1. Yesterday, once I knew that I was going to Spokane to play trivia at Rock City Bar and Grill, I decided I'd start my outing in Spokane Valley at Ya Ya Brewing Company, an establishment tucked nicely in an industrial area just off of the Pines Road exit on Montgomery Drive, across the parking lot from McVay Brothers Siding and Windows.
As I strolled in the front door, I saw a table of guys about my age enjoying a session together and a few other people were at other tables. A very friendly server greeted me and gave me plenty of time to examine the tap list and decide what beer I was in the mood for.
I ordered a medium sized pour of Ya Ya's 1603 Kolsch, a style that sits somewhere between a heavier ale and a lager. Pleasantly, my first sip surprised me. Ya Ya's Kolsch is brewed in such a way that its Perle hop gives it a pleasing taste of lemon. I don't have perfect recall of all the Kolsches I've ever drunk over the years, but at the moment I drank this delicious 1603, I couldn't recall a Kolsch with such a pleasing and forward lemon flavor.
In keeping with wanting to try Ya Ya's lighter beers, I then ordered their Dishman Hills Pilsner. Once again, to my delight, the Dishman Hills Pilsner was lemon-y and a little peppery. It was easy to drink and, like the Kolsch, refreshing. Both were perfect July afternoon hot weather beers.
Now I'm intrigued by Ya Ya. The Ya Ya tap list has solid variety (saison, IPA, stout, brown ale, and others) and my short session today assured me that I can count on their other beers being tasty. If Ya Ya weren't nearly sixty miles away, I'd be heading there regularly to try out more beers and enjoy the friendly service and inviting atmosphere.
2. While I was sipping my Dishman Hills Pilsner, Mary messaged me that when she called to reserve us a spot at Rock City Bar and Grill to play trivia, she learned they were already at capacity.
No trivia tonight.
Mary recommended a superb alternative: Luna, a relaxing cafe at Perry and 57th dedicated to supporting local businesses. Kathy, Mary, and I visited Luna back in December of 2019. It was the last time I ate raw oysters with bourbon. This week I'd been remembering that wonderful time we had a year and a half ago and it excited me when Mary suggested we meet there for some food and cocktails.
After just a few minutes at the bar, Mary and I were seated at a corner booth in the bar. I ordered a gin martini and crab cakes (both were delicious) and Mary and I had great time talking about all sorts of things: James Thurber, Jess Walter, our experiences with marriage and being apart from our spouses, the Class of 70-71 reunion, and a number of other things that I'll continue to ponder.
3. I'm trying to learn about how long I can leave Luna and Copper alone when I leave the house. When I was away in New York, Copper apparently was anxious about my absence and acted out by making messes outside the litter box. He didn't do this when I was away for two nights in Montana.
So, today, I left Kellogg around 2:30 and arrived back home around 8:00. When I left, both Luna and Copper were upstairs resting -- Luna on the futon, Copper underneath it. I left them fresh wet food in their bowls in the basement and fresh water upstairs. I scooped out the litter boxes.
I arrived home and Luna and Copper seemed relaxed. They were lounging in the living room. It was a relief. After all, I've initiated some disruption in Luna and Copper's life over the last week by moving their feeding area from the kitchen to the basement and doing the same with their litter boxes. They seem to be adapting to this change -- for example, I no longer need to carry either cat to the basement to eat -- and I'm very happy that they did just fine this afternoon and evening while I was gone.
I think the three of us are learning a bit more about each other daily.
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