One Moment In Hell And A Lifetime Of Guilt

This post was going to be all about what a great Saturday I had. My trip to the Victory Fall Fest and another fine time at TJ's with a crazy bunch of folks watching the Phils win and drinking some rare beers. Instead it's about man's worst enemy, his guilt and how to deal with it. The night ended just like any other night. I dropped Mr. Steve off at his house and decided to go straight home. I usually go the back way from his house to avoid the traffic on Ridge Pike. And from now on when I hear the phrase "it happened so fast I didn't know what was going on." I won't be saying "yeah right." Out of the corner of my eye I saw something shoot across the road right in front of me and then hit my truck. I barely had time to stop when I saw something move just as fast to the other side of the road and into the night. As someone who has driven a lot of miles in the woods of this area, having something hit my automobile is nothing new. Not by a long shot. Rabbits, possums, raccoons, squirrels, birds and even our old friend Bambi has made contact with me over the years. So I did what I usually do. I started going home. But I started having a small pang of guilt. What if it was something else? What if Steve's dog got lose or something? So I called Steve, figuring he be there laughing at me for my stupid question. When he didn't answer, my stomach was starting to feel like a load of cement was just dropped into it. When I got home I called him back and asked how Jake was. He said he was dead. I said don't kid around, I am serious. He said he wouldn't kid about something like that. I then told him what happen and I said it had to be me. He blamed him self for the accident. Yes, I know the first part of this tragedy wasn't anybodies fault. I just can't see the second part that way. I ran over my friends dog and didn't even take 30 seconds to get my fat ass out of the truck to see what happened. 30 damn seconds just to get out and look around to see what I hit. I left his dog there to die and for him to deal with it. Friends don't do that. They just don't. Everybody has forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself for that part. I never will. I am not looking for a giant pity party or a bunch of e-mails and phone calls of support. Just let me crawl back under my rock for few days and I'll be fine. Guilt is one tough muther. It's a hard one to beat.

There's A Russian River Of Love That Flows For A Short Time

In the movie "Independence Day", the president played by Bill Pullman has his mind taken over by the aliens during a trip to Area 51. They tell him that they fly from planet to planet sucking up all the nature resources until they are all gone. Which in turn reminds me of all the fervor that has been going on in the area in the last several weeks over Russian River Beer. From bar to bar, these beer drinking folks have been sucking the kegs dry and then they go looking for the next victim. Today they will descend on TJ's as they tap a keg of the Blind Pig. Oktoberfest be damn, there is hops to be drunk and stories to be told. How many of them will be even remotely true I don't know. But I do know this, be wary Scotty and Jeff, the mind games these beer drinking aliens play will soon be starting.

It's About F$#&ing Time,The No Ashtray Tour!

It's hard to believe how fast time can fly. Why it was just about two years ago when I wrote these famous words. Most people laughed and said I wouldn't last 1 month let alone 2 years. They were wrong. I did break down later on and cut some slack to some places and sat outside on the patio or sat in the dining room as long as I could walk into a smoke free environment and go to the bathroom the same way. But walk into a smokey bar for a beer or two? FORGET IT! I didn't give a rats fat ass what those places were pouring. Now on September 11th, the rest of the state can join me in celebrating the end of smoking in bars and restaurants. Okay, most bars and restaurants. The state got cold feet or got bought off to make it 100%, you figure it out. But it's a good start. Before all the crazy folks start writing in about every body's rights, let me quote the late great George Carlin from his very last special. "There is no such things as rights, we made them up. Privileges maybe, but no rights. But if you believe that there are rights, and you have the right to say anything you want, then I have the right to disagree and shoot you in the head." Maybe not word for word, but pretty damn close. So the question is now where to go? There are two places I have never been, Capones and TJ's Everyday. But the list of places I haven't been in a long time are tempting too. Let's see, General Lafayette, Rock Bottom, Spinnerstown Hotel and the Flying Pig just to name a few. It looks like it will be a busy fall. Join me won't you?