New Year Resolutions

Everybody does it. Everybody forgets about it in three days. I'm posting my resoutions for 2009 here.

Mix up my posts.
I get in these ruts where every post is the same thing. My last ten or twelve posts are either beer-related or end-of-the-year record reviews. I have to mix it up to keep you all interested. The trouble is since the election has ended, I haven't wanted to post anything remotely political. There's got to be something else about which to write.

Take a break.
I've sort of run out of ideas lately. With the whirlwind of albums, shows, beer-tastings, presidential campaigns, etc. in the fall, I am left with very little motivation to blog. So, maybe I'll back off a little and take care of my family some more. They would like that.

Go to more shows.
Last year was promising with the number of shows I attended by September. It was even pretty amazing that I saw two shows since Lucia's birth, but then it stopped. Live music keeps me going me going. There are lots of shows coming up (Cursive with Bald Eagle, Foundry Field Recordings, Tapes 'n Tapes, some others I have already forgotten). I'll have to see if I can get out for any of them.

Stay ahead at work.
For those of you who don't know, I train teachers in using inquiry-based methods through technology. There's a lot of planning that goes on. The holiday afforded me some time to get a jump on some of my training sessions. Plus, I have jury duty this coming week and won't have time to get out to their schools. I may even get further ahead.

Keep my sports fanaticism in perspective.
I expected way too much out of Ohio State this year...and they still had a successful year. They won a share of the conference title for the the fourth straight year and made it to a BCS bowl. The same goes for the basketball team who is off to a fast start this season as well. I won't expect either to win national championships. Hopefully they will challenge for Big Ten titles and more games than they lose. That should be good enough.

I have to cut back on beer.
If you saw my beer stash right now, you'd wonder how I was going to accomplish such a resolution. I figure that after my sister leaves this weekend, I will limit myself to beer when there is entertaining or celebrating involved. No more of those beers just because I want to have one with dinner. Does anyone know how long barley wines and stouts can be stored?

Exercise more.
It's cliched, but I have to do it. I am more out of shape than I have ever been in my life. R bought me four sessions with a personal trainer mostly to get me to use our gym membership. It's been hard to find time to go, but now that Lucia's old enough to be left with the gym daycare, we should be able to go whenever we want.

See more movies.
I realize that many of these resolutions are sort of impossible with a little one around, but I don't care. I have to feel as though my life has not stopped. In actuality, I may never see all that many flicks this year. The thing is that if I state it as a priority, it may happen. We did fit in a showing of Milk last week and I plan to see Slumdog Millionaire this weekend. Movie wathing can happen. Besides, there's always Netflix, right?

Buy more vinyl.
I have recently gone through a stage of buying some of my favorite albums on vinyl via eBay. The only trouble with this is that I'm old enough that some of my favorite albums are rather expensive. The Afghan Whigs' Gentlemen has been just out of my reach several times. I'll keep trying though. I did win a pictodisc of Archers of Loaf's All Nations Airports and Pavement's Wowee Zowee. I've now started pre-ordering new albums on vinyl with the digital codes included.

The Beer I Drank Today: New Year's Edition

The beer I drank yesterday: Schlafly's No. 15

Style: American Dark Wheat Ale

Color: cloudy amber

Head/Lacing: slight head, not much lacing

Aroma: banana coriander

Flavor: This beer reminds me a lot of Boulebard's Wheat (which I used to wash down a couple of burgers at Booches earlier in the day), but the flavors are more intense. Great citrus-y tartness that's only hinted in the Boulevard, but comes home on No. 15.

Context: R bought me a cookbook which pairs dishes with various beers. Some of the recipes include beer as one of the ingredients. I chose to make the flourless souffle which called for a dark wheat ale. One of the best dark wheat ales - according to Beer Advocate - is Schlafly's No. 15. So, the choice was easy.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Certainly. Sometimes wheat ales get lost in all the other flavors one consumes, but No. 15 holds its own.


The beer I drank yesterday: Haandbryggeriet Dark Force

Style:Russian Imperial Stout

Color: black with a brown head

Head/Lacing: foamy, coffee-looking, little lace

Aroma: Chocolate City - I couldn't stop sniffing my glass long after the beer was consumed.

Flavor: It's chocolate and coffee with more malt than one usually gets from a RIS.

Context: We put together some fondue for New Year's Eve. I found that chocolate stouts go well with buttery cheeses and wanted to give this Euro-Russian Imperial Stout a shot.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Yes. I have gained a new appreciation for stouts this winter and this one did nothing to end that appreciation. There is certainly a roasted, chocolaty, coffee-like thing going on throughout craft stouts right now and I'm loving it.


The beer I drank today: Left Hand Snowbound Winter Ale

Style: Winter Warmer

Color: really dark, dark brown, almost black

Head/Lacing: sort of flat, not much head or lacing

Aroma: nutmeg

Flavor: nutmeg with hops, leaving a cola aftertaste

Context: My sister brought some great beers from Ohio. While those beers chilled, I broke open this winter warmer to get us started.

Would I recommend this beer to you? As a seasonal beer, it's fine, but I won't be looking for this beer a year from now. So, it depends.


The beer I drank today: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Style: Imperial IPA

Color: copper

Head/Lacing: decent head, sticky lacing all the way down

Aroma: hops, hops, and more hops

Flavor: a hoppy DIPA without the burning bitterness...Did I mention hops?

Context: My sister arrived with a bunch of beer from Ohio. I felt like the best way to reward her was to offer one of these bottles.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Uh, yeah. This is as good as it gets. I'm sure plenty has been written on just how good a DIPA this is, but man, it really is great.


The beer I drank today: Stone's Arrogant Bastard

Style: American Strong Ale

Color: dark, dark amber

Head/Lacing: moderate head; sticky, sticky lacing

Aroma: sweet, citrusy hops

Flavor: This is a lot like the oaked version, but it doesn't have the smokiness...leaving room for lots of hops.

Context: Mom brought me the oaked version. I liked it. My sister brought the original in a bomber and I like it the same. I thought it would go well with the individual pizzas we made for dinner. It did.

Would I recommend this beer to you? Yes. Yes. And yes.