Now that the environment has yielded its four-month protest against humanity, it’s safe to leave the house without risk of drowning in sweat and exhausted anger. This has been a long, hard summer, that started just before spring got a chance to spread its wings. This week has consisted of a few days of utopian weather pleasure. About 78 (25C), not humid, bright, and beautiful. So, for the first time in months, I went out a couple of times this week.

This rather excellent guy called Tom invited me along to something that sounded too good to be true: a night of gastronomic excess, for $20 a head…with beer! It was also going to be a double date: me and Michele, he and his long-term love-sink. It wasn’t until we arrived that we realised we were actually taking part in a Sam Adams survey, but in honesty that didn’t strike me as a bad thing. And I was right not to worry. We had four courses of gourmet food, with each course including the perfect beer accompaniment. For the record, the courses were:

• Cheese (smoked Gouda and Morbier) with walnuts and some yummy prosciutto-style beef.
• Home-made chorizo crumbled on scallops.
• New York Strip (rare) sprinked with ground coffee beans in a raspberry sauce.
• Beeramisu – guess how good that was…

Each course had its own beer that was supposed to perfectly accompany the flavours. I can’t tell you how good the whole experience was. Tom and I plan to go back there this Saturday to sample some of their Shepherds pie, which is, correctly, made with lamb.

The next evening I went downtown to meet a couple of good friends for a fish dinner at Anastasi Seafood followed by my first ever go at Rock Band 2. Let me tell you, that is a fucking fun way to spend time! Even on “easy” I was crap at the drums, but I now have a great deal of respect for Bill Ward.

Good night.