Throwing out 25 lbs of my childhood.

I found a box of "keepsakes" in the basement today. Over the course of the last year I've been paring down my possessions, and this trip down memory lane was no exception. I kept a small box of things - old diaries/journals ("I have morons for sisters..." circa 1999), a school project on cats that bears a striking resemblance to lolcats even though its eleven years old, and so on. But I threw out a good seventy percent of it. It was nice to look back on the bizarre child I was, but those items held no meaning when I wasn't looking at them. I couldn't have told you what was in that box before I opened it. So into the trash and donate bins it went. Pieces of my childhood I will never see again.

Book Review: Travels With Barley

Image: BeerBooks.com

After reading Travels with Charley for the second time, the next book on my to-read list was obvious. Travels with Barley: A Journey Through Beer Culture in America by Ken Wellsis an analysis of American beer culture told through the author's quest to find the "perfect beer joint" along the Mississippi River.

Wells intersperses his road trip/dive bar narrative with "diversions" - chapters about places, people, or beer he has encountered beyond the flood plain. The book is stuffed with facts and figures, everything from how many breweries there are in Portland, Oregon (26) to how many acres of hops Anheuser-Busch is growing in Northern Idaho (1,800). At times it seems there are more numbers on the page than words, but the figures are almost always vital to his analysis. The reader definitely develops an appreciation for the behemoth that is Anheuser-Busch, as well as the small but far from insignificant homebrewing movement.

Wells leaves no tap untested in this clear and entertaining examination of beer in America. As a beer enthusiast, there were several topics covered that I was already aware of, but much of the book was new to me. I enjoyed Wells' encounters with a host of colorful characters along his journey, as well as the inside look into hops farming, homebrewing, and beer history. From the hardcore Bud proponents to the homebrewing aficionados, anyone who has ever enjoyed a cold, frothy (or even a warm, flat) pint will take something away from this book.

San Francisco Part 1: Google

Update:  Check out my more recent posts here on Chocolate and Bacon. I write about travel, crafts, education, history, books, and more! If you're looking for recipes, check out my other blog, Feeding My Love.

This post has been a long time coming. Last Thanksgiving Chris and I made plans to visit my cousin Steph in San Francisco. When we got back to school we booked our flight out. 

Early one January morning, my future brother-in-law drove Chris and I to Newark. We left behind a New Jersey winter and said "hello" to the mild climate of Northern California.

Our first adventure was touring the YouTube and Google offices. It was better than Disney for a Google fan-girl like me.

My sister was in Dubai, so we thought we'd visit, too.

The last time Steph and I were on vacation together, we went to Disney World. Ten years later we revisit my favorite ride.

Spacecraft hanging form the ceiling, nbd.

Oh yeah, Rainn Wilson was there, too.

The food alone is reason enough to visit. We opted for an Asian-themed lunch.

Bikes to help you get around the campus quickly.

Where are we?

Yes, I could name all the desserts.

Bonus! Tour of Stanford University. Very Sunnydale ;)

And that was all just the first day!

Interlude

I find it very difficult to keep up with writing during the summer. Year after year, I go weeks between diary entries. Some of my best moments and memories have been lost to time because I never wrote them down.

This year, I will say this: I am having a wonderful summer living with my boyfriend, my housemate and my dog; I have completed two more certifications (Water Safety Instructor and Swiftwater Rescue Technician); I am having a grand old time at camp; and I am spending lots of time with my friends and family. In a nutshell, I am having a summer.

I hope you are, too.

Ein

Flowers