My weekend weren't too bad

So...I was able to finish up my story on Friday in time to pick up Nora at school, get her home, and head down to the Grey Lodge for Friday the Firkinteenth. Wow. Things were moving fast! Out of 20 casks, begun at noon, there were only 7 still on, with three in the wings...and within five minutes of my arrival, two more kicked (including the Stoudt's Scrawny Dog, which I really wanted to try). Things went incredibly fast; the last cask looked to be kicking by 7, a new record, I think. Everyone kept telling me how great the beers I missed were; luckily, the Sly Fox Seamus was pretty damned good, beautifully conditioned. It was a great time...but I decided to haul back home. We cued up a DVD of Silverado I'd picked up at the grocery store for six bucks, and drank a couple Nugget Nectars.

Saturday was my birthday. Had coffee and the morning paper with Cathy, and after we settled Nora in with the dogs -- she wasn't feeling too well (pronounced "would rather be on Facebook") -- Cathy and I went out for lunch (Thomas is away at a forensics meet). We went to Earth Bread + Brewery, where I got an Ed Bear Stout (nice, drinkable, burnt grain bitter) and Cathy got a glass of wine. I finally got the Seed Flatbread, and it was as good as everyone's said, which I can't believe I'm saying. Get one. I had it with a glass of Schlenkerla Helles, and it was perfect.

After we were done, we walked down to McMenamin's for a beer, kind of for old time's sake -- we spent a...different kind of evening there on my birthday about ten years ago. Glass of ESA, and then off we went to Weaver's Way Co-op, because I wanted to see what the big deal was. It was not a big deal. The prices were okay, the selection was okay -- just okay -- and while some of the people in the store were very nice, there were some annoyingly impatient regulars who just didn't want anyone to get between them and their tofu because they had to have it right now! I was also kind of jarred by the big "Buy Local" sign and all the Mexican produce. Nice idea overall, but I'll pass.

We went home and hit the Newtown Farmer's Market, looking for an idea for a birthday dinner. We wound up with some great double-smoked bacon and hydroponic tomatoes and made BLTs (which rocked) on Le Bus bread (which we got at Weaver's Way), smoked salmon, some triple cream Delice de Bourgogne and Bucheron, and finished up with baklava. Then I gave Cathy her Valentine's Day present: a case of Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (she was very happy, and yeah, I do know how lucky that makes me). And we drank some and watched some of the first season of Buffy (got it for the kids for Christmas).

Sunday? I woke up feeling crappy, didn't sing, and spent the afternoon cleaning the house and playing with the dogs. Had some more Nugget Nectar with dinner -- "beefy soba noodles," which looked like something a Klingon would eat, but tasted pretty good -- and then read some.