Thanksgiving is a time to be thinking about what you are thankful for and spending time with your family. And as you may have guessed, I had the weekend planned for heading out to NH. But that changed with the need to reset some of our family’s priorities and take care of what was most important first. And for me, that meant a plan B that did not include traveling long distances to check out what’s new on the beer scene.
Thanksgiving was great (my sister-in-law Terry does a great job), and I got my fill of both ham and turkey once I got done being told where to sit. My brother –in-law Steve had a special bottle to split with me, Allagash Curieux Oak which is a lovely Belgian ale aged in casks (wine casks, I think). It was delicious, and so was all of the food. We had a good time together, and I was even able to check the football scores every once in awhile.
Friday, Jenn went with Mom and Dad down to Boston, so I had time to spend with the kids (my Black Friday shopping wrapped up ~3:45 AM). Jessica hung out with her Aunt Tina and Cousin Taylor (she is adorable!), while Jacob and I spent time at some of my favorite stops. The nachos at the Portsmouth Brewery were as tasty as ever and I was able to try an IPA brewed with Columbus hops on cask. I was even able to pick up a bottle of their Dunkel Gose (salt beer?) for sampling later (it was delicious). After a quick stop at Best Buy, we stopped by Redhook to see what they had to offer. They had their own Wee Heavy, and it went well with the brownie sundae that Jacob and I split. We had a good day, not the day we had originally planned, but still a good day.
Saturday we slept in (didn’t I say I was out shopping at 3:45 AM?), and made plans to drive over to the coast to Kennebunkport. We all love the coast; Jenn loves the water, dad loves the boats, Mom loves her lobsta, and I love my beer. So we headed over to Federal Jacks, home of Shipyard brewing, for lunch and I had a pastrami sandwich with their Taint Town Pale Ale on cask. The view was great and the company was even better. We headed over to the Bush’s place (no, George and Barbara did not invite us in) and drove along the rocky Maine coastline. It was a great way of spending time together (Jacob even took a break from his PSP).
I started this entry off talking about Thanksgiving, and this past weekend helped reinforce for me what is important. Family first, listening to each other and doing things that we all enjoy together. I’m thankful for my loving and caring wife, and my adventurous children. I appreciate that my kids can tell me just how they feel, even if it is not what I want to hear. I’m glad to spend quiet moments with my Nana, especially around the holidays. I’m glad that my parents and in-laws love and support my family in so many different ways. The kids love you guys. And I glad that I may be FINALLY getting the ability to go with the flow, even if outsiders don’t always see it that way. – 5670/10158
"A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her." - W.C. Fields
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