone reads these things) but i want some feedback.

What is the bast way to get back at, immediatly, to these wack-jobs? Pepper spray? Make an assertation as to their homosexuallity? Disregard? Do what they dont want you to do?
Their are options and I'm sure some are situationally better than others, but how does one react.

Microbreweries I've enjoyed (some more than others)

In no particular order. The list will be updated when i rank them all.

Updated 8/1/06. This is as best as I can do in limited time to rank them. The rankings are based on beer quality. This is all my own opinion but its pretty accurate because I know everything about beer so I can be considered an expert. A few of these places brew awesome beers but aren't the best place to go and sit and drink a beer at for various reasons, on the contrary, other places are wonderful places to go and have a beer at it's just too bad they brew shitty beer. For example, the Water Street Brewery is a very cool place with old beer collectibles all over the walls but the beer tastes like a smoothy, worst I've ever had. Keep this in mind if you plan on visiting an establishment. I'll work on ranking establishments and beer for all of them in a score system of some kind. I'll be updating this soon.
Updated 8/27/06: I've decided against a scoring system and I think I'm going to write one blog for every few (or so) breweries. That way I can give a reasonably detailed description of each. This way (should anyone actually read the blog and actually have a desire to go to one of the breweries) one will have some idea of what to expect. Last updated: 09/20/09

Town Hall Brewery, (Minneapolis, MN)
Bell's Brewery, (Kalamazoo, MI)
Emmett's tavern, (West Dundee,IL)
Great Lakes Brewing Co., (Cleveland, OH)
Great Dane, (Madison, WI)
Half Acre Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
Milwaukee Ale House, (Milwaukee, WI)
Goose Island, (Chicago, IL)
Mickey Finns, (Libertyville, IL)
Two Brothers Tap Room, (St. Charles, IL)
Front Street Brewery, (Wilmington, NC)
Lunar (Villa Park, IL)
The Wild Onion, (Barrington, IL)
Janesport Brewery, (Janesport, MI)
Kraftbrau, (C) (Kalamazoo, MI)
Weeping Radish Brewery, (C) (Manteo, NC)
Lakefront Brewery, (Milwaukee, WI)
J.W. Plateks, (Richmond, IL)
Potosi Brewing Co, (Potosi, WI)
Prairie Rock Brewing Co, (Elgin/Schaumburg, IL)
Green Man, (Ashville, NC)
Piece, (Chicago, IL)
Peninsule bay Brewing (Kalamazoo, MI)
Lucky Monks, (Schaumburg, IL)
Hereford and Hops, (Escanaba, U.P. MI)
Flatlanders, (Lincolnshire, IL)
Walter Paytons Roundhouse (Aurora, IL)
M.T. Barrels, (C) (West Dundee, IL)
Governors Public House, (C) (Carpentersville, IL)
Sprecher Brewery, (Milwaukee, WI)
Hops, (C) (Minneapolis, MN)
Maummee Bay Brewing, (Toledo, OH)
Miller (Milwaukee, Wi)
The courthouse Pub, (Manitowoc, WI)
Grand Cayman Brewery, (can't remember the name)
The Ram, (Schaumburg, IL)
Brass, (C) (Schaumburg, IL)
Brockway Chophouse, (C) (Palatine, IL)
Shipwrecks, (Door County, WI)
Milrose Brewery, (Schaumburg, IL)
Waterstreet Brewery, (Milwaukee, WI)
Stockholm's (Geneva, IL)

(C) indicates brewery has closed down

Classic Portrait

Enjoy this photo taken of me at marks sisters wedding. I'm considering ordering a quantity of wallet size photos.

mark and the futon

Here's mark on the futon.

The hair.

Compare this photo to the other webcam photo i posted. The title of the post is "Here's what I look like". It was posted in March and taken in febuary, this photo was taken yesterday (4/11/06).

marks sisters wedding

Man did i get wasted. let me give the short version of the evening. I get ready at my girlfriends house, kate and kev pick me up. we drive to naperville, on the way we start to think we'll be late but then find out once we got there that we were a good half hour early. The church was built in the mid-1800's so it was creaky, that was cool. Then the wedding gets going and it was great. then we burn rubber over to emmetts brewery in downers grove where i drink three or four beers, i pick up the tab and we head for the reception. We arive on time and catch up with mark. Then we do the receiving line, with the formalities out of the way we hit the bar, i get a gin and tonic. We mingle and drink, by dinner i'm wasted, kevin gets wasted later but not after dinner was over. We proceed to hoot and hollar throughout dinner and clink our glasses incesently forcing the bride and groom to kiss every couple minutes. Then dinner ends and we bide our time before we hit the dance floor, where once we did hit the dance floor we definitly brought the energy to the masses. quickly everyone followed our lead and joined in the celebration. Once kevin and myself were good and destroyed on jack and coke's my sister/kevins wife made us leave and dropped me off at my girlfriends where i drank water and fell asleep. (picture will be posted later)

tuxedo

He's a pretty good photo of me in a tux. Feel free to download it and share it amongst your friends. Also any feedback on style or my general appearance is appretiated.

march 30, 06

Well here's me and slim on the futon again. Cold Chillin' Slims playing tetris to fight off a laughing attack, and i'm jammin tunes, Rileys asleep in the hall. time now is 12:36 a.m.

I feel like i need to interduce myself to this blog and build a relationship before we can make history. To get the ball rolling i put up that last photo of myself.

Here's what i look like.

3/27/06 Here's me, taken from my webcam about a month ago. Aren't I cute?

11:12pm 3/27/06

"How to get away with murder" will remain a clever title as my brother feels i've gone phsycho.

3/26/06

Blogs are the dumbest shit on earth and i will be deleting this blog shortly. As an added downer it seems to have trouble loading a picture. so i'll try one last time and if it doesnt' work, BOOM, tailights, this will be over with.

1st entry

Here I am.