Friday Five Plus One — 1-15-10

Disclaimer: It took me a full week to finally finish this post, so some events have already passed.

Since I have skipped a week on my Five Plus Ones, this week I am presenting a Friday Ten Plus Two.

At work, we are still in the thick of it as far as awards season goes. In fact, as I write this on Saturday evening, I am dreading going to work on Sunday afternoon to await the Golden Globe winners so we can get them into the papers for Monday morning, and this year, as a special added bonus, we get Monday off for Martin Luther King day, which looks good on paper but which means that we need to get our Tuesday ads to the paper as well.

I don't know how many of you have noticed that the paper has been getting narrower and narrower these days, but for those of you in Los Angeles, the LA Times is getting even skinnier as of the beginning of February. It will soon be the Kate Moss of newspapers. Since I have been doing this for a living, the paper is now three inches narrower than it was when I started.

For this week's (and last week's) post, I present ten photos from strolling around the neighborhood. Sure, it might not be entirely bike-specific, but I have always said that this blog is about cycling in particular, but getting around without a car in general.

So, with no further ado:

1. A Guy on a bike...

In an effort to somehow tie this in to the theme of this blog

2. A bird in the hand...

actually, I think there may be two in the cage, which is in her hand... therefore, I believe it may be worth four in the bush.

3. Let's shed some light...

4. Clouds

Yes, even in Southern California we have the occasional cloudy skies. I snapped this photo simply because I thought they looked interesting.

5. Bus stop

The happening scene at the bus stop on the corner of my street.

6. World famous celebrity karaoke...

what more can I say?

7. Still life with Barry...

8. Pedestrians get all of the perks...

9. At the Car Wash

A place to which I no longer have to go. $9.99 is a good deal these days, but $0 is better.

10. Red sky at night..

I had to leave this one in color. Clouds at sundown.

11. Deschutes Brewing Red Chair NWPA

My camera battery having died on the way to the pub, I will have to make do with a ccpp (crappy cell phone photo) in lieu of my usual beer glamour shot.

Red Chair NWPA (not to be confused with Red Chair IPA, which they also make), may just be one of my new favorite beers. Named after the oldest operating ski lift at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, they are calling this their debut NWPA (North West Pale Ale). It has a much smoother, milder hop flavor than most IPAs. The first thing you notice is a very floral aroma with a hint of citrus. The first sip reveals a bit of malty sweetness, making way for an evergreen-like hop flavor. I would consider it hoppy, but not mouth-puckering so. At 6.4% ABV, it is not super-strong, so I could see myself knocking back a few of these in an evening. It's one of the most refreshing beers in recent memory. So many IPAs these days follow the Spinal Tap method of brewing (turning everything up to 11), with high alcohol and a huge amount of hops. Sometimes drinking these beers becomes more of a feat of strength, rather than just the enjoyment of a beverage, akin to eating chili made with "The Merciless Peppers of Quetzlzacatenango - Grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum", as Homer Simpson once did, just to prove you can do it. This beer puts a stop to the insanity, proving to be hoppy, yet enjoyable. I have not had the Red Chair IPA, so don't know how it compares, but if you see the NWPA, definitely give it a try. I can see some of my friends who don't usually like hoppy brews enjoying this copper-colored beauty. This is a seasonal brew which is only available for a few months, so what are you waiting for?

12. Russian River Brewing Consecration Ale

At $22 a bottle (25.4 oz.), this had better be good, and fortunately, it was. One of the trendy new Belgian-style "sour" beers, this is better than most. Sometimes they can be like biting into an unripe lemon, this one has a tart, fruity flavor. At 10% ABV, it is pretty strong. In fact, It would be better to be served in a smaller, belgian-style glass, but since I don't have one, into the usual pint glass it went. This has currants added and is aged in oak barrels. It is not something I would want to drink all the time (especially at $22 a pop), and I would consider it almost a novelty beer, but it's worth springing for at least one time.