This oughta be interesting . . .

In the three months since Darius asked to fight for Alethea in Crown, I never imagined it actually happening.

Not even after I looked the Crown List over very carefully and figured he was the favorite.

Now it's happened.

My close friend is the prince of the East, and my wife is his princess.

I am numb. ;)

Saturday night: Long day . . .

1. It might sound as though evilnicola's visit has been a raucous beer-blast, but that's not the case.

It was more of a "Zoom Tour."

Last night featured a visit to Mahar's Public House, where I bought each of us a cask-conditioned "Wailing Wench" from Middle Ages Brewing. We chatted with a nice man, whose first comment was, "I have a cask beer. Do you know what cask beer is?" Niki giggled.

We had dinner at The Man of Kent Tavern in Hoosick. Very British-pubby place. She had fish and chips, and I had macaroni and cheese. Good food, but no Publick House.

Today we went on a nice drive into Vermont. Went to the food co-op and farmers' market in Rutland, also to a bookstore. We had eaten breakfast at the Birdseye Diner in Castleton, Vt.

We did some sightseeing (on the way baked we hiked a couple of hundred yards of the Appalachian/Long/Catamount Trail off Route 4.

Needless to say, we went to Long Trail.

I was chatting up the older gentleman next to me who was with his son and daughter-in-law. I listen to them talk, and I ask the younger guy, "Are you in the beer business?"

He says, "Yes. I own the Blind Tiger in New York City."

Dude, we're talking one of the top beer bars in America.

Interesting conversation. ;)

He recently traveled the country in an Airstream Trailer, going to many, many breweries. A man after my own heart. Link is here.

We came home and had burgers and Niki cleaned the kitchen for me. She rocks.

2. Speaking of beer . . . (No, not you, Liam), the newly spiffed-up beer blog is open for business at Short Pours. I recycled a couple of things from Hops and Houppelandes, but I want to focus strictly on the beer. Please read, comment and pimp. Thanks!

3. Niki, on our cats:

"I walked into your bedroom, turned on the light, and the black duffel bag arched its back and became a cat."

"OK. That’s annoying. The cats are going through my stuff  . . . unless you pulled my underwear out into the middle of the hallway."

4. Our local paper, The Post-Star does an excellent job of getting things on their web site in advance. (Their morning updates are usually pretty interesting, because they are jammed with police stuff. Anyway, today, they have a preview of a story that will be in tomorrow. It's a story that I did the press release and the contact for (at least some of them), and ACT For Youth, the grant initiative I administer, was one of the sponsors. (I hope that gets mentioned in the full story).

By MEGIN POTTER

FORT EDWARD -- Sipping iced coffees and energy drinks, teens gathered Saturday to uncover a safe foot path from Fort Edward High School to facilities at McIntyre Park as part of Global Youth Service Day, a day when youth around the world participate in community service projects to address local needs.

Until now, gym classes have been held at the school’s football field, which has consequently become rundown from overuse. The approximately 600-foot trail volunteers cleared Saturday is just part of a planned 1,400-foot pathway connecting the school to the basketball, tennis, softball and baseball fields available at the park.

"I just think it’s really important to contribute to the community as much as possible," said Fort Edward senior Mikayla Consalvo.

The 40 to 50 youths expected to participate in Saturday’s cleanup were a mix of volunteers and of youths carrying out community service requirements said Chris Boucher from Washington County’s Alternative Sentencing Agency, who fired up his chain saw to cut the large dead trees into manageable pieces and to clear away the trees less then 8-inches thick to increase visibility and safety.