Friends converged from upstate and downstate for the evening, so we went out for a beer.
Even on a Monday night, San Francisco can pack a bar.

Some mornings you wake up and wonder about the photos on your camera.
This was one of those nights.

In fact, I didn’t even snap this image.

It was a Sausage Queen preliminary round at the C&D in Northside
to see who would compete and try to lead the Bockfest parade coming up.

I believe fun was had, and no one ended up in jail.
A phone was destroyed though, so it wasn’t all lollipops and rainbows.

Oh, and the subject of this photo asked that a blue dot be placed over their face.
I complied.

Hadn’t been to the cigar tasting at the Beer Sellar for a long, long time.
Finally got back and now my coat smells like a humidor.

I could find out when I was here last if I fill in those blank six months of 2011′s album.
This gap of posting has been on my mind, but I’m relieved to just be picking back up where I left off.

My friend Kyle said, just start posting again. Don’t say anything about it. Just do.

So I did, but I feel I should mention now as I’ve caught my breath: Those six months were
jam packed with goodness. So much in fact, just sorting through the day’s photos would’ve taken
a good chunk of time, and work was busy to boot.

There it is. Nothing salacious to report.

This day was largely noted for being a Wednesday, that means I go out for a beer over in Kentucky.
Not at a gas station, but 701 Bar over off Mainstrasse.
Not sure if you have these beer caves in your neck of the woods. Essentially they are big refrigerators you
can go in to pick up your brew. Only rivaled by drive-thrus, where you get to stay in your car and shop for beer.
I’ve never gotten a good shot of  a beer drive-thru, it is on my short list.

Tangent, in nerdspeak: Today was also the day I learned how to name and deliver assets in multiple
resolutions for mobile apps. Never have I felt closer to my original roots of designing for a CD-ROMS.

Multimedia has a future.

Visited with friends over at Anne and John’s.

While everyone’s kids ran around (they’re getting more and more independent these days),
we kicked back with some brews and caught up.

John not only went across state lines to have Fat Tire, but he had a few other beers coolin in the fridge.

Fell in love with everything about the North Peak Brewing IPA: the beer itself,
the classic label, branding, and heck, just the heft of the bottle.

Good stuff, designed by Neatly Trimmed Beard (who really need to get on making their website).

More images of their work for the brewery are on Lovely Package.

Cork N Bottle parking lot — Covington, KY.

Picked up some Red Seal Ale.

Damn it’s tasty.

I keep catching myself staring at the woods thinking,
I grew up in a place like this.
I really really like it.

Why is it that I feel so much more appreciative now?

Maybe I’m becoming sensitive to the noise.
With the extra channels on the tv.
Piles of information tailored to push buttons.
The aisle of cereal.
Default ringtones across the restaurant.
The whir of fans from inflatable holiday lawn decorations.

Yes, I like the woods from time to time, just to shake all that.
As luck would have it, I spent some time there this weekend.

Happy Hour at Milton’s Tavern, Prospect Hill

Spent the holiday weekend up in the hills of West Virginia camping at Roseland.
First time at this place and enjoyed the heck out of it.
Above, a tiny snapshot of our campsite featuring Yeungling beer, and Ernie on a towel.

In all my visits to St. Louis, I’ve never been to the place that makes one of my favorite beers:
Budweiser.

That is, until this day.

Renard the fox, mascot for Budweiser’s prohibition “near beer” malt beverage called  Bevo.

How stay-tabs are made.

Ended the whole she-bang with some cold ones.

Watched the game catching up with my friends Jodi and Nick.
And though I keep taking casual pictures of the pair, I never review properly
and don’t notice the shots are too blurry until I get home.

I’m blaming the beer.

Spent Memorial Day around a pool with friends, raising our cups to those who served.
Sure it wasn’t a parade, but it seemed pretty darn American with all that Miller Lite.
I’m probably starting to look like a lush.

RGB, CMYK tattoos. (Left: Russ Maschmeyer, Right: Jessica Hische)

Pinky sits obediently.

“Mobile Homes”

John Ford rocks this shirt better than I do. (I’d also like to mention, this is my favorite shirt at the moment)

These Brooklyn fellas have good taste in beer.

Because this dog is so adorable, she gets two photos.

After the work whistle blew, the Rock Band was turned on.

Sir Evan

And this is the view that closed out the day.

(Not pictured: Pizza, and another killer game of Canasta)

Tom told his brother that I was a bit obsessed with New Belgium brews, which you can’t buy in these parts.
On his way up for the holidays Jeff brought up a few cases for me and my gratitude is great.
Extremely great.

Thank ya Jeff. You’ve made a grown man happy.

St. Patrick’s Day.
Students of Miami University in Oxford Ohio bring Quarters Tournaments outside.