Jumpin' At The Woodside

Phillies World Series Champs 2008! Booyah!!! - Salud!

My sister, we'll call her Momma Lou, is a huge Phillies fan. She's an Eagles fan too, basically a hometown sports girl - nothing wrong with that! She and a friend are as close to ground zero for the World Series tonight as you can get without being at the game itself. They're at Chickie's & Pete's , just a few blocks from Citizens Bank Park where Game 5 is about to get underway. She's been calling with updates and sending picts. The photo to the right is of Eagles head coach Any Reid who was at Chickie's for a Comcast SportsNet interview. The photo below is a collage of photos she sent to give you a flavor of the pre-game atmosphere - Chickie's & Pete's are famous for their crab fries. As for yours truly, I'll be watching the game on the ol' big screen. Got Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale and BBQ chicken on tap this evening. GO PHILS!!! - Salud!

Remember those old Budweiser "Wassup?" commercials, here's an update for our times.

Happy Autumn Eve to one and all! I'm listening to my very own Halloween Mix this evening - the 2nd CD is coming to a close - and enjoying a Stone IPA . It's got a very nice aroma and taste, a classic IPA from San Diego County, Calif. There's a gargoyle on the label so fits in nicely with the time of year! Today marks two rainy Fridays in a row. Last Saturday I swept all the acorns on the driveway and patio into the yard. Looks like I have to do it again this weekend. They're really piling up! The Halloween Mix has now moved on to the third CD. I never look on it as "finished." There is always room for improvement. For instance, I think the first CD is very strong, but probably could benefit with the removal of at least one song. Perhaps next year I'll re-work the entire mix, who knows? - Salud!   Halloween 2008 - Disc #1 1. Autumn Leaves (Harry Potter Mix) – Morbid Miles Davis (4:45) 2. Moondance – Van The Invisible Man Morrison (4:35) 3. Witchcraft – Frig...

Happy Friday to one and all! Tonight, my glass saw the Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale that is like silk for the IPA lover and a Smuttynose IPA from NH. I've had Smuttynose before, but not their IPA. Their IPA has a similar style to the Bells Two-Hearted Ale. I like it, but different than my usual IPA. The color is not as dark and the taste is more light and fruity than the bolder IPAs that I traditionally enjoy. I picked up my beverages this evening from this little, funky market near The Penguin , which has been featured on the Food Network. The market is a cool little joint, even has its own bar, but prices higher than Total Wine. Not a regular stop, but they definitely cater to the beer lover, and I could see myself being a repeat visitor on occasion. - Salud!

Grey evening here at The Woodside, actually already dark as I type this. Catching up with what's going down at The Woodside this week... Dave has been Twittering away and I have joined in along with the Lazy Acres crew - Big Daddy Acres and Momma Acres . Mostly just random thoughts shot out into the proverbial Internet super-highway. But, I think a good way to look back on the week that was and consolidate into a blog posting. I have been working on my latest update to the Halloween Mix. This is big news as it will be the first time I've added an entire CD to the Mix since 2001, I believe. It's been a two-CD Mix for quite awhile now and this year with the addition of the third CD is quite a breakthrough. Last night I think I got close to rounding out the song selection, but the Halloween SFX still need to be added. Also, rather than pull apart what I've already done with the two CDs, this new CD will be standalone much like the two original CDs. I'll leave it up ...

Since I had the roof replaced I've experienced an increase in "things that go bump in the night." Acorns have been falling from the trees, landing on the roof and then rolling down the length of it. I don't recall these noises before, probably because before the roof was replaced there were actually two layers of roof shingles. Now that there is only a single layer of roof shingles, I hear the acorns dropping very distinctly. The first time I heard them I was startled, but quickly deciphered the strange noise. At least it's not a ghostly infestation. - Salud!

If you love the taste of hops along with the color and aroma of a fine pale ale, get your hands on some Sierra Nevada Wet Hop Harvest Ale . I found one of these and the smoothness of taste left me without words -- Aye carumba that is one fine ale! FYI, It's only available in large, single bottles. Go on and get ya some. - Salud!

Finally found me some of the new Budweiser American Ale! Very nice aroma and color. Has a clean taste. Not as hoppy as the IPAs I normally drink, but still very good. Bravo Bud. - Salud!

Nothing spooky On Tap this evening, just your average everyday Rolling Rock for this "Joe Six-Pack." Temps have been very seasonal here, looking to drop down to 48 here overnight. My running schedule fell off a bit in September, but already have two runs in for this week and Saturday I'm due for a date with the lawnmower as grass-cutting season winds down. Looks like the gas shortage is slowly starting to ease up. Many stations still without gas, but the ones that do have it seem to have shorter lines and many without lines at all. I filled up earlier this week with some help from the Charlotte Observer online fuel map. I filled up without any wait at all, although I paid $3.99 a gallon! I'm sure the price will start to come down once our shortage crisis is over. In other local news... Wachovia was set for a takeover by Citigroup, but now it looks to be eaten up by Wells Fargo. Let's hope it's Wells Fargo who comes out on top in this debacle, which would be a ...