Today was just a weird day. It started off slow, just hanging out quietly, our day’s plans hinging on impending weather. Do we have baseball practice? Is there a chance to do some work in the yard?

And then I found out that a mentor and inspiration had been moved to hospice care. I was asked if I wanted to come and visit with her. My message for today is … never say no to that. I accepted the invitation and will always be grateful that I did. I went to visit Sharon, and while she was physically very week, she knew who I was. I took the opportunity to tell her how much she meant to me … how much I’ve learned from her. I shared stories and visited with her daughter. I probably overstayed my welcome, but it just felt right to be there. And then I found out that she passed away peacefully just a  few hours after I left. Had I declined the invitation or given an “I’ll try to get by next week”, I would have missed my opportunity.

What does this have to do with beer? In a weird way, I think they’re very closely related. Life is short … enjoy it. It’s kinda the whole point of this series in February. It’s about enjoying life and life’s moments while we can. I’m glad I said yes to the opportunity. And I’m glad that I choose new beers whenever I can. It’s a tiny way to experience more of what life has to offer.

As trivial as it sounds after all that …

  • Breakfast – nothing. The morning got away from me and I just never ate. Good on calories … not good on health.
  • Lunch – I got home from hospice later in the day, and so I had a PB&J and some chips. Not my worst decision ever.
  • Dinner – we went to Mellow Mushroom. But I was pretty smart. I split a meatball sub with my youngest and had a side salad with it.  A pretty solid day for me.

Beer

Pizza I didn’t eat in the background

So, I ordered a Creature Comforts Tropicalia on draft, because nothing else on the menu excited me. It’s a great fallback option, although it doesn’t really push the boundaries either. The funny part is, my beer was delivered, and I didn’t jump right into it immediately. The server came over, before I had any, and asked “Can you check? Is that Tropicalia or is it Bud Light?” Those two are as different as golf and curling. They’re both sports, but that’s where the similarities end.

So, yes, she had mistakenly given me a Bud Light (and I had thought that it looked very clear for a Trop when she first brought it), and I’m glad she warned me. Or yikes, it would have been a very bad shock to the system! A pretty solid little Saturday, albeit a very disjointed one.
Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington

You know the drill. If your kid is just going to a birthday party, you drop ’em off at the House O’ Fun and go on about your day for 2 hours. However, if you’re hosting said festival, you get to sit there with 1,100 screaming kids, noisy machines, and really bad pizza. So, I’m sitting there yesterday, watching the 8 years olds bowl … lots of bumpers in play … and they bring out the pizza for the minions. Everyone gets their share and starts going to town. I reach in for a slice of cheese pizza thinking, “How bad can this be?”

Granted, I’ve been to Italy and had what I would call the best pizza in the galaxy. So, admittedly, I’m somewhat biased. But this was cardboard with flavorless tomato sauce and a light dusting of cheese. Good news – no temptation to have more. Bad news, I’m flipping starving when the cupcakes come around. Almost like a dark cloud inside my silver lining. I caved on the cupcake. I mean … I’m human.

Breakfast – requisite granola bar. And a cinnamon roll. Birthday treats start early in the BGB household.
Lunch – miserable cheese pizza and a cupcake. At least I didn’t order a pitcher of beer!
Dinner – we went to another local wing/TV/beer joint. I got a grilled chicken wrap with a side salad. I failed when the kids both ordered tater tots and didn’t finish them. But I only had 6-8 of them. So, all in all not a terrible day.

Saturday’s Beer

What beers appeared for the #DrinkAndDropChallenge today? The WZ Tavern in Roswell has a relatively small beer list. but they usually bring the thunder with local beers on tap. This was no exception. I had two pints of Creature Comforts Koko Buni. If you haven’t had it yet this year, it’s outstanding.

Sounds like a Ferris Bueller quote … “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington

I work from home.
The pantry is 50 feet away.
It speaks to me.
I listen too often.

If you’ve been following along for the last week, you might be shocked and saddened to know that I actually am doing a better job of watching what I eat. Obviously, the bar has been set very low. So, I currently find myself in an interesting place. And I always get here when I start monitoring what I eat. If I go salad and baked fish at every meal, I’ll do great, and it’s do-able for a defined period of time. But it is NOT something that I can sustain as a lifestyle change. I know this about myself. Yes, I know to make better decisions in restaurants (and sometimes do), but going to the extreme is not a lifestyle I can live long-term. So, the interesting place is one where I’m eating less, adding to the cardio, but still eating crap-food from time to time. Not the best call, but I’ll be interested to see how this plays out over the course of the month. Enough of the rambling – what did I enjoy yesterday??

Breakfast – same ole, same ole
Lunch – leftover hotdogs (yes, that’s plural) from Sunday. I don’t think I’m doing this right.
Dinner – mostly AirFryer french fries. And maybe a little bit of chicken. I know that sounds ridiculous …

And my saving grace once again … tennis. Cardio is apparently good for you, or something. Nothing like 3 hours of running around like a lunatic to burn off 1000+ calories, right?

The beers I earned on the court …

To be a good and social teammate, it’s important to bond with your crew over a beer or four. Tonight, we went with …

Mike Pennington by Mike Pennington