Promoting the Hopleaf

That's pretty cool to be listed as one of the top 100 bars in the United States. Well, H-Man (visiting from DC) and I got the back story from the folks at this bar on Clark Street in Chicago last night.
I really didn't like being evicted from the bar to the upstairs edition. I didn't know there was an upstairs bar to begin with. It was simply too crowded on a Thursday night. Despite the nice bartender, he didn't have the excellent selection the downstairs bar had. The owner and bartender told us that this was a nice neighborhood bar before the world found it and now it's really popular. When all the attention came, they said there were lines down the street.
This wasn't the episode in which Dan and Dave showed up and drank the darn place down. We had a cab waiting for us that night.
I had to drive home so drinking and driving was a concern.
HMan liked talking to the upstairs bartender and then slipped him a copy of my book, "A Stone's Throw." I didn't anticipate he was in a selling mode but appreciated his efforts.
It really is a nice bar. Being a certifiable beer snob there was even a nice selection for me. I don't think I have had a beer since Madison so I was a little out of practice.
We went downstairs to get our good beers and then upstairs for more talk.
Put it this way, I'm sure I damaged my ear drums because I blasted my stereo coming home. I needed to be alert driving home. I hope I'm not getting too old for these long drives and mild drinking episodes. Of course not is the answer for that.

On Madison

It's fun to plan these trips. There is Dan, Dave and I working on a place to meet in the Midwest and then coming up with a date that works for the three of us. The right place was Madison, Wisconsin. What a great place. We met at a hotel and then took a cab ride to the Old Fashioned. Oh, my gosh. They sell nothing but great Wisconsin beers. Now this is living.
I did learn a lesson in basic hamburger. I always order it medium. Dan said medium rare. That's a much better idea. So after our fine meal and libations, we walked for awhile. We came upon the Great Dane where we had visited the last time. Had one more brew and found a cool tee-shirt to run around in. Now how many beers was that? Oh, that's right these are great beers so there are no limit on them. We took the same cab back. What were those stories from the lady cab driver? Oh, that's right, she was jealous of her sister who cheated on her husband with her husband's boss. Give the sister credit though as she got the boss to marry her with her four kids. And only then did the driver admit to having five kids of her own and of course her husband was a dirt ball.
Oh, well, Madison is highly recommended. Maybe the true highlight was sitting around in the morning telling funny stories. No alcohol needed for that.
Dave and I are always in a search for the Big Thought. And that's a very big one. Find friends you can hang out for your whole life.

On Kiddie Football and it's all good

Ah, kiddie football. No one really gets hurt unless they break a bone or have a concussion. It's all fun. We've mostly enjoyed our days watching the boys play football. Of course, I once came up to Brady and barked, "There is a long drive to left field and it's going, going, gone. No, it's called back because of holding."
The point is penalties kind of hurt the sport.
This season has been a blessing. Our fine coach recognized that Brady could do some good things with a football in his hands. This isn't baseball where everyone can be a hero. In football, there are blockers. Those kids are very important but no one really knows who they are. That's Riley's job. He does it because it's helpful and he's a strong kid.
Yesterday, Brady had a pair of interceptions and scored a couple of extra points. That's a good day. His younger brother was so excited when it was announced that we were so far ahead that he would get a chance to carry the ball. Of course it was Riley's turn to do that and someone on the line jumped so his carry didn't count. Oh, well, it's the thought that counts.
Here's hoping the boys stay healthy and have fun. And thank you coaches.