Wednesday Night Pool League

Last night began the Wednesday night double trouble league out at Jupiters at the Crossing.

We had originally planned to eat next door at Billy Barooz, but didn't quite make it there in time. I had hoped for getting there at 6, but didn't quite leave my house to get kriddy until 6:02. Throw in a four vehicle pile up on 57. And we didn't get out there until 630. We didn't want pizza (Kriddy had monicals for lunch) so we just had beer.

Kriddy went with her old standby Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout; while I started the evening with a Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

The upfront smell of the whiskey/bourbon was very strong. But it was great to see how much this beer had mellowed. It still had that alcohol kick that makes me feel like I'm having indigestion, but it's a lot smoother than when last years batch first came out. I really need to do a 2006 to 2007 tasting. (Hmm what am I doing this weekend?)

I followed that up with a Great Divide Hercules. Steve (on the pool team) had gone with a Great Divide Titan and I wanted to let him try the DIPA, since he had the IPA. Hercules is so thick and hoppy that it reminds me of what I think my sweat is, the day after some serious drinking. I swear, my pores excrete IPA instead of me getting a headache. I haven't tasted my sweat (recently) to prove the concept, but I think I may have some St. Brigid. (not that I'm going to go work in a leper colony)

I followed that up with a beer that will be added to the list over there <--- MGD 64 Lite.

It was surprisingly, not that horrible. It tasted like a lager. It had that crisp sweet flavor that I noticed in the Highland Shining Rock Lager. There's good in everything (probably) you just have to look for it. The beer is designed for people who are watching calories (and probably gonna drink 12-24 beers in a day), it's not for people who sit around and write about beer. But, we've all probably tried it, how many of us tried it, just so we could say it was piss?

I've had worse, but then, I also enjoy PBR, so does that mean I have to turn in my beer snob card? Ratebeer has it at a 2%. But then, it seems the raters there are trying their best to bash the macro's. Hey, it's no Westy 12, but it's a decent enough drink. (I try not to bash things just for the sake of bashing it).

I followed that up with a Rogue Shakespeare Stout. As this one comes in 22 oz bottles, Kriddy drank the second glass of it. (She had another Sam Smith Oatmeal inbetween). This is an old standby beer for me (at Jupstew). When I just don't know which beer to have, and I know I need/want something, I'll get a Shakespeare. I guess I'm a little lucky to have a beer that's an A (and top 100) on Beer Advocate and as a 98% on ratebeer, as a fuck buddy. (Hey, add the 98 for Shakespeare and the 2 for MGD 64 and it's a 100% beer, one of the best in the world... )

I followed THAT up with a Rogue Chocolate Stout. This one again is in a 22, so Kriddy drank the second glass of that. This one is also an A on BA, and is also a 98% on ratebeer. Rogue makes good stouts. Most beer drinkers don't drink stouts in the summer months, but we were inside and the air conditioner was blowing straight on the table, and it was darn cold, so a good thick beer was called for. Didn't need a light refreshing "just got done mowing" beer; we needed a "man, this should warm me up" beer.

As for the pool, it's an APA league. I'm a 2 in 9 ball (so I am somewhat bad at pool) and a 3 in 8 ball. Kriddy is a 1 in 9 and a 2 in 8 (if she plays 8). I beat a fellow 2 in 9 ball. The way the handicap in 9 ball works is, your skill level determines how many balls you have to make. As a 2, I have to make 19 before my opponent makes his required number. Each ball is worth a point, and the 9 is worth 2. A 1 (kriddy) has to make 14, steve is an 8 and he has to make, I think, 65.

I won my match against a fellow 2. Kriddy just barely won, but did win, against a 6, so she did great. The entire team did awesome in 9 ball, but that's because we've been a 9 ball team for several sessions now.

I'm a 3 in 8 ball. The way 8 ball works is your skill level determines how many games you have to win. The minimum amount to win is 2 games. If I played a 2, he/she would have to win 2 games before I won 3. If I played a 3, it'd be 2-2. If I played a 4, it'd be 2-3. Last night I played a 6, so it was 2-5. He beat me soundly 0-5. He was slightly miffed about losing to Kriddy at 9 ball. A good craftsman never blames his tools... I am not a good craftsman, so the table seemed really fast and the pockets were tight, so that's my excuse.

Billy Barooz kitchen was closed when we got done, so we didn't get to eat there. Instead kriddy decided she wanted Arby's. Well, it turns out all the arby's were closed too. So when we got back to her place, she had a chicken patty and I just went to sleep as it was 1130 or so.

Tonight is softball. We're playing an undefeated team... we're 1-3... this might be ugly.