Super Bowl Birthday and Brews

Last Sunday we partook in that National pasttime of eating and sitting and eating and laughing and drinking and eating and singing......(Happy Birthday that is! but more on that in a minute)

This family gathering and foodfest involved some taste testing when my sis and BIL came armed with some of our favorites from the Russion River Brewery - We've sent the guys there tasting when we go camping....and we have never been able to keep straight who likes which brew. We were taking a poll of my BIL's Christmas brew, His Misc. brew, or one of the RR brews: Redemption, Salvation or Damnation. Irreverant names, but SUCH great taste. I Gotta love hearing Dad say he'd like some more Salvation, and he'll pass on the Damnation..... Now for my non-thrilling drinking story: I grew up with a keg on tap in the garage. Budweiser was my dad's drink of choice. He customized this big yellow fridge so that a keg fit inside and the tap hung on the outside of the door.

Needless to say, our house was the spot of choice when we would cut classes in high school (sorry dad!) Did I mention I hung out mostly with guys in high school?.....And we had a pool table....too tempting!

Now all this exposure to alcohol could have landed me in AA, but I inherited my mom's 'lightweight' tendencies. My distaste for beer in general was further solidified one night when I was having a sleepover. My friend and I decided to try and get drunk. So we crept out to the garage, filled two HUGE glasses with Bud (with very little foam I may add.....years of pooring my dad frosty mugs had fine tuned my skills ;)

I took one big drink and BLEH! (little did I know how universally distasteful Bud is!) So I decided to rectify the situation by adding cherry koolaid to my glass. A bartender in the making, right? Gag, Bleck, double BLEH! I had created a Liquid Cherry Cough Drop!

I never touched that tap again......and to this day I hate canned beer. Hand me a mixed drink, all fluffy and sweet and it's on (a blended margarita is a fav.... see how easy I am to please??), but a beer has to be nice and blonde for this wimp. I've also discovered I don't have the taste buds for an IPA, but I'll try most Belgians....

Now I say all this because I still don't drink often enough to really put most of this information to use....and I don't really ever think I've been drunk.......buzzed maybe but not sloppy........that said we tend to be a pretty 'dry' family.......Jarrod was a functional alcoholic from his teen years through his twenties and just before we fell in love.....and for him it's less of a need and more of a sad thought to drink too much.....so we only do in social circles and even then pretty rarely.

But that's just us, there is no judgement here. I personally think everything is permissible with the proper company (don't want to make anyone stumble) and in moderation (NOT daily-I'm overly sensitive because my dad was such a big drinker) So now you know, and I'll hop off my soapbox to tell you about the rest of our Sunday :D

BTW- I like Redemption in case you were wondering.....

My family had gathered to celebrate my amazing hubby. I really couldn't do much this year to prepare for his birthday since our truck was in the shop and I was stranded with sicky kids the weeks before. So thankfully my mom put together this triple chocolate creation......of which he's STILL nibbling away the remnants each night. She sure does know how to keep Jarrod happy:

I will qualify....he's so easy to please...really he is, a football game, a few thoughtful presents, family AND chocolate cake makes him mighty happy! And I was glad to see the exciting end to that Super Bowl game, and to share an uneventful (read no fighting) day with those I love so much.

Happy birthday babe, you're a chocolate munching, microbrew tasting, hands-on daddy, hardworking hubby, guitar playing, God's word teaching man and I love every bit of you! Muah!