Is it just me, or does that seem a bit strange?!

Yesterday was a long day. Got up at 4:30 to snowblow the drive way, which after two hours, was only about a third done. Ran back into the dark house (lost power some time around 2 AM) to grab some gym clothes and rally Nichole and got out the door. Planned to shower at the YMCA in New Gloucester. Unfortunately, no power there either. Next to the YMCA in Freeport. Oh, what's that, no power there either, cool! Drove thru Dunkin Donuts for a quick coffee and down to Portland to Planet Fitness. I worked out while Nichole got cleaned up and ready for work. I previously called out of work sick, as I had a ton of crap I needed to get done. Dropped Nichole off and headed back home to finish snowblowing.

Once home I could not get the snowblower to work. Good, was hoping that would happen. Engine ran fine, just couldn't get the auger to do a god damn thing. Sweet! Went inside and did some paperwork and filing in our newly arranged office. This was good, as it was out of control, but was limited as we were still without power. Around 1 I decided I should head to the YMCA in New Gloucester to double check to see if it was open yet so that I could get a shower in. Still no. Just as before, I next went to the Freeport YMCA to attempt showering. It was open, sweet! I checked in, grabbed a towel and headed to the locker room. Now, I'm not one to saunter around the locker room with my manhood just hanging around, if you know what I mean. I typically will head to the shower with my shorts on, clean up, then head out of the shower with my clean underoos on. That being said, I prepped myself for my trip to the shower, only to round the corner and see some old dude, cock out, standing in the open shower area. Fuck that, I instantly turned around and left.

Now I ask this, is that open shower concept normal, or am I strange?! I'm not big on cleaning my ass and balls in front of someone else, even if they are not paying attention. Is it that much more expensive to put up some shitty walls to give a person their own personal showering experience?! I'm just saying...

Want vs. need...

I found out recently that a good friend has sworn off drinking alcohol. I'm not sure how long he intends to do this for, or why he would even want to do this in the first place. I give him major credit, I'm not sure I could ever do the same. He is a much better person than I, as I would fail a day into it. However, this did get me thinking. Could I give up beer?! I mean, if I had to, could I really go without it?

I'm not sure I could to be honest with you. I wouldn't say it's because I am a functioning alcoholic, or dependent on booze. I just really enjoy the hell out of how it tastes. There is nothing better after a long day of work than a frosty cold Prelude in the winter. I'm not sure I could operate a grill properly in the summer without a perspiring tall can of PBR in my hand. I couldn't eat at GLB without getting my favorite Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.

My waistline would appreciate a break, but I say to hell with you waistline, booze and I are good friends and he is here to stay!

Ideas for fun in the sun, if and when it ever comes...

With summer slowly approaching, it is time to start making plans to do as much as possible outdoors while the weather is good. I've been searching all over New England to find some cool, out of the ordinary, fun things to do. Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury, VT is a must. Hampton Beach in NH is a fun, cheesy spot to see almost anything. Whitewater rafting down the Penobscot or Kennebec Rivers is more than fun, it's a right of passage. Heading down to Fenway Park in Boston never gets old, especially watching the Red Sox take on the hated Yankees (which we have tickets to btw!!). This year though, there is one thing I am looking forward to more than any of the previously mentioned activities...

The Clam Box in Ipswich Mass. I mean, come on, with a name like that, you have to at least check it out, right? They claim to have a less greasy clam and a less messy box. I mean, that sounds good, right?! A clean, ungreasy clam box sounds pretty appealing to me, and I don't even like seafood!

Could Punxsutawny Phil have been wrong?

The date, February 2nd, 2009

The place, Gobbler's Nob

Punxsutawny Phil sees his god damn shadow, which can only mean one thing... Six more weeks of winter!

However, looking outside it would appear as though Spring is already here. Actually going outside seems even more Spring-like, as snow is melting and temps are rising. It sort of reminds me of when you would first get Spring fever back in college and skip a couple of days worth of classes to do anything outside. Usually, for us, it was sports related, like playing some basketball on the outdoor courts or maybe going for a hike. Now, I'm not sure we are there yet, in fact, I would bet that we aren't, but here are some signs that we are getting closer...

Pitchers and catchers start today in Major League Baseball. I know it won't happen, but maybe this will take the conversation away from steroids, and get people talking about the actual game!

Maine High School basketball tournament is underway. This was always the first sign of Spring for me, as Bangor always had less snow than us County folk, so it at least seemed like Spring was on the way. I'm hoping to catch a few games this year, especially if the Fort Fairfield boys or girls advance. Both are well positioned for a long run this year!

The annual flow of water into our basement. We have, somewhere in the wall/chimney, a crack that allows just a small amount of water to pass through at a time. When we have a lot of rain or snow melt, we take on some water in the basement. This hasn't happened yet, but I feel like it is going to happen soon if this weather keeps up.

All this being said, we have snow forecasted for next Thursday through Saturday, never mind, Punxsutawny Phil was right!

I brew, do you drink?

As we inch closer to spring, I am getting the itch to brew up some new beer. I keep picturing sitting around a fire pit sipping some fine Back Cove Brewing Co. beers with friends. The only problem right now is what kind of beer are we all sipping?! As usual, I have it narrowed down, and need your help. I'm thinking I want to have a couple of choices ready for the warmer weather, so I offer you these options. Please give me your feedback...

White Ale - something similar to Allagash White. Something light and cloudy, with a citrusy hint to it.

Pale Ale - My last brew was intended to be an strong IPA, but came out very PA. Really enjoyed it, and would compare it to Gritty's Pub Style.

IPA - I have a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA knock off recipe, and seeing that this is one of my favorite beers, I would love to copy it! Plus I will be talking to Sam Calgionne, owner of Dogfish, soon about seeing if I can get a copy of the 90 Minute IPA recipe. See what happens!

Wheat Ale - I always toss this one in around summer time. A good wheat is great in the summer time. There is always the option of copying Sea Dog BluePaw or Pete's Wicked Strawberry Wheat. These are great summer beers, and fun to try to copy.

Porter - Never made one, and would love to try it sometime. May be better suited for a fall or winter brew.

______ - Write in candidate. If you have something else you would like to try, let me know.

Everyone should vote for 2. Most votes wins! Stay tuned for results, as I will be posting this on Facebook and MySpace too...

How do you say Hello in dog?

I bring our dog, Yawkey, into the office with me several times a week. The past couple of weeks there has been another little dog here named Tucker. These two are totally gay for each other. Keep in mind, I am cool with that, you do your thing. This, however is just plain wrong. They are constantly licking each others private regions, trying to hump one another in the face, and all sorts of ass sniffing. Now, this seems fairly normal for dogs, at least when they are younger. My question is this, could I get away with that? If someone new entered the room and I shoved my head into their ass and took a big sniff, would that be acceptable? If we had a couple over to the house for dinner on a Saturday night, would me dry humping one of their legs be cool? I'm guessing not. But why? Why can man's best friend get away with it, but not man? I think from now on my introduction to people will be a quick lick on the neck followed by a nose in their ass. It's cute when a puppy does it, should be when I do it, I'm just saying...

Can they really still be called the New Kids on the Block?

So it has been brought to my attention recently that the New Kids on the Block are bringing the reunion tour to the Cumberland County Civic Center on March 25th, and a group of ladies, that shall remain nameless, are planning on being in attendance. One can only assume that Danny Wood or Jonathan Knight is running short on cash, right? I mean, Donnie Wahlberg is doing alright, Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre had comebacks not to long ago, so they should be fine, right? The only other logical reason I can come up with is that they need an ego stroking. It's been a while since the ladies were all screaming their names as they danced around in their ripped jeans begging "Please Don't Go Girl".

Now that we have an idea of why they are coming back, the only question remaining is why are people going to see them? When they first hit the scene I was in fifth grade. I vividly remember this because I was actually a fan of them. As you can well imagine, I took a LOT of crap for this, but let me give you my reasons. The chicks loved them. They loved the idea that I was into something they were in to. Therefore, I was always hanging out with chicks! While my guy friends gave me crap, I was spending all kinds of time with the lovely ladies of the fifth grade. In the end, I was brilliant! Sorry, got a little distracted with my thoughts of yesteryear. The real question is this, why would a bunch of late 20, early 30 year old ladies want to go see the New Kids on the Block? I really don't know, but if I am smart, I will go with them!