So long San Diego

It was a great week, spent with great friends, eating great food and drinking great beer.

Our hotel was a shabby mess, and made for hours of laughter.

Medals and awards were won by great brewers, and not won by equal or better brewers (I think you know who I mean...).  But in the end, it was fun.

Next year NHC will be in Baltimore, and we will probably go and sneak in a DC trip to visit Charlie. 

Back to work and whatever that brings tomorrow...

Good god...

We are in an after party in Brett and Lynette's room.  Lots of SUPER drunk people who are now speaking really loudly and talking about politics.

Great...

I've given Chris the five minute warning.

Alas...

No medals for Chris this year, but so much truly wonderful comments by friends about what an amazing brewer he is.  And he is.  Comments like "there is no better Hefeweizen outside of Germany than Chris's."  Which I agree with.

And, two friends won medals!  Sean a bronze and Brett a gold...which turned into the Best in Show Cider!!!  Amaze-balls.

Good incentives for next year, and we spent so much time with wonderful friends.  Happy life.

PRAY FOR MEDALS!!!!!!!!!

OK, tonight is the National Homebrew Competition Banquet, and we'll find out which of Chris's beers and cider will get a medal.

So again...light those candles, send up prayers, vibes, energy, whatever.

Lots of our friends have beers in finals, so we'll be rooting for them too!

Uber

Uber at home just seems stupid, but Uber here is pretty slick.  Emily was in charge and we Ubered (is that a verb) all over town.  CHEAP.

See us below.

We then hung out all evening on Brett and Lynette's balcony drinking and listening to music.  Hall & Oates "Rich Girl" turned out to the sing-along ditty of the evening!  Who knew that Hall & Oates is a fan favorite over a 20 year age range.

Then Sean, Emily, Chris and Brett went to Club Night, and Lynette and I went on an ill-conceived and poorly executed liquor store run.  Then pizza at 10:30 (um...try not to do that - bad things happen to you) and then bed.

It was a super fun day with old friends and new ones that are pretty great.

Good Friday

Let's just say my "super excited" feelings about the Torture museum exhibit turned into pretty visceral sadness and nausea about 4 minutes in.  It was very well done, but so sad and horrifying.  They way we choose to treat one another in this human race is abominable...so let's move on from that.

Brett, Lynette, Emily and I then went to Neighborhood for beers and lunch.  WOW.  It was one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life.  And we watched a construction crew try to life a bundle of plywood boards that were 30 feet high...with a crane...up to the roof of a two story building.  Let's just say it was a good thing no one died.  We also got some free samples.  It was fab.

Friday...I can't believe we have two more whole days!

Last night at Pro-Night was fun, but I had literally - and I'm using that word correctly to describe my actions - one sample of Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin.  Then we sat down and I never moved again until like 11:00.

It was at that point it turned into a quest to get some food, and the restaurant's kitchen at the resort closed at 11:00, but you could order a pizza from the kitchen and they could deliver it to the restaurant.  Don't ask, it was so stupid.   So at 11:45 pm in the midst of too much cigarette smoke, I fled back to our room.

Win for the night was hanging out with a lot of Chris's beer peeps and getting to know them better.  I like them.  They are good eggs.

So today is going to be a super good day again.  Here is what we are doing:

• Breakfast with Chris, Brett and Lynette, Sean and Emily
• Museum of Man Torture Exhibit!  Sean seemed very concerned about this, and might I say frightened?  But I am super excited.
• The rest of the day is unknown...I'm guessing it will involve beer and amazing food?  Sean and Emily are freaky foodies, and Lynette and I might persuade everyone to go back to Extraordinary Desserts.  If it wasn't lame, I'd go back to Spike Africa's and get another lobsta roll.  YUM.
• Club Night at the conference

You'll remember Club Night at the conference, where all of the participating homebrew clubs serve their beer.  Many of you also remember that Chris was dressed as a gnome, along with all the other NB dudes.  I'm not sure what tonight's costume theme is, but I'm sure it will be good.

More to come later today - why can't life be 48 weeks of vacation and 4 weeks of work a year instead of the other way around.

NB Guys w/ Wil and Flat Farley

Here's me and Wil - nicest celebrity ever.

Thursday - Great Day w/ Lynette!!

Lynette and I took off for an adventure today.  We told Chris we were going to Tijuana.  He didn't believe me.

We took the train to the fab Hopping Pig again.  Good beers.  Solid.  Best part was hanging out with Lynette.  Love her.

We then went to Spike Africa's for lunch - great seafood!!  I didn't take a picture, but we split the blackened Mahi tacos and the lobster roll.  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-WHEEEEEEE!  Them was some good meals.  I forgot to take a picture.  But I did take a picture of our beer.  It looks like Blue Moon, and it tasted like Blue Moon, but it wasn't Blue Moon.   I don't know WTF it was, but it was just fine.

Then we went to Extraordinary Desserts.  THIS NAME DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE.  Holy balls.  I was so overwhelmed at the selection and how beautiful they are.  Here is a before and after picture of our dessert...and Lynette's iced tea.

OH!!! Stone Brewing

This beer was amazing at Stone.  I don't know what the hell it was, some kind of barley wine aged in Moscato, Oak, and Harry Potter Wizard barrels.

WTF.  But it was mad crazy good.

Wednesday Recap - Coolest. Day. Ever.

So Wednesday was a GREAT day.  Not only did we spend it with Lynette and Brett, but we got to have dinner with Wil Wheaton.  No lie.

Breakfast was at Richard Walker's Pancake House - amazing.  And ODDLY enough, I happen to have worked with the guy that is one of the owners.  Worked on an SAP project with him...Richard Walker Jr.  He wasn't there, but what are the odds?

We then hung out and had beers, stole a mini fridge from the storage room next door and put it in our room, then had late apps and beers.

Then, and this is the coolest part of the day - no offense Lynette and Brett...but we had dinner with Wil Wheaton!!

He's a home brewer, works with Northern Brewer, super lovely and nice guy (as is his wife), and here were the super fun things about the meal.

1. I shrewdly jockeyed for table position and was able to slyly secure Chris a seat next to Wil. Score one for Patty.
2. Wil recognized Chris - he had just watched the Brewing TV cider episode.  Super fun, Chris was happy.
3. Again...oddly...Wil and his wife know Chris's sister Amanda and her husband.  They are friends.  What are the odds!

Let me just reiterate - Wil Wheaton is a very lovely celebrity.  He's so down to earth, just really a dorky homebrewer like the rest of these guys, and really happy to take pictures with people that love him.   Score 1000 for Wil Wheaton.

GREAT Fucking Day

Lately I've had a lot of time to reflect on things (and worry about them if I'm honest)...what will happen with my job, what I want to DO for a job, what I want to do in life, what is the purpose for my life.  Those of you that know me well, know that these are the questions I am faced with in life - and talk to you about incessantly (thanks to  OCD).  So bear with me momentarily...

Let me tell you one thing that I KNOW after today:

- I have a really amazing life.
- I have a GREAT husband, who (despite the small things that tend to annoy me) is the best person I know. Mostly I think just for putting up with me most of the time, but because he is truly a good person - always willing to help people out, be nice to people, and make other people's lives easier.
- I have GREAT friends from home (B&L) that are here, that laugh with me and at me and laugh at all the things in between.  I apparently can ride in a car with them and five others, sitting bench style across them in the back seat of a Chrystler 200 driving on the freeway, and we can laugh like we are 19 again.
- I have GREAT friends that we went out to dinner with tonight (C&E) that make me laugh harder than most people can, and that are truly people that can make me light up and forget all that ails me...in just a few minutes.  They are the people that every three years can make it seem like it was just yesterday that you were working together, even tho it was 2003.

What I know is that I have a lighter load in life because of my husband, friends from home, and friends from afar that make it so I have a great life.  And the work questions just seem like a whole lot of bullshit that will work itself out.  And I knew that in my head, but after today, I know that in my heart.  At least until the next OCD episode hits me...

I  call that a great day.

And I forgot to take a fucking picture.

Société Brewing

With Chris, Brett, Lynette, Susan, Sara, Eric, Tom and Nancy.

God help me, I'm not sure what is going on.

Modern Times

I don't really know WTF just happened...

Round 2...

We like IPAs apparently...

- Russian River Blind Pig
- Société The Pupil IPA
- Société The Apprentice IPA
- Artifex See Ya Tomorrow IPA

PLINY!

At Toronado with Brett, Lynette, and Chris drinking four Pliny the Elders and right now we are all either looking at or are on our phones.  See?  Brett is on his phone.

Good times.

Tuesday Funday

It certainly was Monday Funday (coincidentally our 26th dating anniversary yesterday), but today will prove to be even better.

We just went for about an hour walk down by the Embarcadero, which was good given how much we ate and drank yesterday, and will plan on today.

B&L get in about 11:15 for the conference, and we are going to spend the day with them hitting a bunch of great bars!

Then we have dinner tonight with C&E - can't wait, it's been three years since we've seen them!

Good day.

El Indio & The Regal Beagle

Went to El Indio for dinner based on a recommendation from RP.  The Carne Asada tacos were awesome!!

And now I want to barf because I ate too much.

So what did we do?  Hit the Regal Beagle of course.  Come and knock on our door...we've been waiting for you...

(It's not that Regal Beagle but who cares.)

Beers consumed:
- Alesmith Summer Yulesmith IIPA (me)
- Société Widow Belgian Dark Ale (him)
- Artifex See Ya Tomorrow IIPA (him)

All yummy.

We were going to walk over to Acoustic Brewing but they close in 30 and we would have to walk under a freeway bridge to get there.  I didn't want to meet any trolls so we decided to go during the day.

Neighborhood

Had a Racer 5 and a Blind Pig.  And frickles and fries.  Deeeee-lish!!!!

Round 2...

That little guy is a Craftsman Aged Sour Saison.  So sour my right eyeball popped out a little bit.  Which I dig.

Onward next to Neighborhood.

The Hopping Pig

15 minute walk, felt good, even better now that we are at the Hopping Pig enjoying a Société The Apprentice IPA (him) and a Lost Abbey Red Barn Saison.

Needless to say...yummy.

Cluster

Landed after much turbulence amd almost having to use one of the airsick bags I swiped for AE (now AH), we got to the hotel, had to switch rooms because we were in a handicapped room and the bathroom door didn't latch, and now are in a good room. 

Now at first beer stop.  Blog entry forthcoming. 

First class, all the way

9:58 am and a Furious is tasty.  Just waiting for the plebs in coach to board and then we can take off!!  And drink more.

On our way to San Diego!

On our way to the airport.   My lovely nephew is giving us a ride.  Wow is he the greatest kid. 

Looking forward to a great vacation, decompression from work, good food and beer, and medals at the competition.

Light your Jesus candles, add it to your prayer list, send good energy, whatever works to send Chris winning vibes!

Back soon, likely from first class.