KATSU BURGER

KATSU BURGER! Katsu Curry pork burger + fries with nori flakes + miso honey mustard dipping sauce + black cherry soda. Heavenly!

Adventure Time with The Wife, who had the flagship Tokyo Katsu beef burger.

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The crunch of the burger was perfect. It added texture. The ingredients were well-balanced and I can honestly say this was one of the best burgers I've ever had. Next time, I want to try beef.

WOOBLING

I was TODAY years old when I discovered Korean BBQ. This might be humanity's greatest invention ever—a grill right in the middle of the table (the top of which they switched out seven times during our meal) and all-you-can-eat meat and side dishes. Spectacular!

(We've made bulgogi at home for years, but this was leveling up!)

BLOEDEL RESERVE

Bloedel Reserve. Bainbridge Island. A beautiful day in a wonderfully curated set of gardens with excellent company.

GARDENING GALORE!

I wish I had taken a before photo. 125 square feet. 2 days. Removing grass, morning glory, horsetail, cranesbill, and other assorted weeds. Turning the soil by shovel, both full-size and hand-held. Then pulling out as many roots and runners as possible.

During all of this, trying to put worms, grubs, and chrysalides back into safe spots. Having conversations with the Stellar's jay that keeps visiting and inspecting my work. Planting new bulbs and giving old bulbs some TLC.

All in all, a glorious weekend!

DANCING with UNCERTAINTY

"Dancing with Uncertainty: Buddhist Pathways to Climate Resilience" with Dr. Stephanie Kaza was an excellent presentation, hosted by Pacific Lutheran University's Religion and Environmental Studies departments for Earth Day.

It was a "slow presentation," in the spirit of the "slow food" movement—something to be savored in the company of the like-minded. Contemplative slides allowed the audience (and presenter) moments to pause between sets of ideas and concepts. And The Child pointed out that none of the images of nature were "alarmist"—no photos of strip mines or clear cuts—but rather celebratory in some sense. Perhaps images of nature on its own terms, which I found intriguing and hopeful.

This is going to stick with me for some time.

THE MATTER of LONELINESS

I attended a two-day symposium, hosted by the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education at Pacific Lutheran University. I was present at every presentation and workshop offered during "The Matter of Loneliness: Building Connections for Collective Well-Being." I'm glad I did because I learned a lot and ended exhausted, but with a full head and full heart.

The first day was focused on theory and the second day was focused on implementation. (Or "inside" and "outside" as PLU thought of the days.)




I left with a bunch of "takeaways" for my workplace and will be reaching out to various people and organizations to put learning into practice.

There were two fascinating workshops I experienced. The first was a Purpose Planning Workshop led by a facilitator from the Blue Zones Project. My top "gift," discovered during a "calling card" exercise was "Exploring the Way." I take it to be a lifelong search for meaning, tied to spiritual and religious practices, and bolstered by my gifts of creating art, writing, and organizing. The second was being present during a Braver Angels community debate between college students that explored whether or not everyone is entitled to a universal basic income. The structure of the debate allowed for constructive conversation without division. It turns out that most people gathered are in favor of some kind of universal basic income, whether on the right or the left, conservative or liberal; the difference comes in the details, such as who would fund such a program.




Both days had a great selection of speakers and thinkers. My favorites were:

• Julia Watts Belser, Professor of Jewish Studies and Disability Studies Core Faculty, Georgetown University, with "Wild Kinship: Disability Wisdom, Interdependence, and the Elemental World."
• Jenny Odell, writer and artist, with "How to Do Nothing."
• Carolyn Finney, storyteller and cultural geographer, with "Our Story: Blackness, Belonging & Dreaming the Family Tree."
• Mike Weiking, founder and CEO, The Happiness Project in Copenhagen, with "The Science of Happiness."

LAST MEAL / FLAME / BEER

TWT fired up the Last Flame so the steaks for the Last Meal could be grilled. This year, TWT enjoyed peppery tri-tip steaks, with Rice-a-Roni and white corn. The Wife had a Dungeness crab salad. The Child had pasta-and-cheese, carrots-and-peas casserole.



Teisnacher 1543 Festmärzen. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-four.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.4% abv. • *****

Last Meal was accompanied by the final beer from the 2023 Advent Calendar box.

The pour was orange body and thin white head.

Flavors were broth, nuttiness, light orange, and light bitterness.

Medium mouthfeel leads into a brief bitterness. This was an excellent way to end the box and dinner.



After dinner, we played games: Betrayal at House on the Hill and Dutch Blitz. It was also time for the final beer of the year, as well as the final beer for a year!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Aldersbacher Urhell. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-three.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

On the pour: yellow body and crisp white head.

Notes are leafy hops, yeast, undetermined spices, light butterscotch, biscuit.

Medium mouthfeel. Medium crisp and clean finish. Leaves and biscuits are on the end.

This is a great hell.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Black Forest Dark Lager. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-two.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.7% abv. • *****

 
The pour presents a black body and a thin tan head.

Flavors include cocoa, burnt log, dark chocolate, light spices, cinnamon. Hints of vanilla and cream.

A medium and creamy mouthfeel leads into a brief dry finish.

This is most excellent and one of the best in the box. So enjoyable!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Hallertauer Hopfen-Cuvée. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-one.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ****

Notes forthcoming.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Herrnbräu Bayerisches Festbier. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.5% abv. • ***½

The pour is a clear yellow body and a white head.

The flavors are crisp and clean, cereal grains, light leaves, and light fruitiness.

The mouthfeel is medium with a bit of buzzy bite. Short finish of light fruitiness.

It's good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Memminger Brauerei Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day nineteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 4.9% abv. • ****

Clear, clear, clear light yellow body sits beneath a crisp white billowy head on the pour.

Cereal grains, leaves, sage, other light spices, and a hint of toffee are the noticeable flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is short with a bit of lingering leafiness beyond.

This is a bit more subtle than some of the other Hells I've had, but rather enjoyable.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Alte Liebe Dunkle Weisse. Advent Beer Calendar day eighteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.2% abv. • ***½

On the pour, a brick-red-brown body is topped with a thick and bubbly light tan head.

Flavors are bark, broth, berries, earthiness, nuttiness, and light spiciness. 

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is medium and very vegetal. This is interesting but a bit unbalanced.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Schwarze Tinte Collab Stout. Advent Beer Calendar day seventeen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 6.2% abv. • ***½

Pour = black body + tan head.

The flavors are heavy of broth and earthiness, with hints of dark chocolate, cocoa, and coffee.

The mouthfeel is medium, with a short cocoa finish. This is good, but I remember it being more—more flavor, more mouthfeel, more body and fullness.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Klosterbräu Bamberger Rauchbier. Advent Beer Calendar day sixteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • *****

I love me some Rauchbier, and this particular beer does not disappoint!

The pour is a dark brown (almost black) body capped with a thick tan head.

The smell is of smoked sausage. (Yes!)

The flavors are campfire, smoked meat, roasted malts, and a hint of cocoa.

The mouthfeel is medium, with a smoky and dry finish that lingers.

Most excellent. My favorite of the box so far.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Husaren Trunk. Advent Beer Calendar day fifteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.3% abv. • ***½

Golden yellow body and a generous white crown appear on the pour.

Primary notes are graham cracker, bitter leaves, and leather. There are also some light caramel notes.

Medium mouthfeel. Good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Schnitzlbaumer Lagerbier Hell. Advent Beer Calendar day fourteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****

The pour provides a clear light yellow body and a white head.

The flavors are lemon, light and airy (yes, it's a flavor), leather, hint of leafiness, light spices.

Medium mouthfeel and a short, fleeting finish.

This is good.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Wildbräu Grandauer Weißbier. Advent Beer Calendar day thirteen.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

There is a hazy orange body and a finger-thick off-white head. The body is very carbonated with many streams of the tiniest bubbles.

There are a lot of flavors at play: broth, berries, biscuit, pretzel, leathery yeast, light spices.

The mouthfeel is medium with a very bubbly bite, followed by a short sweet finish.

This is quite good!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Fürst Carl Kellerbier. Advent Beer Calendar day twelve.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • **

Slightly hazy yellow body (barely) capped with an almost non-existent white head. And what was there on the pour is gone so quick!

The flavors are too faint. What I'm picking up are leaves, buttered bread, and light spices.

Medium -light mouthfeel, with essentially no finish.

There is nothing to offend, but that's the problem: nothing.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Flötzringer Hell auf Rosenheim. Advent Beer Calendar day eleven.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.0% abv. • ****½

Yellow body and thick white head on the pour.

Leather and light lemon, Seabreeze and sage. Grains of Cheerios.

Medium mouthfeel. There is a short finish that speaks of leafy bitterness.

Excellent.