So, this past weekend, my friend Jud and I packed up our tents, fishing poles, and wives and decided to make our virgin trip to the annual beer release day know as Dark Lord Day, and followed it up with a quick overnight camp.  I had been reading about DLD 2008 and the crazy lines and disappointed attendees that left empty-handed, but Jud and I managed to secure the ‘golden tickets’ that would ensure a successful trip.  At one point when we were standing in line and soaking up the intermittent sunshine, we began naming off the preparedness of the more seasoned folks around us.  My wife, who constantly reminds me of her amazingness, brought the conversation to a pause, saying, “well, I guess these are things we will need to keep in mind when we come back next year.”

Now, let me be perfectly straight here.  Jud and I had been plotting for months to come up with a way to ’sell’ attending DLD in the first place.  To hear the words, ‘when we come back next year’ come from my radiant wife, Jud and I instantly knew that we had hit paydirt.  Our wives were having fun and we had the green light to anticipate a return trip to Munster in 2010.

That being said, I think it is important to keep track of some lessons learned… something to reflect on in preparation of DLD ‘10.  Here goes…

- Bring some homebrew to share.  I’ve never seen so many people freely sharing beer with one another.  It was beautiful.

- Start a savings account for DLD ‘10 now.  

- Avoid the year-round brews that are being sold for $5.  There’s a reason there was no line.  Save your money (and your blood-alcohol level) for the one-of-a-kind brews that are being released throughout the day.  I think this might be my biggest regret of DLD ‘09.

- Bring cash and leave all debit/credit cards at home.  Spend what you have and be happy with it.  Looking at my checking account balance this morning was… not fun.

- Do not, under any circumstances, camp at Emerald Trails.

- If you do plan to camp after DLD, remember to plan for random 35 degree drops in temperature.

- Don’t forget to stop for ice.

- Go grocery shopping before DLD.  If there’s anything worse than grocery shopping hungry, it is grocery shopping while both hungry and under the influence of every beer you just drank at DLD.

- Do not buy the margarita flavored chips.

- If you are trying set up a tent after DLD, be patient.  Setting it up while completely sober is challenging.  You’ve just taken it to a new level of hard.

- Wear comfortable shoes.  If you haven’t worn the chacos in six months, don’t expect your feet to be happy after wearing them all day.

- Make up more songs while waiting in line.  Share the lyrics with people nearby and encourage them to sing along.

- Plan for the space needed in the car to bring back all of the beer that has been purchased.

- Bring snacks or plant a wife in the bbq line early.

- Bring a camera so you can get your picture with the guy dressed up as The Dude.

More to come…