48 Bottles of Beer on the Wall & Ricky Weeks

I'm having a devil of a time getting Sue's Poster/Scrappy thing to come out looking deep and rich.

Her original scrappy framed thingy is so rich and wonderful, like a chocolate morsel but when I look at it here from work on my ultra crappy 1970 monitor that was designed for green screen technology - I lose it's wonderfulness!

ANYWAY - I'm sending it to the printer today for two 20x30 posters - pray for me!

=====================
Remember Stop Light Guy? He is having a huge problem with Universal City Studios trying to get his stop light back. They are giving him the run-a-round and now his contact, they say, has moved back to California!
======================
There is a somewhat new bar in Madison - The Malt House. It is run by the President of the Madison Homebrewer's Guild and has ZERO Macro Brew's on tap. It's a 100% Craft Beer Bar.

The place use to be called the Union House (on the corner of East Wash and Milwaukee) and has been serving beer since 1858. I had always thought that this unassuming brick building was called "union" because of some labor thing. But union is actually Union and Union Solders would march down East Washington and turn right at that corner.

I mention all of this because like The Kurth, no TV's, no pool tables, no entertainment except having to actually sit there and talk to people,which is the beauty of The Kurth.

They have 18 beers on tap and another 150 in bottles.
================================
I was in the basement last night compiling my list of Micro brew beers and cataloging all the ratings and I have 48 bottles at the moment.

48 bottles of beer on the wall - LET'S SING!!!!

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall actually comes from an English song called "Ten Green Bottles". Being Americans why have only 10, let's go with NINTY NINE!

The interesting thing about this WONDERFUL song (which we will have to sing at The Kurth Friday night) is to watch the group dynamics while singing it. Enthusiasm for singing YET another verse tends to fade as the song drags on. Non-verbal cues that the singers are weary of the game communicate that it is time to stop singing the song.

The song takes about 16 minutes to complete but I have personally never seen a completion.

A variant to this song is "99 Bottles of Non-alcoholic Carbonated Beverage on the Wall" and "Infinite Bottles of Beer on the wall," a nerdish variant. If one of those bottles is taken down, there are still infinite bottles of beer on the wall.

"A Hundred Sticks of Dynamite Sitting on the Wall" is a very short variant and only last one verse.
=================================
Do you have the fear of the empty beer glass?

It's called Cenosillicaphobia.

In England 23,502 gallons of beer are lost in peoples mustaches and beards each year. WOW - what a mess on pillows!!! No wonder they only had "10 Green Bottles" on the wall!
===========================================
Ricky Ricky Ricky

So many people complain about Ricky Weeks. As we were driving home from the game listening to a call-in radio show callers were railing on Ricky complaining how bad he is.

What I didn't hear were valid alternatives or actual facts!

Here are some facts. Out of ALL the teams starting 2nd basemen in the Majors - Weeks has the 10th best range factor, meaning out of all balls hit to him he is the 10th best at converting outs! Weeks is FOURTH in the Majors at converting outs that are OUT of his zone! Weeks is 14th in total amount of DPT's where he is the 2nd guy to get the ball and throws for the final out of a DP.

Thus - while people remember his bad plays they seem to forget how many GOOD plays he makes. He is also 14th in Fielding percentage. So AT WORST, Ricky is an Average fielding 2nd baseman.

BUT WAIT - there is MORE to complain about. His hitting. He is a lead off hitter and his #1 goal is to score correct? He scores when he get's on base. In fact 16% of the time he is at bat he will score a run. Granted he has had a poor year hitting but his On Base is still .333 which is above league average AND he is having a BAD year!

His On Base percentage for the last 40 games is .364 - not bad and he is also hitting .294. Should we take him out??

If you want to complain, complain about Jason Kendell who has an On Base Pct of .278 or Bill Hall who has a SLUGGING Pct of .211.

Stop whining about Ricky!
=================================
And one last thing.

Public Enemies Columbus Baseball Adventure.

Next year I'll get a group together (maybe a bus???) for a Brewer game. Balderdash gave me the idea when he pointed out the $5 seats and said I could buy 20 of those and not lose a ton of money if no one wanted to come.

If I get enough reaction we could get BETTER seats and maybe figure out how to get a bus (then we could drink all the way to the game . . . . man I sounding like an alcoholic!!). I'm just putting the idea in your brains!!
============================
DON'T FORGET - The Columbus Carriage Classic is coming August 22,23,24.

Friday, August 22

1:00 - 4:00 pm - Town & Country Obstacle competition
5:00 - Welcome Dinner at the Pavilion - Public welcome

Saturday, August 23

8:30-11:30 – Pleasure Ring and Scurry Obstacle course
11:50 Picnic Class
12:30 Carriage Dog Class
12:30 - 3:30 Pleasure Ring competition
3:30 Dickason Drive starts from the park

Sunday, August 24
8:30-11:30 – Pleasure Ring competition
9:00-12:00- Progressive Cones obstacles
11:30- Concours d’Elegance
12:30- Father’s Day class
2:30- Best of Show

Am I missing the Carriage Pull Contest? I have heard from Kim Bates that the Opening Ceremonies will rival Beijing (if funding is available).

====================
Rod

Micro Brewers & Golf

Rereading this blog - not the most entertaining/humoristic. Guess I'm in a fog a little.

Did you know that every time you drive through a fog reality changes just a little. Many people do not know that. How would they. Who knows what the original reality line was.
========================
It all started two years ago when I was playing The Oaks. I was on the second hole and my 3-wheeled cart tipped over. I picked it up and played the last 16 holes. But when I went to call DJ . . . no phone.

I immediately knew where it was and got a cart and drove to where the phone should be. I looked and what I found was my phone in 1000 tiny pieces. It had been mulched by the mower.

I picked up a couple handfuls and knew that Cingular said they could repair broken phones so I walked in and said to the guy "a couple parts fell off my phone, can you fix it?" He said "Let's take a look" an I handed him a baggie of pieces.

We all laughed and I purchased a new phone.

We know the story SINCE then up until Saturday when phone #4 went missing on The Oaks. My golfing buddy (Network - he works for CBS) and I could not figure out how it went AWOL but . once again . . it was gone.

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS. Even though The Oaks had phone numbers to call IF someone turned it in, I guess they were to FREAKING busy to call. DJ called Monday just before she was going to cancel the phone number and YUP - they have it! WELL - THANKS FOR CALLING!!!

I BETTER lose this phone - I'm BETTING I do!! I have insurance at $5 a month.
==================
Yesterday, Network, Adubya, Balderdash and I played 18 holes at Kettle MorOn and then went to the Brewer game.

Golf was fun and all of us have a pretty low swings per dollar spent ratio. ALL the pins were set up for a tournament and not knowing the course cost us a few strokes.

Pretty course - I had DJ's little Casio camera and snapped a few shots.



That's Network right there.

He tells us that CBS in Madison will be carrying most of the NY Jets games this year!

So after golf we go to the Brewer game and are pulling into the parking lot and just as we approach our landing zone some drunks open there doors and we almost clip them. We give them all a good natured ribbing calling them a bunch of drunks and then Adubya opens HIS door and a car almost clips it off.

HOWEVER - Adubya brings out a couple of coolers of New Glarus Fat Squirrel and Island Wheat produced by Capital Brewery. THANK YOU ADUBYA! It was so so tasty - we chugged a few beers and then had one for the walk to the stadium. YUMMO!!

This is a REAL tailgate party!! None of these fancy chairs and tables things for us!!

Network and Adubya had separate tickets and in the stadium we head separate ways never to be seen again until we here them yelling at us from an escalator after the game (more on that later) .

Balderdash and I get our first food and head to our seats.


We sit down and on our right a dude asks if we want to play a drinking/betting game. Every time after the inning is over the catcher or ump tosses the ball back to the mound - if the ball ends up ON the mound something happens and if the ball is OFF the mound something else happens. We decline.

Then the guy says he has $100 on the game and balderdahs says NO YOU DON'T but we ask several questions and he really does. He them brags about how has has lost $2000 betting on baseball and we give him the thumbs up.

Here is a photo of our little Croatin friend from Croatia.

About the third inning it's time for another beer and hot dog so we go up to the beer and hotdog area (and bathrooms) and Low and Behold - they sell MicroBrew's.

We get a couple Lakefront Brewery Riverwest Stein Beer and it taste's GREAT! And it's pretty alcoholic at 5.8% ABV (compared to Miller Light at 4.2%). And we head back to our seats.

Three innings later we get up and do it all over again - this time we go with Rocky's Revenge Bourbon Brown by Tyranena. Except the guy in line in front of us WORKS for Lakefront and is telling us to buy Lakefront. I ask about what kind of Hops and we chat for 3 seconds. Balderdash caves in but I go with Rockys. Lakefront guy buys his and walks off and balderdash changes his mind and goes for a Rocky's. Then Lakefront reappears and guy gives us his card.

Rockys tastes GREAT and packs a 6.0% wallope! (wow-no wonder I was feeling it!).

Another hot dog (balderdash is eating brats) and back to our seats.

The 7th inning comes and the sausage races are underway and it is at this point when balderdash says his #1 thing on his bucket list is to run a race in the Hot Dog costume.

OK! Perhaps a little TOO personal.

I think I'll send this to the Make A Wish Foundation!

So - it's time for a beer - it's been like 20 minutes. We (I) stumble up to the concourse and I decide to get a big freaking pretzel with salt.

I order one and butter is dripping all over me and as I turn around Balderdash has two beers in hand with a big shit-eating grin!

He buys a pretzel and inhales it.

We walk around the stadium. The game gets over and we're about to leave but a guard will not let us out with beers in hand. NEXT exit. Balder says something NOT THAT FUNNY but I somehow have beer coming out my nose.

Coming to the next exit we hear from above AAARRRRRGHH!!! and looking up is Network and Adubya waving at us.

That's it. The ride home is uneventful.

I get home and DJ produces my cell phone and everyone is smiles.

We watched the Packer game and I believe the Packers did the right thing with Rogers (although the WAY they did it was totally botched). Brett is happy in NY at the moment. The Packers looked pretty good with Rogers at the helm and I feel pretty comfortable.

Watch Jones this year - he was tired last year and is more conditioned - he will be OUTSTANDING. Jenkins, Driver and Jones - WOW!!!

Now - I MUST get coffee!

OH - next year - anybody up for a PEC outing in Milwaukee? They have $5 tickets you know!!

Rod

Thank God for Cell Phone Insurance

Not even going to talk about it on THIS blog - you'll have to wait.

Today -(tomorrow morning actually) I'll be away from a computer. Tee-Time is for 7:15 (gulp) and a Brewer game after 18 holes.

Thus - no blogging.

I'll leave you with this photo from Sunday morning - should be big enough for wall paper.


So until Tuesday!

Rod