Being a beer geek is a little more work now

The degree to which craft beer is a part of the culture in Oregon would probably surprise most folks who haven't been there before. While I doubt we'll ever approach that mindset down here, the craft beer scene is certainly worlds different (and better) than when we headed out west back in 1997. There are a number of well-respected breweries like Highland, Pisgah and Foothills in NC, and COAST in SC, and a decent brewpub here and there. There are a least a couple of microbrews to be found even in the small-town Bi-Los, and decent beer stores to be found if you know where to look. There are a number of beer festivals to mark on the ol' social calendar. And, thanks to my shrewd real estate selection skills, the best beer bar in the state (Barley's) is a 20-minute walk from our house.

Rhonda got outed at work as a beer geek when somebody produced a copy of the Greenville Metromix paper (kind of a nightlife guide) with a couple of pics of us. These were taken at the upstate release event of the aforementioned Foothills Brewery's Sexual Chocolate imperial stout.
I'll admit to being a bit jealous of the swank t-shirt Rhonda won as a raffle prize.

Recent trips to get our fix have taken us near (Asheville) and far (Charleston). Here are a few pics from the first annual Charleston Brewvival. Dad was kind enough to provide lodging and transportation.

Hats, gloves and chilly weather at a beer fest- are we still in Oregon?


You won't know which one is better unless you taste them both, right?

The face of a seasoned pro.

The next day was the release of COAST's Blackbeerd Imperial Stout. Here it is waiting on the shelves for me.

The fruits of my labor. A few for me, a few for friends, family, etc.

Next up- the Top of the Hops right here in Greenville at the Bi-Lo Center on April 10 (walking distance from the house- kaCHING!).

First winter storm of the year

We dodged a bullet here in Greenville, as we ended up with a bunch of sleet some ice on the trees. People seem to be driving just fine, if slowly. The ice doesn't look so bad, but Jack and I did see a tree down about 3 blocks down the street. Duke and the City of Greenville were already on the case.
Luckily, it fell on the opposite side of the street from the power lines. The only casualty was the bed of this pickup truck.

Saw a crazy guy out there as well.
Our intrepid Mountain Correspondents Mamaw and Papaw report 6 inches of snow in Franklin, pretty but manageable.

I think I'm gonna like this place

Seen last night on the menu of one of our favorite restaurants here (specializing in "New South Cuisine"):
Fresh Fried Pork Rinds with Truffle Sea Salt

Fancy, huh? I didn't have them, but they're on my to-do list.

The Return of Sugar Mama

Today, Rhonda got offered the job she interviewed for with the
Greenville Hospital System. She'll be at the main hospital location, only a 10-minute commute across town. While the last few months "off" (not counting babysitting, decorating, various home repairs, studying for the SC law exam, etc.) were a nice change of pace, she's chomping at the bit to get back to the grind. Her exact start date is TBD, as there's orientation and HR stuff to work out.

We're still firmly in adjustment mode, but it's tough to deny that things have gone pretty darned smoothly over the last few months. The following things happened after we decided to move:
* Rhonda discovered one of her friends/coworkers in Portland went to school with the pharmacy manager at GHS. She was able to make contact with him and sew those seeds back in August.
* I was able to negotiate a transfer of my job to SC (which ensured we were able to buy a house here).
* We were able to buy and sell houses 3000 miles away from each other in less than a week (no small feat "in these economic times").
* Rhonda knocked her interview out of the park and secured herself a new gig.
* Plus the normal coordination of moving, auto transport, utilities setup, etc. Oh, and beginning the process of becoming not exactly parents or guardians, but something more than a regular aunt and uncle.

To those among us who believe in the Big Man Upstairs, it's easy to believe he's had a hand in getting us to this point. At the least, it would seem Lady Luck has been on our side.

Vegetables are apparently poisonous to 12-year olds

Who knew?

We have now experienced pretty impressive tantrums from 3 out of our 4 nieces. Oddly enough (or maybe not so oddly for those of you with more kid experience than us), the youngest has proven to be the pound-for-pound champ of fit-pitching in our house so far.

I dunno, maybe we should have gotten the big one.

(ceiling is 9 feet tall)

DR Pics

Here are some pics from our trip to the Dominican Republic. After the stressful nature of the last few months, we figured we were due for a nice relaxing trip, and that's what we had!