Wait Wait .....

For some reason the half pint on a walk round the neighbourhood recently statred stopping every 4 steps and saying "wait wait", he would then burst into hysterics at the way his parents actualy stopped walking and waiting for him. While it was very cute and all it was also a bit chilly and Mr Brewski had decided that not to wear a hat. Half pint was eventually picked up and carried before my ears fell off.

However he inadvertantly came up with my mantra for the next week it seems. Snow is being made that will provide some relief next weekend, but the big snow all went to our south where the godless masses don't even know what to do with it. Meanwhile we are left to rollerski in arctic temperatures. Mother Earth is a cruel mistress.

Actually I've thrown some catski ing into the mix this week. It's not the most fun, but it really gives an amazing work out. It puts your heart rate into 5 K race territory. A half hour on these things and you sweat even when it's totally baltic out.

Beer of the Blog: Considering the amount of time I spend preaching the greatness of fresh local US craft brews most of the beers I love are imports. The reason, US brewers are not yet using Brettanomyces. This little yeast an infection in most brews is deliberately used in the Flanders area of Belgian and gives a pleasnt sourness which in small doses balances the sweetnes most people asosciate with beer. The best example of a beer using this wonderous yeast I have found is Duchesse De Bougogne. I think this may currently be my absolute favoritist beer. The malty sweetness is perfctly balanced by just a hint of sourness and the charecteristc Brett. berry/vomit flavor.(yes it's true butyric acid, one of the flavor products of Brettanomyces is also that pungent smell in chunder). Fortunately knowing the way US craft brewers work it's only a moment of time before start to get a good US Brewed sour beer. In fact I think Goose Island made one called Matilda recently.

Maybe it's Time

Well it looks like winter is finally going to show up here. After doing my Traditional Thanksgiving ski in a tshirt this year it has finally cooled of enough to make snow. Yes that's right I've finally got to the stage where skiing 2.5 KM round a man made loop is all it takes to make me happy.

It did take years of disappointing snow fall, repressed homicidal tendancies towards all non-snow lovers, and the finding of a summer obsession that I love almost as much as skiing to get there but for now I'm ecstatic to know that for the next 3 months I will be able to leave my house drive 10 minutes and have garunteed good skiing(well snow at least), and compared to swimming 2000 metres in a 25 yard pool skiing 15 KM on 2.5 KM loop is almost refreshing.

Beer of the Blog: One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog was so I could keep track of any great beers I had tasted so I've decided tolist one with each posting. This one is an old favorite Ayinger Celebrator. Almost sickly sweet, malty and it packs the big alcohol taste I love in a beer. This is the classic German Doppelbock.I once had a friend who included an addiction to this beer alongside one for very potent mind altering substances. I spent the occasional night drinking this with him out on the mountains of Wyoming. They seem like happy times now, but spending time with him was basically like hanging out with a big sign on your back asking to be harrased by Park Rangers and being preached to about the genius of dinasaur rock bands from the 60/70's. Like all true evangelists he liked to preach his gospel of drug use to anyone nearbye and I'm sure there were a few aging RV'ers in the Tetons who had no idea why this guy was talking to them about wigs and fungi.

In the line of fire - Cycling in NW Wisconsin during hunting opener.

It seemed like the perfect solution, Mrs Brewski had to work all weekend, Half Pint wanted to visit Grannie's house, and I as always wanted to be outdoors playing, So of to Grannies it was, willing childcare allows me to ride, Half Pint gets to throw rocks in water and Mrs Brewski gets a weekend to herself.

I've been on a roll with Mountain Biking as of late and was looking forward to exploring more of the single track up in Birkie land. Then it occurred to me Deer opener, damn. But surely the roads are safe, right?

Err it appears that common wisdom is that this is not the case. My father in law persuaded me not to wear the brown windbreaker I like to wear in the fall. ( I was later informed that the motto of all hunters is "If it's brown it's going down", I guess this explains the lack of racial diversity in the hunting crowd)but bugger it, a weekend without exercise seemed like it would be wasting my god given time on earth so of I went for a quick 23 miler.

On stopping at the store for my traditional mid ride beverage I was given a hard time by the occupants for a distinct lack of orange clothing. After this I tried to stay out of the aero bars as much as possible working on the theory that my silhouette would be far less deer like, and every tim I passed a parked truck I would sing some bagpipe music out loud. I'm pretty sure that whatever a deer would sing to itself as it went down the road at 20 m.p.h. it's probably not pipe music.(I don't know I always imagined deer would like classic rock, I envision them as being huge fans of C.C.R. - I think it's because I think of them as dumb herdlike creatures)

Anyway suffice to say I made it back in one piece and will be much smarter next year when hunting season comes along.

A New Hope

Sorry I could only start my blog with a star wars reference, hopefully unlike the movies the first entry will not be the only one that doesn't absolutely blow. One thing that does blow indeed is my punctuation so hopefully noone that reads this will be too offended by my mashing of the english language, sorry I've always tried to do the exact opposite of what people tell me I have to do. Unfortunately I took this to heart when the laws of grammar were explained to me in English class all those years ago. So anyway with Triathlon season a distant blur, and no snow in the immediate forecast here are my hopes for the upcoming X country season.

1. That we get some cold weather in the next few days so Elm Creek, my local X country ski area can make snow. In fact like all snow lovers I hope this years weather is only a positive factor in the races.
2. That my 2 year old son, henceforth known as the half pint will play along with my plan to sneak him in to the Barnebirkie. I want the free cookies at the end. Off course there's always the chance they may be some form of Scandinavian salted fish cookie in which case I'm sure we can save them for cat.
3. That my racing curse is over. For some reason every second race I entered this year had some form of drama in it. For skiing this ranged from being given the race number of a 65 year old man in the Governors Cup. He got the better end of this deal. Finishing significantly better than the 4th last place I was credited with. Then of course there was the Birkie, To say my drama at this race was epic is an understatement. I'm sure I'll elaborate in the future, but lets just say the secret to adding 1 hour 45 minutes to your time involves a pair of skis, a set of car keys and a locked car. Triathlon season was no better, highlights there included entering a race with my first and last name mixed up. No wonder I couldn't find my race packet, and then there were numerous cases of stomach cramps, achilles tendonitis, and swim deficencies.

Off course like everyone else I also hope for World peace, the perfect Christmas present, and more time with the half pint and Mrs Brewski, (OK I forget is it Mrss or Mrs for a spouse, If only I'd paid attention in English class)

Oh and if someone were to invent a sports drink that tasted like a Belgian Sour Red that would be pretty cool also. I think that may be my number one hope.