Shooting Stars of Thought |

When I get in a non-blogging rut, I always feel the need to enter back into the arena with gusto. This week promises to be filled with it, so here goes.

I’m back, and here’s why this week is shaping up to be a good one:

1. Today marks the first day of American Craft Beer Week.

I’m not sure if there’s an official way to celebrate it, so I’m just going to go out of my way to try a new craft beer at every occasion I get. If you’re in San Diego and looking to drink some craft beer, here’s a map with a few of my favorite breweries and beer bars. The San Diego Brewers Guild has a more official (and handy printable) map on their site as well.

2. Friday is Ride your Bike to Work Day.

This year, I’m excited to say that I’m actually going to do it! Actually, I made the decision to start biking to work a few weeks ago, and after a couple of trial rides, I’ve been doing it ever since. I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but I definitely saw more bikers out this morning than I have in the past few weeks. If you’re in San Diego and thinking about it, check out ridelink to register and for more info, including safety tips. Oh, and if you don’t think you can commit to the whole ride, take the bus the rest of the way–bikers ride free on Friday!

3. Tom Waits tickets go on sale on Friday. Yes, you read that right. Tom Waits is going on tour this summer. No, he’s not coming to San Diego (or to California at all for that matter). Yes, he has a reason for not returning to his home town.

4. Sunday is the City Beat Festival of Beers in North Park

Craft beer, in North Park. ’nuff said.

5. (speaking of beer in North Park) The home brewery has not one, not two, but FOUR beers cycling through it right now.

We’ve got:

• the National High Five Day commemorative Hi-PA, an Imperial Pale Ale (drinkable now)
• the Snake Spoon Ale, batch # 2, a dry-hopped American Pale Ale, bottled on 5/9 and ready to drink around 5/19
• the VP Vanilla Porter, also bottled 5/9 for a 5/19 release
• and the Power Hour IPA, a clone of Dogfish Head’s 60-minute IPA, brewed 5/10 and fermenting away.

6. (speaking of beer in North Park), Toronado’s opening is just around the corner

The latest on the Toronado rumor is that the big grand opening is Saturday 5/24. Unfortunately I’ll be in Baja that weekend (you know, celebrating an American holiday in Mexico), but I may try crashing the also-rumored soft launch this Saturday.

7. The third annual Thanksgiving in July date has been announced

The biggest meal of the year will be on 7/19/08. To commemorate, we’ve gone ahead and secured thanksgivinginjuly.com.

8. My garden beds are built!

What, you thought I was just idly sitting by during these non-blogging months? I’ve now got two 3′ by 9′ garden beds filled with seedlings of heirloom tomatoes, french green beans, arugula, a medley of lettuces and chard, and broccoli, which my landlord thinks won’t grow this time of year but which I’m determined to try. I’ve also got a separate planter box with sage, oregano, rosemary, and some not-so-successful epazote (the bugs love it), and strangely dying thyme. Now the growing session.

On the homestead note, if you haven’t caught this article in last week’s NY Times on urban farming, please read. It’s an interesting indication of where our food security might be headed–our own backyards.

Whew! And with that I’m off to have a homebrew.