A little catching up to do

So now that I have a blog, I suppose that I should consider adding some interesting posts. Or perhaps the true “first thing” would be to explain a little bit about what to expect in the future. But to be honest, I’m not sure what to expect. I do know that there are a few recurring food and drink related events in my life which I suspect will find a home here. Beyond that, any dinner, wine tasting, catered affair, chili cook-off, street fair, or hot dog vendor will be fair game for both praise and criticism. I think that I’ll begin with a rundown of some of the recurring events the oldest of which is:

Wine & Cheese Night- A group of about 10 of us get together about once every couple of months to sample different bottles of one varietal. We dress up slightly, drink with our pinkies extended, and partake in general wine
hob-nobbery. The varietal is chosen by the host, and everyone tends to do at least a bit of homework regarding their bottle (or bottles as the case usually is). And we drink. And we eat cheese. And we drink some more. Typically we drink until whatever knowledge we may have gained from the night’s lesson gracefully drifts away like a wonderful dream. While that may be hyperbole, it is always a riotously enjoyable night that, because of “real-life”, happens not frequently enough.

Hole-in-the-wall Lunch Tour- Pretty straight forward event. 3 of us meet as often as possible (2-3 times a month typically) to find the best restaurants that no one has ever heard of. All types of cuisine, all sorts of interesting places. Usually it’s just a quick lunch. Sometimes we linger over a couple of beers, and sometimes it leads into:

Dive bar hopping- What could be better than whiling away a few hours in a dark, dank dive bar? For my money, nothing. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. We throw some money in the juke box, order up a few Pabst Blue Ribbons, and soak in the ambiance. There are times when this is best suited to a couple of hours in the afternoon. Then there are the Saturdays when the snow is falling heavily, the temperature is dropping steadily, and the only thing to do is to hole up in a warm pub, order a few dozen Pabst’s, and keep feeding dollars into that trusty internet juke.

So there it is… The main plot has been laid. Of course there is a cast of characters that you will hopefully get to know and love as I have. Now, it seems, all that is left to do is tell the stories of how it all comes together now and again…

“Frankly, I was horrified by life, at what a man had to do simply in order to eat, sleep, and keep himself clothed. So I stayed in bed and drank. When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn’t have you by the throat.”

–Charles Bukowski