Beer and Books (preferably not at the same time)

It's another month!  Only 2 more until the big day!

Instead of an update on us, how about a quick rundown on beers and books for the month?  I have been on a fitness challenge at work and don't want to bore you with what we've been eating, it makes me sad to think about it.  Only 4 more days then I get to go back to "normal" food.  Ok, we eat pretty healthy anyway... but you know... booze.

(I apologize for those who don't drink, this blog may not be for you.)

Did you know that Bend has the most craft breweries per capita, with one brewery for every 9,000 people?  Last we counted, there were 14, but this place says we have 18: BeerMeBend 

In a town where beer is king, "beervana" if you will, you can't turn around without seeing a beerfest, brewski party, brewery grand opening, or growler fill station.  For some of us (me), the hoppy IPAs are hard to swallow (literally) and the high alcohol content makes for some regretful hangovers.  (10 Barrel's Hop Junkie packs in 8.5% ABV, that's over twice compared to Oklahoma beer!)  So that is why I ask Rob to tell you the best beer in town.  A amateur brewer, himself, he knows good beer.

I don't know that I would consider myself an expert on the matter and taps are always rotating, but here are some staples for the area:

• IPA:  Boneyard's RPM IPA.
• Bitter:  Deschutes Bachelor's Bitter.
• Pale:  Deschutes Red Chair. 
• Pilsner:  Silvermoon's Bridge Creek Pils.
• Stout:  Deschutes Obsidian Stout.
• Porter:  Cascade Lake's Monkey Face Porter. 
• Red:  Boneyard's Diablo Rojo.
• Brown:  Cascade Lake's 20" Brown.
• Cold:  Pabst's Blue Ribbon (PBR).    

And don't hesitate to ask for a sample before making a selection, the breweries usually have a range of beers to fit every palate.

Me again. If you want my two cents, here are my favorites spots for a drink:

• Cascade Lakes Brewery:  Being right on the outskirts of town, it's often less traveled, has a great lodge-y feel, pool tables, dart boards, and awesome Mediterranean platter.  They have 1/2-off appetizers during happy hours - the best and only time to go.
• 10 Barrel Brewing: Hello Raspberry Crush.  My favorite beer in town.  It's a seasonal beer, so not always on tap.  The westside location is super hip, so it's hard to get a table.  If you do happen to hold out for table (and are sober enough to make good decisions), order the pizzas, definitely worth the wait.  
• Broken Top Bottle Shop: Not a brewery, but carries rotating local Bend, Oregon, California, and Colorado beers.  It's off the beaten path, right down the street from our house (I think I've talked about this place before, for real, I love this place).  If you don't find what you want on tap, pick out something from their wall-to-wall fridge.  And you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.   (Yeah, I took a picture of their sign.)

• Deschutes Brewery: A classic.  The Bend original.  Their success allows them to have a massive restaurant, second brewery (for tours and tastings), and an expansive menu.  The burgers are pretty awesome (fancy, but awesome).  It's kind of the tourist trap, but a great place to stop if you're downtown.

And for those who would rather drown their sorrows away in the privacy of their own home, growler fill stations are the new fad here.  Every corner gas station, meat market, grocery store, car wash station, you name it, has a growler fill station these days.  Good luck finding Miller Lite though, the only place that is available is probably Safeway.

Lastly, I might add that I'm not a beer drinker.  Surprised?  I prefer wine.  Coming from the valley where Pinot Noir is king, it's hard to make the transition.  So if you make it over the mountains, check out Lumos, Benton Lane, and Eola Hills.  Grab a bottle (or case) of 2008/2009 Pinot Noir and ship me back a bottle for the advice. :)

Book Time (Don't Drink and Read):

My reviews for the months --
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: 3/5 stars
Synopsis: Immigrant family from India moves to U.S. and the next generation kids, all-American, clash with their traditional Indian parents.
Review: What to say about it?  It's a story.  I feel like I've read this story already in other books, but it was easy to read, so I can't complain.  I just didn't walk away with that feeling that I like, that "wow, good book" feeling.  It was a predictable, well-rounded story, that just hits the surface of what it could have been.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood: 4/5 stars
Synopsis: Based on the true story of the Grace Marks murder mystery in the 1800s.  A young, pretty maid convicted for the murder of her boss and mistress.  It's told through the eyes of Grace while in prison.
Review: I have a healthy obsession with Margaret Atwood.  I have read several of her books, always on the hunt for something as good as The Handmaid's Tale or The Blind Assassin.  This one doesn't measure up to those books but still a good read.  It's definitely an Atwood book, broken up by random thoughts, various story lines, and actual news clippings.  Suspenseful enough to make you want to keep going.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera: 3/5 stars
Synopsis: Ponderings of the lives of one man and his mistresses.  Philosophical meanderings of the concept of weight/lightness in terms of life.
Review: I thought it tried to be too much, some thoughts were well-intentional and meaningful.  The rest seemed like some nice old man trying to puncture an otherwise mediocre story with philosophy in order to add depth.  The story itself was interesting -- I guess I just was thinking there would be more to this highly rated book.

I read a lot this month and just started Kafka on the Shore and am loving it so far.  What are you guys reading and what should I read next??

A Little Wedding Update

Wow, I can't believe it's already mid-May.  We have had unusually warm and dry spring here in Bend, which is great for motivation.  I love getting out and playing in our garden, running the trails, and reading on our porch.  Although, come late summer, we are going to be in a drought with forest fires.

So we will all be keeping our fingers crossed that come August 3rd, we aren't where we were last summer:

Poor Ma and Ron visited right in the middle of forest fire season last summer and we had to retreat indoors in the afternoon to breath fresh air (also difficult when houses in Bend don't have A/C - you read that right).

That darn climate change.

On a related note:  I'm getting married in 85 days!  As some lucky ones may have noticed, our wedding invitation says "Jessica & Rob are getting married in a private ceremony".  Many have asked what that means.  It means:

• The invitation at 5pm at McMenamin's is for the reception only (i.e., eating, drinking, dancing, laughing, no ceremony)
• At the time of sending out the invite, our ceremony plans had been undecided but we wanted to get out invites ASAP (I'm not a believer in Save the Dates).
• We originally wanted to elope then celebrate with friends/family later.
• We thought that the ceremony was the least exciting, more obligatory part of weddings.  We didn't realize how many people would want to be part of this event.

But after careful consideration, we decided what we want to say is this:

• Jessica & Rob are getting married in a small ceremony at Sparks Lake, 2:30pm, August 3rd.
• Any and all are invited! 
• If you will be uncomfortable outdoors in mid-afternoon in National Forest (i.e., no bathroom, limited parking, direct sunlight), or really don't want to drive 30 min out of town when you could be playing in Bend, please make the decision to join us at 5pm.  I promise we will understand.
• If you would like to witness the ceremony among our close friends and family, please feel welcome!  The scenery should be amazing and the ceremony short and sweet.  

We are still in the works of figuring out how to get limited chairs and maybe even a bus (!) for transportation out to the lake for the afternoon.  So stay tuned on the details.  

Google "Sparks Lake Bend Oregon" and think about it.  The drive out there would be worth your trip to Bend.  I mean, can you beat this view??  

If you have any questions, please email me!  Whether you want to know if walking would be involved, what you should wear, what I'm wearing, if you can bring booze (actually, you can), if you can bring your dog (only if he doesn't bark), or want to tell us how excited you are, please do so!  

jyankovich82@gmail.com

P.S.  Happy Mother's Day Ma!!  I don't know how I'd be putting this all together if you weren't there telling me how it should be.