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…

It wasn’t really a conscious decision.  I remember in high school my motivation heavily relied on the potential death that would come to me if my parents were to find out.  I don’t know why my fear was so high, but it made sure that I would stay sober all through high school.

Heading into college, the desire just wasn’t there.  My roommate drank, my girlfriend at the time drank, some of my best friends drank.  For me though, the desire just wasn’t there.  It probably didn’t hurt that pretty much every weekend during January of my freshman year, I saw one of my friends head to the hospital after drinking too much.

After I became an R.A., it was more important to me that I abstained.  Being an R.A. made the private college tuition affordable and losing my position would likely mean very tough decisions.  Plus, I heard too many of my fellow students complain about hypocritical underage R.A.’s that would drink on Friday night, then bust underage drinkers 24 hours later.

My first beer was a pint of Sam Adams in the Indianapolis airport.  I had just wrapped up a week-long leadership conference at I.U. and several of my new friends were going to celebrate at the airport as we went our separate ways.  The airport bar happened to have a special – buy a Sam Adams, get a free pint glass.  What better way to remember my first beer?

Now, almost 7 years later, beer is an incredibly beautiful part of life.  It is an art form that some of the most talented and creative brewers are trying to perfect.  The balance of grains, malt, and hops opens up everything from a simple piece of cheese to a five course meal.

So, I’m going to try to share my love in this and future posts.  There are tons of great resources out there if you are trying to find good beer, but I’m going to give my own insight.  First up, my own personal favorite: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

Two Hearted was the beer that opened my eyes to the beauty of hops and IPAs.  It quickly became the standard to which I compared all other IPAs.  I know Dogfish Head is supposed to be the best, but for me, Two Hearted has the balance that not only opens the bitterness of the hop, but also the floral sweetness.

I think my first Two Hearted was just a random grab on a trip to northern Michigan.  Before the Bell’s hiatus in Chicago, I had a few of their brews and really enjoyed each of them.  When I read the Two Hearted description and the line about it being the perfect brew for “Hemingway-esque” trips, it seemed to be the perfect brew for the weekend.  After opening my first bottle, my love affair with Bell’s and Two Hearted was cemented forever.

It is not a brew for everyone.  To those not familiar with hoppy beers, it will be a giant elbow drop to your taste buds.  You will make a bitter beer face and complain about the sharpness in each drink.  I will laugh at you as you choke it down and quickly turn to your mass-produced swill.  I will feel superior and give you a smug nod as you say, “I can’t drink this anymore – do you want it?”

Two Hearted is not a session beer or a chugging beer.  It doesn’t have “drinkability” – AKA: binge-ability.  It is a beer best enjoyed cold and is a great summer drink.  It somehow magically makes me better at horseshoes and cornhole.  If everybody drank Two Hearted, sadness as we know it would cease to exist.

Now, all we have to do is get Bell’s to bring Two Hearted back to Chicago…

The Worst of 2008 for Me:
10. Getting my complete lack of drumming ability exposed by Rock Band 2.
9. The extended “sick, but not really really sick” battle I waged in November.  Two weeks of congestion and exhaustion was pretty much a big crapper.
8. The Great Comcast Battle of 2008
7. The extended “remodeling” of the Red Lion that kept it closed all of 2008.
6. My catalytic converter getting stolen off of my Jeep.  That really sucked and continues to keep the Jeep in Sucktown.
5. The seats when we took Sarah’s parents to see Jersey Boys.  A bad view, uncomfortable angle, and they ripped my pants.
4. The complete unraveling of the Cleveland Indians and Browns.  Both ended up being such letdowns after 2007.
3. The incredibly long and unrelenting winter of 2008.  I don’t think we saw anything over 30 degrees until May.
2. Getting a parking boot.  Stupid on many levels, but man, finding my Jeep with a giant yellow parking boot after work was just about the worst feeling ever.
1. Sarah taking a softball to the knee.  It made life challenging for a while and kept her on the bench for the rest of the year.  Oh, and the pressing fear that she wouldn’t be able to walk normally for the rest of her life.

Honorable mention: Owing taxes, the new Indiana Jones movie, and paying $10 for lunch way too often.

And now… the Best of 2008 for Me:
10. Sarah allowing me get away with growing a beard for the last several weeks of the year.  I’m guessing her acceptance will be endless.  If not, Sarah making me shave my beard will be on my 2009 “worst of” list.
9. The Great Nebraska Trip of 08.  This trip has redefined the awesomeness of summer.
8. The Dark Knight in IMAX.  Mind = blown.
7. Getting a Costco membership.  I know that sounds lame, but trust me, it is.  Even so, it has turned out to be pretty dang awesome.
6. Pastor Daniel’s “sex series” and forum.  It’s been quite a while since a pastor has spoken words that hit me the way his series did a couple months ago.
5. The Wii… and Rock Band 2… and WiiFit… and taking my dad down in Wii Bowling.
4. Getting engaged.  From the ring to talking to Sarah’s dad to postponed proposals to finally getting the word to come out of my mouth, this was probably the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.
3. The Weber 22.5″ One-Touch Gold kettle grill that was provided by the guys from my “bachelor weekend.”  This may continue to be on my 2009 “best of” list.
2. Brewing my first batch of beer ever with Jud.  Hopefully it leads to continued brewing and eventually some stellar beer.
1. Well, it’s not that hard to guess what my number 1 might be.  Obviously, it was discovering there was a Sonic in Ohio just off of I-70 near Dayton.

Honorable mention: Discovering the tv show Mad Men, Iron Man or Wall-E, Microsoft replacing my Xbox 360 quickly and for free.

Ok, for real, there were two pretty monumental occurences that will make 2008 incredibly memorable.  Enough so that they deserve their own list.

So, here it is… the Greatest of the Great in 2008:
2. Hearing Wolf Blitzer say, “We are ready to declare that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States” while standing in Grant Park with my wife and some good friends.

and finally…
1. A month before election day, standing in front of a gazeebo somewhere in Michigan and wearing a nice suit, a beautiful woman for some reason agreed to spend the rest of her life with me.  That was pretty swell.

So that’s it.  2008 reduced to a couple of lists.  Disagree with any of it and I will have my friend Corey poke you in the eye.  He’s ready to do it too.

We did manage do make a big dent together this past weekend when we made a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond (B-3). We were planning on just gathering some information, but before we knew it we had a scanner in our hands and about a dozen employees started stalking us in the salt and pepper shaker aisle.

Did you know B-3 has an entire aisle dedicated to salt and pepper shakers? We’re talking up to $50 bucks for salt and pepper grinders.  If we get a $50 set of salt and pepper shakers, I hope they are magic.

Six hours, 4 bottles of water, 2 scanners, and a cutlery and cooking demonstration later, Sarah and I finished our first pass with over 200 items scanned into the system. It’s actually pretty exciting to think that some of the stuff could be ours. We’ve both been cooking on hand-me-down pots with dull knives, so I imagine these new pans and knives will release our inner-Top Chefs. And obviously the new vacuum cleaner will spark a renewed desire for cleanliness that I misplaced somewhere around my second or third week of college.  Obviously.

A few other things I learned within the aisles of B-3…

- B-3 apparently has items you can only buy if you are registering for a wedding… it’s like some secret club for engaged folks.  I may register for them just so I can rub it in my single friends’ faces.

- They had a CTA map shower curtain.  It was the single coolest thing I saw all day.

- Apparently after the half hour presentation and marketing points, picking a set of knives comes down to “which one feels better in your hand?”

-Note to any B-3 managers out there: beer.  Run with it.

Next on the list is Kohl’s… I think I’m taking a flask with me.

A serious relationship with a great girl who luckily doesn’t take me too seriously, my brother officially graduating from my alma mater, and a complete change in careers after almost two years at DePaul were probably the big three developments of 2007. While my brother’s graduation was expected, the other two were surprises to even me. Who knew a friendly dinner with a girl could turn into… well… something much bigger? I know she reads this blog and is going to tell me I’m a sappy nerd after reading this, but she’ll get over it. I’ve never been the quickest when it comes to reading signs of interest from the opposite sex, which I suppose could explain my struggles in sending appropriate signs as well. Sarah was no different. Our stories differ quite a bit, but suffice it to say, somewhere around early February I had a couple dates with the girl and realized she was interesting and laughed at my jokes. I was hooked.

Somewhere in the first half of 2007, I realized that my personal life wasn’t the only part of me that needed to stretch and grow. A conversation with the VP of my department at DePaul, where I was basically told the main reason I accepted the job and moved to Chicago was not really something he considered part of the long-term plan, had me casually glancing at the idealist.org job list. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in an interview process and accepting an offer to head back into the non-profit world. The first few months had me questioning my decision to leave the friendly confines of a role I understood to find myself overwhelmed and underqualified. Somehow things have worked out and the moments of feeling overwhelmed come less frequently, but I can say that the move was a smart one. I do miss my admissions family and the always-entertaining conversations with high schoolers, but there’s a lot of growth and potential that are keeping me on track in my current role.

As for my brother, well, it’s pretty cool to watch a younger sibling walk across the same stage I did four years earlier. There were a few new faces, but it was great to catch up with faculty and staff and feel confident that my brother’s education was in good hands. I still didn’t know the words to the alma mater, but to see the whole day in a new light and spend it with my family was a welcome trip back to the Hill. Now in his first year of teaching, it’s going to be great watching him develop and adjust to adulthood.

Other lessons from 2007:

• If Jud tells me something is potent… say, his egg nog… I will listen to the guy and cap myself somewhere around the 2-3 cups range;
• Also – if Jud is bbqing, I’m there;
• One more about Jud – the guy is a safe bet when crazy things happen, like car windows falling into the door frame;
• Managing a rec league team takes up way too much time and causes a lot of stress;
• Adjusting plans to see Over the Rhine’s Christmas concert is always a good idea;
• Speaking of concerts – when your favorite band is doing a farewell tour, it’s OK to put out of a few extra bucks to see them from decent seats… even if they appear emotionally drained;
• One more about concerts – taking the chance that Ryan Adams is going to have a good show is worth it;
• Driving a couple of hours out of my way to play golf with my dad and brother is never a bad idea;
• Never turn down a free ticket to a baseball game;
• When a car starts making any noises that aren’t normal, get it looked at sooner rather than later;
• Always appreciate someone who buys Bell’s for you;
• Michigan has a few redeeming qualities;
• People come and go, so make sure to enjoy having them around while you can;
• Bickering and complaining doesn’t accomplish much;
• My church family is full of surprises and apparently knows how to put on a good potluck;
• Watching so many friends take on adulthood is… kind of cool… and makes me think I might have a shot… someday;
• <sap alert> Roadtrips are a lot cooler with a girl who falls asleep on your shoulder</sap alert>;
• If you have the chance to take a long weekend and get out of the city, do it;
• Leaving the city reminds you how much you miss stars;
• The American Girl store is a creepy, creepy place;
• When friends are in Chicago, make time for them;
• Always appreciate people who contribute greatly to your life and make sure they know it while you can;
• and… some people in Chicago take kickball way too seriously.

That’s it for 2007… I’m guessing 2008 will have some pretty great highlights. Here’s hoping I can remember some of these lessons over the next year.

What’s your new hobby, Dave?

Good question!  No, I’m not going to start knitting… or crocheting… or quilting… more like lame-ing, lamer-ing, and lamest-ing.

I’m thinking of things that are much, much closer to me.  Beer and BBQ.

My friend Jud has some of the skills I envy the most.  He can take a nice pork shoulder and some basic ingredients and turn it into a mouth-watering basket of awesomeness.  He makes his own sauce.  He makes his own marinade.  He works a Weber grill with the skill of a surgeon.  He is… the greatest BBQ genius to ever wield tongs and an apron.

Jud, though, wants to break my heart and move to Boston… or his wife wants him to… or something like that.  What does that mean?  That Jud won’t be around to make me BBQ forever.  I need to learn.  Teach a man how to eat fish, or something like that.

What do I need?

• Weber grill of the 22.5″ variety
• A nice hinged grate to allow fresh coals to be dumped into grill
• A charcoal starter
• Friends willing to try my BBQ

Once I acquire the top 3 items from that list, I will assume the role of Jud’s BBQ padawan, beg him to teach me his ways, and most likely burn myself and create really crappy food.

The other potential hobby of the moment is homebrewing.  I like beer.  I like being at home.  It’s a win-win.  Apparently, homebrewing isn’t that hard if you don’t mind beer that tastes horrible.  In fact, I could probably try to make that tonight if I can find some hops.

But no, the rules of the universe say that if you want to make good beer, you have to invest in the right tools and ingredients, which once again means an initial investment I should probably save up for.

Or I could just go blow a paycheck on these two hobbies and live off of burnt BBQ and bad beer until next payday.

Stay tuned!  Bets will be taken on how many stomach-pumping trips to the ER I cause in the first few months of my new hobbies.  I believe the over/under is +10.

Usually about a week or two after major retailers begin displaying their pumpkins and ghoulish costumes for the Halloween holiday, a sinister mid-level corporate manager sends memos written in puppy blood on tusks of endangered elephants and walruses to store managers throughout the country to begin slowly clearing an entire aisle in the back of the store in anticipation of a shipment that will be arriving in a week. That shipment? A harmless set of towels emblazoned with a smiling snowman and a few boxes of clear decoration lights.

Then comes day two… a box full of snow globes depicting harmless “winter scenes” and whimsical children against a backdrop of the city skyline. A few older church-lady-esque shoppers are seen visibly shaking their heads as they walk by the mostly empty aisle with distinct shades of red and green backing the empty shelves.

It’s day three that really sets the world into a tizzy, though. Day three is when the heavens open up and reindeer, Santa, penguins, and all the Christmas schwag that had been collecting dust in warehouses for the past four months descends upon local Targets, Walgreens, WalMarts, Menards, Bass Pro Shops, PetSmarts, and Victoria’s Secrets. Someone hastily e-mails Bill O’Reilly to let him know of this calculating and sinister plot that has been unveiled in the middle of their trip to find a five gallon drum of mayonnaise and a pair of super-husky pants for their six year old at their local WalMart, and soon the media machine that is Fox News declares the war on Christmas has entered a new year and that God is angry.

It’s a liberal plot to roll Christmas and Thanksgiving into one big holiday with none of the religious thought! It’s the next step in destroying all Christian holiday observances! This is opening the US to a Hitler/Stalin/insert horrible dictator here!

Really, Bill? If big box retailers are creating such an atrocity by allowing customers to purchase Christmas decorations and Christmas-themed candy before Thanksgiving, why not pull your book from their shelves, cutting off their ability to make a profit on your words of wisdom and insight?

And Bill, if you thought about Christmas as much as a big box retail chain, perhaps it is your heart that would grow and your faith that would find new depth.

But it’s more than just Bill… it’s every day normal Christians that buy into just enough of the corporate Christmas, but become disgusted when others buy into it just a little bit more. They write letters to the editor of local newspapers decrying the row of plastic evergreens that are now available at your local Home Depot, never mentioning the fact that they bought their husband’s Christmas present in May when they found it on sale.

It’s a good thing there’s nothing else in the news to report and that the biggest and most important talking point is the evil, watered-down, crafted by Satan himself message of “Happy Holidays.”

Meanwhile, the message of Christmas… the hope and joy and redemption found in a Savior… is lost amongst petty squabbling by “christians” more worried by the way the city square depicts a menorah next to the manger than their own belief and observance of the day itself.

When you allow others (read: big box retailers looking for the highest profit possible and public officials putting together holiday displays to make everyone feel welcome) to shape your belief in and observance of Christmas, you have much larger issues than the jack-o-lantern/turkey/snowman display at your local Target.

Besides, if this means we get to enjoy Great Lakes Winter Ale a little earlier, is there really any harm?

The brief hiatus of brain strain also allows my thoughts to wander. As such, here’s a quick snapshot into what’s bouncing around…

The Chicago Polish Consulate moved into my office building and now there are people with Polish accents everywhere. Sometimes they speak to me in Polish with a very confused and lost tone to their voice. I feel bad and point them toward the consulate office, but who knows what they’re really looking for? Maybe they just want to know where the bathroom is? Maybe I should learn Polish. I had a really good grilled Polish sausage the other day. It had spicy brown mustard on it. Spicy brown mustard is my second favorite mustard after Cleveland Stadium Mustard. I’m going to be in Cleveland in August for Rachel’s wedding! Sarah is coming with me too! I wonder if we should drive or fly. My Jeep has a lot of miles and eats a lot of gas and has no air conditioning. I need to get the AC fixed. I need money to do that.

My office hallway smells like fried chicken right now. My grandma used to make really good fried chicken. I miss my grandma. She turned 80 on June 4th. I wonder if I will make it to 80… probably not if I keep eating fried chicken.

Sarah is a great girl and I’m lucky she puts up with me. I know a lot of people named Sarah. I guess the odds were in my favor that one of them would work out. Sarah is one of the few products of that waste of space state up north that seems to be somewhat tolerable. Bell’s is another. The rest of the list could fit on a small post-it. Chicago’s beer distributing dictatorship no longer distributes Bell’s in Chicago so I have to depend on Sarah’s mom to bring me Bell’s when she visits. Sarah’s mom and dad are on the list.

I still really want a dog.

Honestly, how did it take a company this long to tap into this product name potential? It’s really good stuff, and this is from a guy that doesn’t really like tea that much.

There’s a huge crane on a job site near my office. I’m guessing it’s probably about 15 stories high. After seeing recent news stories about cranes collapsing and wrecking balls careening down city streets, I’m a bit nervous. I think it’s being used to build a parking ramp. A parking ramp, really? That would be boring. Probably not cheap, either. Jerks.

That’s about it right now. Stay tuned for more random, useless, lame excuses for blog posts.