1. I blasted over the clear, bare Fourth of July Pass today and completed my two days in row travel package to Coeur d'Alene. Robin cut my hair at Supercuts. Robin lives in Pinehurst -- she also grew up there -- and she told me some pretty hairy stories about her winter commute to and from CdA over the years. Not only that, Robin gave me a good looking haircut and did it efficiently.
2. I then had a great time at Costco where I picked up a few things. I enjoy walking the aisles at Costco, especially if quite a few people are there. I enjoy smiling at people and imagining what they are going to do with the stuff in their carts. Today, I imagined Christmas parties, restaurants full of people being served (I think I saw a guy from Capone's buying stuff for their eateries), church dinners, and holiday celebrations in people's homes. My enjoyment was similar to driving in CdA. Yes, a lot of people were out, but they were just doing their different things, no nastiness, no crazy behavior, no real signs of impatience, and I liked being in the company of my fellow humans, on the road and in the store.
3. After I left Costco, Byrdman and I met at Paragon. I love Paragon, especially in the early afternoon. It's a quiet time. I yakked with the woman who owns the place about their beer. It was easy to have conversation with Byrdman and with a couple or three people sitting at the bar with us. Byrdman and I hadn't had a chance to discuss this year's awesome college basketball season in person yet, and we engaged in a comprehensive rundown of teams, players, and surprising games. We agreed that we don't know what to expect when January rolls around and teams enter into the teeth of conference play. I'd say we will simply expect the unexpected.
In the last year or two, Paragon began brewing their own beer and I hadn't been there since their tap list was almost exclusively brewed on site. They had one guest tap.
I decided to continue my efforts to SAVE THE PORTER and drank a pint of East Portal Porter. It was the mildest porter I've drunk in, well, in decades -- since 1979, the last time I drank Porter in England. East Portal Porter is an English style porter, with a thinner mouthfeel and less aggressive flavors. Its abv was also moderate and, if I'd been close to home, I could have imagined quaffing a bunch of these mild porters and had myself a real SAVE THE PORTER session.
I didn't do that because I love Paragon's English style IPA, the mild and biscuit-y Idabow IPA. I'd drunk a couple or three of these a while back at Outpost in CdA and was very happy that it's a regular offering at Paragon. I ordered a Pubburger and fries and enjoyed a pint and a half of Idabow and, to my dismay, decided I needed to end this awesome session with Byrdman.
I had a stop to make at Pilgrim's and I wanted to arrive home either before dark or not long after.
I succeeded.
No comments:
Post a Comment