I feel withdrawls coming on!! Last couple weeks I haven't got a chance to take my drive up to Oakridge for a few pints. I think I will have to stop by Eugene City brewery tonight for a couple "pints". My buddy Jason hosts bingo there on Wednesdays, so it's always fun to watch people making fools outta theirselves! Haha

I did get the chance to take a couple nice shorter rides on the motorcycle though this last weekend! Very fun as always!!

In these economic times I am always glad to be able to say.....I still have a job!! It has been slow, but we still keep getting a few jobs and have been reassured that I'm not going anywhere. That is a huge relief, cause as I have told Freda.....if either one of us loses our jobs, life would get ugly in a big hurry!!

Helping hand

This last weekend I got a chance to help out a good friend and at the same time be involved with beer! Now that is what I call sweet! Hahaha. Brewers Union got a chance to have a booth at the KLCC Brew fest in Eugene. So Ted and I set up 4 firkins, or nines as they are called in the UK. Meaning 9 UK gallons of glorious beer! (10.8 US gallons) Friday night I worked the beer engines providing some of the local residents with their first experience with "real ale" served properly at the right tempature! Cask conditioned ale is a great thing. There was a very good response from the people and most all seemed to really enjoy both beers served. Lots of good information was shared on Ted's pub up in Oakridge and I believe he should get some business from this endeavor. I worked the engines both Friday and Saturday nights. I was a tired camper at the end of the evenings but oh my it was worth it!! Sadly when you pour beer at a festival here in Oregon, you are not allowed to drink any at all! What?? You got to be kidding me!! So Sunday Freda and I went on a mission to Oakridge to satisfy my cravings for a proper pint! Some good food, great beer and friends! Aaaah. Now that is satisfying!

My hobbies?

Hobbies? Or loves? Or .....what should I call them. Most times I assume that this blog will be about those, which are family, beer, cigars and motorcycling. Maybe not in that order, though yeah, family is in the right spot.

I am a homebrewer that got into that hobby because of my love for great beer. I found right off that I can actually brew a beer just as good as most you can buy anywhere. Right here at home!! As with most hobbies, they become a passion and grow completely overboard. I love it. So now I brew all grain beer and serve it out of my brew fridge with 5-6 taps. One usually for root beer. My love for beer has also taken me to many functions, brew fests, pubs and such over time as well. My friend Ted has now opened a english style public house and brews his own beer right there on site. He has his own blog as well at http://brewersunion.blogspot.com/

Cigars is yet another hobby that I have started and created yet another monster with! Hahaha

Motorcycling is my newest addition to hobbies/passions. I bought a 2006 VTX1300 back in 2007 that I now have modified with extras to exactly what I want. It is a beautiful cruiser that is very comfortable for me! I put on 10,000 miles last riding season and looking forward to doing that again this year. I had some great trips during the season. I took a lone trip all by myself to Vegas that was pretty fun. A friend here at work also has a motorcycle and we have started taking trips together. He is a great guy and we have found that we like to travel at about the same pace, so it makes for enjoyable trips around the states. We did a redwood country coast run into California. Then later in the year we took a trip up through Eastern part of Washington and over to the coast, then back into Oregon and home. Great times!!