Regular Dad

It's 780 Miles to Chicago, We've Got a Full Tank of Gas, Half Pack of Ritz..

The holidays are upon us.  Am I ready?  From a gifting and travel standpoint, sure.  Am I mentally and emotionally ready?  We'll find out.  It won't be the relaxing, chill time with my family from the days of old.  But I'd be naive to set my sights on that. 
Once again, I've gained slightly more awareness on how the Christmas machine tends to steamroll everything else.  Which is just the way the Catholic church has always done business.  
Another blind sample is up for review.  Do I like it?  Can I successfully guess any part of what it is?  
Take time to reach out to those in your circle.  Make sure they're doing okay.  Or if you're the one who's struggling, find someone to talk to.  Anyone.  Don't do what Donnie Don't does, and bottle it all up. 
Enjoy!

Let's Kick the Tires and Light The Menorahs!

It's Hanukkah time!  At least it is now.  And I think it was a mere 6 hours (or so) away when I was recording this. 
I won't lie, I don't recall exactly what I talked about nor in what order.  So I'll just list some probables here and hope it matches.  Although again, I'm not sure anyone reads this...
Bears lost to the Packers.  But played them into the 4th quarter, so it's really a victory for us.  
The back half of the week got stupidly busy.  And that annoys me.  Nothing new here.
Cracked sample #1 from the 12 days of Christmas blind whiskey kit I put together with Bourbon of the Week.  And friggin' nailed it!  Although I had a 1/12 shot of getting it.  
And ole Grandpa Rivers is coming back to play some NFL football.  44, haven't played since COVID, has a grandchild.  Sounds like a perfect time to come back and start for the Colts.  
Enjoy!

Can They Vaccinate Against Catching Strays?

I can officially say I Thanksgivinged too hard this year.  No singular element went too far, but I turned too many dials up to 7.  I need a few at 8 and a few at 3.  And a day-ish where everything is sub-5.  
Bears-Packers is this weekend.  I haven't been this legitimately excited for a Bears game in many years.  I don't think we'll win the game, but I do think we'll get a moral victory out of this. 
And once again I inadvertently hit a friend with strays while trying to make fun of someone else.  No feelings were actually hurt (or so they say), but I gotta be more aware.  I just never thought we'd be debating some of the things were now debating.  Crazy days. 
I got a blind Advent calendar!  Usually full of very good samples.  Let's crack one on air and see what's up. 
Enjoy!

Wanna Listen to a Squirrel Fight?

I did my best to keep this episode un-chaotic, and mostly failed.  Just know that what you hear is a tip of the iceburg for the tire fire in my head.  
Another Thanksgiving is in the books.  This year it was us, my MIL, and our friends from up the street.  It's a strange roster on paper, but it was right.  And I only had to cook 2 turkeys and 3 pies!  
New Riff 8yr Bourbon.  Are they maturing nicely, or should they just stick to 4-6 year and special heritage rye? 
And yeah, I've got a grievance.  And shockingly, it's another driving-related one.  At least it aligns with the rest of my personality, so it's on brand.  
Enjoy!

But Can He Put a Turkey in Orbit?!

I've officially at the age when I just no longer can stay up super late even when I'm home semi-alone.  But I did have the best of intentions.  
Chauncey Manor has a beautiful, new HVAC system.  High-efficiency furnace and A/C.  While I probably could have just repaired the current system and gotten another 3-5 years out of it, this will put a big dent in our utility bills and give me 1 less thing to worry about for the next 10 years. 
Rare Character Rye up for review.  Over-priced hype job?  Or a well-chosen low-rye rye from MGP?
Turns out Elon Musk has really put a stranglehold on not just our ability to put things into space, but also unrestricted internet for large chunks of the world.  And as you'd expect, he can giveth and taketh away based on his shifting allegences.  Not sure if that's really a good thing...
Enjoy!

Knock Knock Knockin' on My "New" Front Door

Vaccines have been officially administered.  And boy did they kick my butt the next day.  Like, I'm glad I picked a week when I had a couple days that I didn't really have to be my best. 
And speaking of kicking my butt...Myles and I ran our annual 5k.  And he.  Kicked.  My.  Ass. This marks the first time one of the kids has legit beat me at an athletic endevour.  And I'm not taking it well.  
Over-due Halloween recap!  Another great party and another set of great costumes orchestrated by Hayley.  
Penelope Estate Collection Private Select 2025.  Did I waste a trip to DE to get this?  Or did the Estate Collection redeem itself with this one?
My front door is finally shiny and beautiful and knockered.  Took parts of 3 days to do it, but I got it done.  And really without any unexpected issues coming up!
Enjoy!

I Didn't Birthday Very Well This Year

Another year, another birthday.  Except this year it really just a normal Tuesday, but with ice cream cake at the end.  Even for me, who doesn't typically do much for birthdays, this was pretty lame.  
Brian Beyke, of Pursuit and Seelbach's fame, has put his name on a bottle of blue corn bourbon.  Money grab?  Or is the whiskey good?  
The NFL was hit with some terrible news as a young star took their own life this week.  So let's take a step back and talk through some mental health again.
Big round of elections in several states.  And the Dems seemed to have woken up a bit and showed up very nicely.  
You know what I despise?  Bad infomercials.  If you can't even show your product working perfectly in the infomercial, why in God's name would I consider buying it?!
Enjoy!

Is Religion a Necessary Evil, or Just Unnecessary?

I had a lively religious debate with my friends the other night.  And somehow I was the one claiming that there is a potential place for religion in a modern society.  I just can't think of any examples where it's been done correctly at scale and didn't lead to terribleness.  
Old Fitzgerald 7yr BIB.  Is Heaven Hill just trying to capitalize on the wheated craze or is this a worthy shelfer? 
I watched KPop Demon Hunters with Duncan.  And I didn't hate it.  That's all I'll type right now. 
And I have a grievance.  With a stranger.  Or at least that stranger's car.  
Enjoy!

Why Does MAGA Hate My Cabbage Patch Kid?

Well, I feel like I'm somehow healing mentally and emotionally again.  The changes I've slowly been making are accumulating as well as some other recent changes.  Like Justin Fields says, just get 1% better each week. 
Bardstown Discovery Series 13 is up.  Should they stop this whole sourcing and blending non-sense and focus on their own stuff?  Or was this is delicious double-barreled offering? 
Turns out I was a trend-setter beyond my years.  Did you know you could get a new birth certificate for a Cabbage Patch Kid?  One that says whatever you want it to?  Remind you of anything currently going on...
Enjoy!
 

Are My Kids' Teeth Really That Bad?

Both kids were back at the orthodontist for another round of not-free dental work.  Moving teeth around so other teeth can come in crooked and then get moved around again.  Kinda Sisyphean if you think about it.  
My soccer message to Myles seems to have gotten through.  For now.  Which is great, because I want him to just enjoy playing sports as much as I enjoy it.  It's not about winning or losing, it's about getting out there and competing and having fun.  Which is what us people that never win like to emphasize.  
Redwood Empire Rocket Top Rye.  Distilled grain to grass by Redwood out there in Sonoma.  But should it be, or should they go back to sourcing from MGP...
What's that?  You're curious about how my weight loss journey 2025 is going since we're like 85% done with the year and we're about to hit my fattening months?  
Enjoy!