Life is full of Decisions

Tonight I am in deep thought. I've been thinking about things, my friends in particular. I need to blog tonight and I have no great drinking story for tonight. I only had two beers last week, been working my ass off between work and school and there just hasn't been time to go out. So tonight I will make comment on my friend. Within the past three months I reconnected with some of my friends who I was really close with many years ago. It has been quite interesting to say the least. We all have grown up and changed. We've made our mistakes. Some of us are in so deep that we don't really know how we got into our problems. A friend of mine is the one that I'm really concerned about. Now, I am not perfect by any means but she is making some bad choices. Some of the things I don't agree with at all. It's sad to say that I actually learn some things from my Business Ethics class, things that I am actually putting to use to help my friend. Life is full of choices and sometimes it is very hard to start changing how you answer those choices, especially if you have been giving the wrong answer for to long. What makes it worse is when you're group of friends deem you decisions to be right, because they are making the same decisions. My friends is in that situation. Now I'm doing all I can to help he out of things, she knows that, and she really is starting to turn things around. Now I know that it seems that I always say "What I'm getting at is.........." So without further adieu, don't give up on anybody. Don't judge for the decisions that they've made, and reconnect with old friends. You might be surprised what you can learn from them and what they can learn from you.

Enjoy.

'Tis the Season

As much as the whole Christmas season bothers me, I do appreciate what it stands for. Corporate greed has pushed the start of the holiday season from the week prior to Halloween all the way to the actual December 25Th date. You shouldn't have to cram as much sales into that time period just so you walk away and say "this has been a good year." The Christmas season shouldn't officially start till two weeks before the holiday. Of course this is just my opinion. Along with the holiday we now have Christmas parties to attend. Please don't drink and drive during this time. "The life you save could be mine." And it's not worth the costs that are associated with it. I bring this all up because during this hectic season I may not make mention of the holiday. I may not wish you all a Merry Christmas and I may not tell you to be careful out there on the roads. So now is my time to tell you this. And from my family to yours "Merry Christmas."

Along with this I want to post a Christmas commercial. Please check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktw4J8kg3SE

Enjoy.

Getting Reviews

Well this evening I went out in search of some beer reviews. And when I mean went out in search of, that pretty much means that I'm riding the house with the laptop in hand finding a good review website. I found one. I would recommend that you check it out. The site is http://beeradvocate.com/. This site is almost set up like a blog. More of a user fueled community that is dedicated to beer. According to their website this is what they are about:

"BeerAdvocate is a global, grassroots network, powered by an independent community of beer enthusiasts and industry professionals who are dedicated to supporting and promoting beer. What we do, in part:
Wake the masses to better beer options.
Give beer consumers a voice.
Empower them to learn, share, and advocate.
Rally to support the beer industry.
Put the Respect back into Beer."

The site is totally free but you have to set up a user name and password to read or post reviews. Not only do they have reviews but there is a section dedicated to beer education. So I encourage you to check this site out before you head out to buy a case or head look for reviews on your favorite brand. You might be surprised on how it rates.

Enjoy.

Friday Night Fiasco

Well I know that I said I would slow down my drinking the other day. And for a few days I did. Then like clock work Friday night came around and I was reminded that a 22 year old in college should be out having the time of their lives. So needless to say I was back out at the bar. For a first time I was down in Pittsburgh doing some bar hopping. Although I normally stay out of the 'burgh due to a drink tax and the distance from my house, my friend Erin dragged me out. My friend Tyler came along for the drinking too. We all met down at the Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square. Lucky us, we hit just in time for happy hour. After we had a couple cold High Lifes and a few shots, Erin had a couple mixed drinks, and a bite to eat, we decided the night was young and Saddle Ridge was calling our names. Now I must admit that I'm not big into loud crowded bars but I did enjoy Saddle Ridge. The atmosphere was pleasant, the girls were hot, and it had a mechanical bull. Worst part about Saddle Ridge is they didn't serve any Miller High Life, so I had to settle with Yuengling instead. Needless to say I survived. Well we hung around at Saddle Ridge for quite some time. Erin got pretty messed up, so Tyler and I slowed our consumption down because we knew that we would have to drive her home, not to mention ourselves. But before heading home, Erin needed to make a stop at the night club Whim to see her cousin who was waiting to see her. The bouncers wouldn't let me into Whim because I had my trademark hat on. People with hats aren't allowed into Whim, I found this to be ridiculous and funny at the same time. So Tyler and Erin went in and I hung out on the sidewalk waiting for them. It was a long cold 2o minutes, but time well used to sober up even more. Finally, we got Erin back home. Tyler ended up leaving his hat (which I held for him outside of Whim) at Erin's house. I say it was to make sure we get a round 2 in down at Station Square. I could be wrong though. It might be for reasons unknown at this point. Anyways the three of us had a pretty good Friday night if I may say so myself. We all awoke this morning, some earlier than others and said "I'm not drinking today." or "I'm not drinking like that again." In true day after fashion, but I know for a fact that 2 out of the 3 were back at the bar tonight. Will it all be done again? Probably.

Enjoy.

Just a Blur

I've been told by many that I'm old. That I have an old soul. That my ways are antiquated. Yes I do feel that way on some days. Just yesterday a friend told me that what I said should never come out of a twenty-two year old's mouth. Now all I said was how fast time was moving and that I couldn't believe we were already so close to Thanksgiving. I meant every word that I said to her. Time is flying by. I think what makes it worse is that I have become a casualty of my blog. In the past couple months since starting this blog my consumption has at least doubled. I'm sure that this has been reflected in the quality of the writing that has been posted on this blog. Time does fly by when you can't remember most of it. I am sorry for this and I am going to try to turn things around. Not only do I have to turn things around here but also in a life that's not online. It's amazing how fast things can turn bad. I'm sure that everyone in Steeler Nation saw it happen yesterday during the game. It's been a quickly sinking blur for the Steelers for the past two weeks. Now am I going to quite drinking, probably not. Will I try to tone it down. Yes, I will. I know that I'm not the only one in this situation and that's comforting to know. So I am going to improve and in doing so I will return this blog back into the blog I originally wanted it to be. Never give up on the High Life.

Enjoy.

Stewing and Brewing

It's a sad day in Steeler Country. The Bengals came into town and beat us on our own turf. That's our second lose to Cincinnati this year. Needless to say this definitely affected our consumption. Not only of alcohol but also of the dish I cooked up. This week was a hearty pork beer stew. I found the recipe awhile back on recipe.com Here is the link. http://www.recipe.com/hearty-pork-beer-stew/ I chose this recipe today because I knew that the weather would be nice and that I would want to get out and do some riding in the morning before the game. So last night I went down to Giant Eagle and bought the required ingredients. This morning I put it all together, and by game time I had an excellent meal going on. It was excellent when you put it together with High Life. It was a little weird eating a stew that had sweet potatoes in it but it was actually quite tasty. This would actually be a great dinner when the weather gets cold. I know that this won't be the last time I make this recipe. And I recommend that you all give it a chance.

Enjoy.

Behind in Blogging

I know that it has been a few days since my last post. It's amazing how fast time flies. For the first time in a few weeks I really don't have an idea to write about in tonights post. I do know that a beer recipe review is in order for tomorrow night. Steeler tailgates seem to be the perfect place to try out a good beer recipe. Hopefully the black and gold will be victorious. Which always helps the beer and food consumption. So please tune in tomorrow for that treat.

Now as for tonight's post. I am at a loss. Usually my friends help to provide something interesting for me to post. We did hit the bar Wednesday night after class. This is become a tradition for my group. We always have a good time up at Primanti's. This week we shot some pool, and these two guys tried to hustle Matt and I on the felt. But they were just a bunch of drunk idiots. One thing that you should try next time you are up at Primanti's is a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with the General Tso's wing sauce instead of buffalo. Now that is excellent. My friend Gina is the one who gave inspiration for that. It was a good time for all five of us. Miller Lite is the Wednesday special, not my favorite obviously, but for the price you can't go wrong.

Spend time with friends. Tell stories, laugh at jokes, eat some food, drink some High Life and remember life is good.



Enjoy.

Lessons Among Friends

I know that generally on occasion this blog actually talks about Miller High Life. Unfortunately once again tonight is not one of those nights. Not only is this blog dedicated to the beer but also dedicated to the existence of an actual High Life lifestyle. And I believe that a key to that lifestyle is friendship. Over the past month I've reconnect with an old high school friend, Gina. I will admit with you that for me this is a great thing. To understand that I really don't have many friends. But that is an entirely different blog post.

What you have to realize in life is that there is no rosy veneer to life. I don't know anyone who has it as easy as any sitcom that ever played on network television. If there was any sitcom that truly fit with actual life it was Married with Children. Now I'm not going to continue to rant and rave about life and things not going my way. I'd rather just cut to the chase and give you the moral to my story. Since reconnecting with Gina she has been asking to go for a ride on the motorcycle. Since my '59 is no where passenger friendly at the moment (this is changing in the near future), my friend Tyler had to do the dirty work. Now Tyler did tell Gina awhile back that he would take her for a ride but he doesn't do things without constant badgering. Especially since she was more of my friend than his. But today he made good. Now even though Gina's ride didn't last longer than an hour (Tyler works 2nd shift and had to be at work today), she is still talking about it. That was 10 hours ago. Sometimes in life we take things for granted. For Tyler and I it was the fact that we always ride the bikes. For Gina it was a chance to forget about her troubles, even if it was for a short time. It was humbling to say the least. Humbling in the fact that doing something so small for someone could change their whole day.......maybe even week. So treasure life. Try not to take things for granted and do something nice for someone else. Trust me it's worth it in the end.

Live


Drink


High Life

Beer Fueled Fuel

Well it's been awhile since I found a recipe, made it, and actually reviewed it. So tonight was my night to whip something up in the kitchen. I found the recipe off of http://www.recipe.com/. The dish I decided to make was Beer Can Chicken (http://www.recipe.com/beer-can-chicken/) and Beer-Barrel Lima Beans (http://www.recipe.com/beer-barrel-lima-beans/). Obviously for the beer I used Miller High Life. Now I know that High Life wasn't the dark beer that was needed for the Lima beans but it worked anyways. Also I should say that I used a chicken rub from Mrs. Dash as the seasoning on the chicken. The chicken has a 10 minute prep time while the Lima beans required 25 minutes. Meanwhile the cooking time on the chicken was about 1 1/2 hours and the total cook time on the Lima beans was about 37 minutes. And the recipes fed 4 people. Both recipes were really good. I'm not a big Lima bean fan but I think that as long as I didn't cook them up to often I could tolerate them. The cooking time on the chicken was a little long for me, as far as dinner goes. I do feel that these recipes would be great for a tailgate party. The chicken could be cooked at a home part or in the parking lot tailgate, the Lima beans couldn't do the parking lot job. I would recommend these recipes to anyone and the best part they are washed down well with Miller High Life.

Enjoy.

Put Down the Phone

Here's a thought for society PUT THE DAMN PHONE DOWN. Me, I'm not really hip to to the jive. Texting I don't do. To be totally honest it's actually blocked from my phone. Now yes I do miss the occasional party invite or other insane nonsense one of my friends is sending out in mass waves, but I don't care. If you can't pick up the phone and give me a ring to tell me what you have to say, then I say fuck you. I have the standing belief that technology is more crippling than good. Yes it's great that you can send 100 texts a day that are 100 words but what about the finer things in life? You see it all the time. Kids walking around outside texting. Here's a thought your outside instead of texting your friends go play some football. But it's not just texting that gets in the way, it's the whole damn cell phone. Yes it's great to have communication on demand. You never know when you're car will break down and you need help or god forbid grandma fell down the steps and medic alert is calling you to go pick her up. But I mean come on. That things not glued to your ear. First off if you can't walk and chew gum at the same time what makes you think you can walk and talk. Or even worse for that matter drive and talk or hell, drive and text. These are things that scare me. Mainly because I'm the one who's out there on two wheels and your pulling up behind me at a rapid rate of speed and your eyes aren't on the road there on your damn cell phone screen. Personally there is really nothing that important that you must have that phone glued to your hand and glued to your ear. And if there is something important going on trust me when I say they'll call back. And as far as a texting as the only communication in a relationship goes, that's another joke. We as people believe in self preservation. So basically what that means is that if we can do something to make our lives easier we will. And relationships through text are just one example. Yes it's easier to text a girl out or break up with them, but that is a cowards way of doing things. If you're that afraid to do it why don't you just date an imaginary girl or guy, then you won't have to ask them to do anything. So don't be a victim to in the death of romance. Go to the bar order up a High Life and get one for the girl of guy across the room. Bring back romance the High Life way and if she turns you down there's always the Girl in the Moon.

Enjoy.

High Life Headquarters

Well yesterday was another beautiful day in the burgh. The sun was out the sky was blue, so what if the temperature was a little chilly. We hopped on the bikes and rode anyways. Without the Steelers playing I didn't have to feel guilty riding all day. We started on the road fairly early at 10 a.m. For those of you who don't know the weather was under 50 degrees at that point. Starting that early was just Dale, Tyler, and myself. We put a good bit of miles on before meeting up with Dave at 12:30 p.m. Each one of us brings something different to the group. Dale rides a '77 Honda 400, Tyler's on a '10 Screaming Eagle Street Glide, Dave's on an '86 Moto Guzzi, and I'm the oldest with the '59 Harley. So we're quite a mixed group. We come together for our love of the road and our passion to ride. Really all the fore mentioned is just background for the High Life story. After meeting up with Dave and doing some riding we ended up at this little bar in Yukon, Pa. Now I'm always a little skeptical when it comes to just walking into a bar and sitting down for a cold one. Not only that but I can be construed as a little hypocritical especially after talking about drinking and riding a few weeks back. We limited ourselves to just 2. But anyways Tyler decided that this little bar would be a great place to get a bite. So we went on in and sat down. Sundays are just limited grille but we were hungry enough to eat anything. So it was kielbasa sandwiches, cheese sticks, soup (of what kind I don't know), and cold High Life. And I will tell you what the food was excellent. Even right now thinking about that soup makes my mouth water. Not only that but the conversation was good. All four of us had cold High Lifes, and we were met with a smiling face and a new friend. The bartender was also a High Life man. We sat and shot the bull with him and professional drag racer/tractor puller Russ Hildenbrand. They didn't mind that we weren't regulars or that we had never been there before. All they cared about was enjoying some good conversation. So let this be a lesson. No matter how skeptical you are about trying new places or what they look like on the outside, sometimes you need to just throw caution to the wind because you never know what you'll find. And also make sure that if you're ever in Yukon, Pa stop into Headquarters 321 and order up a High Life.

Enjoy.

Halloween

Well it's over with. Another holiday has come and gone. My favorite holiday to be specific. At least this year I found a decent haunted house. As you all know I am not only a High Life drinker but a haunted house junkie. The third haunted house I visited this year was excellent and I will definitely have to frequent it next year. Every year they change or remodel it so it will be different. For those of you who wish to visit it it is the Brooke Hills Spooktacular in Wellsburg, WV. (http://www.brookehillsspooktacular.com/) It is well worth the ride and I recommend it to anyone who likes a thrill. Not only that but there is an excellent little restaurant about a half mile away from this haunted house that has excellent wings and cold beer. It was a little place called Drover's Inn and it was recommended to me by the ticket lady at the haunted house. (http://droversinn.net/) And it did not disappoint one bit. My friends and I sat in the tavern that was in the basement. It had a nice quaint feeling that just seemed like an excellent place to drink a few cold High Lifes. And that is exactly what we did. My friend Gina and Tyler were there and it was a good time telling stories and jokes, and the usual bar room banter. Prices were reasonable and the food was excellent. If you are like me and enjoy the occasional road trip or bike ride I would recommend this spot as nice stop on your way through "Wild and Wonderful Wet Virginia."

Enjoy.

Bring on the Polka

Now I'm not a big polka fan. However I do like one. It all probably goes back to my grandfather. He loved the big band era. And because of that I know that it has shaped me. Occasionally I do spin a bit of vinyl on the old turn table. Now back to the polka. The polka I'm talking about is the Beer Barrel Polka. For most of us Steeler fans I know that you've heard this song. Actually there probably not many of you who haven't heard it. According to http://www.orfea.cz/festivalova-kancelar/docs/skoda-lasky_en.pdf this polka was written in 1927 by Jaromír Vejvoda. In it's 82 years it has been in 136 movies and TV shows and has been sung in 16 different languages. During WW2 it was played all over the world. It was also proclaimed by President Eisenhower to be his favorite song. I must say that every time I crack open a cold High Life and I see the Girl on the Moon perched on the neck I think of this song. So without further adieu I bring to you the Beer Barrel Polka sung by the Andrews Sisters. My favorite. I hope you enjoy a little beer entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrDSMBJ7AAc

Enjoy.

Whatevered Clueless

Whatever is a damn annoying word. And apparently I’m not the only person to think so. For once I’m on the majority side. This is a first. In recent times this word has taken over the teenage language. This is thanks in part to the movie Valley Girl (1983) and Clueless (1995). But it is not as if this word is limited to just the youngster. You remember Caroline Kennedy from New York right? She was the one who was considered for filling Hillary Clinton’s senate seat. She’s going to be 52 here in November. Well according to www.Politico.com in here New York Times interview she used whatever 142 times. This use of whatever led the media to criticize her mercifully. They have good right to. According to the research of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, “nearly half of all American surveyed find whatever to be the most annoying word.” So let’s nock whatever out of our vocabularies or we might just be getting whatever.

Getting Spooked

October is my favorite month. Not only is it a time filled with Oktoberfests and great beer, but it is a time for haunted houses. Today I will not write much about the golden ale for which I write. But today I wish to ask for some help. I am a haunted house junkie and October is the only season for these attractions. In the past three years I have visited almost all of the haunted attractions within a 2 hour radius. After visiting Hundred Acres Manor (http://hundredacresmanor.com/) and Scare House (http://www.scarehouse.com/) I'm left wanting more. Scare House was rated by the Travel Channel as the nations 5th best haunted house but it wasn't to my standards. I need something more. I crave more. And this Friday I look to visit another haunted house. But I am undecided on where to go. So what better way to find a good place then to ask my peers, "Does anyone know of a good haunted house to go to?" Traveling a distance is no problem however I don't want to travel more than 4 hours one way. I just need something that is scary. Something that will really say, " That was fucking fantastic." And please don't tell me to go to the Penitentiary at Moundsville (http://www.wvpentours.com/). I was already there. So please I ask for your help. Where should I go?

Oktoberfest

Today was a good day. The Steelers defeated the Vikings 27 to 17. What a good game. Not only was the game good but another beautiful fall day was given to western Pennsylvania. That meant a motorcycle ride was in order. A ride that would land me up at Seven Springs for their Oktoberfest. (http://www.7springs.com/) There were some great activities going on. Bands were playing, beer was flowing, and the Steeler game was on the TVs. This is where I caught the game. Not only was some good beer being drank but great food was consumed. The smell of German cuisine was just intoxicating. I had a bratwurst sandwich with homemade fries along with a Penn Oktoberfest. And I must say that it was a very appetizing beer. I might even have to purchase a case to inhabit my High Life filled fridge. Sometimes we need a little spice in life.

After leaving Seven Springs I still hadn't had enough. A High Life and another sandwich was in order. Since I was on the bike I figured that it would be best if I just waited till I got home. I did decided to head to Giant Eagle to get my sandwich fixings. I had to purchase some fresh buns and some brats. When I got to the meat department I couldn't believe what I had found. Hillshire Farms sells Miller High Life Beer Brats. (http://www.gomeat.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=beer%20brat) I couldn't help myself I just had to buy them. I couldn't wait to get home to cook them up. As I grilled the brats I sauteed some onions in olive oil on the stove for my sandwiches. The brats made excellent sandwiches. I do however wish that I would've found the recipe that was posted on the Hillshire Farms website before I cooked them. Next time I will give that a try. But the regular brat and onion sandwich was very good. Washing it all down with a High Life was a great accompaniment. These will definitely become part of my tail gates from here on out and I encourage you all to give them a try.

Enjoy.

Hit the Bar

Wednesday Night after my Business Econ class seems to be guaranteed night at the bar for me. Usually it is not a total night to spend there, more of a 2 hour break to relax with a few friends. Last night we hit Primant's. I hate to admit that it was not a High Life that washed my sandwich down but it wasn't. However it was still Miller Time. Miller Lite specials are on Wednesday and even though I really don't care for Miller Lite I drank it because the price special was just to good to pass up. Every week my group seems to grow a little. Normally it is Dan and I. We spent many days up there carrying on together. Two weeks ago Jason joined the gathering and this week Munch joined us. Obviously we all weren't at the bar for the beer. Well that is a perk. But what brings us to the bar is the camaraderie. It's not only contained to our little group but it is just the bar camaraderie. Every bar has this and that this probably has been going on since the very first time alcohol was consumed in a place outside of the home. Stories and jokes are told. It doesn't matter who you are but for those moments sitting at the bar you become equals. It's weird in that respect. Normally if you ran into someone on the street they wouldn't even give you a second look not to mention listen to a story. But at the bar you are equals. In my opinion that's why most people frequent bars. Not for the alcohol or the food but for the camaraderie. So if all your doing is out hitting keggers you've got to get out there and experience on of the joys in life. There's more to life then pong and passing out. So get out there and hit the bar and if you need a familiar there's always room in our Wednesday gang. Anyone for Pumpkin Bombs and Headkeepers?



Just a little entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmjA2lp7r4Y



Enjoy.

Going Reed

Well, I know that it has been quite a few days since my last post. I am very sorry for this and hope to redeem myself in these next couple weeks. As we all know time is flying by like something out of a weird time travel movie. Here we are mid October and my favorite holiday is drawing near. I wish that I had great news to tell you in the way of Steeler football. Yes so far we are doing alright. Unfortunately Sunday was once again a victorious Steeler Sunday. I was not tailgating nor do I have a great beer recipe that I reviewed. I will redeem myself though. Today I want to talk about Steeler Kicker Jeff Reed and Tight End Matt Spaeth. This is quite a big incident. Both players displaying forms of public drunkenness and were cited for their actions. Spaeth was actually caught urinating while Reed had to be handcuffed and then was released into the custody of his father. Now I'm not one to judge. I know that mistakes are made. Hell I've made my fair share of them but for Reed this is his second violation for public drunkenness in a year. What makes things worse is that these guys are role models. Maybe I should say that these are "High Profile" people. Now don't connect "High Profile" people with the "High Life" lifestyle I wish to represent in this blog. When you are a "High Profile" person you have to watch what you do, what you say, everything. Yes there are many "High Profile" people that make these mistakes but what makes me single out Jeff Reed and Matt Spaeth is because this happened right here in my town. So live the "High Life" and make the right choices.

Enjoy.

In Heaven There is No Beer?

In my quest to bring beer entertainment for all of you I remembered a song from a movie. It took me many hours to remember what movie it was in. Still to this day I don't know which movie I saw it in or really where I heard. I did however remember some of the lyrics. With the computer age and the likes of yahoo I was able to find the song. It is actually a pretty funny song. And why shouldn't it be? Especially since the infamous Dr. Demento played it on his local radio show. (http://www.drdemento.com/) This song has been around for quite awhile. The Iowa State University Hawkeyes use this song when they have a team victory. I found that quite interesting. Actually, it's not there victory song it's there fight song. Now that is just great. It appears as if the song has been a common polka since the 1930's. Many groups have sung it, but I haven't been able to come up with a group that has taken credit for writing it an performing it for the first time. Anyways I'm going to put the youtube link for it here and I hope you all enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntkC-o52weI

Enjoy the High Life.

Endless Summer

Well I know that usually on Monday I write a great beer food review. Unfortunately I missed the day. I am also ashamed to say that I missed a big portion of the Steeler game on Sunday. Sunday was spent 130 miles away up in Edinboro Pa. My family has had a summer cottage there since the early 70's. It's hard to find a radio station that plays the game. I did, but still missed the majority of it. I'm sure you're probably asking why I was in Edinboro. Well every year at about this time the weather starts to change in Edinboro and the cottage has to be closed for the winter months, November-April. The closing of the cottage is always the final nail in the coffin of summer. Good times are spent there. It's not any great vacation spot. But to me, it's the only place. No cable, no phone except the cell, no distractions, no time to keep, just pure simple relaxation. Many days were spent just sitting on the back porch with a magazine and a cold high life. Just sitting there enjoying the day. Occasionally hitting the lake on the jet skis. The weather didn't cooperate much but still I hit the lake. Same goes for the bike. But it's not about the weather. It's about just getting away for some undisturbed relaxation. Even though closing the cottage means summer is over, the worst part about it all is that every year something in Edinboro is different. This past year it was the loss of a good friend, Bob. Bob was a character, a good man. And he is missed. When I drank the last High Life from the fridge I drank it in his remembrance.

Bob O. Gray

1930-2009

Along for the Ride

Well all week I waited for today to come. Waited to get on the hog and go on my club's ride through Seven Springs. Well as usual the weather here in western Pennsylvania didn't cooperate. This is no surprise. The weather this summer really hasn't been very nice. But you can't sit and dwell on it. For as bad as you think things are they really aren't that bad. If all you get in life is a little rain on your parade then I'll say that you're doing pretty good. Like I said today I had been looking forward to getting on the bike and going for that ride. Well even though it rained this morning I got out and rode the bike this evening. It was a little cold, but nothing the leather jacket and some gloves didn't cure. There a lot of things that disturb me about motorcycles. Not so much about motorcycles but about different riders and the general public. First off you all know I like drinking beer. But beer and riding aren't things that should be mixed. Beer and driving shouldn't be mixed. But you see so many bikers out there that bar hop on bikes. Most poker runs even go from bar to bar. Hello, what are you guys thinking? Isn't there a red flag or a cricket on your shoulder saying, "Hey bud, maybe this isn't such a good ides?" I don't know. Personally for me I can't do that. Really I can't. I ride a '59 Harley and the only way to start it is the old fashioned kick-start method. It's difficult enough to start the bike when I'm sober. I don't ever want to have to try to start it when I've been drinking. This brings me to my second rant for the evening. I can't tell you how many times I'm out somewhere and I'm getting ready to start the bike and someone asks me what I'm doing. Like tonight I was out to dinner at Rizzo's in Crabtree. One of the local high schools must have been having their Homecoming tonight because the place was filled with annoying high schoolers. Beings I wasn't drinking and couldn't drown them out I had to put up with that. I would've tolerated them being annoying but there ignorance bothered the hell out of me. I'm out starting the bike as usual when a group of high school couples came out going to their cars. As they walk past me they give me that look and one of the girls asks, "what is he doing?" No one from the group answered. This bothers me. How could so many people be so stupid and so ignorant to history to know that electric start wasn't always there? You know life now a days is easy. We have many modern conveniences that we as a society take for granted. Maybe if we all would think about those days the next time it rains on your parade. Then not only would we not be so ignorant but we would also realize that things aren't so bad.

Enjoy the High Life.

Scoring the Points

Yesterday I ran into Mega Beerman at the mall. I was out killing a few minutes before I had to go to class. I was passing the time and noticed Adam shopping around in the store called Rockstar. I was never in there before. We did a little bs'ing for a few minutes, when out of the corner of my eye it caught my attention. What was it you ask? It was a High Life bikini. Obviously it was not for me. What really caught my attenetion was the price tag. Now the price wasn't outrageous at $25 but here's something interesting for you. Drink High Life and they give you stuff. With each case of beer you drink you get points. On the inside of every case is a code that is redeemable for points. With every case of 24 bottles you get 240 points. These points are then redeemable for hats, t-shirts, signs, etc... What other beer lets you choose your rewards? I know that my buddy Tyler was an avid Keystone Light drinker. Now because of me he's a High Life drinker. I introduced him to the Miller High Life Extra rewards program and I encourage you to do so also. So check out the website http://millerhighlife.promo.eprize.com/extras/?avToken=K0tpBenlglryuTtOAfrEiROpW5FH%2fRP7gqgYpFCJ and drink High Life.

Also here's a little entertainment for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijnfdLFhn2o .

Enjoy.

Sunken Battleships and Destroyed Chargers

Well yesterday was another Steeler Sunday and a nice Sunday it was. It was good to see the Steelers back on top. What made it even better was the fact that I was in the stands. Not only was I in the stands but I was in the parking lot with the rest of the tailgaters. I wish that I had a good recipe that I tested out this Sunday but I don't. My tailgate tradition in the parking lot is Triangle Bar hoagies. Battleships to be exact. They are a Pittsburgh tradition. Check them out at http://www.trianglebarandgrill.com/ . One steak battleship and a regular battleship all washed down with a good many High Lifes makes for some great tailgating. As much as I do look forward to trying new beer recipes every week this week I needed a change. Many people like to tailgate in the parking lots and cook. I myself don't prefer to. I would rather leave the cooking to be done at home. To me there is just too much work that needs to be prepped and packaged before going to the parking lot and starting to get cooking. Not only do you have to package the grill and all the utensils but you also have to haul all the dirty utensils home to clean them. This is way to much work for me. When I'm at the game I want to have fun. That's why when I'm at the game I'd rather sink a few battleships and drink a few High Lifes and leave the work at home.

Trucking the High Life

Well this week has been quite miserable. The weather is cold and damp. I know that we are now into fall but this weather has just been miserable. What this means for me is that it is definitely not the week to be in the landscape business. And if things weren't even bad enough yesterday was a beautiful day. It was a day that I could a full half day in work wise before I had to go to my classes at UPG. But no, I had to have scheduled my Senior Audit for 9 am. What frustrates me is that it takes an hour to go back and forth to the campus. Just for a ten minute meeting. A ten minute meeting that I was on time for. Hell I was ten minutes early for it. My advisor wasn't. She was actually eight minutes late. Now I'm pretty sure that if I were late for my appointment that my advisor would've made a comment about it. But what could I say? I did get one ounce of enjoyment out of my wasted hour and eighteen minutes. I got to see the Miller High Life truck on my way up to the campus. It was a delivery truck on the way to making its round to a distributor. It was a majestic vehicle. Filled with golden refreshment straight from the Milwaukee brewery. Now the driver of that truck is a very important man or woman. That person is responsible for so many "Miller Times." If it weren't for that person making their delivery to the distributors and bars there would be no High Life refreshment for us to enjoy. In life no matter what profession that person has you treat them with respect and not take them for granted. Because just like the High Life trucker they are important. The little guy is important. So when you sit down tonight and pop the top or twist the cap on a cold one please take a moment to give thanks to the little guy.

Enjoy.

Wash that Bacon down with some High Life

Well for those of you who don't know this blog is a requirement for my English Comp 3 class. Even though I write because this an assignment, I actually am enjoying this. Last night in class we had a guest speaker. Jason Mosley from http://www.mrbaconpants.com/ gave the whole class some great ideas for our blogs. Not only did I learn where to get the best damn bacon money can buy but he offered up many suggestions and ideas that over the semester I will put into good use. I hope the rest of the class bloggers took away as much from Mr. Baconpants as I did. Thanks again Jason.

And now I have a link for a recipe to get your morning started. Just a little something to wash down your morning bacon and eggs. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Red-Eye So try a red eye. Once again I prefer to use High Life as my beer of choice in the recipe, and maybe a splash or two of Tabasco sauce.

Enjoy.

Tears, Beers, and a Sunday Loss

Well once again I write another blog on Monday night. Another football Sunday has come and gone and the Steelers once again were not victorious. Many beers were drunk trying to dull the pain that was left after seeing the Bengals win. With the loss of that game it is like the world as I know it has been flipped upside down. Now I'm not going to talk about the game because after all this is a blog about beer. I will say congratulations to any Bengal fans that stumble upon this blog your team played the better game on Sunday, but next time you might not get so lucky.

I think that my Monday blogs will highlight a different beer recipe or recipes that I tried on Sunday while watching the game. What better way to enjoy a cold brew than with a recipe where beer is the ingredient? This week I took it kind of easy on myself. Not every week can I deep fry like I did last Sunday. This week I made the old standby Italian Roast beef sandwiches. Take one beef roast place it in a crock pot or roaster, dump one packet of Italian dressing, and one Miller High Life on the roast, then cook. I usually put this on at about 9 am and let it cook on high till half time which was about 5 pm.

I also picked out a Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe. I go the recipe from this site, http://hubpages.com/hub/The-best-buffalo-chicken-dip-recipe . I used jalapeno peppers instead of green peppers and I decided to use jalapeno ranch dressing instead of regular ranch, and I used Monterrey jack cheese instead of cheddar. Needless to say I've used this recipe a few times and feel that it needed to be spiced up a little hotter. Just like any recipe different ingredients can be used for the taste of the individual.

Once again I wash it all down with a few ice cold High Life beers. Enjoy.

Playing Favorites

After my last post I was hit with a question. A question that to be perfectly honest I never considered. The question was "If you continue to try new beers aren't you worried that one will become a favorite and displace your love for High Life?" It took me awhile to answer this comment. And the only reason that I am writing this as a new post is because I feel that I should make this statement clear for all my followers in case a few of you missed my response. I have yet to come across a beer that could replace High Life. At one point I did think that I had found a suitable replacement. Last summer I had visited the Coors, now Miller-Coors Brewery, out in Golden Colorado. On a side note that is an excellent experience and I would recommend anyone to do it. But to be perfectly honest my reason to visit was the fact that I was in the area and that a couple free beers at 10 am was a great thing. Three 12 oz samples and an 8 oz sample to be exact. While taking the tour I got to see a lot of interesting things. Of which I will write another post about. One of my samples on the tour was of Blue Moons Summer Seasonal brew Honey Moon. At first sip I fell in love. Since I had arrived late in the season for Honey Moon I was told that it would be hard to get a hold of a case. I scoured the town of Golden looking for a case of Honey Moon. After visiting 3 distributors I finally had my hand on a case. I returned to Pennsylvania with that case and devoured it in the luxury of my own home. Finally this summer I was again able to get my hands on a case of Honey Moon. I picked it up this past June. And finishing off that case of Honey Moon became a 3 month project. Especially since I was buying High Life while the Honey Moon was still in the refrigerator. I drank the Honey Moon but it just wasn't good enough to take the place of High Life. Now maybe someday another beer will take the place of my love for High Life. I will cross that bridge when I get there and I won't let the thought of that happening stop me from experiencing other beers. So let the tasting continue. Here's some music to go with your next beer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh4zvpS4tqk

Enjoy.

Get Out and Drink

I'm a dedicated High Life drinker. This is something that is blatantly obvious. But, this does not mean that I only drink High Life. This just means that High Life is my beer of choice. For over the past week I have subscribed to a blog called "Pennsylvania Breweries." (http://megabeerman.blogspot.com/) This is a blog that is dedicated to tasting beers that are brewed in Pennsylvania. And I must tell you that I look forward to what the Mega Beer Man has to say. Personally, I look forward to hearing about the beers that he has tasted, and recommends. I look forward to trying them. I look forward to the information he shares on those beers. Now I know what you are thinking. Why are you telling us this and how does it pertain to Miller High Life? I believe that "variety is the spice of life." I haven't yet been out to the bar to try Mega Beer Man's recommendations, but I intend on doing so. In the past I have tried many beers that were recommended to me. Some I liked more than others. Some I didn't like at all. But when it's time to go home, I go home to what fits me best, the "girl in the moon" brand. Now I hope that you are drinking High Life and that you enjoy it as much as I do. However I know that in reality you may favor another brand of beer. That's your own personal choice. But you shouldn't become so consumed and ignorant that you won't give another beer a try. Even though the old saying goes "ignorance is bliss," I still say go out and broaden you horizons. Try a new beer. Then when it's all said and done, you can go back home to your reliable beer. A beer that's been with you for the rough days, the good days, and all the days in between. So get out and drink. Try something new. And don't worry, what happens at the bar stays at the bar.

Gridiron Life

Well, for those of you who aren't up on things we are back into football season. I, am a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. On this blog, it doesn't matter what football team you are a fan. So don't worry, there will be no bickering over teams. Unfortunately, this past Sunday the Steelers were not victourious, and even more unfortunate, I was not a tailgater. I did however cook up some food for the halftime show. It was dinner time. Nothing says football like some good food and great beer. This Sunday was no exception. I did decide to forgo burgers and dogs this weekend in favor of some great fried food. And for someone who loves beer, and doesn't mind to cook, there's always...........cooking with beer. And no, I don't mean cooking with beer in just me, but actually cooking with beer.

First off, there was the deep fried turkey. Basically, this is just a deep fried turkey that I injected with a marinade of 1 cup Franks Red Hot with 12 ounces of High Life. This is good for a nice moist bird. Please be careful if you try this. Make sure the turkey is fully thawed and that you read the directions of your deep fryer. Don't put too much oil in it like I did. Don't worry, I'm fine.

The side dishes consisted of various things that my buddy and I decided beer batter and fry. I got a great recipe from this website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Batter/Detail.aspx . Of course I used High Life as the beer of choice for the recipe. A couple nice big vidalia onions were dipped and fried. Oreos and ice cream were dipped and fried for dessert, along with some deep fried banana pieces to keep things healthy.

Lastly, everything was washed down with multiple servings of that golden refreshment know as High Life. That's what we were living anyways. Cooking out in the driveways with my buddies listening to the pregame, just enjoying life.

****other beers can be used, but I wouldn't advise it. High Life delivers a nice golden brown batter that taste sweet and delicious.****

Bottled Up

Well, life is better now. Er, should I say that it's atleast in relaxation mode for me. Just got home from my business ethics. Work's been done for the day for about five hours, my feet are up in the recliner, the tv's on, and there's an ice cold High Life in my hand. Life is good. As I sit here sipping the cold brew, I can't help but make mention on what a good job Miller's marketing department is doing. I probably should've stated by telling you that I'm a bottle guy; beer always tastes better out of a bottle. Nothing against cans, but there's just something about bottled beer. Sorry about that, just figured that you needed to know that it was a cold bottled High Life I am drinking. But, like I was saying the Miller marketing department is just on the top of their game. A cold bottled High Life is just proof of that. The bottle is modeled off of a champagne bottle and why shouldn't it be for the "Champagne of Beers"? Not only that, but the extra effervescence just make it fit the champagne look. And the label, subtle but elegant. The golden beer just makes the white label stand out. It's all capped off by "the girl in the moon" right on the neck of the bottle.

In my opinion this is probably the best looking bottled beer out there. Whether you drink High Life or not, I would bet that just by looking at a bottle of High Life beer, you could identify it. It's got a sleek sexy appeal, that is just classic in appearance. The same appeal that Marilyn Monroe has. Sheer elegance.

What's It All About?

It all starts somewhere, and for this blog, this is that post. Miller High Life is a great beer, but it's also a lifestyle. "Living the High Life" is a state of mind; a passion for life. That passion for life is not fueled by money, it's fueled by the simple joys in life. When you live the "High Life", it's about making the right choices in life. And as we all know life is full of choices. Now, since I know that you are reading this, I know that you are a person of high taste and quality; hence your love for Miller High Life. That is why you are here. You made a choice to drink that golden champagne of bottled beer, and that was a your first great choice. Because we all know that there is a multitude of beers out there, but you chose this beer; a beer that was founded on the ideals that getting a lot for a little is what life should be about. A beer that says you've worked damn hard for your money and you shouldn't have to spend too much on a good beer. As www.millerhighlife.com says, it's "a good honest beer at a tasty price". And I ask you who doesn't want that? That's what the "High Life" is all about. It's about those choices, and life's simple joys. That is what this blog is about, it's about not only about our love for High Life beer, but it's about our "High Life" and how drink the beer helps to enhance it.

High Life Love

I do believe that my first encounter with the Miller High Life brand was a few years ago when I just fell in love with their commercial. It was a 2005 commercial. Somehow, it was the essence of the "girl in the moon". It screamed tradition and heritage; and honestly that was exactly what I wanted from my beer. I turned twenty-one years old in August of 2008, and that was the first beer I purchased. When you think about it the marketing strategy for that Miller High Life commercial is exactly what they wanted, it work on me. And after finally being able to get my hands on that beer and drink it down, it was everything I'd hoped it would be. Such a golden color, in a sleek sexy bottle, with sweet malty taste, that truly makes it the "Champagne of Beers". It was love from the first time I saw the commercial, then came the love due to taste. It is a love that will continue till I'm old and gray, because as long as there's Miller High Life being made, it will have a spot in my refrigerator. Also, here is the link to watch the High Life commercial, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft5P1EVDD54

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