Brews News, Post Vexation

Thankfully, my poor, violated Subaru is nearly rid of all fetid sputum and I am now prepared to recount the details of our day in Sewercuse and at the Empire State Brewing and Music Festival. We got into the city around 2 p.m. and had a late lunch at Blue Tusk, a pub and wine bar with 69 beers on draught (most served in 20 oz. imperial pints) and an eclectic menu with impressive cheese, meat, or vegetable and bread board appetizers. A definite destination for the casual beer drinker AND the connoisseur.

After lunch, we wandered around Armory Square and into Eureka Crafts, a long-time favorite of ours. This unique contemporary craft store is filled with amazing and peculiar ceramics, glass, jewelery, metal and wood from artisans across the country. Nearly every time we visit, we leave with a gift idea for some forth-coming occasion.

We meandered through a couple other shops and found an enormous dead bug before making our way over to the festival area.

The doors opened at 4:30 and pouring started shortly thereafter. A list of some of our favorites:

Jesse:

• Empire Brewing Company Cask-Conditioned IPA
  
• Middle Ages Brewing Company XIII
  

Lisa:

• Boulder Beer Company Sweaty Betty Blonde
• Rogue Dead Guy
• Rogue Mocha Porter
• Southern Tier Brewing Company HeavyWeizen

While Jesse was off sampling and sampling (and sampling some more), I got to hear some great music. Hot Day at the Zoo is a progressive 4-piece (guitar, mandolin, banjo and upright bass) string band from Lowell, MA. They were really high-energy and playful "zoo-grass."

Donna the Buffalo wrapped up the fun, albeit long, evening. DtB has been around for such a long time that they barely need any notes. They do awesome zydeco, bluegrass, country rock and folk jams; I love watching Tara Nevins on her accordion.


I collected Jesse and closely monitored his wobbly walk to the car. The rest has been scooped, scrubbed, vacuumed, scraped, sprayed away. Next time we're driving Jesse's car.

Mikus+Jesse+Lisa=A Great 8 Days Part 2

Thursday, July 3. I started the day with a job interview then returned to the apartment to collect J & M. Jesse took the day off and we were driving a little out of town to Chenango Valley State Park. Although its so close to us, we have never gone to check it out and I am glad we finally got around it. The park was really pretty and seemed fairly expansive. We got a trail map from the park office and chose the one that is about two miles long and takes you around the lake. There were a number of trails listed and they were all rated for difficulty. According to our map, the trail we chose was rated as difficult although the three of us breezed through it. The only difficulty about it was that it was somewhat rough with roots, rocks, logs and some wet spots. Basically, though, it was an easy 2 miles. There was some rain at the end so we didn't wrap up the afternoon with a swim.

After we left the park, we made a couple sundry stops before heading home. Dinner plans involved the charcoal grill and, since I had abandoned my "no lighter fluid. It tastes hideous!" standpoint, we went from cold charcoal to dinner in a snap. The omnis ate steak and Mikus ate another meal of tofu brats. We had a giant spinach salad on the side. I suggested an after dinner walk to kill some time before we went to Philip and Emily's for a visit. We had a brisk walk to the park across the street. At some point, the rain came and before we knew it, we were all soaked. I love a walk in the rain so I was perfectly content to splash about. We made it back to our place for a change and then relocated to Philip and Emily's for some Apples to Apples, my favoritest, favoritest game. Yay. What a good day. Mikus and my nighttime activity was Persepolis, one of my new favorite discoveries.
From IMDB:

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Statrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study for a better life. However, this change proves an equally difficult trial with the young woman finding herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs.

The movie is great. Mikus and I both liked it so much. Now you go watch it, too.

Friday, July 4. Jesse, Mikus, Philip, Emily, Tiffany and I loaded into the Godell van for a day of food and wine along Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. I'll report our stops in list form:

• Red Newt Cellars, one of my favorites.
  
• Hazlitt Vineyards 1852, another favorite of mine.
  
• Rasta Ranch Vineyards. I didn't like this place at all and I don't think I was alone. The wine was mediocre at best and there were so many dead bugs around. WTF?
  
• Penguin Bay Winery and Champagne House
  
• Wagner Vineyards, Brewery and Ginny Lee Restaurant for lunch. The boys and I tasted the brews while Emily and Tiffany wandered about the gift shop.
  
• Montezuma Winery
  
• Cobblestone Farm Winery

• Lake Shore Winery
• Thirsty Owl Wine Company

At this point, I think we were all getting pretty tired and restless. We were on our way into Ithaca and we stopped at the overlook at Taughannock Falls State Park.
Dinner was at Viva! Cantina. The food was delicious as always and we kept the booze coming. I was happy to bump into my dear friend, David. It was a long day for everyone, Mikus especially, who did all the driving. He was totally amazing and generous with his time and really patient with his van-full of winos. Mikus and I took another long late-night walk. We were cooped up all day and I know I was happy to get the exercise. The night was really cool and clear; a great night to watch the stars.

Saturday, July 5. The day started with some prep for our dinner picnic: vegan pesto pasta salad, cucumber salad, sandwiches, watermelon, chips and salsa, wine and beer. After packing the Subaru for the day's adventure, we began our trip to the Ithaca Farmer's Market at Steamboat Landing. I haven't been to the Market in years, unfortunately, but I have always had fond memories. I'm really at a point in my life where I am trying to make an effort to buy organic and local products and I love being surrounded by a community with the same ideas. We got there around noon so the early morning congestion had dissipated. We all had terrific food and got some produce to add to our picnic. We didn't stay for too long but it was really fun and relaxing. I know Jess and I will head back soon. We planned to spend the rest of the day at Taughannock Falls State Park. Jess and Mikus hiked the Rim Trail and I laid in the sun to finish my Douglas Coupland book. They were gone for a couple of hours. When they returned, it was nearing the time for Li'l Anne and Hot Cayenne to take the stage for the first of 8 weekly concerts in the park. From their website:

Take half a dozen groovemasters, add a spicy blend of rock 'n'roll, blues and funk to the up-tempo Zydeco beat, and presto, you've got a dance groove that just won't quit.

They were really talented and fun. I loved being in the sun, listening to music and watching the crowd enjoy themselves.

Sunday, July 6. When I got up, Mikus was all packed up and ready to leave. To go home. To stop staying with us. It was totally abrupt. I was going to make pancakes for breakfast and was formulating what I thought may have been his last dinner with us. We had loose plans for Sunday (The Farm Sanctuary and perhaps Watkins Glen State Park) and Monday (Filmore Glen State Park) and I was surprised by his impromptu change of plans. It made me sad that he was leaving. I feel like we had really great, playful adventures and spent many hours talking and laughing together and I was disappointed that he was leaving so quickly. I'm trying not to be upset about it his impetuous departure. I really like that he goes where the breeze takes him so I can't also be hurt by the same thing that I like about him.

I think his Mikus' visit was really good for me and I'm so happy he came. Our time together made me nostalgic for the days in high school and afterwards when I was surrounded by similarly spontaneous and impulsive people. I am left feeling energized. I am hoping to squish a couple adventures of my own into my precious few remaining days of unencumbered bliss.