Brown Sauce

May 19thCuba, A&K P2P, Post #2

On our second day in Cuba, we awoke to an amazing breakfast buffet. My pregnant wife filled a bag with pastries to snack on throughout the day, and we were off. On the bus, our guide said we had, “a giant of a day.” We didn’t think anything of it at the time.

I expected the rum and cigars to be excellent, but I was not aware of how good the coffee would be. Espresso, cafe con leche, or americano, it was always surprisingly good. Add some Cuban whole beans to the list of things I’ll order the day the embargo ends.

I got a few mosquito bites the night before, but this is why I didn’t get eaten alive.

Our Cuban guide told us about the day’s events as we cruised down the causeway.

Our first stop was La Imprenta, a local print shop that was in the process of changing from a state run enterprise to a privately owned collective. Essentially, the shop was petitioning the Cuban government to allow it to privatize, with the end goal of increasing the salary of each of the employees, who would be equal partners. This was an example of how the Cubans seem to know that Communism has failed, and that they want something different, but what they want is not exactly or not always American-style capitalism. The government is allowing privately owned businesses that operate for profit, and this one just one of many examples. The restaurants were the first businesses to privatize (illegally, and then legally), and they seem to often be more capitalist in the way Americans think of capitalism. This print shop showed us that there is already a range of private business possibilities in Cuba on a socialist-leaning to full American-style capitalist spectrum. It makes one wonder what the future holds for business in Cuba. The manager was an interesting guy. He clearly wanted to improve his employees’ salary and quality of life. He also wanted to maintain the soul of his work, and not update the machinery or automate any processes. Its a romantic notion, but I’m not sure how it will work out long term. I hope they’re still doing well when I return.

Our next stop was Proyecto de Arte Por la Costa where we met with Madelin Perez Noa and her husband, Leo. They discussed their art and their community outreach in Caibarien, the fishing village in which they reside. My wife learned to make recycled paper, that they later use for art projects. My mom bought my future child his/her first toy. After the tour, the demonstrations, and some discussion, we got back on the bus and headed to a sugar museum.

We were greeted with some guarapo (fresh pressed sugarcane juice), which was surprisingly good and complex. We got to operate a hand car, and learned all about the history of sugar production on the island. After the tour, we boarded a steam train for lunch.

The train stopped and we disembarked for lunch.

After lunch we got to see a palm climbing demonstration. The climber was very proud of his work, and ability to harvest 100+ trees a day in his prime, but was sad that it was a dying art. After the meal and the demonstration, we got back on the train and headed back to Remedios. This time, we rode in the engine. Hanging off a moving train while branches go by, trying to get creative pictures is not particularly safe. I survived, unburned, uninjured, and this is the result:

In Remedios, we took a bicitaxi (pedicab/bike rickshaw) though town, into the main square, and to Remedios Cathedral. We got to speak to members of the church, and the taxi owners. With the help of my SpanishDict app (which works without a cellular connection), we were able to have an interesting conversation with a driver who’s brother left for Miami. I won’t get into the specifics, but lets just say it may be challenging for Cuba to create opportunity and wealth while also discouraging its newly upwardly mobile from immigrating to the US. Also, notice the baseball shrine in the Cathedral. They are quite serious about their baseball.

Despite our giant of a day, we got back to the hotel in the afternoon. I managed to get some beach time in, and then as it started to rain, I had my first real cigar of the trip, and Monte #4.

The cigar was not the cleanest most pristine stick I’ve ever encountered, but the taste and draw were superb. The view and company was even better.

After the cigar, we met my parents at the bar, and then we headed to dinner at the hotel.

The mojito was made with HC tres anos. It was great. Before I left, I read a book about the Bacardi family and company, and the history of Cuba. As far as I know, Bacardi does not make a three year old rum, or even an aged white. Maybe if Havana Club and Bacardi have to compete for the American market in the future, Bacardi will match its offerings.

Dinner was excellent, but the real surprise was on the apéritif and digestif table. Bourbon! I asked the guides about it, and they were unsure how this was possible. I had a glass poured and thought about how I was missing the derby. That evening I didn’t have much time to reflect, as I was exhausted.

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May 19thCUBA! Abercrombie and Kent People to People Review, Trip Post #1, Tons of pictures, Itinerary

Links to each post (the trip is broken down by day) about my Cuban Adventure are provided at the bottom of this post (Suggested reading method, open each post in a new tab, start the playlist provided below, light a cigar, pour some rum, and enjoy).

About a week ago, I got back from Cuba. It was the trip of a lifetime. Let me start my explaining how and why I went. Three years ago, my mom got to travel to Cuba as part of a medical delegation. It was not a tourism trip, but she did get to have dinner at a Paladar (privately owned and run restaurant, an example of capitalism in Cuba, and the first such business to be privatized in Cuba), go to some museums, and tour old Havana. She had a great time, and I was very jealous. I found out about legal travel to Cuba via People to People trips, and did some research. A&K seemed to have the best reputation and itinerary, so for my 30th birthday, we booked a trip. The journey began with a short flight to Miami.

While in Cuba, there were amazingly talented musicians everywhere. In order to get the full Cuban experience, please enjoy this playlist as you read my Cuba posts:

I’d also like to add that P2P trips are not tourist trips per say. Essentially, you’re committing to a mandatory full schedule of educational excursions. It was not a relaxing trip compared to say a typical beach vacation. The pace seemed fine for people of all ages, but if you just like to lay around and recharge while on vacation, this trip is not for you. Everyone in my group had an amazing time, and I’d love to go again. If you found my blog by searching for Cuba P2P trips, book with A&K. You won’t regret it. I hope y’all enjoy my posts.

At our introductory meeting, you could already tell it was going to be an amazing trip. Open bar, enthusiastic guide, comprehensive to do and not to do list, and informative Q&A. We also heard from our first P2P contact. A Miami native of Cuban descent spoke about the diaspora in Miami, their values, beliefs, politics, etc. It was very informative and enjoyable. One could also tell that the other travelers were going to make the trip that much better. My wife and I were the only couple in our 30s, but there were a few others between our age and my parents’. However, most were about my parents age or older, but all were very fascinating and asked great questions. Another unexpected advantage of going with A&K is the quality of your traveling companions. The next morning we headed to the airport for the flight to Cuba. It was a very normal airport experience. I was mistaken for a Cuban by an old Cuban gentleman, which made my day.

Above is our first view of Cuba. On the flight, I made a friend (for legal reasons, lets call him a forced acquaintance). He sat next to me, and was quite a character. He was an American visiting family in Cuba. He brought a bottle of Rum from Barbados, and proceeded to drink about half of it on the very short flight. He smoked an e-cigarette until the flight attendant chewed him out. He had the long fingernails of a guitar player, but I started thinking perhaps they were for snorting as opposed to strumming.

After customs, the group got the bags, and headed for the door. Our guide was overburdened, so I offered to roll his bag for him. He accepted. As I walked toward the exit, I was stopped by security. They asked me to wait. I did. They asked me to step into another area, and I complied. Then they asked me to open my bag. I explained that I could not, as it was padlocked, and not mine. They were not at all happy about this. Then I looked over, and my buddy from the plane was also being searched. I was starting to think the trip might be over before it had begun, or at least, that my accommodations might change. I kept my cool, as I had done nothing wrong, and eventually, our guide came back, and was able to explain the misunderstanding. As it turns out, he was carrying some blank canvases as a gift, and customs simply wanted to provide him with some documentation so that he could get completed works out of the country at his time of departure. When I finally got back to the bus, which I had held up, there were many jokes about how perhaps I shouldn’t dress like a narco, and ¿Cómo se dice, “its not my cocaine”?

We headed to our first P2P experience in Cuba. It was a children’s theater in Santa Clara, and we got to see a show about the many different cultures and dance styles in Cuba. The theme of which was about equality. It was also our first experience with Cuba’s infrastructure and ingenuity. There was a big rain storm, and the power went out. The teachers managed to get their apple macbook hooked up to some speakers they powered via a battery, and the show went on despite the outage.

It was an interesting experience, and the kids were talented. It was a good way to get the group participating and dancing, as its hard to turn down a cute kid, especially when you don’t speak the language. After the theater, we headed to the Melia Buena Vista Cayo de Santa Maria. Its an all inclusive hotel that is out on an island, which is connected to the mainland by a long causeway/bridge. Since we had still not exchanged any money, it was nice that everything was included. We settled into the room, walked down to the beach, grabbed a beer from the mini fridge, and then hit the bar.

I ordered a double of Havana Club seleccion de maestros neat. Our guide came, and explained in detail the genesis of said bottle, and suggested all the other guys on the trip have a glass. Then we moved on the the Santiago de Cuba Once. It was a little sweeter than I generally prefer, but I found it to be a fine after dinner drink, and great compliment to a cigar. I grabbed a couple Monte #4s, and a few Joyitas (mini-panatelas) for a quick smoke.

That night we had an amazing dinner, which somehow, I don’t have any pictures of. I was seated next to a lady from Annapolis. We started a conversation about our favorite Caribbean islands that spread to our whole side of the table. The consensus seemed to be that I had to try St. Barths, and St. John. My vote was for Barbados. After a leisurely dinner with plenty of rum, we went to see some dancing. I lit up one of the joyitas, and polished off a glass of Once.

As we watched the show, I kept thinking about how amazing the cigar and rum was, and about how crazy it was to be in Cuba. The group was great, the guide was great, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I was overwhelmed. I remembering thinking, “Wow”, to myself. Not my most eloquent or articulate moment, but as I said, I really was overwhelmed by the experience. At about 11:30, we called it a night, as we had a very early morning.

Author’s Note: I have a lot to write, before I forget. I intend to edit and add links as I go. This is a work in progress as long as this note remains. Thank you for your patience, and check back for updates.

Cuba Trip Navigation (Suggested reading method, open each post in a new tab, start the playlist provided in day 1, light a cigar, pour some rum, enjoy):

Day 1

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=1912 (intro, flight, children’s theater company, Cayo de Santa Maria, wow)

Day 2

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=1964 (print shop, Proyecto de Arte Por la Costa, sugar museum, steam train, bicitaxi, beach)

Day 3

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2170 (Baseball, senior center, danzon compeititon, Havana, Vistamar paladar)

Day 4

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2300 (foreign services presentation, Muraleando neighborhood community project, architectural walking tour, Casa de Africa, mojito and salsa lesson)

Day 5

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2451 (cigar factory, tobacco farm, jazz club)

Day 6

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2694 (Las Terrazas, Dinner at Fuster’s house)

Day 7

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=2997 (Hospital, Finca La Vigia (Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba), Tropicana revue show)

Day 8

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=3155 (cemetery, Almacenes de San José, Sloppy Joe’s, Yank Tanks, Hotel Nacional, Jazz Club)

Day 9

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=3366 (cigars, flight to Miami, Little Havana)

Day 10

http://bonvivantva.com/?p=3483 (flight home, souvenirs, wrap up)

If you’re planning a trip to Cuba, check out some more advice here, and here.

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Apr 27thDIY Freddy’s BBQ from House of Cards, Smoking using the WSM is EASY, Sunderland AFC, Virginia Gentleman vs Maker’s Mark

All I had on the agenda this Sunday was smoking some ribs. I woke up this morning to Sunderland v Cardiff on the DVR. This is the last game I’m able to watch this season, as I’ll be in Cuba with no internet access for the remaining three games. Sunderland is still at risk of relegation, but currently outside the relegation zone. If I was going to be in town, I would not miss a single second.

I bought my dad a smoker for xmas, and he said he wanted to have some ribs on Sunday. We’ve smoked before, but he wanted to see the process again so he could do it on his own. He had Nationals tickets on Sunday and couldn’t be there to see my process first hand, so I figured I’d write up the steps so he can read it in case he wants to smoke solo. I hope its of help to you as well. I’m no expert, but that means anyone can do it. Here are two more resources to get you going (click here and here).

A lot of people have been finding my site by searching for House of Cards related material. I figured I’d give this post a HOC slant to see if I can’t generate some more traffic. Frank Underwood is from SC, but the ribs hes seen eating look to be covered in a sweeter tomato based sauce not typical of his region. FU would more likely prefer South Carolina mustard based sauce or maybe even North Carolina vinegar based sauce (see link below for more detail). I’ll give y’all my NC style sauce recipe. I don’t like mustard sauce, but my wife loves it. I did find a good SC mustard sauce at the store, which my wife found to be delicious. Mostly, I’ll explain how to make your own Freddy’s ribs (spoiler alert), now that DIY is your only way to get them. I found a great resource on the details about Freddy’s ribs here.

This post contains instructions for a basic smoke with no preparation. I went shopping right before smoking. Nothing was brined, marinated, or required any extra time or effort. The prep time for the smoker and ribs was about 15 minutes total. My cook time was 4.5 hours, but as you’ll see below, its a leisurely 4.5. My goal with this post is to show everyone the easiest way to learn to smoke ribs. Once you get the basics down, the sky is the limit.

To start, you need to buy a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker (not the smallest one). Its the best of the best, and if you don’t believe me, do a little research and check the amazon reviews. I have a fraternity brother that does competition smoking, and the WSM is what he and his competitors use.

First we went to Balduccis to get the baby backs. I love a place with a real butcher.

Using a smoker is much easier than you’d think. First you get some charcoal started in a chimney. I’m a proponent of the minion method, which basically just means you put the hot coals in the center of some cold charcoal, and let it burn from the inside out to keep the temperature constant throughout the smoke. When you add wood, I used apple and hickory, you don’t need to soak it. Just add 6-8 pieces for a 4-6 hour smoke. 4 hours is about all you need for ribs. I don’t even use a meat thermometer when I do ribs. Thats how easy it is, and how hard to mess up. I like to use some water in the water pan, but experts are pretty split on the issue. I get a good bark even with water, and it keeps things moist, so I don’t see any drawbacks (google for more info). Then you just put the middle and lid of the smoker back on, and you’re in business. The temp will creep up, and if you hold steady anywhere between 220 and 250 degrees, you’re golden. You adjust temp using the air vents. I start about about a quarter open, and slowly open them up until I’m in the smoke zone. You want to start by adjusting the top vent, and then if you have to, adjust the lower vents. Small adjustments are key.

Once the grill is set, you need to get the meat on. Plain mustard provides a great adhesive surface for a dry rub. The mustard really doesn’t change the flavor profile, so don’t worry about that. I do have a favorite rub, but I just found this one at the grocery store today. Stubbs is pretty easy to find, and it was pretty good. Once I got the dry rub on the ribs, I put them on a rack (optional), and started smoking them.

Next I started on a carolina style bbq sauce. I followed the previous link fairly loosely. I used about a cup and a half of apple cider vinegar, and another cup and a half of distilled white vinegar. Then I poured a little bbq sauce in. I also shook in some of the dry rub. Thats really all there was to it, and it turned out great. Once the flavors meld a little, it will be even better.

If anyone reading this thinks smoking ribs looks difficult, I’ve included the following to show you just had hard it really is… While smoking, I decided to compare Maker’s Mark to Virginia Gentleman. I poured a glass of each. I really had to concentrate to pick a favorite. They’re both very drinkable. The Maker’s is more complex, and has a slightly better nose. I really expected more of a difference between the two. I’ve never been a huge Maker’s fan. For mixing, I’m going with the gentleman. For drinking straight, see my other brown sauce posts for my favorites. I also had a Fuente Hemingway short story maduro. If you’re a cigar guy, you may know what I mean when I say sometimes a cigar is just on. Perfect age, humidity, etc. Everything was right with this one, and it was a wonderful smoke. Its one of my favorites.

Putting in a hard days work…

I enjoyed the spring day. But I did monitor the temp a few times. It was pretty easy with my remote display. I really can’t stress enough how easy it is to learn to use a smoker. Especially with ribs, you can get a good result your first time, and then really fine tune your abilities without much investment. Don’t be afraid to take it up as a new hobby.

My parents got home from the Nationals game, and my dad and I watched the Wizards in the playoffs on the DVR. Once the ribs had been on about 4 hours, I pulled them off, put them in tin foil, and dressed them. I put a store bought bbq sauce on one, butter, and dark brown sugar. On the other rack, I mopped on the homemade vinegar based sauce, added a little butter, and even a sprinkle of brown sugar. I topped it with another quick shake of the dry rub. Then I put them back on the smoker, and let it run a little hotter. After 30 minutes the sauces had caramelized, and the ribs looked amazing.

Carolina Style:

Store bought bbq:

Then we looked over the details about our upcoming trip to Cuba.

It was a great, relaxing day. I hope my instructions inspire you to give smoking a try. It really is easy. A lot of sites will overwhelm you with detail. Take it from me, you do not need to be detail oriented to make great ribs. I really think most people can turn out better ribs than most restaurants just by following my directions. Just check out some youtube videos, and my links, and you’ll be able to end up with some really amazing ribs.

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Apr 26thVery Old Barton Age Statement Update

I just got an email back from a customer affairs associate at Sazerac. She told me that the label has changed, but the product has not. Click here for the original post.

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Apr 26thRIR, Spring 2014

Friday morning I headed down to Richmond International Raceway. I met a buddy at Chick-fil-a for some chicken minis, then on to Richmond.

We got to the tailgate at about 12:30. That gave us about 7 hours or so of tailgate time. We hoisted the flags and got to partying.

The above three posted for an impromptu best dressed competition. CW (center) was mistaken for a professional fishermen at the Chick-fil-a. It made his day.

Photo_12

I had some lunch, the sun was shining, but then the skys quickly turned. We waiting out the downpour under the canopies.

My friend Bolt always rocks the socks and, “shower shoes” look. My buddy RP always gives him the business about it. Too bad he wasn’t around to see them in the weather.

The rain stopped for the most part, and he headed in. We had to wait out some more rain under an overhang with maybe 200 other dedicated/hammered fans. It let up again. They dried the track for what felt like hours, but they finally let them run.

Some of us got a little sleepy, and called it a night early. The first time Almang passed out in the stands, we have him a ton of crap over it. Now, its so commonplace that nobody really even noticed our buddies dozing.

Despite the weather, a great time was had by all. I only get to see some of these guys a few times a year, so I love being able to catch up. This was the first year I listened in on the radio a little. I thought that really adds to the experience. My college friends move, get married, have kids, etc., but I hope we keep doing the Richmond races for years and years to come. If you haven’t seen a NASCAR race live, you don’t know what you’re missing.

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Apr 24thMagruders, Very Old Barton 6 year – King of the house bourbons

I’ve been a patron of the Virginia ABC stores since the day before I turned 21 (2nd Question). If you’re not familiar, ABC stores are generally state run liquor stores. For hard to find bottles, I generally have to make a run to DC or MD, where liquor stores are privatized. This is not very convenient for me, and rare bottles are generally expensive bottles, so I did not often venture out for booze. This all changed a few years ago when a buddy of mind was clerking for a judge in Alexandria. Said judge purchased bartons vodka by the crate (don’t know if the dude was an alcoholic, and its not particularly germane). He did this at Magruders in DC to save money. For example, a handle (1.75 l) of makers mark is about $62 at the VA ABC, but $54 at Magruders. Thats $8 in your pocket. I might spend that much on gas, so I generally try to stock up when I go. I also don’t usually buy makers (except for parties, as its often requested, and widely enjoyed), but I think Magruders uses it as a loss leader because its often on sale, and heavily discounted. A better current example is grey goose vodka. $69 at VA ABC, $45 at Magruders. Thats $24 bucks in savings. Magruders recently went through an ownership change. In the past, almost every bottle (handles always did, and still carry the best deals) was as good a deal as the grey goose is currently. Now, you have to pay a little more attention. Even so, on handles, I’d estimate that you’re saving an average of $9 a handle on top shelf liquor. If you need to stock your bar, or you’re having a big party, there is no better place to stock up than Magruders.

Another thing we learned from a judge in Alexandria, is that Very Old Barton is a very drinkable bourbon. At the time, despite being very much into bourbon, we hadn’t heard of it. When I first learned about it, I read that VOB was the number one selling bourbon in Kentucky. I can’t be sure if that was true, but here is a VOB sales accolade from THE expert. I was quite interested, and after giving it a try, I was very impressed. Here is a review that I basically agree with. To summarize, VOB is good, its not great, but for the price, it can’t be beat. My guests drink a lot of my bourbon, so having a good house bourbon is of the utmost importance to me. No one but the uninitiated turn up their nose at VOB, and even they quickly realize their mistake.

The worst part about the ownership change was the price change in Blanton’s. Shown above for $60, it used to be hover around $47. The other day, I was in Silver Spring for a meeting, and swung by on the way home. I noticed they were fully stocked with the 6 year expression of VOB, which may be being phased out in favor of a no-age-statement iteration. I stocked up… I also got another value bourbon to try out. I’ll let y’all know how it goes.

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Apr 17thMyrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 5

(This is a continuation of a 5 part post about my 2014 golf trip to Myrtle Beach. Please scroll down for the first post)

The last round on day 5 looked like it might get rained out. Some people left early. I decided to get started on the bourbon and cigars before teeing off, in case of a thunderstorm ending our round prematurely.

The rain held off, and we had a great round. I shot about as well as I did all week, and finished the round by sinking about a 15 foot putt off the fringe in front of the whole group.

On the last day of the trip, at the 18th green, a party starts as the first golfers finish, continue drinking, and start heckling the groups the come in after them. It builds and builds until the last golfers finish. Our group was the second to last to come in. By the time we arrived, the festivities were in full swing.

The partying continued in the parking lot outside the rooms. Some partied harder than others…

We went up to Gary and FJ’s room (where many a coke was exchanged) to figure out the final numbers, hand out winnings, and do some more drinking. As is apparent in some of the pictures, the party had still not ended.

Since it was the last night, we went to a steak house. I had a ribeye and a few more beers. We had a great meal, and it was a great way to end the trip. The next day we packed up, had one last IHOP breakfast, and headed home. I can’t thank Gary enough for planning such an awesome trip. I can’t thank my dad enough for including me, and my friends. It really is about the most fun group of guys you can imagine. It was a trip I’ll never forget, and I can’t wait ’til next year.

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Apr 17thMyrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 4

On the forth day, we played The Wizard. As you can see below, Jay is celebrating the miracle that occurred that enabled him to be in playing shape that morning. Jason was not doing quite as well. The rest of us faired better than anticipated, given the previous evening.

We queued up, and watched the first drives over water.

Larry enjoyed a little impromptu driving range time into the water.

Jason pulled it together and teed off (above).

The rain wig was in effect, and some old crow in a shot glass my dad bought me helped with the weather.

The rain started slow, then really started coming down. It came and went, but didn’t ruin the round.

After the round, we all piled in our vehicles and headed down to the beach for dinner at Soho. After a great dinner, Gary added up our scores, and figured out the skins, longest drives, closest to the pins, and longest putts.

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Apr 17thMyrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 3

On day 3 of the trip, I woke up, got a coffee, and watched players on Wizard approach and putt out on our screened porch. Then we headed to IHOP for breakfast, and then the Witch for our round. It was pretty hot out as we warmed up.

I never got a shot of the whole group at once, but this is about half of us. My dad, my second cousin Larry, Winn-Dixie, and his son C-Note teed off in the group before us. I rode with CW.

The Witch had a lot of wildlife on the course. Including a pretty fearless raccoon, and thankfully, some more disinterested gators.

It was my birthday, and we got paired up with some young guns. This was by far my worst round score-wise, but we had a great time. We played with one of these guys last year, and had a very similar experience. Hopefully, we’ll get to play together again next year.

Before the booze kicked in, we did have some pretty incredible shots. The young gun in the white shirt bent a ball around a huge tree to land on the green. It was incredible. He even called his shot.

It was hard enough to find errant balls without the oyster shells.

Larry told me that one year the course didn’t have its liquor license. He was feeling thirsty, and drove the cart across the (very busy) street, to buy some beers.

The course was beautiful, and despite worrying slightly about pace of play as some of my buddies started to feel the affects of intoxication, I had a great time. The group behind us was also from West Virginia, and the small talk with them prior to the round may have kept them from complaining. I hope we didn’t slow them down too much, but I imagine we may have. Hopefully they still enjoyed the round.

I happened to wear the exact same shirt as Taylor that round. He gets a little stressed about his golf game on occasion, but its nothing a few beers and some bourbon can’t fix. He might have gotten just a tad carried away, as he took a spill on the 18th green and made a bit of a knee divot. Larry got out his repair tool, and I have to say, its the first time I’ve seen a knee mark repaired on a green. Notice how Corey is still lining up a putt despite the chaos around him.

The young guns didn’t make it, but we had a pretty epic evening out. If you want details, you’ll have to ask me about it. Specifically, ask about how they climbed to the rafters, C-Note got tackled, Jason miraculously didn’t get us kicked out, the desperation line, and about CW’s G bucks. I had an awesome birthday. I couldn’t have had a better time. We finally dragged Jason out and got home around 2am.

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Apr 17thMyrtle Beach Golf Trip, Day 2

On Saturday, we got up early to get down to SC. We saw some familiar sights on the drive down. The trip is organized by Gary, my dad’s best friend growing up. Its about 40 guys, mostly from the Huntington area of WV. The majority of the guys about my dad’s age, but with a few guys just older and younger than me as well. We met up with everyone at the Man O War course. It was a beautiful day and an awesome course. I rode with Winn-Dixie, and we both played pretty well.