The mates keep jumping in the pool

Mr. Chelsea has decided to join us in the cyber pool. His first post is about Christmas beer, I know it sounds weird, so you should go check it out, Here.

Cheers,

Nerding out in the Mountains

Last Sunday, while lazing around on the couch, the Mrs. and I were contemplating what to do with ourselves the following weekend. We talked about DC and that we'd like to go up to the mountains. As I flipped through the travel section a small article caught my eye. It was an announcement for a quilt block scavenger hunt rally up in Mitchell and Yancy counties. It was perfect. The premise is that there are 170 painted quilt blocks hanging on buildings as part of the NC quilt trail. You meet at a designated place and get a list of 12 of those blocks as well as a couple of other tasks to do, a quilt trail map of all 170 and some information about the area. You then have to find and document all of the blocks on your list in the shortest mileage; they check your odometer in when you arrive. You have from 10am to 5pm to finish or get as far as you can.

Knowing the event started at 9 am we drove up Friday after work. We took a little bit of a detour so I could finally check out the Pisgah Brewing tap room. It is a little hard to find, and as soon as we pulled up I had a flashback of pulling up to Duck-Rabbit and my heart sank. It is in a small industrial park that is not the most welcoming. Then I started to see a little life around back and we decided to check it out. As soon as you open the less than friendly front door you are greeted with the sounds of a lively crowd and a pumping sound system. It happened to be the one year anniversary of Micheal Jacksons death, so his greatest hits were washing over the crowd covering us in a nostalgic glow. We surveyed the choices and The Mrs. said "just pick something for me". I nearly fell over. She is trying very hard to enjoy beer but a glass to herself was a big step. I myself went for the Vortex II and got her a Hellbender barleywine. She was not in love with the Hellbender so I let her try the Vortex and did not get it back. The Vortex II is a Russian Imperial Stout that is sweet and surprisingly light on the tongue. The Hellbender is quite a bit sweeter than other barleywines I have had making it much easier to drink without the long aging that most of my bottles get. It too was lighter than expected making it a nice summer evening beer. I went back for one more before we left, I ordered the Doppelbock, not considering what I had just put my taste bud through and the whole thing was lost on me. I should have known better. Then it was on to our hotel, The Skyline Village Inn. It was nice enough, we got in a little late and I found the owner, Mike, as I was wondering around. He quickly checked me in and we had a chat. The lobby doubles as a beer and wine store. They also have a small restaurant that, thankfully, was still open. We dropped off our bags and took in the stunning view from our room. Then quickly made our way down to dinner. We sat on the patio and I ordered a chicken parmesan sandwich. I was a little surprised when it came out, it was not fried, It was chunks of seasoned and broiled chicken breast. It was very tasty. The onion rings more than made up for the chicken not being fried. To drink I had an Osker Blues pilsner, I am neither a huge Pils or Oskar fan, but it fit the meal just right. When we went to bed we found the bed itself to be less than comforting and neither of us had a particularly good sleep. So, we awoke on Saturday, feeling less then our best, but determined to enjoy ourselves. We got moving quickly after finding no sight of breakfast, or any signs of life at all. After loading up we headed toward the bustling metropolis of Spruce Pine, NC, in search of coffee. It too was devoid of humanity. I thought for sure by 8 am a tourist town would be getting it's day started, not so much. So we finally found the one local cafe that was open got coffee and a bagel and headed for our rendezvous point, a high school in Burnsville, NC. With only one turn around we found our way, and hoped that was not an omen of how our day would be. Obviously, we were the youngest people there. By a long shot. Actually, at the end of the day we met one other young couple. There were 25 cars entered and we were split into two groups that had different itineraries. Each group competed within itself. We had so much fun driving the twisting and turning back roads. Admittedly, it was more fun for me than The Mrs. Since we were judged on mileage and not time, we had the opportunity to take in the little towns and shops and food. Once we got our package we sat in the car planning our attack. And 45 mins. or so later we were on our way. First stop a block in the middle of nowhere, this would be the story of our day, then it was off to downtown Burnsville for a couple of blocks and lunch at the Garden Deli, where The Mrs. got a chicken salad sandwich and I had a delicious pit smoked ham and swiss sandwich on rye. But, the draw here is that the entire patio is under a giant tree canopy, it was lovely. While in town we also checked out the sundial quilt block. It's so weird it gets its own pamphlet. Then we set off into the wilds of western North Carolina. Up, Down, Left, Right, "Ohh God, don't hit that deer" Up, Down, Left, Right, "Aaahhhh, another deer". Up, Down, "OOOhhhh". Until we got back around to Spruce Pine. We really wanted a piece of buttermilk pie from a restaurant that we had seen that morning, but was closed. It was totally worth it. Homemade, gooey and delicious. We chatted with the locals and got a hint on some good coconut pie that we should check out next time we are in town. Back on the road with the up and down and so on. We hit an orchard that was having a hootenanny and picked up drinks. We also ran into a couple of fellow competitors and then made our way to the end point. We thought we had a shortcut, but as it happened, the roads did not actually intersect. It didn't cost us much but we thought we were so damn smart. The end point was a vacation community that was in the process of being built and when we got the information package when we arrived I was a little leery. Luckily, we did not get the sales spiel while we were there. As we were leaving they offered to show anyone around who would like. "No, Thanks". The food was really great BBQ from a local place called 'Bama Que. We got Pulled pork, ribs and half chicken as well as all the requisite sides. And, yes I had a little of everything. As the party winded down it was time to award prizes. We got second place in our group by one stinkin' mile. The not so short cut got it's revenge. But we did get a lovely piece of local pottery. With that, we decided to make our way home. On the way out of town we saw 'Bama Que, so we know where it is for next time my in-laws are in town. and then almost directly across the street was The Shepperd's Table, the place with the coconut pie. The Mrs. convinced me to turn around to get some pie. Sadly, they were out of the "magical" pie. They did, however have a homemade blackberry cobbler with fresh local blackberries. Warmed up, with some vanilla ice cream. Yeah, it was really good, and we'll be going back to check out the coconut pie, despite the jesus-y nature of the restaurant. Then it was back home to get a good night sleep. Sunday is "Pops in the Park" and our audition for the neighborhood supper club. Fingers crossed.

Babies are so cute, when they are someone else's

Kind of a crazy weekend around here. Friday we played a show at my neighborhood watering hole, Revolution Pizza. It was a good crowd, the weather was almost perfect and we played a pretty solid set. It was also the last show for friends of ours, Scentless Apprentices, a Nirvana cover band. We went first to make way for them to play everything they knew. It was so much fun to reminisce about high school. Saturday we ran around town running errands. While we were out we each got new bikes. It was supposed to be The Mrs. getting a new bike but when I saw the size of the bike they put her on I realized the bike I had was wholey inappropriately sized. And, to be honest, I was a little jealous. So, I am now the proud owner of a gigantic XL frame metro bike by Globe, an imprint of specialized. I am kind of amazed by how awesome a properly fitted bike is. Who knew?

On Sunday we had plans for Mr. and Mrs. Chelsea's baby shower. As most people know, I am not the child type. But, I put on a good face and took heart in knowing I would have back up there and the Brazil-CIV match would be on. It was a nice low key affair organized by Mr. Chelsea's sister and a friend of ours. When we arrived there was easily enough food to sustain a small village for a month or two. And plenty of beer and punch to wash it down with. We played some games, like, a relay race of changing diapers, boys against girls. Then we broke into groups. The men went upstairs to watch the match, drink, and mercilessly savage each other with verbal barbs. While the women watched Mrs. Chelsea open gifts and coo over it all. As I said I will not be having children, but seeing your friends as proud parents to be can't not make you happy. I'm sure it will change the dynamics within our group and the relationship between each of us. All we can do is be friends the best way we know how. Next weekend I hope will not have me contemplating such heavy subjects. The Mrs. and I are headed to the mountains for a scavenger hunt of sorts. Until then....

New kid on the blog

As anyone who has read this blog at least once knows, I have a friend identified as Mr. Whisk(e)y, and he has started his own blog about, what else, Whisk(e)y. I myself am not a huge fan but enjoy a good glass of Irish or the occasional top shelf Bourbon. I will be very interested to learn more and, hopefully, be a guest now and again. I like free drinks. Go Check it out. Here

Cheers

More Market Action, and Lang Van

The farmers market craze is really heating up in my fare city. Saturday was the grand opening of the Atherton Market in Southend. As the name would imply it is in the Atherton Mills, in the former trolley barn. The market was organized by moving the Tailgate Market from next to Common Market. They are currently open Saturdays and Tuesday evenings with plans to expand hours when demand dictates. We decided to ride our bikes over and see what the hubbub was about. It was buzzing with activity when we arrived. The space is fairly tight if it stays as busy as it was, but it was opening day, so we will see. We did a loop around and then went back around to do our shopping. I find this to be the best method at markets. This way you can prioritize and compare quality before you get caught up in the euphoria of fresh veggies. We did our part to spread the wealth picking up some peppers and peaches, pickles, potatoes, and tomatoes. I got a fresh root beer from Uncle Scott's a local producer in Mooresville. Then we got a round of Gorgonzola bread from Dukes and some sweet potato pasta from the Pasta Wench. As we were leaving a bluegrass band was just starting up. I tore into the bread as soon as we got home and discovered that it, with a thin layer of the Strawberry-Basil Jam The Mrs. made a couple of weeks ago, was my new favorite thing. And, on Sunday I made up a quick pan pasta sauce with the tomatoes, fresh garlic, herbs and some squash we had from last weeks CSA bag. Then threw in the ravioli and let it simmer. Thats good eatin'. Saturday afternoon was spent with friends watching the USA vs England world cup match. That evening was a friends birthday at the Charlotte institution known as Lang Van, a Vietnamese restaurant. I had never been but our friends are regulars, which was very handy, as the waitress would direct your order by making a face when something wasn't good that evening, or as we came to believe they did not have that evening. Either way, not being a great connoisseur of Vietnamese food I have no reference point. I got a beef and noodle dish that was quite good. I liked that it was very light with just a hint of a vinegar sauce. While the beef was a pounded cutlet cooked just right. The rest of the evening involved the "Sport" of UFC. I am not a fan, but what the hell. We were being manly and drinking beer. More often than not it's the company rather than the activity we enjoy.

Until next time,

Oh, the Bard

Last night was one that I look forward to every year. It was our night at Collaborative Arts Shakespeare on the green. It is a standing date we have had with the Whiskey's for three or four years now. This year the production is "Comedy of Errors" a tale of mistaken identities and identical twins. The idea is you get a picnic basket, blanket and friends; then drink heavily in public and enjoy the warm summer air and a few laughs. I believe we succeeded on all levels. We will start with the basket which was full to the brim with cheese and crackers, homemade pickled asparagus, a salad of spicy greens and a tomato-basil pie procured that morning from the newly opened Pickles Farmers market in NoDa. To drink we had a bottle of cava and one of pink prosecco; the green always calls for bubbles. We always plan to get there an hour early, this gives us time to get a good spot right up front as well as get most of our eating out of the way before the play starts. This year there was an opening act, The Charlotte Waites, a renaissance revival music group. As we watched them set up we realized we actually knew one of the members, an eccentric man named Don that we know through the gardening community. It was especially nice, for The Mrs. and I, to get to see a number of the instruments from the MIM in Brussels actually played. After a short intermission the play started and we quickly lost ourselves in iambic pentameter. This year was notable for two reasons, one, this was in my mind the best production they have done on the green, it was very well acted, and two, the new Duke Power building is complete and makes for an impressive and somewhat imposing addition to the skyline. It hovers over you and really gives the park a truly urban feel. Luckily, the weather held up as we have been having evening thunderstorms for the past two weeks. All that and it's free, but they do pass a hat and the suggested five dollars is the least anyone can do, but if money is tight, go enjoy it anyway, good attendance brings more sponsors so you're helping regardless. I highly recommend going out and enjoying an evening on the green. I also want to mention that we checked out The Icehouse on South Blvd Friday night. First impression was good, I'll do another visit and give a full review at another time.