A Selfless Giver - Manute Bol

To sum up the life of a physical freak of nature, it is easy to get stuck on the attributes that made them physically freakish.  Overshadowed by what is obvious, the subtleties of a person's character can get lost on what is easiest to marvel at.  This is very much the case with a certain professional basketball player, Mr. Manute Bol.  

At 7'7" tall, he could easily have made a living as an NBA star, bought a massive house with the cash he took in, and lived out his life in posh quarters.  Instead, he gave up his luxury-living potential and traded it in for a life of giving and activism in his native country, Sudan.

Although he passed away at 47 years old, Bol lived the life of many men and made the very most of those few years he got on this earth.  My favorite quote from Manute Bol came from an article in Sport's Illustrated where he said "God guided me to America and gave me a good job, but he also gave me a heart so I would look back."  A kind man no doubt.  Kind and brave as it turns out.....  Legend has it that he also killed a lion with a spear while herding cows.  


After Manute Bol retired from basketball after ten seasons, he became an even bigger force throughout the rest of the world.  As an activist  in his native Africa and giving to the starving families in Sudan, he literally went broke trying to help as many as he could.  He even went so far as to do a celebrity boxing match against former Chicago Bear William Perry in order to raise money for his country.  He signed a one day contract with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League to and signed on every now and then as a horse jockey to raise money for children of Sudan.  It seems even being humiliated on television was worth the cause.  


This was a man who used what nature gave him and utilized those attributes to help others.  If the world had more Manute Bol's, it would be a better place.  

The Wonderful Things We Do For Each Other

Mr. Joe Scaturro at his finest

I recently had one of the most influential people in my life, Joe Scaturro, pass. While it was agonizing to feel the pain, see the hurt in his family's faces, and consider the world without him, I am motivated to make the world a better place and to pay forward all of the great things that my father in law gave me.  To call him generous would be terribly underestimating his nature to give.  A true family man, he provided support, advice, and time to levels that are rarely seen.  My wife made the statement that if there was only one thing that she was ever totally sure of, it was that her father loved her.  He carried that through to everyone he met and took a personal responsibility for not only the people who knew him and worked for him, but their families as well.

I myself would have never had the opportunities I have had without my father in law.  He encouraged me to apply to Cornell University, where I received my Master's Degree.  He helped me open my own businesses and supported me even when our business ideals diverged.  When I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, he employed me for two years while I worked it out.  Most impressive, when my wife and I separated, he called me every day to make sure I was doing well.  He told me that no matter what happened, we would always be family.  This is kindness that simply does not exist in this world.

It makes me think about all of the people who have made massive sacrifices and given for others with no desire of return.  I am going to try to write about one of these people one day out of each week.
Please send me your own stories and I will use them.  It can be a family member, friend, historical figure, teacher, anyone.  If they inspired and gave, I wanna hear about them and share their story.

DaVinci, Boulder Brewing, and an Amazing Band

So, I have stated before that I am not a music critic, nor am I a musician.  This being the case, I try to stay away from saying too much about bands at bars I visit.  Last night, I was able to see a band that blew me away.  You know those moments where you ask yourself "how come I've never seen this band before?"  This was one of those nights.  In fact, where I am very much a bar butterfly, I did not leave the bar the entire night.
To start, the band is called the Chris Hiatt Band.  Led by Chris himself on guitar, they have Tommy on bass and Crash on drums.  A mix of Classic Rock and Rockabilly, the band moves from Led Zeppelin to Violent Femmes, to Hendrix, to Stevie Ray Vaughn, to their own material and does not miss a beat on both energy and chops.  Add to that, they love them some Hazed and Infused and even played some Dazed and Confused by Zeppelin, which of course made my night.

Most impressively, midway through their third set, Chris moved to drums, Crash moved to bass, and Tommy moved to guitar.  Always extremely impressive to see artists who are able to play multiple instruments.  The whole crowd was in awe.


If you're wondering where you can see them, I suspect they will be playing a lot in DeLand for the forseeable future and, according to Crash, they play up and down the coast of Florida with frequent stops in Daytona and Port Orange.  Great stuff!!

Cafe Da Vinci on Sunday

Eddie and a Betty

It always makes me hopeful for the small town that I live in when I see a great event put on that draws a great crowd.  As it turn out, this time not only the crowd, but the venue, the music, and the weather all collided in perfection to make it a surreal DeLand experience.  All this and I didn't have a drop of alcohol!

For those who don;t know, Cafe da Vinci sits on what is in my top 10 coolest locations in Florida.  The venue itself has seen many incarnations of a music venue/bar/hangout/coffee shop and every time you think to yourself "this time it will work."  Woefully it hasn't for a great extent of time and everyone who loves the place laments its passage.  It always leaves me wondering "if we all love it so much, why is it not supported more?"  That is neither here nor there I guess, but I had to throw that out to show everyone else who feels the same way that they are not the only ones.

The other thing that has driven me to Davinci since my first experience there is great beer.  They have never had a gigantic menu, but have always managed to carry a good amount of beers whose owners have never been in a commercial or have invested in a million dollar ad in GQ Magazine.  They have always taken chances despite the majority and I dig that.

As a bonus, the new owners also have decided to make Chalone their house wine.  A major bonus for me as I love their Chardonnay and Chalone is usually a few steps above house price-wise.  Luvin it!

On this particular Sunday afternoon, the local legend Ben Prestage was playing and, as much I have heard great things about him, I have actually never seen him.  I have decided that it was my bad to have not seen this fella play live.

If you have not heard of him, he is pitched as a "one man band."  The typical guy standing on the sidewalk playing random articles found around the house with cymbals on his feet and such has always been very impressive to me.  Don't make the mistake of thinking of Ben Prestage as that type of schtick.  First, if you turned your back, you actually would swear that it was a whole band playing. Second, if it were a band playing, you'd still be blown away by the quality of the music.  I'm not a music critic, so I won't try to pretend to be.  I will tell you that the crowd loved it, he always draws a crowd, and I was very impressed upon my first experience.

Add to that again, my joy in Cafe Da Vinci being re-opened, the weather being a perfect 77 degrees and sunny, the grace of being surrounded by interesting people, and this makes for a Sunday afternoon that I wouldn't mind repeating over and over again.

***  As a side note, Free Will BBQ was there and their grub smelled amazing!!  I do not eat meat, so it was my loss, but man did it make me hungry.

Davinci is open 7 days a week and have music nearly every day, if not all.  Check em out on Facebook!!

One of My New Favorite Beer Bars

I had the great fortune of (somewhat) wandering into a new place in a new town and finding my Central Ohio Beer Valhalla.  The town in question is Granville, Ohio.  Home to Denison University, this is what can only be described as an idyllic setting for a late December Christmas experience that I've only seen accomplished in Ithaca, New York and Thomas Kincaid paintings.

The restaurant/pub in question is called simply Brews Cafe - a name far too simple for what's inside.  This place serves up not just a list of some of the finest drafts I've ever seen in one place, but also has a delicious food menu to boot.  The vibe is so ingrained with beer perfection that it becomes understated.  I can only illustrate what I am trying to state by letting you know that there is a Brother Thelonius Neon at the hostess stand.  If you know beer, you know what I am saying.

A two story building, you access the second floor via stairs on one side.  The upstairs seating is on the perimeter and opens into a complete view of the downstairs in the middle.  This open-air feel is both festive and comfortable at the same time and is accentuated by a Christmas Tree on the farthest end that is visible on both the first and second floors.  I could have slept here overnight.

On to the beers.  I have included a partial photo of their draft menu, and as you can see they take a "no crap on tap" mentality.  Add to that some local seasonals such as the Columbus December Hop Odyssey Cousin Eddie,  Elevator Winter Warmer, Brew Kettle Winter Warmer, and Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  Go a bit further with the Belgian Classic Delerium Noel and the collaboration La Citielle Celeste de Citrocado and you star to see a great beer menu unfold.  I started with the Clipper City Winter Storm ON CASK!!!!

The beer menu is too much for me to list here, but I finished with the Emelisse Belgian Winter Ale from the Netherlands and the aforementioned La Citrielle.  Let's also add that they carried Stone, Troeg's, Avery, Great Lakes, North Coast, Clipper City, Rogue, and Anchor.  Not a bad lineup.

If you are near this area, make sure to check this place out - you won't be disappointed.

www.brewscafe.com

Beer in Columbus

I had the pleasure of having some great brews at a Columbus, Ohio brewpub called Barley's Brewpub across from the North Market.  I had visited on a previous visit and was especially excited at the thought of what they would brew in the wintertime - I was not disappointed.  

I got a sampler of every brew they made in house to the tune of 12 beers total.  Starting off easy with a pilsner, scottish ale, and pale ale; they quickly moved into headier stuff.  Two Christmas beers, a Russian Imperial Stout, a Belgian Dubbel, a Barleywine, two IPAs, and some cask offerings of the aforementioned brews.  Good stuff.  Make that great stuff.

We also ordered a Reuben Sandwich, chicken wings, and some great house-made chips with this beer cheese sauce that was absolutely delicious.

The atmosphere in this place reminds me of living up north and escaping from the cold into a warm pub.  Another thing I couldn't wait for was to walk into Barley's out of the snow and grab a pint of an 11% Barleywine.  Well, the weather didn't cooperate but the beer and cuisine were wonderful.  

To make the trip even better, I was able to stop by a boutique beer store in the North Market and pick up some great bottles that I can't get anywhere near us.

To start, they now get Ithaca Brewing in Ohio which makes me extremely happy.  Being a Cornell Alum, I fell in love with Ithaca Brewing many years ago and miss their stuff.  To make it even better, they had the Cold Front Belgian Amber which I had not had before.  It didn't relent from there.  I picked up a bottle of collaboration Stone/Bruery/Elysian La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado which is made with pumpkin, yams, and fenugreek; a bottle of Two Brothers Domaine du Page; AleSmith Horny Devil; and Rockmill Brewery's Saison.  I am especially excited about the Saison, which I've had once before.  Rockmill is a tiny farmhouse brewery just south of Columbus and their stuff rokks!!!

Being that I have a good amount of stuff here from Great Lakes (including their Christmas Ale), I am going to save all of these and share them with some friends back home.  Results to come soon!!!!







 

Getting Jim Koch to DeLand

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Koch in Denver

In case you have not seen the many posters around DeLand, we are doing our best to get Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams, to DeLand for the 3rd annual DeLand Craft Beer Festival.

Why are we going after such a big fish?  Because we can.

What makes the DeLand Craft Beer Festival unique?  A few things:

1.  ALL of the profits go to charity!  Many festivals give a portion of their proceeds in an attempt to get breweries to donate all of the product.  Do the math.....  All of our profits go to Mainstreet DeLand, the non-profit that is responsible for keeping our historic downtown vital.  In these tough economic times when downtowns are disappearing, it is especially important that we get all of the support that we can.

2.  We keep the crowd to 650 people!  Where many festivals pack as many people in as they can, we ensure that everyone at our event is comfy cozy and able to enjoy themselves.

3.  We save beer all year for this event!  We do not leave ourselves a the mercy of what is available now - no no no.  We go the extra length to save beers from the entire year so you get not only the seasonals available right now, but some stuff that is not currently in the market.

Planning for the festival

4.  We have a rare and vintage table!  Of course, each is available on a limited basis, so you must get them while they last.


Anyway, we have made a commercial to send to Jim himself to try to get him to join.  The Mayor of DeLand himself made a pitch and we got the whole community involved.  Keep your fingers crossed and if you need tickets you can get them at ABBEY, the DeLand Beacon, or the Mainstreet DeLand office.  We will sell out and NO TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.

CHEERS!!!!!!

Fish Out of Water Sushi Truck

A good man and friend of mine, Mike Smith, has recently opened his own food truck in the Orlando area.  At a recent stop at Redlight, we ordered from his truck and the sushi was great.  I'm happy for him and it's good to see him doing something new and exciting.

Of course, what excites me most about Mike starting his food truck is the American inspiration that Mike embodies and the unwillingness to sit back and let life happen to him.  I've known Mike for nearly 5 years and he is not a dreamer.  He is a doer.  At this point in our nation's history, it seems we have a great percentage of citizens with this idea of entitlement who want the world to be hand-delivered to them.


I remember when Mike first bought the Shipyard bus and was thinking about taking a trip up the eastern coast and wanted to get some people onboard.  Of course, everyone in this country with a set of testicles has dreamed of a trip with some buddies drinking beer and experiencing the good ol' US of A.  Within a few months of the plan taking place, we were on the road.  This is just one example of the can-do attitude that we need more of in America, especially at these times.

Best of luck to Mike Smith in this new venture.  It's nice to see Americans getting out and making their own way.

Barrel Aged Boulder at Redlight

We lucked out and Mr. Jeff Brown of Boulder Brewing was open to sending some very limited release barrel aged beers to the state of Florida.  We had the honor of first presentation at Redlight Redlight in Orlando.  The two beers in question, which came in 1/6 bb were:



Mortimer - A blend of the Mojo Risin Double IPA and Planet Porter aged on Bourbon barrel.  A sort of Black IPA if you will.


Flowers of Belgium - A Belgian Pale Ale infused with flowers.


We also had the classic Mojo IPA on draft and passed out some bottles of Hazed ad Infused.  They have the canned Hazed and Infused in the Orlando market and I had quite a few people give me feedback that they were happy to see it around.  Cans are great and I'm hoping we will see more and more cans coming out in the coming years.

Tasting at Luna Bella

Vinnie explaining the virtues.

Just did a tasting at a restaurant I had never been to before, Luna Bella in New Smyrna.

This beautiful Italian Restaurant is tucked back in the Venetian Bay Golf Community along with a part of the community that I have never seen, including condominiums and a great shopping plaza.  How have I not seen this before???

We sampled out Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan, Boulder's Mojo IPA, and Orange Blossom Pilsner.  I was extremely pleased that we were looking at an older and slightly conservative crowd (usually a craft beer killer) and the beer went over very well.  We definitely created a few converts that night.  We scheduled another event here as well on Wednesday, October 19th.  Excited to get back here and have some dinner.......

Barrel Aged Boulder at Redlight

We lucked out and Mr. Jeff Brown of Boulder Brewing was open to sending some very limited release barrel aged beers to the state of Florida.  We had the honor of first presentation at Redlight Redlight in Orlando.  The two beers in question, which came in 1/6 bb were:



Mortimer - A blend of the Mojo Risin Double IPA and Planet Porter aged on Bourbon barrel.  A sort of Black IPA if you will.


Flowers of Belgium - A Belgian Pale Ale infused with flowers.


We also had the classic Mojo IPA on draft and passed out some bottles of Hazed ad Infused.  They have the canned Hazed and Infused in the Orlando market and I had quite a few people give me feedback that they were happy to see it around.  Cans are great and I'm hoping we will see more and more cans coming out in the coming years.

The night went great and I got a lot of great feedback.  Our next barrel aged event will be with Eola Wine in Winter Park where we will be pouring the Barrel Aged Planet Porter.  Stay posted for details.

Tasting at Whole Foods

We had a nice twist of fate today as we were asked to work the Anchor booth at the Whole Foods' Oktoberfest event on Aloma.  I have been a fan of Anchor Brewing for years and am in awe of the longtime story of how the brewery went from near bankruptcy to one of the most respected breweries in the country. The man who took Anchor from nothing to legend was Mr. Fritz Maytag, whose family name includes the washers and dryers, the famed blue cheese, and one of my favorite whiskeys, Old Potrero.  

I visited the brewery in 2008 and was equally in awe of the tasting room and the gorgeous fermentation tanks used to make the brewery's "steam" beer. 

The tasting room at Anchor

Rosie in the brewery

The brewery tour was an insight into what you do not normally get to see, as the brewery itself is so beautiful that you do not get to see the working side until you get downstairs to visit the tanks.  In this, you feel as much in a museum as you do in a brewery.  In addition, they positioned the offices around the tanks so that you can always look out of your office window and see the process taking place.  A beautiful and ingenious combination of function and passion.  This will forever remain one of my most memorable brewery visits. 

As for the beer - Anchor has stuck to what they know best and has not chased the latest fads.  Their portfolio consists of the ubiquitous "Steam" beer, Porter, Liberty, Summer Beer, Old Foghorn Barleywine, and the oft-collected Christmas Ale.  They also have released a variety of beers as homage to classic brewing traditions, including the new Humming Beer, Bock Beer, and Brekle's Brown.  I had the pleasure of serving the Humming and Steam beer at this Whole Foods Event.

I was happy to see my buddy Tom Moench from Orange Blossom in attendance as well as reps from Harpoon and Eel River.  We were set up to serve and sample beer while Whole Foods provided the food and music to complement the Oktoberfest spirit.  I served not only Anchor, but Boulder Brewing's Hazed and Infused and Mojo IPA, so I was set for drinks.  

Setting up

As i had stated, I had the honor of serving the Anchor Humming Beer for the first time and was very excited to get the chance to do so.  The brewery's definition of the beer is:

"HUMMING is an ancient term, used centuries ago to describe both ales and beers.  Although its origins are shrouded in mystery, it suits this bold hoppy ale, which we have created to celebrate the anniversary of our first brew at 1705 Mariposa Street.  Fro mthat very day we were humming!  In 1965, we deidcated ourselves to reviving the nearly bankrupt, almost medieval little San Francisco brewery on 8th Street.  By 1977, Anchor's small staff was making five beers in its state-of-the-art facility.  We purchased an old coffee-roasting plant on Mariposa, overseeing its gradual transformation into our "new" brewery.  Finally, on August 13, 1979 our move was complete, we fired up the brewkettle, and Anchor Steam had a new home - its sixth since 1896."

 In addition, for those of you who are not familiar with the Anchor Steam Beer, here is the description from the brewery:

"San Francisco's famous Anchor Steam, the classic of American brewing tradition since 1896, is virtually handmade, with an exceptional respect for the ancient art of brewing.  The deep amber color, thick creamy head, and rich flavor all testify to our traditional brewing methods.  Anchor Steam is unique, for our brewing process has evolved over many decades and is like no other in the world.


Anchor Steam derives its unusual name from the 19th century when "steam" seems to have been a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice.  The brewing methods of those days are a mystery and, although there are many theories, no one can say with certainty why the word "steam" came to be associated with beer.  For many decades Anchor alone has used this quaint name for its unique beer.  In modern times, "Steam" has become the trademark of Anchor Brewing."


As always, I find myself to be very lucky to be in the place that I am in and to be able to work with such great people.  Thanks to the people at Whole Foods, thanks to Anchor Brewing and Mina, and a special thanks to Jeff Brown for continuing to trust us with his legendary Boulder Beer here in the state of Florida.  Cheers!

Car Accident

At the tail end of our trip to Atlanta, not an hour from home, we came upon an accident that had just occurred in Ocala on HWY 40.  It was a two-car accident at high speeds which left one driver deceased.  Myself, Josher, and Bobert were asked by the firemen to help move some wood from the back of a firetruck to the back of the emergency vehicle.  We ended up far too close to the accident and saw some things that were dreadful.  It left us in shock and what was a festive two-day event turned into a moment of reflection.  For a brief while I appreciated these two guys more than I had.  We spoke without interrupting each other.  We left criticism behind us for a while and we allowed each other to be ourselves.

It is at these times that I fully appreciate the hours that we spend on the road and the dangers we put others in while driving.  Whether it be phoning, texting, driving under the influence, changing the radio station, arguing with the kids in the back seat, or any of the hundreds of other things that distract us while driving; please remember to be safe.

In any of these instances, the fatalities come to people who were going about their daily lives.  Maybe they were delivering a birthday present to their daughter, driving to a yoga class, or picking up groceries for a surprise dinner.  In any case, they have lives that they deserve to live and they were taken from this earth by someone who was not ill-intended, but also did not understand the danger in their distractions.

I myself am going to stop texting while I'm driving.  I beg all of you who read this to do the same.

NOTE:  In this case, the driver lost control of their car in the rain.  It was not their fault and I'm not using this accident as an example.  It simply got me thinking.

Atlanta Renegades

At Josher's House

Assignment:  Be in Atlanta for a trade show by noon tomorrow.  Drive custom made beer-mobile that is currently sitting in Orlando.  Take two of your drinking buddies to help out. Must leave by 3:30 in the morning to arrive at trade show on time.

The trade show in question was the Georgia Crown Distributing's Holiday Trade Show.  It was held in a Greek Orthodox Church just outside Atlanta and well on the way to Decatur, home of my favorite beer bar.  In fact Decatur is home of many great bars, restaurants, and houses of alcohol legend.  The problem is not getting to Atlanta on time.  It's not pouring out the wonderfully balanced Orange Blossom Pilsner, the rich and luscious OBP Squared, or the roasty Toasted Coconut Porter.  The problem is not staying sober enough to navigate a strange town.  The problem is not the fear of being let down by our night out in Decatur.  The problem for me is - talking myself into returning home from one of the coolest towns I've ever been to.  If you've never been to Decatur, GET THERE!!

First fuel stop in Ocala

As I said, we left at 3:30 am, which allowed me about 4 hours of sleep.  Not bad, and I know I can easily get by on that allotment.  I picked Josher and Bobert up at Joshers and we got on the road.  I drove the first half of the trip and we agreed that Bobert would get us into Atlanta.  Josher's job was to fall alseep in the car and become a vessel for us sticking giant okra in his mouth while he was sleeping.  It was great fun, indeed, and well worth losing a driver.

People rolling in......

Thanks to some well-timed traffic misses we arrived an hour early and were able to check into the hotel to freshen up before we headed on to the trade show.  Tom put us up in a badass Courtyard by Marriott which was recently renovated.  The room was awesome and we eventually drew straws to see who got the bed, the pullout, and the floor.  I drew the bed and that is all that matters....

Our Booth.  Looks good, no?

The trade show was great and they estimated about 450 people showed, all of which were in the bar/restaurant biz in some capacity.  Most of those in attendance had seen the OBP and were very curious about the Toasted Coconut.  It was a tremendous hit.  The key in this situation is to see how many people come back for more or how many bring their friends.  If you have a ton of people coming back to show your product to their buddies, you know you have a winner.

A Storeroom at the Brick Store.  Yes, that's pancetta!!

After the show, it was time to go out in Decatur.  As I said, my favorite beer bar, The Brickstore, is located here and I had been bragging on it to Josher and Bobert for quite some time.  We arrived and were set to meet some business prospects, so we asked for a table for six.  They have a Belgian Room upstairs and we were put in e of the best seats in the house in the back of the Belgian Room. We had a view of the entire room and I can't even begin to tell you how cozy this room is.

www.brickstorepub.com

Beer Advocate Magazine rated this place the #2 Beer Bar in the World (my own Abbey was #16 in 2008) and rates it an A+ with 178 reviews.  Their selection is so vast, you could get wasted here for an entire year and never drink the same thing twice!!  But it's the atmosphere that takes it to the nest level.  To the left is the link to their website and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the area.

leonsfullservice.com

We had some drinks at the Brick Store with Charlie from C2 Imports and the four of us headed to another bar owned by the Brick Store folks, Leon's Full Service.  This bar was once a gas station that they renovated into an upscale yet accessible restaurant/bar.  We were full so we didn't eat although I've heard great things about their food.  I was budgeting my drinking (since I had to drive back to the hotel) so I couldn;t drink much.  If we were walking back, i would have gotten trashed on their list of classic cocktails, including the Sazerac and the Sidecar.  Would have LOVED to have been able to spend hours here. Check out their website to the right.

Josher at the saltwater tank

www.twains.net

After Leo's came Twain's.  Another great bar that I hadn't been to in years.  They make their own brew in house and as it turns out had live jazz that night.  The atmosphere at Twain's is wonderfully eclectic, working as a pool hall, restaurat, hockey bar, and brewpub.  It was nice to see that all walks of life feel at home here, a factor that is always encouraging to me on a human level.  I had their cask raspberry porter, which was delicious.  The guys ordered some Tripels and a Saison, all of which were fantastic.  This place never disappoints and at this point I was wondering if Josher was not just going to stay and Decatur and leave us to drive home alone.  

After some business talk we left for our last stop, Taco Mac.  A well-known chain that always has a great beer selection, Taco Mac has seen great success over the years and we had the pleasure of having a great bartender who kept carrying some delicious smelling fajitas past us which made me wish I was hungry.

Bobert using his head

Josher using his head

 Anyway, the beer menu at Taco Mac is exceptional, especially on the draft level, and they have the clout to have some breweries make limited releases strictly for their outlets.  This allows their customers to have something that they know they will ever see again, a beautiful trophy for dedicated beer drinkers.  I always enjoy the Taco Mac atmosphere (although a tad corporate compared to the rest) and I got into a great conversation with Charlie over the evolution of Stella Artois in the United States and the effects it has had on the Heineken brand.    

We scurried back to the hotel and the movie Unstoppable was on HBO.  We watched the movie and drifted to sleep.  On the road in the morning and have to get the car back to Tom before 5:00.

Exit 164(?) on I-75 in Georgia is the site of the well-advertised "Strippers:  Need We Say More" lounge.  They spend as much money on advertising as South of the Border does and the actual building suggests that it spends more on advertising than capital improvements.  We stopped by to take pictures simply for the "Americana" of it all.  No time to stop in, however, as we have more important matters at hand...............