Father's Day - 2023

My wife has a gift certificate to Gniess Brewing, which according to Google is exactly 12.5 miles from my doorstep. I don't know who gave her the gift certificate so long ago, but today it will finally be appreciated. ...... No No, as it is a 50$ gift certificate, it will be deeply appreciated.

Gniess is a geological term for metamorphic rock. Many of their different beers have something geological in their names. One of the two partners is /was a postal worker and the other was/is a geologist. I am guessing trying to find an intriguing or even a humorous name related to moving the mail would be tough. The only thing I could think of would be naming it "Going Postal Brewery". Nah, that would not send the right message. Better to use a name that folks might wonder about and ask about.

Established in 2013 and now in their 10th year, Gniess has come a long way from the days of a few beers on flight boards served outside and big howlers filled to take home. They now have a tap room and they can their beer regularly to sell commercially at stores and bars. My family and I have been consuming their beers, stouts, and ales now for at least 8 years.

I think the recent craft brewing trend can trace its roots back to when Sam Adams was first brewed and sold back in the 1980s. Since then there has been an expansion of craft breweries in all 50 states. Consistently though the largest number of new craft breweries have been locating in New England. Up until a few years ago, Maine was at the top with largest per capita breweries in the country. And now, with over 150 craft breweries, they have fallen to #2 behind Vermont who sports a higher per capita with less breweries. 

I did not mean this post to become an infomercial. It was supposed to be about spending some quality time with my kid and my wife, drinking beer in small glasses and then eating an early dinner at some local eatery. And now with that previous sentence, I have fulfilled my original intent. 

....... Father's Day with daughter and wife. Basic, nothing complex about it, yet Father's Day is more important to me than any birthday, Hell, more important than any other other holiday you may think of. Being a Father is the one thing I can claim I did not screw up, the one thing I can take pride in. The one thing that makes my existence on this planet worthwhile.

My daughter fills me with gratitude that I was able to help such a wonderful person make it to adulthood. She basically did it on her own. Thankfully, I was smart enough to stay out of her way.

Keep it 'tween the ditches ..........................................

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I found a great tune by Paul Simon, "Father and Daughter" that does a damn good job of describing how I feel about my kid. ................ Enjoy.