If You'll Have Me

So I started using Google Reader to follow all my favorite blogs (don't worry, you're in there.), and because I wasn't coming here to dance the sidebar samba, I kinda forgot about producing my own content for others to follow.

Don't worry though, I've been doing plenty in the last three weeks. I went to Mobridge, SD for the weekend of the 4th. It was a good time; the highlight of which was a 16 team no holds barred (not really) bean bag tournament. It was a double elimination format, so after my team lost in the third round, we fought back through the consolation bracket to try and avenge our loss. We had to beat the team that beat us twice to win the championship, and won the first game, but lost the second one. It was great fun though, and the fans even did the Wave at one point during our finals match.

The weekend before that, I went to Nebraska City and picked four pounds of Montmorency cherries, which I turned into two pies (one with the almond extract in the filling and the other with the extract in the crust [very aromatic while working with it, needs a bit more to get the flavor to come through). Then I went up to Omaha for Shakespeare on the Green's performance of King Lear. I got there early enough to pick about 3 cups of mulberries, which I also turned into a pie (really tasty. I like the subtle flavor of mulberries.)

Forward to last weekend, I went to the Sunfest sponsored by Beer Corner USA in Omaha, which coincided nicely with the free Feist concert only 15 blocks away. At the beer fest, I tried to narrow my focus by sampling a few styles and comparing. I ranked the helles lagers, Kolsch, vienna lagers, and imperial porters and stouts. My pleasant surprise of the fest was the Eisenbahn Dourada from Brasil, which was in the Kolsch style, but had really great spice with an almost scotch ale finish.

As for the Feist concert, it was good. The Good Life, an Omaha group, and Juana Molina, an Argentine singer (who if looping yourself is a kid holding a stick, and Imogene Heap is a little leaguer, she is [insert favorite MLB star here]) opened for Leslie. Backing Ms. Feist for the concert was Clea Minaker, who does really great stuff with shadows/projection things. The performance was very good, and I appreciated that she didn't hold out her "popular" songs for an encore, she just made it all part of the show.

More to come about yestereen's Beer Advocate soiree. Suffice it now to say that I like beer people, and there are great beers and beer people near you.

Oh, after I went to the beer gathering last night I had a cake cone of peanut butter caramel and vanilla bean pear from Ivanna Cone.