New Direction

It has been a while. What's happened? I got laid off, but was given sufficient warning and an ample severance package. Did some temp work at a good company that wasn't for me. Drank sundry beers (add me on Untappd: johnnydiscard).

What else?

Oh, right. I wrote and published a book! One Cold Day: A Zombie Story

It's about zombies. I've long been a fan of zombie movies, and then later the show The Walking Dead. I've read zombie books too, which is where things get interesting. In movies and TV there's mostly just slow zombies and fast zombies (and one boy band made up of zombies, but that was a shit movie and I won't look up the name). But in books, there's a whole lot of voodoo zombies, there's scientific zombies, there's things we call zombies because there's not a better word.

My book features slow zombies, though that word never gets used. They're "things", "those weird people", and even get called vampire in a state of confusion.

But you're here because of the booze, I know. Well you're in luck because the book I'm working on right now was codenamed Beer Story and it features some great beer imagery. Not sure when it'll be available though.

So anyway, I hope you check out my book. It's available via Amazon Kindle, and if you have Kindle Unlimited you can read it for free.

One Cold Day: A Zombie Story

Have a good one.

Pretzel Necklaces

Tomorrow is the first beer tasting event of the year (here at least) and I'm excited to wear some pretzels around my neck.

"What!?" you exclaim, doing a spit-take I imagine.

Yes, pretzel necklaces are what I'm talking about. I remember seeing them at my very first beer event and thought it was kinda weird but original of my friends. Once inside, I saw quite a few other people sporting them. It's apparently somewhat common. Hell, the concession stand sold a kit for them. By the way, those kits are terribad. Usually it's a bunch of regular pretzels and a string, but just super overpriced. All assembly required. Might as well make it yourself and get to customize it.

I use shoelaces, as the aglet (that hard end-piece that allows you to lace your shoes) makes threading the pretzels go much quicker. You can pick up a pair of laces for around a buck and then you'll have two necklaces waiting to happen.

The best part of making your own necklace is you get to pick what goes on it. I made a sweet giant pretzel necklace last year. I've seen Funyun necklaces, which I'm planning to do this year. Hell, one guy strung up some bagels, but that seems a bit much to me. If you're willing to possibly stab yourself with a needle, you could thread floss through Cheez-its or peanuts in their shells. Maybe I'll try that next year.

So wear your food. Eat your clothing. Enjoy many small glasses of beer.

And about those tasters: it's hard to keep track of all the beers in the day. I like to take pictures of the labels/signs/whatever for beers I really like. It's too much work for me to pull out a pen and pad of paper after the sixth taster. It's much easier to pull out my phone, snap a picture, and move on.

And if you're going to a beer festival or the like, be sure to wear sunscreen, drink water, and eat definitely before, probably during, and maybe after. Also, cab it or have a DD.