Goodbye for Now

Just time to put up one last post before heading off to catch my plane to Minnesota.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I decided to have our last meal in New York before departing at my old favorite, Peter's Waterfront Ale House. And, of course, I had a couple of beers to wash down that meal. As I may have said, Peter's does have a mighty fine selection that they change fairly often so you can always find something new.

Peter's Selection


I started out with the Popering Hommel Ale to go with my salad.

Bar Man Popping a Popering


The Popering Hommel Ale is a Belgian Ale and is reasonably strong at 7.5%. It has a nice flowery, fresh hops nose to it and the hops do come through in the flavor; kind of subtle though. Certainly not like the hopped up IPAs that are out there now, although I like those too. This one has a nice maltiness to it and a bit of spiciness as well, pepper mostly. Quite good and certainly one to keep an eye out for.

I decided to go for something a bit meatier to go with my ribs and the Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout certainly filled the bill.

No Blues With Oskar Blues


I don't know how Peter's found this one, it is brewed by Oskar Blues Grill and Brew in Lyons, Colorado. They brew a number of beers and one day maybe I will take a trip to Lyons to try a few more because the Imperial Stout was unusually good. It is a seasonal beer and not available in bottles though so it might be hard to find.

It certainly stood up to the ribs though. Flavor it had in spades. Coffee came through heavily but you could also pick up hints of chocolate and malt. It is a bit thicker than your average stout as well. I doubt if you could dump down too many of these and at about 9.5% alcohol you probably wouldn't want to either. However, I would certainly go back and have it again. They will probably be out by the time I get back from Minnesota though.

If you have this beer with a ribs like I did or with a good piece of flavorful meat like a rib-eye you won't be disappointed. It is beers like these that could give wine a run for its money in restaurants. Quite frankly, I would much rather have this beer instead of the traditional red with a lot of manly meaty dishes.

And, might I add, the ribs were flavorful indeed. The Mysterious Chinese Woman and I started out with smoked chicken wings for an appetizer. They were excellent. Then we split a single order of ribs. There were enough ribs left over to take with us to eat on the plane. Let the peasants have their banana and yogurt or whatever they get served, we shall eat like royalty.

Overdue Brasserie

A few posts back I said I would tell you about the Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale that I had at a family get-together. And now I shall.

In New Jersey they have a bit more civilized approach to selling alcoholic beverages than they do in New York. In New York you buy your liquor in a liquor store. Liquor and wine and nothing else. No mixes, no beer, no snacks, no nothing. For beer you go to either a Deli, some of which have very good, if not huge, selections or you go to a beer distributor. In New Jersey the stores can sell everything, liquor, wine, beer, mixes, snacks, a bottle opener, you name it. As a result you can do one stop shopping and any decent liquor store will have a very large selection of beers. I picked up my Brasserie de Rocs Triple Imperiale at a one of these when buying the supplies needed to whip up a batch of chocolate martinis. Now, don't get on my case, my sister-in-law really likes them and I kind of like them too. I just don't think they should be called martinis. Chocolate drinkie-poos maybe. Put them in sippy-cups and give them to the kids. Makes for very mellow birthday parties.

Anyway, I picked up this beer because it had a really high rating on one of those obscure scales you have never heard of before (97 rating by the Mongolian Herdsmen at the 1999 international Yak Festival). But, as it turned out, this beer deserved its accolades.

Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale


And for the observant amongst you (no religious connotation) that is indeed my brother-in-law Jim displaying the bottle.

Now you would think a brewery with a name like Brasserie de Rocs that puts out a triple would be one of those old monastery based breweries that was started by Druids or something. It isn't. It was actually started in 1979. But it is located in a small Belgian village, Montignies-sur-Rocs. The brewery is also located close to the ruins of a 12th century abbey, Abbaye des Rocs, so all is good.

The Triple Imeriale is a strong, 10%, triple ale, quite dark, thick, and hearty. The beer is unfiltered and the third fermentation is in the bottle. This gives it a nice creamy head and pretty good carbonation. It has a heavy, almost burnt, malt flavor that is offset with a nice spicy hops touch. It is a very drinkable beer even in the summer. I would imagine that it would be great sitting on a lake in September or October. The high alcoholic content does come through with a bit of warmth in the tummy, but it probably won't slow you down while drinking it. Whether that is good or bad depends.

Bar Man And Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale


By the way, tomorrow I will be heading to Minnesota to spend some times with my friends up in International Falls and Ranier, both towns on the Canadian border, and my friends in Minneapolis. I may not have an opportunity to post again until I get back on the 28th so don't get concerned by my absence. Perhaps I will have some good stuff for your when I return. I think Sha Sha has re-opened so that will certainly be one place I will visit.

Interesting Coincidences

I enjoy walking around my neighborhood, sometimes a very extended neighborhood, in the mornings. Got to stay in shape in case I decide to do something really stupid again. Yesterday I was going to head up to, well, who knows, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook? So many neighborhood names, you never really know where you are. But please, no BoCoCa. A friend said he and a partner were going to be opening a new bar on 12th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues so I thought I would take a peek.

I headed up, again, hard to know what street because its name keeps changing, Adams, Boerum Place, Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard depending upon where you are. Now here is an interesting question, if you drive into Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge, how far can you keep driving before you have to turn, and what do you encounter? The answer to the first part is: Not far. In fact after about six blocks the multi-lane, let's call it Brooklyn Boulevard, with a divider and flowers intersects with Atlantic Avenue. At that point it narrows down to a one-way street that ends a few blocks later at a "T" intersection. At the "T" you find:

Vinnie's Ironworks


You have to admit, it is somehow quintessentially Brooklyn. Particularly with the Virgin Mary shrine perched on top.

Now, coincidence number one. As I am taking a picture of Vinnie's a car stops and the guy asks me if I know how to get to 4th Avenue. I guess because I was taking pictures he thought I was a local. I asked him where on 4th Avenue he wanted to go and he said, drum roll please, 12th Street. What are the odds someone would ask me how to get exactly where I was going. And it isn't like I was going to someplace significant like Borough Hall or something. Anyway, I gave him instructions that turned out to be wrong (unless he drove the wrong way down a one-way street).

After a fairly healthy hike I reached my destination and spotted what I hope was not the bar my friend was talking about, unless he was going really retro.

Commonwealth Bar


Actually, it looked like it might get interesting late at night. I think maybe the place being built next door might have been it though.

New Bar, Maybe


This is definitely going to be a bar because I looked inside and that was the one thing that was already in place. I think it will be a fairly nice place too. Might give Commonwealth a run for the money.

On the way home I passed over the Gowanus Canal and have to kvetch once again. In almost any other city in the world this waterway would have nice restaurants, probably a marina or two, hotels and maybe condos. It empties into the ocean so it would be perfect for yachts and sail boats too. But, in New York it is lined with cement factories, vacant lots, and who knows what else. And after twenty years of hearing how the canal is going to be cleaned up and the surrounding land developed, it is largely unchanged. The pace of change in New York can be pathetically slow sometimes.

Looking South


Looking North


Okay, coincidence number two. It was a pretty long walk and it was getting hot so I thought about stopping in to a Deli and buying a beer or two to have when I got home. For some reason I decided not to and patted myself on the back for showing such self-restraint. About fifteen minutes after I got home though I got a buzz from my doorman telling me to come downstairs and pick up my beer. You will never guess what was waiting for me.

10 Liters Of Heineken In Their New DraughtKeg


It even came with a nifty insulated backpack just big enough to carry one of them around. Perfect for my morning walks.

A Heineken To Go, Please


It came with a card so I called the number to find out why I got it. Apparently it was sent by the same guy who sent me the Heineken Light Beer when it was first being introduced, as a promotional item. I guess the fact that I also post about the stuff keeps me on his list and I am not complaining.

Each of these DraughtKegs holds 5 liters and, supposedly, once you cool it for a minimum of 10 hours it will keep the beer fresh for up to 30 days. Now this seems kind of neat until you figure that once you pop a 5 liter keg, what are the odds it would last for 30 days? Still, they look like they would be nice for a picnic or a Jets tailgate party, or my morning walk. I will try one of them out at the next Jets game to see how they work and will report back.

Oh yeah, I had to have the doorman explain to the Mysterious Chinese Woman that they really were free and that I hadn't ordered them. I can't understand why she didn't just trust me on this.

Red Rose and Wade

Last night I decided to take the Mysterious Chinese Woman out for dinner tonight and we decided to try a place we have passed by many times but never stopped in. It is the Red Rose at 315 Smith Street, not far from where I live.

Red Rose


Although Smith Street now has a reputation of being the restaurant row in Brooklyn, most of the restaurants are relatively new. Not Red Rose though, it has been in its current location for almost 25 years and is family owned. It is further south on Smith Street than many of the newer restaurants, more in the older brownstone Italian section, and it suits the neighborhood well. Son Santo now manages the place and acts as host, bartender, and generally nice guy. His parents were sitting at a front table keeping an eye on things and enjoying a dinner of their own with a friend.

I decided to have a beer at the bar and catch the end of "The Shining" which was playing on the television above the bar.

Beer at the Bar


They don't have a real big selection of beers but they did have Sierra Nevada, a great all-around thirst-quenching beer that I will never refuse. It has a nice amber coloring and is fairly full-bodied for its style. Decently hoppy with a nice nose to it.

The decor and the food here is old-style southern Italian style, and the portions are generous indeed. I ordered the Grouper but was told they were out and suggested the Tilapia instead. It was very good indeed. To their credit, they didn't try to palm the Tilapia off as Grouper, something that I have seen in less reputable places.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered the Veal Scallopini and she said it was very good as well. You certainly got generous portions so I will probably have the rest of her meal for lunch tomorrow.

Generous Portions of Delicious Food


I would certainly recommend this place if you want a taste of the old Brooklyn. Bring your appetite though and be prepared to have a good time.



On the way home I passed by Angry Wade's and had a free drink token that was burning a hole in my pocket.

Angry Wade's


Coincidently, Wade was in there having a beer and he joined me while I had mine.

Bar Man and Wade (not angry though)


For those of you who don't know the story, Wade presented me with tokens for 100 beers upon my completing my 1000 bar trek in 2005. I am slowly working my way through them.

I had a Blue Point Toasted Lager, made locally on Long Island. Another good all-around beer that is both thirst-quenching and flavorful. It had been perfectly poured by Vanessa, the busy and beautiful bartender.

Vanessa and Bar Man


Another nice night with a bunch of nice people here in Downtown Brooklyn.

Uber Pub Crawls

I thought those of you who enjoy this blog might want to visit here:

Now these guys know how to put together a pub crawl. I am truly envious. One of these days I am going to join them. When I do I will be sure to let you know about it. Maybe next year.

New Jersey Road Trip

Well, it really wasn't a road trip, exactly. Actually took a ferry from downtown Manhattan to The Heights in New Jersey for a family get-together. Our first stop though was a Clam Festival. Always a good time with really good clams with garlic in a butter sauce. After eating my fill I headed to the nearby VFW for a cold one.

I Can Taste The Beer Already


Those of you who regularly read my blog will remember that I have been here before. Last time I had a few beers inside but today I decided to try out their beer garden.

Beer Garden


Normally I don't expect much in the way of variety at a VFW Club. No offense, the prices can't be beat but Budweiser and Coors are usually as exotic as they get. They did have a lot of Corona though. They said one of their members actually bought it in Mexico and drove it back so they got a good price on it. The stand-out, however, and quite unexpected, was Pilsner Urquell.

Now Pilsner Urquell is a might fine beer indeed. Many will insist it is the best Pilsner beer in the world. Many people aren't sure just what a Pilsner beer is. Well, you can always count on The Bar Man to set the record straight. Well, not always. Sometimes I just make things up.

The term Pilsner has become a bit generic in that it is often used to refer to almost any lager. Lagers are a bottom fermented beer that is aged at cool temperatures. Most non-ales tend to be lagers. Ales, are top fermented and are often aged at warmer temperatures. A lot of beer terminology is used a bit loosely, even among professionals. People often associate pilsners with a lager that is a bit more carbonated than usual and perhaps a bit hoppier as well.

Strictly speaking, however, a Pilsner is a beer that comes from the Czech town of Pilsen. Think of it like Champagne. Many people call any white sparkling wine Champagne, but strictly speaking it can only come from the Champagne region of France. Pilsners are the Champagnes of lager, metaphorically speaking.

At any rate, in Czech Pilsner Urquell is called Plzensky Prazdroj. However, at the time it was created by Josef Groll in 1842, the town of Pilsen was part of the Austrian Empire and the official language was German. Pilsner Urguell translates, roughly, to "Pilsner from the original source."

Well, no matter, just let me say that Pilsner Urquell is a mighty fine beer of its style. If not the best, than certainly right up there. And on a hot day in a VFW Beer Garden, it was most welcome indeed.

Barman and his Plzensky Prazdroj


It is a very crisp refreshing beer that is a bit dry but with a bit of a floral nose and a spicy hoppiness to it. The after taste is dry with a touch of bitterness. But I mean that in a good way.

Later, at aforementioned family get-together, I had an interesting Belgian Ale, Brasserie Des Rocs Triple Imperiale. More on that next time though.

MySpace

Just thought I would let you know I have just joined MySpace so if you want to visit me there you can find me at:

Bar Man's MySpace

I am a complete rookie when it comes to using MySpace so if you have any helpful hints, please feel free to share them with me.

Also, MySpace will, in no way, replace this website, it will only serve to augment it. Think of it as the popcorn you eat with your beer. Or the shot of whiskey you toss down with it.

Ordinary Beer, Unusual Place

Well, in keeping with the theme of either an unusual drink or a drink in an unusual place I was undecided about what to do. I was hard torn between heading to The London Bar, owned by Gordon Ramsey of Reality TV fame, and having the $550 Bentley Sidecar or heading to Ruby's at Coney Island for a $4 beer. And, yes, you read it correctly, that was five hundred fifty dollars. Now granted, it is made with a mixture of Hennessey Ellipse, a seven-cognac blend with some of them dating back to the 1800s, Grand Marnier 150 and lemon juice. But then I thought, why not just pick up a bottle of that Ellipse for only $5,500 at the Park Avenue Liquor Store and make my own.

I love getting off the subway at Coney Island and being greeted by my old friend.

Old Friend and Bar Man


I didn't have far to go before I was at Ruby's, the lovely beach-side bar.

Ruby's


The lovely beach-side decor and the beautiful people patronizing Ruby's make you question whether or not you are worthy enough to enter.

Am I Worthy?


I decided that I was so I bellied up to the bar to see what was available. Not much.

Limited Options


But, I have to be honest, at a bar like Ruby's what they offered seemed perfect. In fact a Budweiser seemed to be in order. Yeah, I could have had a Sam Adams, but the Budweiser went better with my meal. And in this place I really don't mind the plastic glass. Actually, I think it improves the flavor of the beer.

Bar Man with his Buddie




There are several subtle differences in the above two pictures. See how many you can find and email your answer to me. The winner's name will be mentioned in one of my future blogs.

I chatted with the bartender a bit to find out what Ruby's future status might be. If you recall, last year I was told that this would be their last year. A lot of Coney Island is being bought up by Thor Realty which has big plans for redeveloping the area. Ruby's sits on a parcel of land that has been purchased and does not exactly fit in with what Thor has in mind.

However, New York's blessing and its curse, nothing ever happens quickly. Too many factions seem to have a say in everything and the delays can be interminable. In order for redevelopment to begin the area has to be rezoned and the last I heard city leaders are refusing to even meet with Thor until it drastically alters it plans. The big issue is whether time-shares and hotels should be allowed.

The bartender told me that now Ruby's will be open at least one more year and possibly two. This is good news indeed because Ruby's truly is a classic and its loss will be tragic.

My Information Source


Well, the theme of this post appears to have been a very ordinary beer in a most unusual place.

Until next time, keep your nose wet.

A Fresh Start, Kind Of

Sometimes you have to walk into a signpost to figure out where you are and where you are heading. Sometimes the idea is so simple you can only wonder about how you haven't put it all together before. Sometimes you have to wake up and have a bit of the hair of the dog to smell the breath of the dog upon you. Sometimes..., well, lets just leave it where it is.

Yesterday I decided to cook dinner, linguine in a clam sauce. I usually get this at Armando's, but I wanted to prepare it myself today. And also to give The Mysterious Chinese Woman a break from her kitchen duties. I also had vague memories of this dish prepared in a bit of a French style by the wife of a friend of mine when I spent a year toiling away in Hartford, Connecticut. Aside from clams and linguine, it also required a splash of Pernod. Bar Man, sadly, is partial to Pernod (and Ouzo). Well, to make a long story longer, during the cooking process much more Pernod went into me then into the dish I was preparing. And, by the way, it was delicious. Both the dish and the Pernod.

I prefer my Pernod in a small glass with a single ice cube.

Pernod My Way


Interestingly, I bought that glass for ten cents at a garage sale in International Falls, Minnesota. Even more interesting, it was donated by my friend Donna whose house I was staying at while on vacation. And I didn't even know it at the time. Well, I knew I was staying at her house, I didn't know it was her glass that I had bought. Life unfolds itself in mysterious ways.

Anyway, that was last night. This morning I woke up and felt the need for something other than coffee to get me going. Luckily, the Deli where I buy my morning paper has a nice selection of beers. I decided to buy a couple to freshen my palate and my outlook on the day. I chose, and for no particular reason, Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

As I sat staring at the tableau in front of me as I began to drink my morning beverage, a thought penetrated my somewhat fuzzy brain.

The Tableau


I will never go to another thousand bars in a year, have no intention of doing so. However, I most certainly will drink another thousand beers. In fact, on my way to buy the clams I stopped into one of my favorite local watering holes, Downtown Bar and Grill, and had a couple of mighty fine draft beers. One was Hennepin Saison Ale and the other, well, I don't really remember. And that is the shame. Not really being on a trek I had failed to take my camera or my note pad. And, quite frankly, I hadn't really thought about writing about what I had to drink. I don't write too often about places that I have already written about.

And then the Eureka moment. My new focus for this blog will be to write about the different beers and other drinks that I imbibe. Although I mention them peripherally in my posts, it has been more of an aside. I shall now dedicate myself and this blog to trying a wide variety of beers and drinks and writing about them.

Sure, I am covering ground that has been covered by others before, but I will do my best to provide you with the unique insights that only the Bar Man, sometimes half-in-the-bag, can bring you. And I will do my best to capture the circumstances under which the drinks were consumed. That is half the fun anyway. A Pabst Blue Ribbon consumed in the confines on one's home is a totally different experience than chugging it down with friends after a rousing game of dominoes, for example. Even it it is that Mexican Train version of dominoes that hardly anyone in my neighborhood plays. Real dominoes is serious business involving serious money with weapons within easy reach.

Serious Dominoes


Let me know what you think of this idea. The Mysterious Chinese Woman has already voiced her opinion, but it has been ignored.

By the way, I will have no comments on this morning's indulgence. I wasn't prepared and don't think I could give Samuel Adams Summer Ale a fair shake. It tasted a bit funky to me and I suspect that was due to the fur on my tongue because Samuel Adams usually turns out some pretty good stuff.

I feel like a newborn child about to embark upon his...

Who Knows

A Night Out With Friends

A couple of friends of mine, Frank and Kathy, came all the way to Brooklyn from Manhattan to have a few drinks and dinner. I don't know why I have no problem getting to Manhattan from here, but people seem to think if is difficult to get to Brooklyn from there. Only about half a dozen or more subway lines converge within walking distance of where I live. Hell, even the LIRR has a terminal within walking distance.

But, I digress. Maybe nobody in Manhattan really likes me that much.

We met up at O'Keefe's, a bar about two blocks from me and about two blocks from the subway.

O'Keefe's


I have written about this place before. It is convenient, opens early, and charges a reasonable price for their beer. It used to be a much seedier place when I first started going there, but then Downtown Brooklyn used to be a lot seedier too. The place still has its moments, but has a big contingency of Brooklyn Law School students on weekend nights. During the day it is a mixed crew of dedicated drinkers. It is a good place to pop into for a few.

I had a difficult time convincing the bartender to let me take her picture and then, after she finally consented, I managed to misplace her name.

Bashful (and anonymous) Bartender


I ordered up a beer, a Brooklyn IPA I think, but I wasn't taking notes and was mostly chatting with my friends.

Bar Man Beer and Frank


My friend Kathy and The Mysterious Chinese Woman preferred wine to beer.

Kathy and Mysterious Chinese Woman


We were going to take a bit of a walk around the neighborhood and then pick a restaurant to get dinner. I suggested we head up Smith Street to see what we could see.

We didn't get far before we came to Trout. Now this place has been around for awhile and is part of a bar complex that also includes Gravy and Pacifico. Somehow they are also all connected to the pizzaria next door to Gravy. They kind of occupy the whole extended corner of Smith and Pacific. All are kind of funky in a bit of a contrived way (except for the pizzaria, which is genuinely funky) but for some reason I have never been into Trout before. I figured this was as good a time as any to pop in.

Trout and The Crowd


It is designed to kind of have a fishing shack look to it and I guess it pulls it off if your fishing shack also doubles as a junk yard. Not a bad look.

Fishing Shack/Junk Yard Funk


The Mysterious Chinese Woman said it looked a bit like my apartment. I pointed out that in my apartment I had glasses made out of glass.

Bar Man, Beer, and Plastic


I think I had a Brooklyn Lager this time around. The place was okay, but I don't like to drink my beers out of plastic unless it is a necessity. It shouldn't be a necessity in a bar. I might give it one more shot to try out the food. I have eaten at Pacifico and the food was decent and the portions huge. I did have one bad experience there, however. It was on Cinco de Mayo, 2006 and you could check out the cause of my dissatisfaction if you are interested. Anyway, I bring this up because I ended eating at Bar Tabac that day. And that is where we went to eat tonight as well.

I have written about Bar Tabac numerous times so I won't go into it here. Suffice it to say that everyone enjoyed their meals. My hanger steak was great and of course the mussels that we shared were delicious, as always. I still maintain they are the best I have ever had in a restaurant.

No pictures though, everyone said they had had enough and we were to just sit down and have a dinner like normal people. I was flattered that they thought we could.

Beer Glass Testing

Some of you may know, by now, that my brother-in-law Jim is not exactly an innocent bystander in my traipse through degradation. Here is my first post upon the start of this downward spiral"

Saturday, January 01, 2005
The First Small Steps

Well today was the start of my 1,000 bar epic. It was a bit touch and go as to whether or not I would get off to any kind of a start today. Last night my wife and I went over to my mother-in-law's house for New Years Eve and spent the night. A sister-in-law and my brother-in-law were also there. Today two more sister-in-laws showed up along with another brother-in-law and three young neices. Prospects were bleak until late in the afternoon when we decided to make coffee to go with desert and realized we were out of milk. My brother-in-law, aware of my quest, suggested that we go out to buy some. On our trip we managed to stop at three bars in New Rochelle, New York.

Well, without even having the opportunity to take a nap, who shows up but the usually late, but this time early, Jim.

Hello, Am I Early


So, here we are. I have a refrigerator full of beer and Samuel Adams has sent me two of their newly designed glasses. Hmm, this is a tough call.

Free Glasses


Jim and I were not about to just dive into the hype of the new glasses. We had to test these glasses against our usual glassware.

Belgian Ale Glass


Stolen Beer Mug


But we soon got down to the serious tasting.

Quaffing With A Purpose


Having tried out the old style glasses we then tried the new and improved Sam Adams vehicles for beer delivery system.

Not Just Your Grandfather's Mug


They give you about half a dozen reasons why this mug is superior. Some of which are just poppycock. For example, they extol the "innovative" lip whereby the lip on the inside of the rim creates turbulence that releases the flavor and aroma as the beer enters the mouth. Well, all of my beer glasses have this, and I think it is just a by-product of how glasses are made.

The top-most rounded shape is supposed to collect the aroma of the beer, and this I tend to believe. But then, this is nothing new.

One of their claims, that the thinner walls and rounded shape maintains proper beer temperature longer is simply balderdash. How can less insulation maintain temperature better. Every beer delivery system that I owned seemed to keep the beer colder then these glasses. They get a failing grade on this one. Thinner glass means your beer gets warmer faster.

But, who lets beer sit around long enough to get warm anyway. They were kind of cool looking, and they were free.

Beer drinking always get a bit competitive at times. Please note the redness of my face has to do with my day in the sun at the Yankees game, not my straining to beat Jim at our arm-wrestling drinking competition.

And The Objective Is?


After an evening of testing we decided, we decided...Hell, I have no idea what we decided.

The Aftermath


The poor beleaguered Mysterious Chinese Woman moved through ashamed and abashed to downright horrified.

The Horror, The Horror


By the way, my brother-in-law Jim is an accomplished artist. Here is a piece of his that I have hanging on my wall.

A Piece Of Work


A very talented fellow who sets up stages and installs sound and lighting systems and got stoned just walking into Willie Nelson's bus to get his roadies to help with the heavy lifting. He brought me back a guitar pick when what I really wanted was a spittle coated roach right from Willie's lips. Ah, but I love him anyway. However, if he ever does any work for a Snoop Dogg concert...