Brewed Beverage of Choice: Although March Madness is on, it is still early so I am enjoying a cup ‘o Stumptown java…the beer comes later
I am not sure where my mind has been lately considering I have forgotten about birthdays. Not just any birthdays, my brother’s, my father’s, my mother’s. Well let me rephrase. I have not forgotten about them, I have missed ‘em. And not really missed them, but living on the west coast, 2 hours ahead of all of ‘em, makes it difficult to call them when I get home from work at 7pm my time. No excuses though, my brain has been pathetic. My brother’s was Sunday followed closely by Jack Kerouac’s on Monday. I could not call the latter because he passed away, AND I could not call the former on his birthday because I was in a car travelling back from Seattle and a beer festival, not making it home until 10 pm my time. (Still…pathetic)
Technically though it was really only 9 pm, but thanks to our wonderful Congress and president daylight saving time came a month early this year. Two things I learned whilst in Seattle was that there is no ending s on saving. Who knew? The other thing I have learned about this crock of shite called daylight saving time is that by moving the date to the second Sunday in March from the second Sunday in April (or what ever it was) we have gone from being two weeks behind Europe to two weeks ahead of Europe. They move their clocks ahead by an hour on the last Sunday in March…or after the Spring Equinox. Well if we are going to do this stupid moving of clocks, could we not all do it at the same time? Personally, I would rather not do it at all. Is it really saving that much money? How about teaching your citizens about conservation instead of manipulating nature to “save energy.”
Saving energy was primarily what I was doing up in Seattle. Saving physical energy by going to two beer festivals and a Belgian bar where all the energy consumed was the energy of drinking beer. Thankfully the Washington Brewers Guild moved the Cask Ale Festival to the spring, so this time I could actually make it. But little did I know there was also a Barley Wine festival going on as well in West Seattle. (The weekend prior there was a Barley Wine and Big Beer Festival in Portland which was exquisite!) Plus in addition to these fine festivals, my friends and I made what appears to be an annual trip to Brouwers, a Belgian bar that serves some of the best beer and Mussels and Frites! It was a brewer’s dream…well if that brewer was a poor Confucianist who could not afford to go to Belgium and England.
So after consuming some of the best beers I have had in a great while with some of my dear friends who I do not get to see as much as I would like, I realized that in my beer stupor and in the daze of DST I had forgotten my brother’s birthday. I would say it was the brew’s fault but I cannot blame him. He has never hurt anyone. It was daylight saving time! That wanker has screwed up my brain with the utmost confusion and astonishment! Off with his head!
Prost!
the confucian brewer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOWEVER BELATED IT IS, TO MY MOM, DAD, BROTHER, AND ANY OF THE OTHERS I HAVE MISSED…I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY.