Friday, July 29, 2011

Where have I been?


Where have I been? Here there. Different places. Actually I have been busy. Busier than usual. And I do feel a bit guilty about not visiting the blog universe for a week or so. I have been more tired than usual and when I do get online and reading a few blogs my eyes get heavy. I also am having some trouble sleeping on my new mattress. Why? I don't know. It's  more firm than my old mattress which I had for about 23 years. It seemed like the time to change. Perhaps I should have gone with a softer mattress. I guess I will eventually acclimate myself. That's enough whining. On my first day off in a week, Wednesday, I debated in the morning whether I would continue painting my kitchen, do some laundry and or housework or just nothing at all. It was to be and turned out to be a picture perfect day. sunny, warm with no humidity. I began thinking, Why stay in? How many chances do I get to get out and just enjoy a beautiful day? Long story short. I wanted to drive my car a bit more than just the 5 miles to and from work. Then I remembered that there was a Budweiser Brewery in New Hampshire. Now I am not a fan of Budweiser Beer. If somebody offers me one I'll drink it, but like most American beers. I find it watery and not very appealing. European beers, some of them, were not to my liking either for various reasons. That's why I like Sam Adams. It cuts the flavor down the middle. I also don't want to give the impression that I constantly drink beer, but I do enjoy a cold one now and then. I have digressed. I checked out the brewery online and found that they give complimentery tours. A nice drive of about 50 miles on a beautiful day and the first substantial drive in my new car. Well new to me. I phoned up my friend and invited her and her daughter. Fast forward. The brewery is nestled in the beautiful countryside. among the rolling hills of New Hampshire. The mountains were another 40 or 50 miles north. The tour itself was very interesting and the inside of the plant was spotless as you would expect. Noisy at times. The bottling and packaging plant was enormous. You could plop the supermarket I work in, which is large, inside of it with room to spare.  Outside it was beautifully landscaped and they let people roam around outside right down to the Clydesdale's "Hamlet" as they called it. Unfortunely the horses were all in their stalls but we still got to see them. I have two little movies of the plant tour and the Clydesdales. and below is a link to the photos I took. It's my old Spaces or skydrive photo albums. All the old albums are still there. Later on in my next blog, whenever that will be, I will post the link to all my Marthas Vineyard photos and I will upload and post a link to all the photos I took from atop the Prudential building a few weeks back.

Oh at the end of the tour we were taken to the hospitality lounge where we were offered two free glasses of beer. I was apparently not paying much attention when they explained what was being offered. I wasn't interested in any of the fruitier offereings. By fruitier I mean raspberry, lemon lime and so on. So I chose a regular Bud and a Michelob Ultra. To me the ultra adjective gave the impression of the premium version of their premium beer. Boy was I wrong. It turns out that the Ultra was a low calorie, low carb offering even more watered down than regular Bud. Just this side of water, Still it was free and the lounge was very nice, the tour was interesting and informative and the day was spectacular.

  
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f30b5cd64eb2dafe&sc=photos#!/?cid=f30b5cd64eb2dafe&sc=photos&id=F30B5CD64EB2DAFE%2119306

Okay I've decided not to do much today. Maybe a movie (dvd). Who knows? Who cares?
I'm outta here.
ps I don't know why one of the videos appeared twice. Once at the begining and once of the end. Gremlins?

6 comments:

  1. WOW!! The scenery at the stables is beautiful and the horses too. The videos are great. Is that your friend's daughter I hear talking in the last video?
    Enjoy your day off!!

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  2. Having painted 50+ fence panels, when I saw the fences at the stables...my bp went up! Beautiful place and those horses! Loved the videos Paul. I have toured factories before and your bud beer factory reminded me of WI.I loved the Lay's chip tour in 4th grade.
    Now for some reason I have the song "56,000 cases of beer - 56,000 cases... take one off an....
    Glad you had a great time. You should be a tour guide by video!

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  3. hey..great to see a blog from you (I should talk!) but it was and I would have done the same thiong and have done in the decision making process of work VS a beautiful day,. I always reason the work will still be there but the day..a literal once in a lifetime opportunity!

    xo

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  4. Paul, I will get embarrassing here when I say how very VERY much I loved every second of that video from a week or so back of you playing AND talking!

    You play superbly and your style is very compatible with what I love to hear. Listening to Greensleeves brought cold chills (yes, it's true) because
    that is one of my most favorite pieces to play. Hearing your sketches were such a fabulous way for me to start my day and your voice is not as I expected. You're right..you don't have a strong accent at all.

    You made my day. What time you wanna pick me up? Will yopu cut my meat for me while I can't use my right hand? ;-)

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  5. Good to see you back here again Paul I enjoyed your tour ...These days you have to go and enjoy the fine days

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