Not fun looking now or 50/60 years ago for me. Just a "same as it ever was" fuddy-duddy here.

HEY, since this is a pub, what are some favorite post ride brews. While in CA, I discovered Davy Brown Ale, nice robust dark ale. Black Butte Porter, anything Guinness and Negra Modela are some of my favorites.

I love Negra Modelo too. Regular Modelo is getting really popular hereabouts, but I've not tried that yet.

I've switched almost completely to traditional ales, preferably without any hops. Besides tasting great the switch seemed to have resolved a pesky health issue that almost made me give up beer completely.

A couplafew years ago I began experiencing severe joint aches and sinus headaches within an hour or two of drinking just a couple of my usual cheap beers -- Milwaukee's Best, Miller, even some decent Sam Adams and other brand lagers and pilsners.

It seemed to coincide with a worsening of a longtime bout with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. While I'm skeptical of all things woo and most "natural health" websites, I did a lot of reading of consumer oriented forums and found many other folks who reported similar ailments (ale-ments?). There were lots of theories but nothing definitive. The consensus seemed to be that maybe it's the hops, maybe it's the preservatives, mebbe-this, mebbe-that. But several folks reported the discomfort subsided when they switched to traditional ales.

I tried it several months ago. Seems to work for me. A couple of times I've switched back to drinking various lagers and pilsners after long breaks of months away from the stuff, and immediately experienced the same joint aches and sinus headaches. I'd like to believe I'm not susceptible to the placebo or reverse-placebo effect.

Anyway, my current favorites include Rahr "Iron Thistle" and Real Ale's "Devil's Backbone" (a Belgian tripel style). Both have a feel on the tongue like good strong but smooth coffee, only slightly sweet (less "sweet" tasting than Miller High Life), with a bit of caramel and fruit undertones. Very tasty with a good punch (both are 8%, I think). Rahr is local so I plan to visit their various open house samplers and try some more. Real Ale is in Texas too and so far I've found only three of their offerings locally: Devil's Backbone (my favorite so far), Lost Gold IPA (also pretty good), and Fireman's #4 blonde ale (meh, too lightweight, more like drinking club soda compared with the others).

Last night I tried Widmer's "O-mission" pale ale, which was surprisingly tasty. I wasn't expecting much because it's touted as "gluten free", which seems too faddish and I don't have celiac disease. But it was on sale and I was curious. Pretty good stuff, medium body, slightly caramel and fruity, smooth, not sweet or bitter. I'd buy it again just for the flavor, regardless of the marketing hype. And if you have friends who are into the "gluten free" thing, buy it for them so they won't turn their noses up at whatever else you have in the fridge.

BTW, these ales are all tastiest at temps in the mid-50s to 60s. Chilling too much mutes the complex flavors. So pour into a glass pre-warmed in hot tap water, or a thin glass that warms quickly in the hand. They're even good flat and at room temperature, but that's an acquired taste. Can't say the same for most lagers and pilsners, which taste nasty when not chilled.

Only problem? Ales seem extra gassy. I could rival a herd of cattle for methane induced global warming.

I'm hooked on a couple of local brews. Palmetto Amber from Palmetto Brewing, and Pluff Mudd Porter from Holy City. Time to visit them again and some of the other breweries to find more hot weather appropriate quaffables.

Local Buoy Brewery is canning and bottling their Cz style Pilsner .. Buoy Beer Company | Handcrafted with Pride in Astoria, Oregon

HEY, I see you are from Oregon. There is a beautiful woman who rides in our group. She also plays piano in the Symphony orchestra, very strong bike person. We ended one of our rides at a Brew Pub and were talking beers and wine. She was impressing everyone with her beer smarts. One of the guys asks where she learned all this.

She starts out, I grew up in Oregon Before she could continue the guys all threw there hands up exclaiming, that explains it! I never knew Oregon was this kinda famous!

I love that story.

1/2 the population of the state is in Portland, Eugene is the second largest City, PSU & U of O has a Music department in Both places.

Hit one of the new breweries over the weekend. I tried some interesting stuff. I'll go back and visit them again when it starts to cool off. I love stouts and these guys are apparntely not afraid of them, but I wasn't in a position to pour down any imperials on that trip. I tried a couple of Sasions and IPA's. I'll go back when I have more time.

Freehouse Brewery. Cool place.

Lately, I'm drinking Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron. Another favorite is Boulevard Brewing Company's The Sixth Glass.

That Palo Santo Marron is nothing short of spectacular. I just wish I could drink more of them, but I can be a bit of a light weight at times.

I recently read a book about the brewers art which I found to be more than a bit interesting. If spending time to aquire a solid grounding in home brewing, by spending the same amount of time studying physics I'd be a Nobel Laureate. Well maybe not. At present my favorite brew is Newcastle Brown Ale. Fairly low alcohol content but very delicious.

Made the fatal mistake of furniture shopping with Mrs. Mag on 2 consecutive days. Not a good plan. Not a good plan at all. I know better too, that's the sad part. I'm a veteran at this stuff and usually (I guess usually is the operative word here) choose my hills to die on very wisely. But not on this day.

By the end of day 2 I had popped off one to many times about how I fully understand that my opinion on decor, while asked for, is not really relevant, needed or considered in the final decision. I think the straw that broke the camels back may have been when I dozed off in some electronically controlled chair while she looked at the same dining room table for the 9th. time. Not one of my best moments.

I've already ridden once this morning, I'll most likely get in another short ride early this afternoon just so I can stay out of the way. It's going to take a day or two for the furniture issue to be brought up again, so it's probably best to just let her figure out on her own, which one of the 86 dining room sets she touched multiple times, is the one she wants.

I made it to year 43, just 9 days ago, by following 1 very important guideline.....her money is hers and my money is hers. Guess that's why she said I could spend 9G on a bike if I wanted too. Settled for 4.

Once again that great philosopher, Yogi Berra, is proven right with his observation that "Making predictions is tough - especially about the future".

Wouldn't life be so much easier if we had tomorrow's hind sight today.

I gotta tell you, that stuff you need to drink for a c-scope prep-well it not only tastes bad, its got a strange texture. The apple juice helps but still...

To me, it tastes like saltwater. :-p

No posts in 6 weeks, so here's one for the Pub.
They have transplanted hearts, lungs, faces, etc = so I want wings. Not those little RedBull wings.

Nobody in the Pub. George Th & I will take it, after all I'm old enough to be his Ol Grandad.


Hey, George - Went for a ride and Fall is starting here in great State of Western Washington.

Hey George, Seen anything nutty lately?


Not a hallucination!

Hey George -
Time to get outta the Pub and go ride your bicycle - with pleasant, like-minded folks.

Trying to buy a home in our new city. Annoying. We just had a condo deal fall through; back to square one. Ugh.

Whiskey, barkeep, and keep em coming.

Haven't been posting much at all in the last 6 weeks. Partially because of my biking slowing down and frankly I've been tired. The reason for both is the same. I've been helping a friend who farms.

Usually this is pretty easy work. Helping to move equipment or making parts runs. Lately, however, we've been walking soybean fields picking weeds. It's a tough way to spend time as the beans are, in many places, chest high and tangled. Additionally, the temps having been in the upper 80's and 90's with high humidity, after 3-5 hours of that jumping on the bike isn't on the to do list. Mostly I come home, shower up and hit the sofa for a bit before getting up and of putzing about.

On the up side, he buys lunch.