Beer Advent Day 11 - Rerun of Full Moon Pale Rye Ale

Today was the first repeat in my Advent.  I didn't bother taking a glass shot on this one but that tricky Purple label was unwrapped on Day 11.  You can read the original time I drank this as it was 5 days previous. 

Not much more to say on it.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 10 - Inversion IPA

Day 10 of the Advent proves that IPA is a huge component of the craft beer market.  This is another in a long line of good India Pale Ale's that Diana got for me.

I liked this IPA but it seems the reviewers are much more of a fan.  This gets a high B to a low A rating on a lot of beer sites.  It is another Oregon brewery called Deschutes Brewery. When I started this, I had no idea that Oregon was such a huge micro brew center but about a third of these beers originates from that area. 

The flavor on this one was a little bit much for my taste.  I feel like IPAs get a bit of an aftertaste and depending on the way this is brewed, it can be a turn off for me.  I doubt I will search this out.  If you like IPAs, give it a try but I can't say I would drink another one.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 9 - White Rascal Ale

I have been lazy but have been drinking my beers and taking my pics.  Day 9 of the Beer Advent is the Avery Brewing Company White Rascal White Ale.  Duncan opened this beer with his eyes.

When I poured this, I judged it first by the color, since it was a white beer and all.  The taste was slightly sweet and light. Overall I liked this a lot and plan to get more of it.  Even after days of other beers, this one keeps coming back as one I want to drink more. 

When it comes right down to it, unfiltered wheat is usually a favorite of mine.  I like the process that goes into swirling the bottle and getting every last bit of the wheat out of the bottle.  And the fruit that some people add to wheat beer to give it the citrus flavor is already part of the flavor of this brew.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 8 - Shiner Brewer's Pride Prickly Pear

We are back in the Shiner brewery for one of their Brewer's Pride batches for Day 8 of the Beer Advent.  Shiner does something extremely interesting and also frustrating in that it sells a Family Pack.  This is a pack of 6 of their beers, five of them that are on the market, as well as one Family Pack special that isn't sold outside of it.

So the Brewer's Pride selection running now is the Shiner Prickly Pear.  I loved this beer, which means I am screwed for ever getting it again.  Getting a hold of more than one of these is impossible without buying a Family Pack.

This is a delicious little beer that has a subtle flavor that is sweet without tasting like hard cider.  I can see this going well with dessert.  It wasn't bitter at all so there isn't going to be a flavor conflict and it is just sweet enough that I could drink a few of these without getting overly tired of it.

Damn you Shiner for teasing me like this.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 7 - Left Hand Brewing 400 Pound Monkey

So the weekends are more difficult for posting but that didn't mean I didn't drink this weekend.  Day 7 took us back to the Left Hand Brewing Company for their 400 Pound Monkey India Pale Ale. 

This was different.  It wasn't necessarily great but overall was a good IPA.  It has a good color to it that was more golden than some IPAs I have had.  It also had a small sweetness to it that made it good for sipping rather than gulping.

 

I am becoming a fan of the Left Hand Brewery and I am hoping Diana put more of these in the Advent.  

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 6 - Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale

We are already back to a Real Ale brew for day 6 of the Badvent calendar.  This time I got the Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale. I liked it but couldn't tell you the difference between a Rye or regular Pale Ale.  My guess is that one has rye in it but I don't know why that matters.

This may seem stupid but the label really bothers me on this beer.  All Real Ale brews use the same label but when I opened the wrapping on this one, my first thought was, "Crap, its grape flavored" and I can't seem to get past it.  It wasn't grape flavored but that bottle is just not right. 

 

All things being equal, I preferred the standard Pale Ale offering from Day 3 to this beer.  It was still tasty but not to the level of a regular Pale Ale.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 5 - Shiner Blonde

Last nights beer was a Vaughn household staple, Shiner Blonde.  My beer of choice is Shiner Bock but I am pretty friendly with the entire Shiner family of beers.  I am frequently seen with a Shiner Blonde when I want a Shiner with a bit less weight to it. 

I took this pic and then realized Hazel seemed to be really eying my beer.

That caused me to see if Duncan could be tricked into standing on it.

You can't go wrong with Shiner.  All of their beer is delicious and inexpensive and it is locally brewed in Texas so that makes it all the more special.  This beer has a clean flavor and makes very little indigestion when you drink a few too many, which I am known to do. 

Shiner has become fairly common in the last few years so drink some. 

That is all,
Newt

Beer Advent Day 4 - Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat

Day 4 of the Badvent, was Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat beer.  I love Boulevard beers and randomly get a hold of their sampler packs and am never disappointed.  I recently tried this beer a couple of weeks ago and was happy to see this label when I unwrapped Day 4.

I love wheat beer.  I like how it has a slight hint of citrus but don't think it necessary to include an orange in it.  That ruins the flavor for me.  But it is heavy so drinking more than 3 of these can really fill me up. 

The Boulevard websites states that "this easy drinking American-style wheat beer has become our most popular offering, and the best-selling craft beer in the Midwest."  From the taste of it and the other offerings I have had, I would say it is at least in the top two favorites that they brew. 

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 3 - Real Ale Rio Blanco Pale Ale

I played over an hour of Racquetball which means I went out for drinks afterward.  So coming home tonight after a couple of Miller Lites, I was pleasantly surprised with Day 3 of the Beer Advent.  I opened up a bottle of Real Ale Brewing Rio Blanco Pale Ale.

I have had this in the past and have actually visited the Real Ale Brewery in Blanco Texas.  The facility is pretty small but an awesome stop if you are in the Austin area.  This was my desert for the evening and was a very tasty nightcap after my dinner of Miller Lite and buffalo wings. 

Three days down on the Advent Calendar.  Two awesome new beers, and a familiar face is a good way to start the month.

That is all,

Newt

Beer Advent Day 2 - Milk Stout

So for Day 2 of the Beer Advent, I opened up a bottle of Left Hand Breweries Milk Stout.

It wasn't like any stout I have ever had.   And I think that is because it has Milk Sugar in it.  I have no idea what that is but it cut the burned flavoring most stouts have and the flavor was much better.  

The downside of this beer advent is that if I like a beer, i only have one.  I could see drinking two or three of these with a dessert as it worked well with something slightly sweet.

Another awesome beer I had never herd* of. 

That is all,

Newt

Get it? Herd because there is a cow on the label.  Genius.

Beer Advent Day 1 - Mirror Pond Pale Ale

I'm back Baby! Who knows for how long but enjoy it while you can.

In the time I have been away, I have had many things happen, one of which is that Diana and I decided to begin attending church.  I have never been religious and at times have denied the existence of a God of any kind so for me to actively pursue any type of religion is a major change in protocol.  I tell you all of this to witness to you the greatness that is Advent.  Oh, I mean Beer Advent.

If you are not familiar with the Advent calendar, it is that weird box you see for $1 at most stores and has little windows with candy in them.  You open one each day starting on December 1st and it leads up to the 24th, which is the last day of Advent.  Well, I read this awesome article and it had this amazing idea to do this with beer and I asked Diana to make me a Beer Advent calendar and she rocks and did.

Behold the greatness and mystery of my Beer Advent Calendar.  It is glorious. 

Advent started today so I unwrapped my first beer.  This ended up being a Mirror Pond Pale Ale brewed out of Bend, OR by the Deschutes Brewery.

I don't review beers for much more than, "Did I like the Taste?" and "Would I drink another?"  With that in mind my official opinion is Tastes Good and Yes I would.  I am hit or miss on Pale Ales but this one was crisp but didn't leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth.

I love my wife for many reasons but the fact that she would go to this much trouble just because I asked her to is very sweet and incredibly awesome of her.   I wonder what Day 2 will be.

That is all,
Newt

Walk down memory lane - the Towel Incident

There are times when a memory will just sneak up on you and jump to the front of your brain and today I reminisced over the Towel Incident.

I was 18, getting close to graduation, and had been dating a 15 year old for about 2 weeks.  Her name was Heidi and she and I were in the midst of a relationship that lasted about a month.  Maybe it was that I was older or maybe she was just aggressive but one evening we found ourselves in my room making out, with my parents nowhere to be seen.

I am not an idiot so for anyone reading this that thinks Statutory Rape, please know that wasn't an issue and I was keeping it that way.  But we were having a good time and it was slightly more illicit in the fact that I knew I shouldn't have had her at my house.  My parents probably didn't even know I was dating anyone, much less a 15 year old.

I estimate that we had been in my room about 30 minutes when I heard the front door open and I realized I was screwed.  My bedroom was at the end of the hall and the only exits were my door and my window.  The window was out of the question the second I heard not only my parents, but my aunt, sit down in the kitchen.  My bedroom window opened right next to the kitchen window so movement would have been noticed.  Alternately, to leave meant walking right next to the kitchen.  I was trapped.

I waited a few minutes before I decided to go out and say hello to everyone.  Due to my parents smoking habit, I was known to stay shut in my room with the door closed at all times so my absences wasn't questioned, even though my pick up outside told them I was home.  I exchanged pleasantries with everyone and racked my brain for a way to figure out how to get Heidi out of my room.  We couldn't wait them out as she had a curfew and my parents can sit for hours drinking, smoking and talking.  Then I remembered "The Towel".

I exclaimed to my aunt, "Aunt Mickey, did you see my graduation present?".  You see, a family friend of ours had a tradition to give any graduate a towel with their name embroidered on it.  It was a fairly large towel, around 5 feet long, and I had gotten mine a few weeks back.  She said, "No" and I said, "Well let me show it to you".  I ran back to my room and quickly explained the plan to Heidi.

I grabbed the towel, walked back out into the hallway, and held the towel up in the doorway of the kitchen.  The towel was just big enough that when I intentionally let it touch the floor, the doorway was completely obstructed.  Heidi took the opportunity to run past the door and to the front entry way.  I waited a moment, told them I had to go meet someone or some other excuse that I no longer recall, threw the towel in my room, and left the house, taking Heidi out the door with me.

Did my parents know what was happening?  I don't think so.  I haven't thought to ask them but I still have that towel and from time to time that whole situation comes back to me and makes me laugh.

That is all,

Newt

I went to Austin and all I got was this Awesome shirt...and a bunch of comics

Diana, Grace and I decided to go on a weekend trip to Austin this weekend, in part to go to STAPLE. It is a small press/independent media expo that features comic book and I was extremely interested in going to see a couple of my favorite creators, Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener.  They created Atomic Robo, which is one of the best comics out there. 

We drove in to Austin on Saturday and went straight to the center the show was being held at.  I wasn't expecting to spend a lot of time there, and after about an hour and a half, we were done.  I hit the Atomic Robo table first and cleaned up with a bunch of stuff.  A couple of trades, a free comic, some autographs, and this awesome sketch.

We then went walking around as there were a few books I wanted to pick up. I got,

and

and

not to mention I found this awesome print of Cookie Monster.

 

and I got this funny shirt.



Diana was happy that we didn't stay for hours and hours and I had a good time.  Gracie was a big hit once we got her out of the stroller.  She wouldn't stop gibber-jabbering and people were eating it up.  This was her first(of many) cons and it was a great way to get her started on them.  

That is all,

Newt

Tootles

So, as part of my weight loss challenge I have been spending time at the gym and Sunday, I may or may not have embarrassed myself.

I was 20 minutes into my elliptical use and I went to change the page on my Nook when suddenly I hear a very loud fart.  I looked around to see who it was and as I smelled it I realized it was ME!  It just slipped out, I swear. 

As I smelled what I had produced, my gaze slowly darted to my left and right.  A woman was standing two machines away from me and I couldn't tell if she heard it or not.  My eyes returned to my book and I made no recognition of what happened and prayed that I wasn't now looked at as the stinky guy on the elliptical machine.

That is all

Newt

Weight loss challenge

So, you know how I am fat?  Well, not for long bitches!  I went on a weight loss kick a while back before Grace was born and dropped about 20 lbs.  I have kept off about 15 of those but a while back my doctor told me I should really be in the 200 lb range.  Well, I always intended to get there but Grace takes up a lot of time, who knew? So, I slipped and stopped behaving myself and didn't visit that lovely gym I spend $30 a month to be a member of.

Well, it just so happens Erin moved back to town and is getting hitched and wants to lose some weight for her wedding, and maybe just in general.  So, I threw down a challenge. I am super competitive and bullheaded and decided if I was competing with someone, I would be more inclined to drop the pounds.  Last Monday we kicked off our Biggest Loser challenge to see who can be the thinnest.

We are weighing in every two weeks, calculating percentage lost, and the loser of that weigh in has to buy the winner something.  That part is kind of vague.  But it allows for the competition side of things to stay fresh, it allows us to be constantly in battle, and it allows for prizes.

So far, things have gone OK.  I visited the gym a few times and ate poorly instead of incredibly poorly.  I started counting calories again and made a few good decisions along the way.  However I also made some bad ones.

Here is my shame:

• 10 beers and a huge burger while in Houston
• Whataburger for breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday while in Houston
• Mexican food for lunch and dinner on Friday, with 7 beers in the evening
• An entire giant size box of Nerds on Saturday

So, will I win the upcoming weigh in? Who knows.  I am not sure what Erin has done but I hope for my sake she fails miserably, and I hope for her sake that she wins.

That is all,

Newt

Hey People, there's an order to things

Yesterday, I was chatting with a fellow blogger, Lola Lakely, and we were discussing many things, but one thing that came up was how hard it is to take care of something. Lola just got a puppy and I just had a baby and she was saying how it is a new experience to have something that relies on you. She immediately threw in, "We got a puppy, and not that it's the same thing but trying to figure out what she wants is hard."

And she is right.

Being a parent is hard. It is hard when you are a fur parent and it is harder when you are a full time parent. So, as we were chatting, I wrote down some rules for her to get tattooed on her arm as a sort of checklist. This is really a set of hard to figure out steps that people might want to know.

Step 1. Meet a mate. This is gender neutral and if you end up with a set of points or a set of holes, it makes no difference.
Step 2. Live together. This may go against some of your religious beliefs. If so, move step 4 between steps 1 and 2 but do not move past Step 4. You aren't ready yet.
Step 3. Get a Pet. Ever cared for another living thing? No. Well try it with an animal. Cats don't count. If you kill it, maybe you should think long and hard before procreating.
Step 4. Marry. Yes, I am throwing convention into the wind and actually suggesting you get married before you have a kid. And I have a great reason why.
Step 5 If you can do all that then you can have a kid

So, if you have done all of these steps you are probably pretty happy. There are exceptions to that rule because some people just don't work out but for the most part, I would stake money on this system. I haven't figured out how to market it yet but I am getting there.

Here is the logic behind my 5 step method.

You need a mate before you can move past step one.
Living together will teach you patience. Dating someone is not the same as living with them and even though they may have a tooth brush at your house, there are two people you are dating. One is the person you have over, and one is the person who is at home.

Pets teach responsibility and selflessness. You can't just run away for the weekend when you have a pet. Someone has to take care of them so they either go with you, causing you to be responsible even on vacation, or you pay someone to take them in which case you just got your first taste of daycare.

Marring teaches commitment. Sure, marriage teaches you all sorts of things, but by saying, "I Do" you are committing to something in a way you have never done before. I bought an extended warranty on a TV once that was 3 years. I have bought cars that I still drive. I even signed a 30 year note on a house, but at the end of the day a marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment and if you can keep it in your pants, it will be.

So, that brings us to kids. If you have patience, responsibility, selflessness and commitment, you can handle being a parent. It isn't an easy job, and some days you might wonder how you made it through another day, but it is worth every minute of it. As for why you should get married before you have a kid, having two people to raise a child is for the benefit of the child, but also for the people raising it. It is backup when you most need it and it is relief to know that if it gets to hard, someone is always there to support you.

That is all,
Newt

Disclaimer: I understand their are single parents out there. Their job is twice as hard and I would bet that most would all agree with my rules. Choosing to be a single parent is like painting a house. One person can do it, but it is a lot easier if you have help.

Selfishness, also known as Solitude

I spent the entire day yesterday just for myself and it was amazing. This might be called selfish, or lazy but it matters not to me. I woke up to help Diana get Gracie ready for her first day of daycare and then the rest of the day was mine.

I had yesterday off and I spent it thus:

I went and tried the new Spicy Chicken biscuit at Chick-Fil A and it was pretty good. I have a hard time getting my head around chicken for breakfast but it was still tasty. I would rather have had the spicy sandwich.

I came home and played 3 hours of 'Epic Mickey' which is a phenomenally addictive game. I purchased a bean bag chair for the occasion, and after awaiting Christmas Day to get the game, my ass made quite an indention in the chair.

I went and ate Rosa's Tacos for lunch and followed it up with a screening of 'Tangled' which was very good. Much more enjoyable than I thought it might be. The movie, not the tacos.

I came home and read "Turning Angel" by Greg Iles for about an hour.

I spent two more hours playing 'Epic Mickey'.

At four I went and received Gracie from daycare,

For eight hours I didn't have to be a parent, a husband, an employee, a homeowner, or a cook. I got to be Trinity "Lazy Ass" Vaughn and it made me feel like my old self. The same guy who stood in line in the cold for hours the day the Nintendo Wii came out; the same guy that used to go to midnight showings for movies; the same guy who had time to read an entire book in a day because his life was so unrestricted.

I entered back into my new life at four, and I was very happy to see my little girl. I wouldn't trade my life for anything but it is nice to be able to step out of it for a while to appreciate where I have been. Sometimes it feels like life is on the path of who we are becoming and we don't get enough of a chance to remember where who we used to be.

That is all,

Newt

Things an old man wants for Christmas

1. Battery Organizer - "There are batteries everywhere. I just want something where I can put all my batteries." - Newt the Wonder Frog

2. Flyswatter - "This may seem lame but I want a flyswatter. Just a plain old plastic swatter." - Newt the Wonder Frog

I am an old man. I want gifts for Christmas that are practical. How sad is that? More and more I just want to skip Christmas. I went and bought myself the battery organizer and my junk drawer has never looked better. All those batteries now have a home and I won't have to search through the drawer when one of Gracie's numerous battery draining toys goes dead.

Still no flyswatter but I figure it is perfect for a stocking so maybe I still have a chance.

That is all,

Newt

Did I shave my chest for this?

I may have made a grave error in judgement.

I was laying in bed last night while Diana was feeding the baby and decided that today was the day that I was going to shave my chest. Why? Hell if I know. I just did. I haven't looked down to see a hairless chest since before puberty and whenever I hold Gracie she has a tendency to grab fist fulls of my luscious sweater and pull on them. So I thought, "Why not?"

It took about 15 minutes in all and I was very surprised to see how incredibly pale I am. I am used to seeing dark hair all over so to look in the mirror and see a nice yellowish pink is shocking. I didn't tell Diana what I did and waited until she was getting ready for bed and walked in. She looked at me and instantly did a double take and exclaimed, "You are so pale."

I sit here today with regret as I feel the gristly sensation of my shirt rubbing against my stubble. I didn't use a razor to shave, just my beard trimmer, so it isn't smooth at all. I am afraid to hold Grace without a shirt on for fear she will either latch to my man-boob or get razor burn from my skin. I was going to post a picture of what I now look like but it might be looked at as pornographic since I resemble a naked fat chick from the waist up.

Also, there were apparently some stretch marks that I was unaware of that the hair has been hiding and I don't want those out there for the world to see.

That is all,

Newt

My Fresh Prince remake

This is a story all about how
my life got flipped, turned upside down
so I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there
to tell you how I became the dad of a little baby girl.
(musical interlude)

In West Texas oil land, born and raised
in the comic shops where I spent most of my days
Hanging out, reading and excelling in school
and then eating like crazy til I was real full

When I headed to Tech just to get me some smarts
went to a party where the drunk girls are
I got in one drinking game and my fate was shut
She said were making out tonight but not before I throw up
(musical interlude again)

I challenged her to date me and oh what a dear
her degree plan said Accounting and she had junk in the rear
If anything I could say that this girl was rare
so I thought, Dallas rocks and I made my home there(with her)

5 years later, I pulled up to the hospital just around 8
and I yelled at my wife, Shit were having a baby
Gracie came in the morning, kid was finally here
and since then she has been under our care.

That is all,

Newt