beers

2012 was an epic year. Epic like an epic poem. And, for those of you not in a 10th grade English class right now, that means 2012 was lengthy and narrative (since I did blog about it), and was mostly concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation (well…. we may be stretching on that last part, but I’m pretty sure my post on the joy of drinking a Shower Beer was one of the more significant pieces of literature in our modern culture.) And, despite the fact that 2012 was jam-packed, it’s funny how it can be summed up with a lot less words than the 133 posts that my 2012 WordPress Report tells me I wrote (Jokes on you, WordPress! Here’s #134.)

So many drinks to choose from…

I drank a lot of beers. BUT I also branched out. A little bit. Mixology. Wine. And then wine again. Luckily, I mostly got that out of my system early in the year. Beers are still the key to my heart.

I ran my first race. It involved eating a vegan tako. So just call me a Dough(wo)man.

Yummy.

I went Pescatarian for Lent. It was surprisingly easy and, since then, The best part of that experience was that, after Lent was over, I never really went back to eating meat at every meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat it. But simply pulling it from the menu for a while led to no longer depending on it as the base for my food intake. I like that a lot.

I moved out of my North Carolina apartment. It was one of the most stressful days of my life. And, despite the fact that I was moving to a place I love more than anything, I was also moving away from my former home for seven years. I was leaving my friends who had become my family, and it was tough. I miss them like hell every day.

I fell in love. With a city. Namely, the City of Brotherly Love. I’ve never wanted to explore a place, soak it up, and breathe it in more (though sometimes this means breathing in some less than appealing aromas). I’m so happy to be where I am.

True true true

I also fell out of love. That was one of the hardest parts of the year. But guess what? Ending a long relationship, despite what you might feel at the time, isn’t the end of the world. It’s not even the end of the year. If you’ve gone through something similar, you know what I mean. If you are currently going through something similar, stay strong, find all those other things that make you happy, follow them with passion, and I’ll see you on the other side with a beer.

And, if you’re REALLY lucky, you already have a friend waiting (in Denver) with ALL THE BEERS… And a Great American Beer Festival. I firmly believe there is no better way to recover from heartbreak than surrounding yourself with great beers and the gorgeous bearded men that brew it.

Just what the doctor ordered!

I started (and finished!!) my first semester of grad school. And I think I killed it. We’ll see when the final grade trickles in… but it’s looking good.

I Live Socially now. It’s incredible.

I haven’t drank soda during 2012. I think one time I had an LIT with a splash of Coke, and once, when I was sick to the point of unable to move, I was nursed back to health with some ginger ale. I don’t think I’ve missed it. But, I’ll be honest, though I haven’t missed it, I think that I’ll ring in 2013 with a fountain soda. And some sort of sandwich from Wawa. And one of my best friends in the world who’s coming to Philly for a glorious fiesta. And, let’s be honest, if this year’s any indicator of what’s to come, I might need the extra boost of energy.

Bring it on.

If you’re reading this, thanks for being a part of my life.

Happy New Year, y’all.

Oh, it is love. Love of a day dedicated to love, and love of my friends, family, and studly boyf. Bust mostly just love.

I apologize if your day was made sadder by my Debbie Downer post yesterday. If you’re lucky, it really was the Most Depressing Valentine Story you read all day. If not, you need to stop reading such sad stories on Valentine’s Day, seriously! I tried to fill my day with productivity at work, listening to romantic songs or scenes from romantic movies, and a solid lady date. But, really, I just tried to jam pack as much of the good stuff in as possible. You know the stuff: Food, Sweat, and BEERS!!

Mission: Accomplished.

Food:

Greenery!

A sublime spinach salad with black beans, avocado, yellow pepper, salsa, and cheese. Perfect lunch.

Homemade tastes much better

I DELIGHTED my office-mates with my white chocolate-covered strawberries that I whipped up on Monday night. The strawberries tasted much juicier than the ones that I recently had from some caterer. Thus proving, yet again, that when something’s made with love, it’s gonna be dank.

Not'yo Nachos!

Spanky’s in Chapel Hill, the very first Chapel Hill restaurant I ever visited, delivered quality appetizers tonight for my lady-date with Melissa. The nachos were just the first course. The quesadilla was so delicious that I didn’t even bother snapping a shot before wolfing down my share. What a feast!!

Sweat:

Tonight’s Zumba class was a class of LOVE!

I got super sweaty, and my Garmin Connect even showered me with ~~hearts~~ my heart rate. All the songs played featured love (or being sexy and knowing it….) It was fantastic to get my sweat going. If that hadn’t gotten my heart pumping, though, I’m sure that the last aspect of the night would’ve…

Beers:

Rose beers!

Not only did we get to enjoy a cask of Rustic Plow Farmhouse Saison from newcomer Haw River Farmhouse Ales, featuring rose hips and hibiscus petals, BUT that little number in the bottom right (by my OTHER hand) was a pint of Foothills‘ infamous Sexual Chocolate.

As described by the brewer:

A cocoa infused Imperial Stout – Opaque black in color with a dark brown head. Big chocolate aroma with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, dark sweet toffee and dark fruit. Smooth dark chocolate backbone with complex notes of coffee, dark toffee and dark fruit.

SRM: 70
IBU: 85
ABV: 9.75%

Translation? Delicious! This beer, like almost all my favorite winter warmers and chocolate beers and stouts and whatever, got better the longer it sat out. If I ever ask you for chocolate in my life, I probably just mean a glass of this beer, served in a pint glass and let to rest for a little while. There was initially a sharp taste to it, almost like burned hot chocolate, but the longer I let it sit (and focused on my nachos), the more the taste smoothed out to a sweet, creamy chocolate taste.

Get this beer if you can.

All in all, considering my Valentine was over 400 miles away, it was an ideal Valentine’s Day. Hopefully, he thought so too, as I sent him a surprise pizza for his V-Day dinner. I hope you felt the love as well. And, if you’re like me, you wore your heart on your sleeve. Or maybe your chest.

to remove the giant black thing from my teeth)”]because I had a GIANT black thing in my teeth)”]Just make believe that I showed up to your door bearing love gifts. I’d be singing, too. I’d make a GREAT singing telegram.

What was the best food you ate or drink you sipped on during V-day?

Food, Sweat, and Beers

That's what this girl's made of…

So Two Thousand and Late

Food, Sweat, AND Beers! Solid Valentine’s Day.