Membership Has Its Privileges

Signed the family up this weekend. Closest we'll ever get to a country club.

...and there is no need to feel down.

Rust Belt Porn

The grain elevator hearkens back to the glory days of Buffalo, NY. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 made Buffalo the first gateway to the (mid) west. Grain was one of the premier products shipped through Buffalo and as use of the Erie Canal expanded so did the need for grain storage. Enter Joseph Dart. Mr. Dart invented the first grain elevator and built it in Buffalo. The grain elevator changed everything by unloading grain by something other than the backs of men. Everything you could want to know about grain elevators can be found here.

Today, things are different. Only a few grain elevators remain. This past weekend we got a close up look at a few of the towering structures and the pictures are worth sharing. Up close, these elevators are monstrous. We took a brief self-guided tour through one of the smaller brick buildings. It was creepy and romantic at the same time. Walking through the structure you can feel just how busy it once was. Whatever comes of these buildings, and the pieces within, they must be preserved.

Grain elevators in Buffalo, NY

Self-guided tour.
Pics below were inside this structure.

Nearby elevator.

h/t The Buffalo History Works

Running into an Old Friend: Sierra Nevada

Rye is the worst. Nobody worth his salt ever has a sandwich made of rye bread. When you go to a fancy restaurant and they offer a selection of breads which one is always left on the table? Rye. Sure, Martin van der Griten will tell you it's "a hardy grain, more tolerant of frost and drought than is wheat. It is the most winter hardy of all cereals." Nobody eats rye cereal, do they? Rye is used to make animal feed, flour, and...beer.

Tonight, I'm sipping on a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA. There's a parallel between rye and Sierra Nevada. Craft beer snobs, of which I am one, are always looking for something new. Preferably something small, niche, hard to find. Same thing with rye. I don't have scientific data to back me up but it's safe to assume it's not the first choice of most bakers.

The point is that I'm regularly scouting grocery stores, beverage stores, craft beer stores, along with pubs and restaurants looking for something  new. Virtually every one of which offers Sierra Nevada. It's easy to forget they are craft brewers. It's also easy to forget they make damn fine beer. Prior to this evening, I can't say when I last had a Sierra Nevada. In the early days they were one of my favorites. The same can be said for brewers like Dogfish Head and even Troegs. Shame on me for letting so much time pass.

So, here's to you Sierra Nevada and all the other craft beer trail blazers who get unnecessary shit from beer snobs (aka idiots) like me. Now, off to renew some old friendships.


C'mon, you were thinking it.

Pig Burger - Everybody Wants Some

Somebody purchased this for my kids:

Which, of course, made me think of this:

Labels = Art

If these don't make you thirsty then you need help.

Bad Cholo Brewery - Los Angeles, CA

Bells Brewery - Comstock, MI

Founders Brewing Company - Grand Rapids, MI

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company - Akron, OH

This is My Wife

If somebody tells you that 36 hours from now Angelina Jolie is going to temporarily flip your world upside down would you believe them? I wouldn't but that's what happened to my family. Yesterday morning the world awoke to find that Ms. Jolie underwent a double mastectomy. As sometimes happens the local media jumped to find ways of bringing a national story home.

Not everybody knows this but approximately six weeks ago my wife, Madeleine, underwent a double mastectomy at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Somebody from Roswell got a hold of my wife's story and she spent the better part of yesterday and this morning making the rounds on local media. It's worth noting because women are making this same decision every day. This is her story.

My wife broke the news to me in the summer of 2012 while we were still living in Washington, DC. It was, in a word, stressful but her OB's recommendation was clear. Double mastectomy and, for kicks, removal of both ovaries. There was a lot going on at the time so we put off the inevitable while contemplating the next phase of our life, which include relocating to Western New York. It was a little abstract but it was always there lurking in the shadows. I'm fairly certain it was attached to the U-Haul trailer.

Jump ahead to February 2013. We're sitting at Roswell meeting with the various surgeons. Shit just got real. I quickly learn how courageous my wife is to go through this for her family. It's important to note that if you have a strong family history you have options and you should investigate them all. For the few, including my wife, with the BRCA1 mutation it means statistically the best option is a double mastectomy. We (meaning my wife) reviewed all the research, considered all the options and then we consulted with the surgeons; who confirmed what we already knew. We made the decision to have the surgery primarily for the twins. Kids need their mother. I think Madeleine explains it best to the listeners of WBEN (here) and viewers of WIVB (here). What the hell - here too.

The surgery was Tuesday, March 26th. We arrived at 9:00a. Madeleine went under the knife shortly before 1:00p. I saw her next at 8:00p. Over the next two weeks, including three days in the hospital, I really understood Madeleine's strength. She took a short walk less than 24 hours after going under, was eating and sitting up shortly after, and off her pain medicine less than a week after the surgery. Then it was just clearing drains regularly, rebuilding strength, a few weeks of physical therapy and visiting nurses and we are done...with Part I.

Then it was regular filling of the expanders (you can Google it). At the end of July Madeleine begins the reconstruction process. The entire show should be over by the end of the calendar year. The twins, at the ripe old age of 3, have been remarkable through this process. The support of friends and family is immeasurable.

I am telling this story to brag. Not about my connection to Angeline Jolie or about Madeleine's 15 minutes. I am, however, bragging about my wife - her strength, her courage, her love and sacrifice for others. We are telling this story so others have a better understanding while making this important decision. Hopefully many other women are telling their stories as well. Also, F-You Cancer.

Us       - 1

Cancer - 0

An Open Letter to Would-be Terrorists and Bombers

Dear would-be terrorist:

I’m not angry. I don’t have any sense of revenge. I do have a sense of guilt for admitting this but I feel no anger or rage about the events in Boston. I’m not angry because today I have this enormous understanding that you can’t win. Despite Lord Helmet’s famous quote evil cannot triumph over good. I’m not gloating or bragging I’m merely stating fact. The events at the Boston Marathon proved it.

Nobody knows yet about motive or who did this terrible deed. My heart does ache for the people of Boston and all those enjoying one of the best local traditions this country offers (second only to Dyngus Day). Squirrel at G:TB could not have said it better - about both the marathon and the people of Boston. 

In the immediate aftermath I, like many others, was almost overwhelmed with emotion. I went through the usual process but this time was different. Yes, I did experience extreme sadness and my heart does still ache for Boston and the victims. Rage and revenge though were but a fleeting thought. What I have been feeling for the last 36 hours is a sense of calm knowing that it’s going to be alright.

You can’t win. I’m not sure what you were trying to accomplish but if the motive was reassuring the public that in times of crisis we come together to help our fellow man, then well played. Any other motive or message is being drowned out by random acts of kindness that is having a much wider impact than any bombs you can throw.

I suppose it started on September 11, 2001. In the face of death, destruction, and mayhem folks chose to help whether in NYC, Virginia or in the skies over Pennsylvania. It really crystalized for me at the Boston Marathon. Story after story across the media outlets highlighting examples shrugging off fear and horror to offer assistance and comfort. I’ve seen video footage of folks running into danger. Stories of Boston area residents offering places to stay. Restaurants offering “pay what you can”. NPR even reported a man getting his tax return at a local Jackson Hewitt offering a portion of his tax refund to the victims. That local office is in Mississippi. There are countless other stories I’m sure.

The perpetrator of Monday’s terrorist attack will be found and will pay the appropriate penalty. I’m hoping this open letter helps you understand you can’t win so you stop the senseless violence. There are countless ways of accomplishing your mission through nonviolence and kindness. I’m hoping somebody somewhere understands this country has too much resilience, too much strength, too much love. I don’t know about your motive but I know I feel much better about the human condition today. So, why not put down the bomb and pick up a craft beer and go about your business in a different way? Because you can’t win with terror and bombs.

Sincerely,
Dumbarton's Beer