Holding Steady in Birmingham, AL

So, I’m sitting on a couch that’s covered in pillows and blankets that were used this morning during the few hours of sleep I managed after 5am.  I think the weekend messed up my ability to sleep like a normal human being or maybe it just messed me up.

Either way, it’s over.  I’m now in Columbus, Ohio.  There’s an upcoming wedding.  I have little to say about it or Columbus or about anything in general, but there was the weekend, the weekend where Hector and I flew from Denver, CO to Birmingham, AL to see The Hold Steady.  Like we’re a couple of college kids. Like we don’t even remotely know how to act like adults.

Did anything amazing or life-altering happen?  Nope.  We pretty much just drank too much, saw a sweet show, and met some new friends.  So what’s the point?  I don’t know.  I’m really really tired and thought maybe I’d do a public service announcement kind of deal about Birmingham.  The announcement is real simple:  Birmingham is actually pretty cool.

Magic in the Air, the Brews, the Zoo

2010 Denver Brew at the Zoo.

Frankly, a long, overwritten blog post about last night is probably unnecessary; I took tons of photos and think the photos do the night much more justice.  But I’ll give a little summary, show the highlights.  Why not?  I need to do something while I nurse this hangover (a result of The Shoe, not this event).

Last night, Olive, Hector, and I went to the Denver Zoo for the 13^th Annual Brew at the Zoo.  It’s officially Denver Beer Fest week and there are tons of beer events (biggest being GABF), but Brew at the Zoo is probably my favorite.  Olive said, “Beer, ribs, and Elephants.  F#@*ing Awesome!”  My sentiments exactly.

Whoa, Lines

A perspective of the 1st Justice League of Street Food Bash

Over the past few weeks, I became overly excited for the Justice League of Street Food‘s first-ever Bash/Party/Pig-Out-Session.  I looked forward to delicious food, my favorite beer, hanging out with friends, and experiencing something new, something different.  Sadly, that’s not exactly what happened.

New in the Hood

Uptown Brothers.  2010-07-23.

It is Friday, happy hour.  We’re in the neighborhood at Uptown Brothers, at a booth.  I’m with Beulah Q and Randy J.  After ordering nachos, beers, making a pathetic attempt to describe Stone’s Smoked Porter, Randy J asks if this place is new.

Denver Beer Travels – Part 2 (Itineraries)

Beer lovers and beer bloggers from around the country will soon be on their way to Denver and/or Boulder for the Beer Bloggers Conference and the Great American Beer Festival. It’s my assumption they’ll want to check out the craft beer scene, do some tours, and drink great beer in general. Actually, I saw and responded to a tweet from Brewing Some Fun that posed the very question. It gave me the idea. So, here’s a guide to great beer places in the mile-high city.

First, a list of Places and why they’re mentionable and you should care. Second, a list of Itineraries for any given night. Each itinerary takes into account proximity as well as concerns for time of day and getting food in the gut. Without further delay, let’s get started.

Denver Beer Travels – Part 1 (Places)

Beer lovers and beer bloggers from around the country will soon be on their way to Denver and/or Boulder for the Beer Bloggers Conference and the Great American Beer Festival.  It’s my assumption they’ll want to check out the craft beer scene, do some tours, and drink great beer in general.  Actually, I saw and responded to a tweet from Brewing Some Fun that posed the very question.  It gave me the idea.  So, here’s a guide to great beer places in the mile-high city.

First, a list of Places and why they’re mentionable and you should care. Second, a list of Itineraries for any given night. Each itinerary takes into account proximity as well as concerns for time of day and getting food in the gut. Without further delay, let’s get started.

Winter Blues

2-20-2010:  A snow-filled road trip with friends.  Longmont, Colorado. Oskar Blues Brewery.

Re-printed with permission from BrewClick.com (My first ever beer blog seemed fit to republish now, in the summer, with the Beer Bloggers Conference looming and the knowledge that Oskar Blues will play a large role in the conference.)

Appreciation is forthcoming, spurred by a beer-soaked buzz. My friends will say, “This has been the best day ever.  Thank you so much.”  My skeptical reply, a raised eyebrow, will force them to add the obvious caveat:  “Well, for such crappy weather.”  They’re right.  Weather withstanding; it is going to be a solid day – fun, enlightening, a change of pace.  But the gratitude will be misdirected.  It’s not me they should thank, although I did organize this trip, but instead our ebullient, “rock-over-here” tour guide, Nate, at the 36,000 sq. ft. brewery in Longmont, CO – Oskar Blues Brewery – and Oskar Blues Brewery itself.

My Nimble Cities Idea

Slate is doing a contest of sorts, called Nimble Cities: Help Slate make transportation in and between cities more efficient, safe, and pleasant, by Tom Vanderbilt.  Check it out and submit your idea.

Here’s mine (don’t steal it!):

Sprawl and suburbs have become unavoidable and are a large part of the problem, because they add to the complexity of travel patterns, needed infrastructure, travel distances, and overall congestion.  Not everyone can move downtown in their respective city, but there’s no reason the suburbs can’t follow similar models of development:  walkable communities with local, small businesses, multi-use buildings, smaller houses, smaller yards, bike lanes, and public parks.  Municipalities should strive to create zoning laws that would lead to this sort of development.  All sorts of developers (residential, business, and commercial) should work together and not in their independent silos.  Incentives should be created to promote smarter development in the suburbs, not just large cities.  Space should be conserved whenever possible.  Ideally, this would all lead to less commuting, more local businesses, less need for travel by car, and stronger communities throughout the country.

Geek for Mobile Boarding

I rarely get excited by new technology, especially technology of the computer/internet persuasion.  Don’t get me wrong, I love science and innovation and the people behind the scenes smart enough to come up with all the badass new stuff that might make our lives easier, or more interesting.  But truthfully, unless some new breakthrough directly makes my life easier or more enjoyable, I tend to find new technology a bit of a yawn–take for instance gaming systems, Twitter, laser-light shows, and that Avatar movie.

However, some technology does directly affect my life and make it easier, and their discovery makes me a happy person.  Take today.  Today, I came upon something that truly excited me.

At Home In The Bay

Jupiter, Triple Rock, Rogue, Vesuvio, Toronado, Magnolia

Republished with permission from BrewClick.com

I breathe deep and look around; nothing’s changed, still alone in San Francisco.  Still at a bar.  Woe is me.  On night two in the city, of all the places I could be, of all the bars, tourist traps, and highfalutin restaurants, I’m back on the corner of Union & Powell at Rogue Ales Public House.

Not only is it my second night in the city, it’s the second night at this bar.  Oh, I tried to go elsewhere; I tried to expand my horizons.  But after walking to the wharf, to SFMOMA, to some seriously shady streets, I found myself wandering, looking for anywhere cool to rest.  What did I find?  The same 40+ taps, long wooden bar, and nice bartenders that actually took the time, again, to say, “Hey, how’s it going?”