“Oh, lager beer! It makes good cheer, And proves the poor man’s worth; It cools the body through and through, and regulates the health.”
-Anonymous

As I mentioned in my previous post, this week was a double duty week for Beer Club. As we are drinking 200 beers this year, we have to do double duty once a month plus a couple extra trips throughout the year to actually make our goal of 200 beers in 52 weeks. That’s right folks- we did the math! Or, should I say, Barb did the math. However, there was math done and it’s quite sound. Wednesday night we went out for Beer Club visit #5. Here’s what went down the hatch:

Beer # 13 Maredsous 8 Dubbel

According to Maredsous’ website “God, Monks, History, Tradition, Beer” are “the things that make up an abbey.” I guess I will have to take them at their words, however, I would feel better if maybe they’d give more credit to the scientific beauty that is beer brewing.

The website goes on to say that Maresous 8 Dubbel is A classic abbey dubbel; with elegant sweetness, lightly caramelized flavor, translucent tawny-brown body, luscious head, and floral bouquet. A delicate balance between malts and hops gives way to hints of toffee and chocolate in the finish. Its velvety smoothness belies the 8% alcohol content.

This ale can be stored upright for up to three years, in a dark, cool place at 42-50° F. This keeps the lees (or yeast) settled in the bottle. The yeast keeps the beer alive and protects it from ageing. You can drink the beer later: it will just become sweeter and feel denser in the mouth, much like an old port.

It was pretty tasty and came with a fancy glass as it was also Flying Saucer pint night. Oh how my pint collection is growing again. I’ll give this one a thumbs up. It was quite tasty.

Beer # 14 Boulevard Lunar Ale

Boulevard Beers will always remind me of the house Shreffler owned at 1401 Marshall house in Council Bluffs. We drank a lot of Boulevard in that house. Maybe even too much- I don’t really drink Boulevard as much these days- but I have a fondness for their beers in nostalgia tinted lenses and sampling a Boulevard beer I have never had sounded like a good idea.

The Lunar Ale was pretty tasty.

Boulevard’s website states that Lunar Ale is an unfiltered brown ale brewed using a unique aromatic yeast, this refreshing variety is best described as a cloudy brown ale with a complex, malty aroma and flavor, and a crisp, dry finish. [It is a] very versatile beer [with a] light sweetness [that] complements light foods and malty/smoky flavor can stand up to some spicier dishes. You’ll have to excuse my added brackets. Apparently Boulevard are not fond of using complete sentences. Ah, what can you expect from Kansas City anyway?

Two thumbs up.

Beer # 15 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

And finally, the fire sale beer for the night (read: $2.75 a pint), the favorite beer of stinky, frisbee chasin’- love in happenin’- jam band listenin’- hippies everywhere: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I’ve already pointed out that I have to drink some beers I’ve already had this year and I might as well drink ones that I’m fond of, right?

I like the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but I have to admit I know very little about it (aside from the above comments regarding hippies). According to wikipedia (whom I have not actually used as a reference for most of this blog), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer in the United States (#1 being Sam Adams).

Sierra Nevada’s website says that “Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the one that made Chico famous. It is a flawless beer that opens with bright, perky high notes of maltiness and orange blossom and segues into a delectable hoppiness.”

I sure love those pale ales. I sure love hops.

Now let’s move onto some non-beer related matters.

Yesterday I filed my taxes. This took approximately five minutes worth of work. I set two personal records. 1) This is the earliest I have ever filed taxes. I mean, shit, it’s still January. 2) I’m getting back a pretty good tax return. Maybe that’s something that one can take pride in as they age- more money back. I guess that also means I’m paying more money in taxes than I did a few years ago too. Ah, well. One mountain at a time.

Yesterday also marked my two year anniversary with my job in Austin. Goddamn. I’ve been in Texas for over two years. Wahoo. I didn’t have to work and spent the day watching Star Trek 2-4 after I finished my taxes. It was sort of my personal memorial for Ricardo Montalbán. Those 3 are my favorites. It was funny to see the cast make jokes about being old men…20+ years ago. I’ve been watching Boston Legal obsessively via Netflix and Shatner looks like a baby in comparison in those movies.

I had a strange dream last night. Or rather, early this morning. I dreamed I was getting exploratory spine surgery. The doctor told me he’d give me some drugs “in a few minutes” but kept having to drill individual holes into my vertebrae so he could stick a long piece of wire with a tiny camera on the tip into them and look around. In the dream, it was exceedingly painful. When I woke up, my back hurt. I guess maybe I slept on it funny.

“It’s hard to see past all the stars, please point me to the beer.”
-Dillinger Four

It’s that time again. Man…my blog has only been about beer and subway lately. Ah well, I suppose I could also be ranting about my obsession with Boston Legal, the Korean stand in the Dobie Mall I’ve been eating at lately (Oma’s Kitchen…2 thumbs up), and my ongoing quest for the perfect IPA… but, ah, nuts to that.

Let’s talk about beers. Here are the latest conquests on the road to 200 and well as our move into double digits. This week is a special week as beer club will also convene on Wednesday so we are keeping up with the math end of road to 200. The more beer club there is, the better, as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway…let’s do this:

Beer #10 Brooklyn Lager

Brooklyn Lager is a Vienna Lager. According to our dear friends at Wikipedia, Vienna lager is a style of lager beer. It was developed by brewer Anton Dreher in Vienna in 1841. Its popularity in Europe eventually faded, but Austrian brewers who emigrated to Mexico revived the style in the late 19th century.

The Association of Brewers defines the beer class Vienna lager as a reddish brown or copper colored beer with medium body and slight malt sweetness. The malt aroma and flavor may have a toasted character. Hop bitterness should be clean and crisp. Noble-type hop aroma and flavor should be low or mild. As with most lagers, fruitiness due to esters is a defect. Diacetyl, which can impart a butterscotch aroma and flavor, should not be perceptible

The Brooklyn Brewery itself, dates back to 1987, formed by a former Associated Press correspondent and a former Bank Loan Officer.

I thought this beer was pretty good. It probably won’t be my first choice for a beer in the future, but I wouldn’t say I hated it. Or even really disliked it. Fuggedaboutit. Next beer.

Beer #11 Abita Purple Haze

The Abita Purple Haze, by the Abita Brewing Company, is a raspberry flavored wheat beer that was also the cheapest beer on the lambic menu at the Flying Saucer. I figured I’d give it a shot. I’m generally not into fruit beers. However, as I have to drink 200 beers this year and I am open to new things, I figured I’d give it a shot. What the hell, right? Monday nights at the flying saucer are half-priced draw night, which only helps the sampling mood.

I turned this pint into a dead soldier pretty quick. Rate Beer Dot Com states that Abita Purple Haze is a crisp, American style wheat beer with fresh raspberries added during secondary fermentation. Subtle coloration, fruity aroma and tartly sweet taste, which is a good enough description for me.

The Abita Brewing Company, is a craft brewery based in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Once again, according to wikipedia, Craft Beer is an American term which is also common in Canada and New Zealand and generally refers to beer that is brewed using traditional methods, without adjuncts such as rice or corn, and with an eye to what’s distinctive and flavorful rather than mass appeal. Whereas the term microbrewery is a term for a small scale brewery that produces a small volume of beer, craft brewery describes an approach to brewing, which in principle may be carried out on any scale. Most microbreweries are also craft breweries.

Fascinating stuff….phbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.

Beer #12 Independence Bootlegger Brown

Oh yeah! The Independence Brewing Company is based in Austin, Texas. Many months ago, Barb, Keef, Da, Melanie, & Myself attended a pint night there and got to sample their wares. Indeed, I’ve drank my share of Independence beers since moving to Texas. I believe the first time I sampled this beer was during Eeyore’s Birthday Party last spring.

According to an Austin Chronicle Article I found in google’s cache . The Bootlegger Brown Ale tastes like someone snuck some Bosco into the mix, it’s so chocolaty (don’t worry, they come by the flavor naturally by the way they roast the malt). Fans of Scottish ales will like this, though the Independence version is even richer, and, at 6% alcohol, it’s every bit as heady.

I’d concur. It was quite tasty.

Anyway, that’s the first part of the week in beer.

“A bushel of malt, A barrel of hops, you stir it around with a stick, the kind of lubrication to make your engine tick.”

-From Beer, Beer, Beer, a traditional drinking song

Last night was Beer Club night for the week and I have to say it was a wonderful cap on my day. Yesterday was both Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as Confederate Heroes Day in Texas. Talk about your diametrically opposed philosophies. Anyway, it was also a bit of a long day at work.

But Beer Club once again saves the day. Now it’s time to get down to brass tax and have our lesson on what I’ve been drinking this time around.

Beer #7 Kostritzer Schwarzbier

This beer is a Schwarzbier or “black beer”, which according to our favorite unnatural resource means that it “is a German dark lager beer. It has an opaque, black color and a full, chocolaty or coffee flavor. Although they share some similar flavours, they are quite a bit milder tasting and less bitter than British Stouts or Porters. Schwarzbiers are bottom-fermented beers, though originally top-fermenting yeast was used in brewing them. The alcohol content usually ranges from 4.8%–5%. They get their dark color from the use of particularly dark malts in brewing. The malt in turn gets its color during the roasting procedure. Dark beers are some of the original types of beers brewed, with lighter colors only becoming possible with lighter, short-roasted malts approximately one hundred years ago.”

It kind of reminded all of us of Shiner Black a little bit. Which probably makes sense as Shiner Black is also a black beer. This was pretty good, but I wouldn’t say it was my favorite for the evening. It accompanied my Hamburger and Fries quite nicely though.

Beer #8 Old Speckled Hen

Next up we have Morland Brand’s “Old Speckled Hen” which according to the vast archive of knowledge I keep referencing is a popular bitter, available both as a cask ale and pasteurized in bottles. First brewed in 1979 by Morland Brewery in Abingdon, Oxfordshire to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MG car company setting up in Abingdon, and named after the brewery’s own MG car - the paint splattered Owld’ Speckled ‘Un. Brewed since 1999 by Greene King. Greene King has retained the strain of yeast first used in 1896.”

While not an IPA, it was my first ale drink for the evening and had quite a tasty kick to it. In fact, I would say it was my favorite beer for the evening that I had never sampled before. Granted I only drank 4 beers and 3 of them for credit. I can’t tell you what the 4th beer was as our waitress (who was definitely the worst we’ve encountered at the Flying Saucer) did not bring me the beer I ordered and I could not identify the one she did bring out. That’s neither here nor now.

Beer #9 Belhaven Scottish Ale

I like Belhaven Scottish Ale quite a bit. I usually only drink it when I’m hanging out with my friend Dan as the gas station next door to his apartment always has it in 16 ounce bottles.

Scottish Ale, as a term itself, does not mean anything. Apparently, many of the British Ales take the name of the place they were brewed for example Cornish Ales or Kentish Ales. Ales tend to be sweet, malty beers, that are not as particularly high in alcohol content as others, though compared to your average American Lagers still usually rate a little higher.

This is a beer I could drink for breakfast and I say that not as an alcoholic, but rather as someone who on occasion (like during SXSW or on vacation) ends up drinking a beer at breakfast. I think this beer would marry itself very well with a plate of Potatoes O’Brien, Eggs, and Sausage.

That’s Beer Club visit #3. We’re now approaching double digit territory. Also, we’re getting closer to tapping a number larger than an amount of beers I can drink in a single night…well, in at least 3 more visits.

Mr. Latham,
Thank you for your prompt response. The information you gave me is exactly what I needed to identify the employee in question and correct this issue. As for the window cling for the bread selection I’ll have to follow up on that, it sounds like my manager put the wrong cling on the glass. Other than that we do carry everything that is on our menu.

FYI,
Employee ignorance carries a mandatory minimum 10 years hard labor.
Signed the Judge.

Sean Castner
Lonestar Subs, Chief Of Operations
1900 E Oltorf
Austin, TX 78741

“If there was no more beer then what would we do? All I want is more beer.”
-from More Beer by Fear

I’m a day behind in my documentation and that may have had something to do with waking up in a hurry yesterday morning and forgetting my notebook. That’s not terribly important. What is terribly important is the continued documentation of our Beer Club. Wednesday night, Barb, Keef, Fread and I as well as two of Barb’s co-workers met up at the Flying Saucer for round II of Beer Club. Here are the latest updates on the road to 200.

Beer #4 Spaten Optimator

Optimator is a doppelbock beer from the Spaten brewery of Munich, Germany. Spaten was apparently Munich’s first brewery and their beers still, to this day, adhere to the Reinheitsgebot (the Bavarian Purity Laws of 1516). Optimator, as a doppelbock beer, has an alcohol content of 7.2%. It is fairly malty, sweet, and was a nice reward after a day spent working for the man. Also, as it was pint night, I now am the proud owner of an Optimator pint. Doppelbock. Double win.

Beer #5 Avery Cask-Conditioned IPA

Due to our web content filter, here at my job, where I am hammering out this blog before my shift starts, I am unable to view a lot of websites and web content, so I am not able to find an actual picture of Avery’s Cask-Conditioned IPA. I can depend on Google’s cache for most of the facts that Wikipedia lacks, but images are another demon altogether. Regardless, since it most certainly came from a key, I suppose any keg picture will do.

The Flying Saucer’s menu described this particular IPA as follows: Beer that is unfiltered and continues to ferment inside the storage vessel. This beer is drawn by means of a “beer engine” or hand pump. This beer is “alive” and the subtleties that filtration tends to remove are intact.

I’d give it a thumbs up. I should add as a side note that I am on a personal mission this year to find the perfect IPA. This one’s on the list of contenders, I think.

Beer #6 Victory Storm King

I like Stouts quite a bit. Guinness of course is on that list, Boulevard’s Cream Stout, and longtime favorite by Samuel Smith- Oatmeal Stout. So I got the Victory Storm King on Wednesday as I’d (1) never heard of it, (2) wanted a Stout, (3) had already drank three beers and something about it’s name appealed to me.

Victory’s website has this to say about the beer: With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. More flavor than mere words can adequately describe. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.

Reading further into their cached information via Google, I see that this beer was 9.1% alcohol. I suspect that may have had something to do with my selection of it. It was tasty. It did it’s intended work. I have no complaints.

Mr Latham,
I just received the comment you sent to Subway in regards to your experience at my location in the Dobie Mall. I would first like to start by apologizing for the incompetence of the employee present at the time. However in order to identify and work with the employee in question to prevent this from happening to another customer I need the date and approximate time you visited the store.

P.S.
For future reference we do not offer Sourdough bread.

Sincerely,

Sean Castner
Lonestar Subs, Chief Of Operations
1900 E Oltorf
Austin, TX 78741

Dear Sean,

Thank you for your prompt reply.  I have to admit I was quite surprised to hear back from you.  Over the years I’ve wracked up quite a bit of one sided correspondence with different companies over various issues I’ve encountered- generally, we’re speaking of bad experiences, faulty products, and customer service mishaps.  Most of the time I’ve been offered a form letter that didn’t address any of my concerns or maybe just a fat stack of coupons to shut me up.

I figured this was just going to be another one of those experiences.  Apparently not.  Sean, you have put Suave Shampoo, Popeye’s chicken, Disney, Wells Fargo Bank (who actually one time gave me $5000 that didn’t belong to me, then didn’t even offer so much as a thank you when I found it for them and pointed out that it had been misplaced in my account- not even a “hey thanks”. Redonkulous) and Red Baron Pizza to shame.  I’m impressed.

My visit to the Dobie Mall Subway took place on Thursday January 8th at some point between 7:00 & 7:15 PM. I can only give that approximate time window, but that’s when the bus drops me off right by the Dobie and this stop was after quite a long day at work.

Now, about the Sourdough bread.  While it’s nice to now know that you don’t happen to offer that particularly delectable slice of ambrosia at your shop, one wouldn’t know that because of the bread list that is conveinently affixed to the glass window right by the “order here” side of the counter.  Indeed, I pointed at Sourdough on the list several times while the employee stared at me and then tried to pass off Parmasean Oregano as being the same thing.  Are there any other things posted that I cannot order just so I am aware for future visits?  I’d hate to look like a fool.

I hope that helps.  Just for the record I am not a vindictive man, so I would like to make sure that particular employee does not get the death penalty for his errors.  I believe six or seven years worth of hard labor might be sufficient.  I guess we’ll just have to leave that one up to the judge.

Yours in Christ,

Bill Latham

Dear Subway,

I had a rather disturbing stop in one of your sandwich shops last night (20th and Guadalupe, inside the Dobie Mall; Austin, TX).  In fact, it was probably the strangest visit I have ever made into one of your stores that revolved solely around the food (the saga of a man we called Captain Scab is best left for another time- it’s neither here or now- and frankly a tad bit frightening).

Subway, when I walk through your doors I am usually in a hurry and don’t have a clue what I’d like for dinner, so I am accepting cold cuts as a default position.  You have many cold cuts.  There are many sandwich shops in my neighborhood.  However, at Subway, I am able to get the most amount of sandwich for the fewest amount of dollars.  Last night it was important I used the fewest amount of dollars as I required beer.

I ordered a Black Forest Ham sandwich and the Sandwich Artist at the counter nodded and said “ham.”  I was impressed with his succinctness.  There was no wasted time.  Is brevity a marker of a good subway employee?  Sad to say it went downhill almost immediately.

“Bread?” The subway artist asked- which, in retrospect, seems like a strange question as I ordered a foot long sandwich and not a salad or wrap- but I guess I understood this brief question at the time perfectly so I shouldn’t get too wrapped up in semantics.

“Sourdough,” I said.

I don’t know why I wanted Sourdough.  I haven’t had Sourdough bread in a long time.  Generally, the only time I end up eating Sourdough bread it involves some sort of San Francisco themed grease burger of some sort or another.  I guess I thought Sourdough bread might not subtract from the banana peppers, jalapenos, green peppers, and onions I was planning on asking for a healthy dose of.

“Parmesan Oregano,” said the Sandwich Artist nodding.

I blinked.

“No, I’d like Sourdough,” I said.

“Parmesan Oregano,” the Sandwich Artist repeated.

I blinked again not believing my ears.

“No, Sourdough,” I said.

The Sandwich Artist looked genuinely puzzled.  I started pointing at the the placard on the counter displaying the different breads.

“Sourdough!” I said pointing wildly.  “I want Sourdough!”

“Parmesan Oregano…” the Sandwich Artist again repeated.  He pulled a loaf of it out of the bread oven.

“I understand that’s Parmesan Oregano,” I said. “I want Sourdough. S-O-U-R-D-O-U-G-H!’

The Sandwich Artist pointed at the loaf and said “Is same thing.”

Now this was ludicrous, Subway.  This was insane.  This made me almost angry.  I spend 8 hours a day being assaulted by idiots as a quote unquote career, but in my free time, I like to not make that a habit.  I don’t know if this Sandwich Artist was brand new or something (if so, he was certainly not being supervised by anyone), but it was a very flustering experience for a quick five dollar sandwich.

“Just make it Italian,” I finally said.  Italian bread is no Sourdough, that’s for sure, but at the very least it won’t add competing flavors to the peppers.

The Sandwich Artist understood “Italian” and began making my sandwich.  As we had wasted so much time in the great Sourdough V. Parmesan Oregano debate of 2009, he had already forgotten which kind of meat I wanted.

“Black Forest Ham,” I said again.

“Ham,” he repeated succinctly.  Again, I commend him on his brevity.

But Subway, do you have any idea what happened next?  Do you have any idea how ridiculous this whole debacle got from there?  I bet you haven’t a fucking clue, which is why I need to share this next bit as well.

Subway, I had to point at every ingredient I wanted on my sandwich for the Sandwich Artist so he would understand what I wanted.  I started listing off ingredients and lost him at lettuce.  I would say “Cucumber”- for example- and he would stare into my eyes like I was reciting German to him or maybe had just opened a trench coat and shown him my uncovered pecker.  I pointed at every ingredient and finally left without a sauce because even I couldn’t figure out which one was which by eyeballing them and I’m certain your Sandwich Artist couldn’t figure it out either.

Subway, that was a rotten experience.  I went home and ate the sandwich and even after adding ranch dressing at home, it didn’t take the bitter taste from my mouth.

Good thing I stopped for the beer.

Sincerely (but certainly not respectfully you fucks),

Bill Latham
Austin, TX

Last night I became a member of a prestigious order- ok, a beer club. But it was about damn time.

Ever since I moved to Austin, my friend Barb has talked about how we should all join a beer club together. I’ve always been a proponent of this idea because (A) I drink a lot of beer (B) There are quite a few bars around town that have beer clubs (C) I like drinking beers I have not drank before (D) I enjoy drinking with our crew of friends.

Well, we finally did it. Last night was night numero uno at The Flying Saucer for our crew. Our goal is to drink 200 beers each there this year so we can be immortalized in the Flying Saucer Ring of Honor. While it may not sound like an amazing feat- 200 beers in a year- hell, I know I drank more beer than that last year alone- I drank over a 1/4 of that much beer during SXSW alone- we are limited to 3 beers per day from the Flying Saucer in our quest for immortality on the wall.

I’m going to make a point of blogging every beer in this quest. That said, let’s get down to brass tax.

Beer #1 Spaten Oktoberfest

I started the quest off with an Oktoberfest beer because- well- I needed more bang for my buck and as it was before 7pm certain beers were half off. It had a pleasant flavor.

According to wikipedia, here are the markers of Oktoberfest style beers:
[They] tend to be dry, lean, clean-tasting and crisp (due to acidity from the forced carbonation). Flavors may be subtle, with no traditional beer ingredient dominating the others. Hop character (bitterness, flavor, and aroma) ranges from negligible to a dry bitterness from noble hops. The main ingredients are water, Pilsener malt and noble hops, though some brewers use adjuncts such as rice or corn to lighten the body of the beer. There tends to be no butterscotch flavor from diacetyl, due to the slow, cold fermentation process.

Fascinating stuff, I’m sure. And you thought this wasn’t going to be the least bit educational.

Beer #2 Newcastle Brown Ale

While not a new and different beer, but rather an old favorite, last night also happened to be pint night at the Flying Saucer and my purchase of a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale resulted in the delivery of one Newcastle logo pint into my possession.

Newcastle, a nut brown ale, originates from Newcastle upon Tyne in Northeast England.  According to wikipedia: In Newcastle, the beer is often called ‘Dog’ (or simply ‘Broon’). The ‘Dog’ name comes from the euphemism “I’m going to walk the dog” - meaning “I’m going to the pub” - and was further popularised by a 1980s advertising campaign. It is often referred to as “Newkie Brown,” though this name is frowned upon in Newcastle itself.

Beer #3 Stone IPA

According to wikipedia, yet again: Stone IPA is a fruity, hoppy IPA featuring Magnum and Centennial hops. India Pale Ale, abbreviated IPA, is an ale that is light amber to copper in colour, medium to medium-high alcohol by volume, with hoppy, bitter and sometimes malty flavour. IPA is a style of beer that is usually included in the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 18th century. Today, IPA is a popular style of beer among American craft brewers.

Indeed, I enjoy IPA’s because there is a taste that reminds me of all the homebrew I’ve ever drank. This one was no exception.

So there you have it. Three beers down. One hundred and ninety seven to go. This shit is on.

Dear Elderly Americans,

Fuck you.

Guess what old farts? The world changed. There’s next to fucking nothing you can do about it. Know why that is? It’s because you’ll be dead before you get your way again. It’s because your memory is so shitty anyway that maybe “the way things used to be” never were in the first place or changed for a reason.

You live in our world now, old farts. Our world. You are fossils. You are going extinct. If you were eskimoes, we would have pushed you out onto the ice floe along time ago.

That’s why I’m not sending somebody out to your house, just because you think a repairman will fix your homepage address. That’s why I’m not transferring you to “the President of the company” (our generation is smart enough to make sure you never talk to the President of the company). That’s why I don’t care that you didn’t grow up using a computer- after all, you have elected to use one- and just like your microwave, television, vcr, dvd player, clock radio, ETC. you’ll have to learn how to use it too.

But mostly Elderly Americans, there’s this idea that I should somehow have some sort of respect for you because your bones are frail, your skin is saggy & wrinkly, your memory is almost shot, and there isn’t enough room on a birthday cake for all your candles anymore (and besides with diabetes you’re not needing much of that cake anyway are you?). No. Fucking no. I do not buy that for one moment.

On the day I become an old man I want to be fed to the wolves.

Sincerely,

Bill Latham
Austin, TX

Oh shit. It’s 2009.

2008 came in like a B52’s video and went out like a roaring train. Or maybe a brush fire. I am not speaking metaphorically so much as I am literally describing events from NYE 2007 and NYE 2008. Many pardons for not taking the time to be less cryptic or at least explain myself more. I should also note that I spent New Year’s dangerously close to a moving train feeling my shirt blowing into the wind from it’s breeze. Somewhere the memory of a Union Pacific Safety speaker to Gunn Elementary School in the early 1990’s was shaking his head at my behavior.

Oh shit! It’s 2009.

2008 was a good year. I just had my second anniversary in Texas. As far as life choices I have made go, Texas has left me a fairly satisfied man. In another 24 days, I’ll have been at my job for 2 years. Shortly after Valentine’s Day, I’ll have been in my apartment for 2 years. 2 years. Man. 2 years ago I rolled into town in the back seat of Mike Edrington’s Toyota Corolla with a garbage bag full of clothes, a suitcase full of books, cd’s, ETC, and my guitar and nothing else.

Oh shit: it’s 2009!!!

2007 I got started. 2008 was a work in progress. Rewarding, confusing, fun, pleasant, satisfactory- I’m getting bored listing adjectives- 2008 was about stability more than anything else, I think. I’ve never lived in any one location since my renter’s life began for my than a year and a half. Now I have.

Oh shit- it’s 2009!!!!

While it should be noted that during my residency in Iowa City, I was there from 2000-2002, I never spent the summers or winters there between classes. That is to say that my two year stint was minus a few months. Two years in Austin has been two full years in Austin. It kind of makes college feel like it was some sort of vacation. In a way, I suppose it was. That was a long time ago anyway. I digress.

Oh shit, it’s 2009.

I always like the New Year holiday. It’s always the best. It’s the Alpha and the Omega (to borrow a phrase from my favorite cartoon character) of holidays. New Year’s is the ourosboros to our calendar. New Year’s is like bookends. New Year’s is like finishing up a good book and then cracking open it’s sequel and getting into an ongoing adventure again. So far the next volume has been off to a pretty good start- New friends & faces- old friends on vacation- a couple days of adventuring and hanging out- the things I enjoy in life the most, for sure. The new year marches on.

Oh shit. It’s 2009.

Happy New Year everybody.