49 Try 50 new different beers (25/50)

With Crystal's help last night, I made it halfway to my goal on trying new beer. Thursday night OJ brought over some St Pauli Girls, not a bad beer, a little light for my tastes though. Throughout my taste testing, I've noticed I like Witbiers, stouts, and porters.

Beer 25 was Odell Cutthroat Porter, from a CO brewer. Crystal picked it out since I was in the mood for a porter, and I have to say it's really a nice pick.

As a side note, in trying to find the exact name for the Cutthroat Porter, I found a site I may join, beeradvocate.com. They have a lot of beer reviews there, they'll definitely be used for finding future purchases.

49 Try 50 new different beers (23/50)

Got a sampler pack of Sam Adams Winter classics containing six different brews, and got to cross each one of them off:
Sam Adams (technically had it earlier in the year at the Holiday Gala)
Sam Adams Winter Lager
Sam Adams Coastal Wheat
Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic (not a fan)
Sam Adams Holiday Porter (awesome)
Sam Adams Old Fizziwig Ale

And one from the local brewery that I had at supper last month:
Gella's American Hefeweizen

Almost halfway to my goal of 50 new beers. I think I need another sampler pack to knock a bunch out at once again.

2009 In Review

So since the year is up figure it's time to run down a list of what all happened last year...

My last cigarette was 1/4/09. I admittedly had a hard time quitting but I did it. I bought a car, started losing weight like I'd needed to for years, made a list for self improvement. My favorite thing that happened though was that I met somebody. She doesn't care for me being sappy at all, so I will leave it alone after one sentence. Due to meeting her, I can say that in 2009 I started being genuinely happy again. Last night was spent at home with Sara, Fawn, and Az, playing Boom Blox Bash Party and having a quiet night in, and was one of the best New Year's Eves ever for me.

For my list, I have done quite a lot. I lost 60 lbs, learned regular expressions (computer stuff), got set up on a blind date (it was horrible), started to overcome my fears of approaching strangers by buying a complete stranger a drink in a bar, and took Sara to a DMB concert since she hadn't seen them in years. I've learned to use chopsticks, installed Ubuntu on our media box, tried out Chrome (not switching from Opera yet, but shows promise), gotten rid of my Myspace page, tried 20 new beers, 1 new wine, and learned to cook some new recipes, much to the delight of those who eat my cooking.

I need to cross more things off my list in 2010, what gets your vote for being crossed off next? Should it be something serious like writing out my will, something fun like learning to juggle, or something for self improvement, like applying to Mensa? I'm all ears for what to do next.

So I changed something tonight....

I took out my septum ring, gave it to Sara. I've thought about taking it out for a while now, just seemed like a good time to do it. I was going to give it to her for xmas, but I realized that a small jewelry box that's wrapped would tend to freak a significant other out a bit or give the wrong impression until opened.

Part of the reason why I got it in the first place was that I was insecure, and was extremely self conscious, so doing something that made people take notice and tend to stare was empowering. Granted, I was also an asshole who enjoyed making people uncomfortable. I have grown a great deal in the past year though, and I don't think that's as much of who I am anymore.

My face feels naked.

46 Learn 5 new recipes to cook (1/5)

I made soup tonight, something my mom used to make all the time when I was growing up. I was just in the mood for it, and turns out I can make it without burning the house down :) One down, four to go.

42 Visit Brooke and Merlin at their home at least three times (1/3)

I feel bad crossing this one off, as we didn't get to spend much time with them. I'm crossing one time off of the list, but also adding a time. So it counts but it doesn't count at the same time.

41 Go to 5 events (1/5)

Went to see Dave Matthews Band in KC on 9/30 with Sara. It. Was. Epic. Great show, next time I am definitely saving enough for floor seats rather than the second level we were on this time. Here's the setlist from the show:

Pantala Naga Pampa >
Rapunzel
Proudest Monkey
Funny the Way It Is
Lying in the Hands of God
Shake Me Like a Monkey
Gravedigger (w/ Willie Nelson)
The Dreaming Tree
Spaceman
Lie in Our Graves
Why I Am
You Might Die Trying
You & Me
Crash Into Me
Crush
Alligator Pie
Tripping Billies

Encore
Baby Blue (Dave Solo)
So Much to Say >
Anyone Seen the Bridge > Too Much [fake] >
Halloween