Good beer and great music.... can't ask for more!

Earlier in the week, a local pub hosted a tap take over by Natty Greene's Brewing Company to showcase their beers. In addition to the libations, there was also entertainment by Yarn, a Brooklyn based band that is working with the tap take over tour. The beer was tasty, I tried the Whit Bier, and despite the non approving beer advocate remarks, I enjoyed the beverage very much. It was light, but a smooth blend of malt and spices with a bit of hops.

The band, however, blew me away! I had heard very good things and enjoyed listening to the songs available on their website, but these boys definitely had so much more energy in person... and they were even down a few band members! Needless to say, the music was... amazing! I took the opportunity to play with a Holga fisheye lens and tried it out with my little point and shoot. I was pleasantly surprised in the results. Unfortunately, the lighting in the pub was too dark for the point and shoot, but I was able to get a few blurry shots of the local band, Tobacco Roses, who opened for the event.

Southbound and back

This past week, I headed down to Miami for a job meeting and had the opportunity to visit some old friends and make a few ones as well. The meeting was with a local consulting company for a GIS specialist position they are hiring for. The meeting went well, but it seems they are unsure what they are looking for in the position. Therefore, I'm not sure what, if anything, will come of it. The rest of the time was spent soaking up the fabulous Florida sun, checking out the area, and enjoying time with old friends.

During the brief 3 day stay, I spent time in Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Bill Baggs State Park, Dadeland, Midtown, South Beach, and North Miami Beach. Although the water was more of the turquoise green, similar to that in the keys, it was very turbid and not as inviting as I had imagined. However, it was a warm enough to swim in and that I did!

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of lunching with a friend I have not seen in years [too long] and meeting his lovely wife... yes, it's been that long! We ate as a great little restaurant in Midtown, UVA 69. I started the lunch off with a mojito and being a soup lover, had to try their soup of the day, which was a tomato bisque style soup. It was delish! We followed the food with coffee and as I was sad to say goodbye, it was so wonderful to spend time with them that I was more so happy to have had that opportunity.

Another spot I enjoyed [so much I went there twice] was Sweet Point Bakery & Cafe. The menu was simple, but they offer a pleasant blend of dishes and you can tell the ingredients was all fresh and made to order. Additionally, they have daily soups! It was a pleasant tranquil spot amongst a busy shopping center that has wonderful outdoor seating and was perfect for people watching or simply relaxing. To top it off, the staff are very attentive, pleasant, professional, and all around great.

To get a feel for the area and people that may have common interested, I contacted a member of a volleyball meetup group to see if I could join them while I was down. The member I spoke with was very nice and although he was not going to be attending the Wednesday night meetup, he said I was more than welcome to join. Super excited, but a little nervous when it came time to show up, I overcame my fears and forced myself to go. The group was playing at North Shore Park in North Miami Beach. There was a nice group of people and they were all very welcoming. Having not played sand vball since last August, I was a little rusty, not to mention the indoor moves I have been using were useless on the sand. However, I was able to pull off a few good plays and our team actually won a few games. Having been the first meetup I have attended, I think it was a success and am definitely going to utilize the site in the future.

Overall, it was hard to leave the wonderfully warm weather in S. Florida... especially being surrounded by family and friends. That alone makes any place hard to leave! Although I was not excited to return to the chilly NC coast, I was overjoyed to be reunited with K. I'm not sure where the next few weeks will take us, but I am looking forward to warmer days and summer fun to come!

Biking and brunch

The second week of work at the temporary position was followed by a busy weekend. After finally getting my federal income taxes accepted, it was pizza night w/ a friend where he introduced me to Detroit style pizza.... and upon which I quickly fell in love. Not being familiar with this style pizza, I was intrigued by the thick focaccia like crust. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture, but hope to learn how to make the pizza and will update with a picture. In the meantime, you can check out various pictures online, here.

Saturday, two representatives, Steve and Morgan, from IMBA [the international mountain biking association] held a class on trail creation and construction followed by some trail rerouting. You can check out the blog post about their visit and some pictures of the work we accomplished. It was a great experience! The class was very informative and then to be able to put the new knowledge to work rerouting a portion of an existing trail was superb.

After spending Saturday working in the woods creating a new portion of the trail and revegetating the old trail, so people would not continue to use it, a group of us gathered for brunch Sunday morning. Pancakes were the theme, but like all out friend food gatherings, everyone brought their own brunch ideas. In addition to strawberry, banana and walnut, and chocolate chip pancakes, there was fresh fruit salad, a delicious frittata, potatoes, grits, and bloody marys. It was a great way to start Sunday!

Whirlwind week & weekend rewind

This week has come and gone and I have been simply trying to keep up. Monday, started off with a meeting for the temporary position I am working at for the next few months. The remainder of the week consisted of getting things set up, settling in, and learning the ropes. After completing a full week of work, I was looking forward to Friday night friend's dinner. We went with a Mexican theme of salsa, enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and calbacitas con elote. Unbeknown to the dinner host, we surprised him with a strawberry shortbread cake for his birthday. Dinner was followed by a great regional band, Mandolin Orange, at Hannah Haus. After recovering Saturday and enjoying a repeat Mexican dinner of leftovers, Sunday was a fun filled day of mountain biking the Bicycle Post trail. Having not rode much lately, the trail definitely kicked my butt, but it was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine. I survived, mostly unscathed, and enjoyed a pleasant lunch at one of my favorite Greenville cafe's, the Tipsy Teapot. It has been a full week and I am not quite ready for Monday to come, but it will be here anyway, and I will try to be ready.