Whip It Good

Just a short post tonight before heading off to bed. Yesterday's bonfire was a great time. There was lots of yummy chili and I discovered that pumpkin flavored beer rocks (especially with pumpkin cupcakes). I have yet to try other brands, but I will make a shameless plug here for Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale.


Among the general awesomeness of the evening, my friend Clark brought his whip along with him and was demonstrating the techniques for cracking it. Here's a short video of him demonstrating.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A Great Weekend Ahead

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Today is going to be a great day. First, my brother Brian and his family are driving down from Delaware to spend a few hours with us. It will be nice to enjoy some food and fellowship with them. It is also good for Katrina to get a chance to spend some time with her cousins. Of course when family comes to visit, I pull out all the stops when it comes to food, and today is no exception. In a little while, I'll be firing up the grill and throwing on a couple of sirloin steaks. Once they're done, they'll get sliced thin and served on toasted Italian bread with homemade garlic butter (using real Irish butter as the base).

Tonight we're headed to see some friends and enjoy a bonfire, pumpkin cupcakes and some spiced wine. I've also picked up some Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery. I can't wait to crack open a bottle and enjoy it with a Cohiba cigar.

Now with the bonfire happening tonight, I wish the weather would turn a little cooler. Yesterday marked the first day of fall, but other than last week, the weather has not really felt like it. I'm ready for cooler temperatures and colored leaves. Fall has been and always will be my favorite time of year. I guess that comes from being an October baby. According to my mom, it was quite the cool, rainy day when I came into this world.

I hope everyone out there in intraweb land has a great weekend with whatever you decide to get into! 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 Listening to "Crack the Meter" by Jordan Rudess

New Family Addition

We decided last week that the time was right for us to get a dog. I've wanted one every since I left home for the Air Force, but with being single and moving around a lot it just wasn't an option. Even after getting married, it wouldn't have been fair to the dog with both Kristin and I working. To add to everything else, we didn't want to run the risk of renting a place that wouldn't allow a dog. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that we had to wait until we purchased our own home within the next couple of years. On a whim though, I had decided to e-mail my landlord last week and see what he might say about adding the dog. I offered to pay an extra pet deposit if he said yes. Not only did he say yes to us having a dog in the house, but he stated that he was not going to charge us an extra pet deposit.

With the opportunity now right, we decided to pay a visit to the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) to look for a pitty mix. At this point, I should backtrack a little. I've always loved all types of dogs. Growing up, we mainly had mutts we adopted from shelters or the occasional stray who just showed up. This past year though, I fell in love with Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes after my mom adopted one from a rescue.

My mom's dog Shiloh.

At BARCS, we waited for almost an hour before we could even look at dogs because they were severely short-staffed on volunteers that day. Soon enough though we were back browsing through all the animals. There were many animals that we would have loved to take home with us, but we narrowed them down to three we wanted to take for a walk. Of the three, one in particular stood out. This dog was Juicy. Not only was Juicy nice and calm when we first walked up to her kennel, but when we allowed Katrina to give her a treat, she sat there and gently took it. No snapping, no lunging forward. After getting lots of gentle doggy kisses from her and seeing how she just wanted to be close to a person, we decided that she was the dog for us. In short time she was ours and going by her new name, Layla. Now for those wondering, yes, I named her after the Derek and the Dominoes song. All I can say is that Layla is a sweetheart. She still has a little puppy left in her (the cats are having a hard time adjusting because of that), but when she's not active, she's the biggest snuggler in the world. She loves to lay on the couch or in bed with Kristin and I and is generally shadowing one or the other. All I can say is that I am so grateful we found her. She is such a welcome addition to the family.

Here are a few photos I took of Layla the other day.








That's my story and I'm sticking to it.