Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
90 and Counting
If my grandma and her siblings are any indication, then I’d say that longevity runs in our family. Grandma, the oldest of six children, lived until 91, and was in her right mind up until the very end, despite suffering a stroke at 87. Uncle Jim died at age 84 after leading an extremely active lifestyle until an illness set in shortly before he passed. Four of the siblings are still living, the youngest of which is 84 years old, and lives on a farm. He gets up every morning and does his chores and tends to the cattle. The oldest of the remaining four, Uncle Bob, turned 90 last week.
90 years old he has lived! What an incredible milestone. We had a pretty big party to celebrate Grandma’s 90th birthday almost 4 years ago. I’ve tried (although I could do MUCH better) to keep in touch with my great aunts and uncles and extended family since Grandma passed away two years ago. It was with that in mind when I was looking at the 2016 calendar over Christmas last winter, that I decided that a trip to Cleveland was in order for another 90th birthday celebration.
In the months that followed, Uncle Bob’s 5 daughters were busy planning a surprise birthday party for him. As his actual birthday, May 25th, approached, I realized that I had not told Uncle Bob about my plans for a trip to Cleveland. I called him to wish him a happy birthday and he offered me the perfect opportunity to tell him about my trip without ruining the surprises to come.
“So, do you have any travels coming up,” Uncle Bob asked as we were chatting on the phone on his birthday. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to Cleveland tomorrow,” I exclaimed. He started laughing. I told him that a person only turns 90 once, so I thought that it was a great excuse to make a trip to visit him and his family.
It was truly a wonderful trip (never mind the fact that it took me 24 hours and a day trip to Nashville to get there- https://amyguerich.com/2016/05/29/life-in-the-land-of-oz/ ) We had a family dinner, complete with strawberry shortcake with fresh picked strawberries, a beautiful Mass celebrated in Uncle Bob’s honor, a surprise party/luncheon, and an after party at Uncle Bob’s daughter’s family’s house, then a wonderful Memorial Day celebration honoring our veterans and service members (Uncle Bob is a veteran of World War II), and family lunch before I had to head to the airport.
I have really fond memories of Grandma being giddy with excitement and planning family dinners and getting the house ready for Uncle Bob and Aunt Joyce’s annual summer visits, and in more recent years, Uncle Bob and his daughter, Janet. Grandma always cried when they left to make the drive back to Ohio. We had fun enjoying big meals, story telling, and pitch games. My favorite recent memories include Uncle Bob taking me to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in downtown Cleveland four years ago. The feature exhibit that year was the Eagles. It was so fun to see Uncle Bob with the headphones on listening to the narration and music at the different stations. It was a special treat for me considering that I am a huge music fan. Two or three years ago, I had the pleasure of taking Uncle Bob and Sr. Ginger on one of their Sunday drives when we were in Oklahoma for the Slavin family reunion. I truly regret not having a tape recorder in the car with us. It was SO wonderful to listen to the two siblings swap family stories on our 4+ hours in the car together. I’ll never forget that hot and muggy Sunday afternoon in rural Oklahoma. I also love hearing the stories of Uncle Bob’s and Grandma’s St. Louis adventures when he was a student and Grandma was a young professional in the city.
I added some truly memorable moments to the Uncle Bob Memory Bank during this trip. I think that my favorite moment of the trip was something that I didn’t even experience first hand. I was in the car putting on lipstick and making sure that my feet looked decent in my open toed shoes considering that I didn’t make time for a pedicure before the trip, priorities, right?!…yikes! But my cousin captured the moment perfectly. Here is Uncle Bob being surprised by his little brother, Uncle Jerry, outside of the church before the birthday Mass.
I think that next on the list of favorite memories from the trip was the Mass. Uncle Bob’s home parish put together a beautiful Mass to celebrate his 90th birthday. His family and friends took up the first five pews in church, and I lost count of how many folks came up before and after Mass to wish him a happy birthday. What a beautiful testament to a faithful person who selflessly serves his parish community!
I really enjoyed meeting and visiting with Uncle Bob’s friends at the party. I met someone who had no idea that he grew up in Kansas! I also met a woman who worked for Uncle Bob as a secretary back in 1960. She spoke so highly of Uncle Bob that it made me very proud to know him and to be able to call him a great uncle. He is remarkably GREAT!
I have to say, that another favorite memory from the weekend, albeit a little selfish, was when Uncle Bob told me that he was proud of me at our family lunch before I had to head to the airport. He will never know just how much that comment means to me. No words.
Uncle Bob is not the typical 90 year old, as evidenced by the waitress at lunch who’s jaw dropped when we told her that Uncle Bob was 90 as she proceeded to tell us about the nursing home patients at her old job who “were in their 70s and 80s and could barely walk”, or the countless Facebook comments from people who saw his picture and can’t believe that he’s 90. He drives 900 miles to Kansas every year. He enjoys a beer or two at lunch or at a family party. He attends daily Mass. When we were on the phone the other day, he said “there isn’t a minute in the day that goes unused.”
I can hear that song, “The Secret of Life” by Faith Hill playing….she says that the secret of life is a good cup of coffee, keep your eye on the ball, staying up late, etc.
I think Uncle Bob’s “secret” of life isn’t a secret at all. He’s been a devoted husband, a good father, wonderfully patient and kind (even after raising 5 daughters!), a genuinely generous and giving and extremely faithful person. He has fun, he laughs, he cries, he makes those around him want to be a better person. He LIVES!
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY, UNCLE BOB!
Life and the Arts
It is amazing how life can change. Wow. Thursday nights once used to explore the city are now used to go to bed early in a last ditch effort to survive what is left of the work week.
I like to title this someone(s) I used to know. Thursday night out on the town with “life long friends.” But something that never changes is that one of the few things that can get me out of my Johnson County Bubble on a “school night” is the Kansas City arts scene.
My friend, Vi (top left), is a local performing artist and writer. He is the director of the Buffalo Room at Westport Flea Market. http://westportfleamarket.com/the-buffalo-room/ Vi was born in Vietnam during the war and moved to the states, with his family, as a refugee, while a small child in the early 80s. His performance memoir, written by Vi himself, and directed by his beautiful wife Mackenzie, is playing at the Buffalo Room for the next 10 days or so and opening night was Thursday, April 30th. The production, A Butcher’s Son, tells the story of Vi’s family and their origins in Vietnam, their survival and escape from the war torn country to start life anew in the United States to get their own piece of the American Dream. https://www.facebook.com/events/1424119994562927/
Vi’s family moved to Garden City where his parents worked as butchers at the Iowa Beef meat packing plant to try and build a life for their children…a life that they could not have had in post war Vietnam. His story is so moving. Opening night of the production was tonight, Thursday, April 30th, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. It’s hard to believe that the end of the war was in the very recent past. I grew up in Emporia, KS, where Iowa Beef had a huge presence in the 80s and 90s. We lived in that little town with many Vietnamese Americans and Mexican Americans. However, we lived in a segregated world. My parents and I living the American Dream in our little house on Chestnut Street (we were poor and humble, I took the dream for granted, and I recognize the innocence and ignorance of my childhood).
While watching the performance tonight, I couldn’t help but think that we missed out on hearing the stories of our neighbors. We missed out on getting to know them and their struggles. We didn’t know them. They were Asians. They lived in a cluster of extended family. Their children and grandchildren sat quietly in class. English was their second language. They were good at math. But we didn’t try to befriend them in the classroom or on the playground. We knew that they were different. We didn’t know what they went through to make it to Emporia, KS.
I’m so grateful to Vi for telling his family’s story and for giving people like me the opportunity to learn their piece of history. Vi and Mackenzie’s vision is to take this performance on the road and to tell his story in the meatpacking towns across Kansas. I hope that I can help them to tell the story in my home town of Emporia. A town so rich with the history and stories of these refugees and their decendents.
The Butcher’s Son cast and crew.
Things I Learned at SXSW 2015
I crossed an item off of my bucket list last week. I attended South By Southwest in Austin, Texas for the very first time. Not only was it my first time attending SXSW, it was also my very first trip to Austin. There were so many great things about the week and my stay in Austin, that I’m seriously thinking about making it an annual trip!
Here is my SXSW Ten List
1. Be strategic – I spent an afternoon reading about SXSW online a couple of weeks before I left so that I would have a good idea for what to expect and which shows that I wanted to see. I made a few notes on my iPhone note pad. It would have been better had I written out each day with pen and paper and made some notes about what I wanted to see and do. I don’t need to have every minute planned, but having a general idea for what to accomplish each day is much more productive and will help to make the most out of the visit. The time in Austin goes by FAST. Along these same lines, I should have paid more attention to the genres of music and types of show cases instead of just scanning schedules for band names that sound “good” or that I half way recognize. Had I done that, I may have discovered more new bands to start following afterward.
2. Bluegrass – Bluegrass is ALIVE and well, not just in ATX, but all over the country! I really enjoyed seeing many talented bluegrass bands!
3. Utilize Social Media – I’m on Twitter, but I could have done a better job at following bands and other SXSW info pages leading up to the trip. It is also a great way to stay connected and informed during the festival. In fact, I missed a band that I really wanted to see because I didn’t think to check Facebook for schedule updates for an outside showcase on a day that it poured!
4. Celebrity Sightings/Know Who People Are – Not every black guy wearing sunglasses and riding in a Range Rover or Escalade is a famous rapper. Nick Lachey is a former member of 98 Degrees. Did I know this when we were all at the Four Seasons having drinks?? NO. I had to be a stalker and secretly snap a picture of him and text a friend to find out who he was.
5. Accommodations & Transportation – My cousin was so sweet and nice enough to let me stay at her place during South By. She’s moving away from Austin this summer, so I’ve been thinking about what I will do next year if I decide to go back. From what I experienced, I think my best bet is to start saving my pennies and then watch the calendar and book a hotel downtown. Yes, it is pricey, however, it is the most convenient and efficient way to experience South By for an out of towner. I had a car (big mistake) so I wasted valuable time driving all over the city and waiting in traffic. I also spent money on gas and parking. THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE A CAR IN AUSTIN DURING SXSW! Staying downtown saves money on gas and parking and time in traffic. Some people utilize Uber, but there is a cost and you run the risk of getting caught in traffic. I think to get the most out of my experience that I should plan to stay downtown.
6. Safety First – Don’t try to confront a guy after he hits you with his jeep and drives off leaving your arm bruised up.
7. Have an “In” – It is all about who you know. Having an in with a band makes the experience that much better. Or it can be something as small as making friends with a bartender or a cashier at Whole Foods.
8. Badges – Buying a badge is definitely not an essential to having a good time and seeing tons of bands. And sometimes I think it is more of a status symbol or fashion accessory. However, I’m considering buying one just so that I have a chance to get into some of the official parties. Maybe it will lead to more noteworthy celebrity sightings!
9. Remember – I took pictures and made notes of bands that I liked. Next time I need to remember to pack a poncho.
10. Be On Time – I was really sad that I showed up 30 minutes late to a show and missed 90% of a band ‘s set. I was really looking forward to seeing them and was super disappointed.
30 Days Til 30 Day 2
So far so good on my 30 workouts in 30 days challenge. I had an appointment with the trainer at 5:30 this morning- he didn’t show, so I did my own cardio workout and it was a great way to start the day.
I was ultra productive at work today and actually got everything done that I needed to do before I had to run out the door to meet a long time industry friend for lunch. We caught up on all of the latest personal and business happenings. This is a friend that I can always count on for wisdom and good advice. I told him about my mixed emotions over not only getting a year older, but reaching a “milestone” age.
I took the rest of the afternoon off to get ready for out of town company. I stopped off at the fruit stand to get the last few ingredients needed for the sangria that I will serve tomorrow.
My best friends drove up from Springfield and we had fun catching up over cocktails and Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ.
Sad that I didn’t take any pictures to document day 2.
28 days to go…
#30Daystil30
Day 1
I’ve always looked forward to my birthdays, over dramatizing it, making an entire month of celebrating, etc, etc. But this year, my looming birthday brings a set of mixed emotions. I’m mostly nervous and anxious…I feel like I still have a ton to do, a lot to accomplish, but I only have 30 days.
The first thing that I did was challenge myself to step up my fitness game, so I plan to work out every day for the next 30 days…and I’ve got the entire internet to hold me accountable! I started things off on the right foot with a nice walk-jog before work this morning and a jog to CVS after happy hour.
After a long day at the office, I had a great time winding down at happy hour with an industry friend and made a nice dinner at home.
And to end the day, I did one of my FAVORITE things…made some sangria to get ready for this weekend’s company. And based on a recommendation from a very talented Port Fonda mixologist, I made my very own peach simple syrup for the first time to make my homemade peach brandy.
I’ll be tweeting #30Daystil30 @AmyGKC & on instagram @amyguerich
Here’s to the next 30 days…
There Are No Words…But I Need To Try
You may not understand this if you weren’t a loyal Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show listener.
On Saturday, I had a nice day of working during the day and then a trip out to the Legends with a friend. I was exhausted from several days of little sleep, so I came home and was in bed by 10, and for the first time in months, slept all night until 5:30 am. I’m one of those phone addicts that checks my phone as soon as I wake up -before I even get out of bed.
I had a text at 1:06 am from one of my best friends from college that said “My friend just texted me that Kidd Kraddick died? What?”
I thought, in my groggy, sleepy state, no way! There is NO WAY that is true -it must just be a joke as a result of the “death bead confessions” bit that they had been doing all week where they jokingly acted out what they would say to each other if they were dying. I immediately got on Facebook – the first thing that I saw was a post from a friend that said “RIP Kidd Kraddick..morning commutes just won’t be the same”. And I thought, NO WAY, NO way. Then I saw a post from another FB friend that said “…RIP Kidd Kraddick! Listened to your show for many years!” My stomach started to sink as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. I knew it was real when I saw one of Kidd’s mentees post a picture of him with Kidd with a caption that read “I love you Kidd. You were a friend, mentor, and father figure to me . Thank you for believing in me. Ephesians 1:16” Right after I saw that post, I came across the post from Kidd’s company with the official statement about his death.
Then the tears came.
David Dave “Kidd Kraddick” Cradick was a long time radio show host and philanthropist. He had been on the radio for years and started to get big after he moved to Dallas to host an evening show in 1984. He moved to mornings a few years later and his popularity soared. He had a pop culture show where they talked about current events, celebrity gossip, politics, religion, technology, movies, music, etc. all with their own spin and brutally honest opinions that the fans had come to appreciate. I have gotten most of my pop culture knowledge from listening to the show – that is how I discovered Twitter! I had been listening to Kidd and his cohosts, Kellie Rasberry, and Big Al Mack, and his producer Shanon “Psycho Shanon” Murphy since the early 2000s. I had listened through Kidd’s daughter’s Caroline’s upbringing-graduating from high school, then college, Kidd’s divorce from his wife Carol, a few cast changes, and ultimately a TV show. We saw Kellie through her courtship with Freddie, marriage, then infertility struggles, and finally the birth of her daughter Emma Kellie, and her subsequent divorce. We listened to one failed bit after another from Big Al, his struggles as a father, and his second son, Peyton, being revealed on the air to his coworkers and fans. Shanon grew up on the air and eventually came out, and then shared her struggle as she mourned the loss of her toddler nephew, Ethan, after a tragic accident.
It was great when I would meet a stranger – no matter where, if we had Kidd Kraddick in common, then we were instant friends.
Kidd, Kellie, and Big Al Mack were the staples of the show, but had various cohosts over the years. I loved Rich Shertenlieb (even though Kellie didn’t) and was so sad when he decided to pack up with his wife Mary to host a show in Boston. Then came J-si who was my age! Listening to the adventures of Jsi and Kinsey was so fun! My favorite time on the show was watching Jenna progress from phone screener to full on-air personality. I share so many similarities with Jenna, and we are the same age, I feel like I know her really well and have had the pleasure of staying in touch with her via email and social media and got to meet her on a trip to Dallas.
The point I’m trying to make is that I grew to know so much about these people whose voices I heard through my radio (or lap top, then cell phone, then ipad) every morning. The first thing that I’ve done every morning for the last 10+ years is turn off the alarm clock and then turn on Kidd Kraddick who is on from 6-10 every week day morning.
So, from 5:30 this morning until 12:30 this afternoon, I was glued to the internet. I had my cellphone, iPad, and lap top on Facebook, Twitter, and Google search to read everything I could about what the heck happened. How could a young almost 54 year old who spent a good part of his career reporting on the untimely death of celebrities experience the same fate to leave behind a beautiful 20 something daughter, a career, show, family, friends, and charity? Every source seemed to be saying that Kidd and his morning show crew had been in New Orleans this weekend and Kidd died while hosting a charity golf tournament for his charity, Kidd’s Kids which took terminally ill children and their families to Disney World every November. As of Sunday at 11:47 pm central, his cause of death had not been officially released, however there has been speculation and rumors.
I was beyond sad. I spent most of the entire day (with the exception of a short trip to brunch and a shorter trip to the grocery store) glued to the internet, reading news articles, tributes from celebrities and fans, and finally, even a few social media posts from his friends, colleagues, and radio family. I listened to the radio station in his hometown of Dallas where he got his start. They spent the day paying tribute to him. It was hard listening to his colleagues and fellow DJs get emotional on the air when they spoke of his passing.
I can’t come to grips with the fact that I am SO sad and grieving the loss of someone that I had only met once face to face for about 15 seconds. How is that possible?
Luckily, I haven’t had to experience death much. I’ve had a few class mates die over the years, a great-great uncle who died in his 90s when I was 7. Then my maternal grandmother died when I was almost 9 and that was very tough as a kid. Then other than a few classmates over the years, I didn’t really have to deal with death until my great uncle, my Grandma’s brother died and I was 24. My entire family was utterly shaken, and I felt a loss that I couldn’t quite describe. I remember not sleeping for several nights and one night, I called my grandma at like midnight or something. And she said, “Oh Amy, I guess you really haven’t had to deal with death as an adult”. She said a prayer with me over the phone, and we hung up. It was a hard time for our entire family. Luckily, that was 5 years ago, and with the exception of a few family friends and distant relatives, I haven’t really had to deal with death up close and personal since then.
And then today, I heard the news of Kidd’s passing. I felt an unexplainable sadness and a feeling of great loss. I listened to Kidd every morning and if I ever missed a show, I caught up on the replays on the weekends, so he and his morning show crew were a part of my every day. I felt sick thinking about the loss that his friends, family, and radio family were experiencing.
I remembered the times that I got to go to DFW and see his show. Every time I go to DFW, I try to coordinate it with a trip to go and see the show and I even love to stay at the hotel across the street from the studio.
I’m not sure if I will ever be able to explain why I feel the sadness that I feel, but I guess the best explanation is that although Kidd wasn’t family to me and I didn’t know him outside of the radio, he and his colleagues were a part of my daily routine and therefore, like friends and family to me.
RIP Kidd Kraddick, you are sorely missed.
KEEP LOOKING UP BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE IT ALL IS.
Firsts
Although I was feeling a bit of a let down knowing that my birthday month was coming to an end, I was excited for my start to September.
My cousin, Ellen, lives in Kent, Ohio and has two children that attend school at Columbia University in New York City. She invited me to fly up to Ohio and hop in the car with her and her daughter so that we could take her daughter back to school for her senior year. I would then drive back with Ellen and get to spend some time with their family (gram’s brother, Bob, and his kids and grandkids) back in Ohio.
Long story short it didn’t work out for me to fly to Ohio, but I was able to fly into NYC and meet them in the city. I flew out of Kansas City at 9:20 am and flew to Charlotte where I had an hour layover….just enough time to grab a sandwich, a vodka soda, and catch a bit of the Penn State Ohio football game. I LOVE the new Penn State jerseys…but I digress. I caught my connecting flight to Newark, NJ.
The day before I left, I surfed around online and talked to my cousin about the best way to get to the city from Newark. We determined that it would be best to take the airport train to the New Jersey Transit System train to Penn Station and then catch the subway to Columbia where I would meet my cousins. I travel alone frequently, so I don’t normally get nervous, but I will admit that I was nervous and a little intimidated at the thought of making this trip, my first trip ever to New York City.
With the help of the airport attendant, I found the airport train to the NJ transit. While on the platform waiting on the NJ Transit train, this guy struck up a conversation with me. He was super nice, heading to the city on business from Houston. We chatted while waiting for the train and even sat near each other. I thought, wow, he is kind of cute, really nice, and super friendly. He even offered to help me with my bag, and that is when I noticed the wedding ring! Ha.
Anyway, I sat next to a New Yorker that helped me and Houston guy find our way around at Penn Station. From there, I bought a metro card and slowly but surely figured out how to catch the subway. Two hours from landing at Newark, I made it to the Columbia campus.
I was in awe of the beauty that was Columbia with its old buildings and well manicured campus. Seeing the hustle and bustle of the students moving in made me miss college. I was also a little intimidated by being in the presence of so many Ivy Leaguers. I know that there is no way that I could have hacked it at an Ivy League. I got to see my cousin Elan’s dorm and then we headed out for our first New York City adventure.
We took the subway to Times Square where my senses were overloaded with the mass marketing and commercialization. Every chain known to man was represented and I saw ads for every TV show to air this fall. Everyone there is out to make or spend a buck. The most interesting thing were all of the people that were in character to try and scam money from people by posing for pictures. Super Mario was there but he creeped me out because he was a middle eastern guy that kept taking off his head and walking around with a scowl on his face….way to scare the children!
We walked to Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, and several other places in the area before heading to dinner at a local Mexican/Columbian restaurant.
I also got to attend Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The only thing besides the construction that bothered me was the fact that they let tourists mill around the cathedral during Mass. I thought that was distracting and disrespectful. After Mass, we had my favorite meal, brunch, at a little French cafe before heading off for Soho.
Soho was my favorite part of the city that I saw during my trip. I really wanted to go into Ivanka Trump’s store, but it was closed for remodeling. I also discovered Frye’s leather while in town and I’m still regretting not buying the purple sneakers in the Converse store.
As we were walking back to the Subway, we saw several people stopped out in front of this store taking pictures and there were lines everywhere inside. We thought that there may be someone famous, but we couldn’t figure it out. The name of the store was called Dash, so I pulled out my phone and googled “Dash, Soho, NYC” and a million hits popped up. Kim Kardashian owns the store. Enough said.
We walked down to the financial district and I snapped some pictures of Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. The entire time I walked around the city I kept saying, I can’t believe I’m in NYC! I don’t know why I’ve never been before.
We also went to Battery Park and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty before we headed to dinner at a mom and pop greek restaurant near Columbia University.
We did a TON of walking on the trip, so all of the eating didn’t phase me. The only disappointment that I had was that we did not run into any famous people!
I had a lot of firsts on this trip and am already making a list of the things that I would like to do when I go back to the city, which I hope is very soon.
Happy New Year (A Little Late)
As the new year gets off to a decent start, I’d like to use my blog to thank some people for their love and support during a challenging 2011.
I was promoted to a new position at my company in October of 2010, so 2011 got off to a challenging start as I learned the new position, managed my time, tried to find work/life balance, and study for a rigorous professional exam.
In July, I was home celebrating Independence Day with Grandma when she had a stroke in the dining room at breakfast. It was devastating. The next several months of Grandma’s recovery were very tough on our entire family, especially me because we have been so close for so long. Grandma has slowed down a lot since July, and it has been an adjustment for all of us.
Those that are close to me know that stress management is not always my strong suit.
There are a lot of people that have helped me through the last few months. First of all, Grandma’s siblings and their spouses have been fantastic. They were there at the hospital the day of the stroke, and have been there for me every step of the way with phone calls, emails, and words of encouragement about the test and Grandma’s recovery. Secondly, Grandma’s nieces, my cousins have also been an incredible source of support for me with their phone calls, texts, emails, and just lending an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.
I have a core group of Kansas City friends who have also been great to me over the last several months. Putting up with me stressing out, being socially unavailable, and lending their expertise in various fields related to psychology and stroke recovery.
There are also a handful of colleagues who have kept in touch and helped me get through the professional exam and always ask how Grandma is doing with a genuine care and concern.
I am so thankful and appreciative of all of the love and support that so many family, friends, and colleagues have shown to me over the last several months. You have definetely made the tough times not seem so tough. I hope that I can continue to show you how grateful that I am for you.
Birthday Month….Yes, one whole month
Most people that know me know that I LOVE birthdays, my own and others. I love mine so much that I normally plan to celebrate for an entire month.
I kicked off the month in usual fashion – with a happy hour for my friends and coworkers at Blanc Burgers and Bottles. Every year I start the month off with a happy hour where I ask guests to come and enjoy food and drink specials while they drop off school supplies for a local domestic violence shelter that I volunteer at. I’m so lucky that my birthday falls so close to back to school time!
The evening was a success for several reasons…one, we collected a ton of stuff for the kids at the shelter, two, I got to see several people that I hadn’t seen in a while, and got to help people make connections with each other. I also got to connect with the staff at an establishment in my new neighborhood. Lastly,and most importantly, I discovered the greatness that is Crispin!
I’m not a beer drinker, and that includes any malt beverage, including cider. My friends were at the bar during happy hour drinking a large beer glass full of ice and a light amber colored beverage. I asked what it was and they said, hard cider. I said, ick, no thanks. All I could think of is that disgusting wood chuck stuff. Well, they insisted that I try a sip of the Crispin, and after much prodding, I did. How awesomely refreshing! Crispin is a hard apple cider made from freshly pressed and fermented apples, with no malt liquor added. It is almost like an apple sparkling wine, and not sweet at all. The makers of Crispin suggest that it is best served over ice. I was in heaven.
The next night, I happened to find Crispin at the happy hour spot that I was at and decided that I was hooked. I will spend my entire birthday month getting my hands on as much Crispin as possible.
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