Around Town...

Rochester, NY: Baseball City USA....

2010-05-01T11:28:00.008-04:00

A banner proudly announcing our city as Baseball City USA is hung just to the right of second base and from where we typically sit it is hung directly under the Rochester downtown skyline. Isn't it funny how everything seems a bit better at the ball field?

What do I feel, well, I feel good. I know good isn't the best feeling word, but all of the other words just aren't comprehensive enough...content, hopeful, optimistic, energized. Coming to the Rochester Red Wings baseball game at Frontier Field makes me feel good, for only $6.50 a seat.

Now, THAT'S value for your money!

Last night we were fortunate enough to have a bunch of friends join us at the game.

We may have gotten a bit rowdy and giggled at the songs chosen to accompany the fireworks display, but overall our entire group of 16 was uplifted, energized, and left the stadium with hope. Hope for many more beautiful nights at the stadium, hope for a beautiful weekend filled with friends and family, and hope for a city that provides us with such amazing experiences....for only $6.50 a seat.

Catering:

The options for eating are amazing at Frontier Field, a little too generous sometimes (as seen in this photo of Dave Moffitt's fried dough, he asked for extra toppings)

My personal favorite dining options are: Black Angus for a steak sandwich combo (huge sandwich, french fries, mac salad, and pickle) $8.75 w/ tax, and a Rohrbach's Red Wing Ale (24oz for $6.50).

$6.50 seat + $8.75 dinner + 2 $6.50 beers = $28.25 Fun in the ROC

Living off of Culver Road

2010-04-25T09:39:00.002-04:00

You know those streets in cities that seem to go on forever? Culver Road is that street in Rochester. It starts at Lake Ontario after Lake Road ends and runs all the way to Monroe Avenue. It seems that just about anyone that lives in this part of the city is central to Culver Road, that's what last nights theme was--Culver Road centric decisions.

Everyone that joined our group last night lives off of Culver Road and all of the establishments that were on our "maybe" list were off of Culver Road, first stop L&M Lanes. L&M Lanes is great, it's like that awesome bar/bowling alley you always imagined in your grandparents house when you were little. There are 5 lanes to bowl on and the games are super cheap. The beer selection and the wings are fantastic and reasonably priced. I enjoyed an Anchor Steam on draft, the rest of our group had the following (on draft):

Phin & Matt's
HopDevil
McSorleys

We only stayed for one drink at L&M Lanes because our purpose was a bit of food... since there are so many places to move on to from here we started tossing out our options before we even finished our first pint. Our choices were Johnny's Irish Pub, Merchants Grill, Winfield Grill, Wintonaire, and Jeremiah's. Jeremiah's was quickly out of the running because (although it's off of Culver Road) it's not walking distance and the parking is always tough. Since we were already parked we chose Johnny's Irish Pub.

We walked from L&M Lanes across the parking lot to Johnny's Irish Pub. Before the no smoking laws came into effect, Johnny's Irish Pub was called Johnny's Smoke Free Pub. Yes, there was a pub that was smoke free!! I can't even imagine smoking in pubs anymore, but every time I go to Johnny's it reminds me... I digress...

We walked into an empty bar (5 deep) and chose our spots directly at the corner of the bar, in front of the stage (where a musical duo group was setting up), and helped ourselves to some fresh bar popcorn. Next up, ordering a drink. The selection isn't bad, but it's certainly not as extensive as L&M Lanes or so many other places in the city... I ordered a Brooklyn IPA and the rest of the group ordered the following:

Rohrbach's Vanilla Porter
Smithwicks
McSorleys

We decided this would be our final destination (close to home, decent menu, and lots of room to spread out), so we settled in and decided to order some food.

From our group we started with an order of wings and an order of pepperoni bread. We weren't quite sure you could do wings poorly in Rochester, but evidently you can and they did. I will say nothing more about them other than don't order wings there. The pepperoni bread was deliciously doughy with a lot of pepperoni baked in. After the wing disappointment we decided a second order of peperoni bread would be best. AND of course another bowl of pub popcorn and another pint.

I stuck with the Brooklyn all night and everyone else was pretty standard too.. there wasn't too many choices to go crazy with so it wasn't a whole group of us saying "can I taste your beer" or tweeting/recording our choices. Sometimes that's a nice thing. Not that I don't love keeping track and tasting/trying, but it can sometimes distract from the experience that is an evening at the local pub with some friends.

I guess If I could bring this entire rambling blog post to a close it would be this, I love the closeness that IS Rochester, NY and I especially like all of the friends (new and old) that I have in my life to share all of these mundane/interesting/exciting/boring days with.

Just another lazy Saturday night off of Culver Road in Rochester NY.

The Moho Collective

2010-04-24T12:39:00.002-04:00

We've all been so busy here in the ROC. One thing I've been working on, or rather watching people work on, is this video for Ryan's band The Moho Collective. My brother has his own company 33U Productions and they have been helping put together some promo stuff for Moho. This is the first of many to come.

Enjoy!

The Moho Collective from Thomas E. Harrington on Vimeo.

Rocbeer Friends at Donnelly's Public House

2010-04-06T10:32:00.004-04:00

We had a fantastic time last night at Donnelly's Public House in Fairport. Be looking for the "official" write up on the Rocbeer site. What you'll find here is my musings and some random pictures to entertain you and present the type of mood that was happening.

Now, I was ONLY planning on going from 6-9pm and I believe I pulled into my driveway at 11:45pm, that should be clue number 1 how much fun we were having. For those of you wondering why we chose a suburban bar to go to for our 1st official Rocbeer social it's because of this--just about everyone at the table LIVES in the suburbs, whether we go to the city or Fairport we have to drive.
(The Moho Collective gets in on the fun)

(David Moffitt @davidmoffitt @coworkingROC hides his 2nd beer)

Rocbeer Social at Donnelly's Public House

2010-04-05T14:15:00.006-04:00

Tonight is the 1st RocBeer social event and we will be featuring Donnelly's Public House in Fairport, NY. I must admit we've been working on setting this up for a while, but it just seems there has been so many other Rochester Beercentric events happening it was put off and put off.

In all true Jaime fashion I simply couldn't wait until today to try Donnelly's out for the 1st time, so I gave into myself and dragged a couple of people down with me. I MUST say they didn't even put up a fight, I think they were just waiting for someone to mention it--I don't mind being the one to take the blame.

Yes, we went to Donnelly's Public House for the 1st time last Friday, it was definitely a good Friday for the beautiful weather and the afternoon off of work. If you want to see a full review of Donnelly's Public House stay tuned to RocBeer; otherwise check it out for yourself!

Spring 2010

2010-03-30T07:57:00.002-04:00

Spring is finally here and it doesn't even feel like I've waited that long for it's arrival. I know some people will think I'm crazy, but I must say I love the weather in Upstate NY, it's diversified, full of suprises and wonderment. I often compare the weather to a person with cycling moods. YOu know the type... one minute they're super happy and the next they're explosive with anger or sadness, often with no notice of the pending change ~ THAT'S upstate NY.

This week has been a bit slow, but that's out of choice. I needed a bit of a "Around Town ROC" break after such a crazy bit of time working on the Rochester Twestival. What a fantastic event with some fabulous folks, but dear me was it busy! I'm sure attending the Tap VS Lovin Cup Keg Race the day before didn't help, but how could I have missed such an event?

Something to look forward to is another impromptu Roc Beer social event that we're putting together for Monday (4/5) at Donnelly's Pub in Fairport. They have been flaunting their exceptional draft selection and bar specials so much how could we NOT head there to check it out. I am really looking forward to this event and to share the experience with my dear Roc Beer friends.

I wont talk long today, but I must leave you with this... be good to yourselves, show kindness to your body, heart, and soul and that kindness & calm will spread to all of those around you.

Twestival Volunteer Susan Bebee

2010-03-23T07:47:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Rochester Twestival volunteer and social media enthusiast Susan Bebee for sharing her thoughts about why YOU should be involved with this years Twestival.

Thank you to 33U Productions and LightPost Productions for volunteering for this years Twestival and to Lovin Cup Bistro for hosting the event this Thursday, March 25th 6pm+.

Rochester Twestival 2010 Video

2010-03-20T16:55:00.004-04:00

The first promo video for the 2010 Rochester Twestival. Thank you to 33U Productions and Lightpost Productions for their hard work and great energy in putting this together. We would LOVE you to join us on March 25th at Lovin Cup Bistro for this years Twestival, but if you can't make it be sure to catch us live on Ustream.

2010 Rochester Twestival March 25th

2010-03-11T18:42:00.004-05:00

wanted to drop a quick note to invite you to the event I've been working so hard on all of these weeks; Rochester Twestival. This event has been a lot of fun and some serious work, but all of it is worth it because it supports a worthy cause...Concern Worldwide.

Here are the deets:
What: 2010 Rochester Twestival at Lovin’ Cup (at Park Point, RIT)
When: Thursday 25th March at from 6pm +
Who: All ages!!
The Happenings: There is a great line-up of local bands, and one of MY favorites The Moho Collective. (I may be a bit biased, but I certainly don't get a commission), a raffle w/ fantastic local prizes, and Dundee Beer, Damiani Wine, and even a Stoli Martini Luge.

If you aren't quite sure what a Twestival is check out this video... it's an easy and informative explanation.

If you're into checking out video's here is the Concern Worldwide video...

You can buy tickets in advance here

Being a week night I can understand if you're unable to attend, but I hope you will still consider making a contribution to the event – 100% of the proceeds go directly to Concern Worldwide, to support their work in children’s education around the world. (Last year, Rochester ranked 18th among 200 cities around the world in terms of amount of $ raised and we hope to do even better this time) and TUNE in to our USTREAM online all evening from Lovin Cup!

If you are interested in a sponsorship we would LOVE that too...you'll get a ton of promotion (print, all media outlets, and complimentary tickets).

If you have any questions or are interested in being part of the action drop me an email anytime!! Thanks for checking out this event that I've become so passionate about.

Jaime
barclay.jaime@gmail.com

Scotland Yard, Rochester, NY

2010-03-09T15:56:00.016-05:00

"not your typical pub" this is the tagline Scotland Yard uses to describe their establishment. I must say it's not all THAT new, but certainly I became aware of its existance w/in the last year. I had it in my mind that I wanted to try someplace new last night and since Hose 22 is closed on Monday's Scotland Yard was the place.

I invited a couple of friends to join us, since trying out someplace new is always better w/ a group. Let me tell you a bit about the group and then a bit about Scotland Yard.

The Group:
4 males & 1 female
(1) 40+
(3) 30-40
(1) <30>

The Environment:
Parking: free (after 6) on street parking, they will have valet some time, but for now you must take your chances on the street and/or in a neighboring lot. This was okay for a Monday, prob not okay for a weekend evening.
Exterior: adorable, truly unique in this part of the St. Paul Quarter. Very well done.
Interior: I was blown away by some of the details that these brothers thought of in order to put this place together. The layout is very conducive to sitting around and chatting ( intimate armed chair grouping in the front), hanging at the long wooden bar, or having a casual dinner at one of their many tables in the back. The exposed brick, wood fire grill, and very warm colors make you feel instantly at home. My favorite part of the interior (aside from the exposed brick) is the lighting hanging in the front window, absolutely stunning--even if you don't go in, walk by to check out the presentation.
Entertainment: They have gaming, without making it seem distracting. A dart board that has it's own elevated, railed location that will keep players out of the walking space and the walkers out of the players space. great idea. They also have a wii with FOUR controllers. I use all caps because the bartender made sure to indicated that they have enough for four people to play w/o sharing controllers. There is a pool table, a neon, paid jukebox near the front of the bar and some televisions.
Bar: Okay, to be honest this is what we came for. the plan was to check out the "scene" and see if their beer menu could keep up w/ their ambiance. Here are some of my thoughts:

website listed $2 domestic drafts. They had 3 domestic drafts on (Shock Top, Rohrbach's Blueberry and Rohrbach's Scotch Ale) and when we confirmed the special we were told that the special was referring to Labatt Blue Light. I understand it's "local" now that North American Breweries is in town, but this is definitely stretching considering Rohrbach's was started here and has always been here and Labatt's is from Canada. this is okay, but wish the advertised special matched what they were willing to offer.
they had Victory Hop Devil and Anchor Steam in bottles.
3 of the guys in the group ordered Hop Devil bottles, none were offered glasses
the bartender (even though he wasn't knowledgeable about beer) he was super super nice and was a brother to the two owners.
the wine list and beer list shared a paper menu (see pic below) the wine list had prices on all items, the beer list did not. I realized, after the fact, that I paid $5 for a 12oz bottle of Anchor Steam beer and $3.75 for a 16oz Rohrbach's Scotch Ale.
we had our choice of any seat at the bar, it was quiet and empty in this beautiful space. we could truly make it our own and spread out. if there was better beer this would DEFINITELY become our newest weekday hang out. COME ON they have the wii...with FOUR controllers.

OVERALL

on Beer: the menu was limited, but there were a few old standby options which made me think that they care enough to at least carry some beers they might not sell very often.

Overall: I think these guys truly care about the details or their space wouldn't have been so beautiful. I'm looking forward to trying it again (especially when I hear their beer menu has expanded.) If you are in the neighborhood it is a "must stop by" maybe not for Rocbeer, but simply for something different and a beautiful, warm and inviting, evening on the town.

Unibroue Social at Tap & Mallet, Rochester NY

2010-02-28T15:51:00.004-05:00

The beer socials at Tap & Mallet are always a good time with fantastic hosts and great pours, but I tend to not choose this event because there are always a million people huddled around a couple of tables and I simply don’t have the luxury of showing up at 6pm to get a table for the 8pm social. This social was different, I was making the commitment to clearing my schedule to get a table, this was Unibroue.

There was no way I was going to miss this event. Why? Because for some reason I have an infatuation with the Unibroue brewery that is unexplainable and I had heard that they were going to taste some vintage bottles. I was right, if you were there this is what you tasted. If you weren’t there, this is what you missed.

#1 Blanche de Chambly (5% ABV): pretty available and standard Belgian white ale. I really lost interest when visiting Quebec City and it was served with an orange. I’m glad they didn’t put any fruit in it at the Tap. Aromatic head, light and fruity finish.

#2 Chambly Noir (6.2% ABV): again, pretty available either by 750ml or 4-pks; definitely more of a winter warmer than the Blanche de Chambly. Dark and cloudy with a bit of a sour fruity finish, much lighter ABV than you would think by looking at it; nice contrast to the Blanche de Chambly.

#3 La Fin du Monde (9% ABV): This has been a favorite of mine for some time and is definitely a nice substitute for champagne when the need for a toast arises. This beer should not be disrespected or confused for a session beer at 9% ABV, but the drinkability makes it entirely possible to go a bit overboard. I really noticed the poor choice in glassware when we tasted this beer, the small straight glasses didn’t provide the opportunity for the beer to breathe or head to expand. I believe those trying it for the first time may have lost a bit because of this choice in glassware; either way, very solid tripel with a lively finish that is representative of the Quebec City vibe.

#4 15 (10% ABV): This was a very very special treat and my favorite to date. This bottle conditioned 750ml Belgian strong ale was brewed in 2006 to mark Unibroue’s 15th anniversary. Out of all of the anniversary ales, I enjoyed this one the most. It was reminiscent of a very gentle La Fin du Monde or a Don de Dieu (which we didn’t try). Light in color and clean in the finish with a fantastic aromatic head. I really really want some more of this beer and have been on a mission since having my first taste. If you can get your hands on it and you like this style don’t pass it up.

#5 16 (10% ABV): After the 15 I must admit I was a bit distracted, distracted by trying to find more of the 15 to enjoy. This is Unibroue’s 16th anniversary Belgian strong ale, reminded me of the Maudite. I wonder if this is intentional. Enjoyable, but admittedly I was paying less attention than I should have; darker in color, fruity thicker mouth taste, nice creamy colored head.

#7 17 (10% ABV): While tasting the 17 I’m still thinking “How can I get some more of that 15”, but this 17th anniversary Belgian Strong Ale shouldn’t be overlooked simply because I am perseverating on which Rochester, NY distributor might still have some 15 in stock. At the point of trying this beer, which reminded me surprisingly of Trois Pistoles, I had already texted my friends at Nathaniel Square Corner Store to get on the 15 case. The 17 was similar in color to the 16 and poured darker with a creamy head. The fruit notes and sweetness are what I believe made me compare it to the Trois Pistoles; great beer and worthy of being enjoyed without the 15 comparison.

This event blew away my expectations and the beers were paired with a light cheese, fruit, and vegetable platter at each table. The host, whose name I found inaudible through the PA system feedback, was generous and gave each of us a Unibroue glass to take home. For $15 a ticket this was an incredible evening with some fantastic people sharing some outstanding beers with us. Thank you to Chris Schultheis and Joe McBane for finding the anniversary beers, to Jeana Bonacci for pouring us proper, and to the Tap & Mallet team for creating yet another obsession in my mind…find more Unibroue 15.

In the fall of 2009 my husband and I visited Quebec City for five days of rest and relaxation. Unibroue was in every pub and in every gas station in Quebec City, Maudite seemed to be the local favorite, “When in Rome…”

Poor Beer Buying Experience in Rochester, NY

2010-02-16T21:35:00.004-05:00

As you all know, I am an experiential kinda gal. I like to live in the moment and be true to myself and my feelings. The following is a letter that I wrote to a local business based on my and my husbands experience there this afternoon. I removed their names because that's not the important message, the message is to be true to yourself and share your feelings as you're having them. I would be curious to hear your thoughts:

February 16, 2010

In regards to: Poor Beer Buying Experience

LOCALLY OWNED STORE
Ridge Road
Rochester, New York 14622

Dear LOCALLY OWNED STORE:

Earlier today my wife and I decided that today was the day we were going to return our bottles and cans. To some this may seem to be a dreaded task, but to us it’s something we do together while reminiscing the life experiences we had with each empty container. Which bottles we opened at our last years Christmas party, who gave us which for our anniversary, and which bottles came back with us from our last vacation. Like many here in Rochester we consider ourselves beer lovers. We love to buy beer, enjoy it with our life, and share it with our friends. We also love our city and local business owners and therefore frequently utter the words “thank you for allowing us to spend our money in your store, bar, restaurant.” We consider it a calling to be a local business; you must eat, drink, and breathe your passion. It is our responsibility and joy to be able to earn our money locally and to distribute it to our friends while living the life we enjoy; this includes one of our favorite purchases craft beer.

We have lived in East Irondequoit for six years and own a home within walking distance to LOCALLY OWNED STORE. Until today we would have forgone the shoppers club discount and spend only small bit more to support the hard work, commitment, and passion of the folks that work and own LOCALLY OWNED STORE. Often meeting each other there after work to pick out great beers or running into our friends and neighbors around the beer coolers. Today this all changed. At approximately 3:40pm today my wife and I had finished sorting and loading our empty containers out of our home and made the short drive to the store. We walked into an empty store and were greeted by name by an employee we have spoken to many times; MALE WORKER. We apologized for bringing in so many empties at one time, but were careful to choose a time that there wouldn’t be any other customers and had all of our empties clean and dry. Being that we know what an annoyance it is to redeem empties we were sure to organize our containers into 4, 6, or 12pack holders; so as to not create more hassle. We were traded our memories and life experiences for a long slip of paper with only $25.35 in return. We were optimistic about having the opportunity to pick out something new that we hadn’t tried and we headed back to the coolers. This is when things changed. It takes a long time to build up trust, value, and appreciation and it so quickly comes crashing down.

As my wife and I were looking around the inside and outside of the craft beer coolers we overheard MALE WORKER speaking in a very loud voice to a couple of other folks in the store. I am not aware if these people where employees or customers, but I am very aware of what he said. Some of the following is summarized and some is a direct quote; I apologize in advance for the foul language. We overheard MALE WORKER say “Do you know OUR NAME and his wife that live across the street from FEMALE WORKER and always buy craft beer; he blitzed us. If you were wondering what kind of person brings in all these empties all &%C*’ed up that’s the BUTThole. Don’t blame me when you have to spend the time sorting those out, you can think of him.” We couldn’t overhear any responses from anyone else, but only MALE WORKER’s voice. MALE WORKER was referring to us by name and street to other folks within the store and referring to our patronage, memories, and beings as “BUTTholes”. At that point in time we truly did feel like “BUTTholes”; these derogatory feelings were more based on the fact that we cared and respected the sacrifice of LOCALLY OWNED STORE more than they do about the money we spend there; that should never be the case. Between my wife and I we can tell you almost every store and bar in the city (independently or corporate owned) that sells craft beer, we can name every beer blogger and twitter account that reviews beer, and attend more beercentric events than we care to admit; why, because we believe in the craft and the people that produce and sell it. We have a choice where we spend our money; unfortunately based on today’s experience we will no longer be spending it at LOCALLY OWNED STORE.

The reality is that in today’s economy, more than any other in my lifetime, we have to be cautious and considerate of every dollar that is earned and spent. Only we can control our community and many times that starts with the way we choose to live our lives; who we vote for, where we buy our milk, where we go out to eat, and where we buy our beer. My wife and I choose to spend our time experiencing life; in our local community, with friends and neighbors, and committed to effective change. We are very sad to say that after today’s experience we will be choosing not to spend our money at LOCALLY OWNED STORE. We will continue to shop local, but we will just have to drive a little further down the road. You are our neighbor, we wish you continued success, and we hope that the culture of respect will become stronger within your walls and our entire community.

We were asked when composing this letter why we chose to cc the folks that we did. The purpose was not to shame LOCALLY OWNED STORE (your name was removed for anonymity), but to remind ourselves, and each other, of the commitment that we all have to making Rochester a city worth staying in. We are bright, successful, and well educated, and we believe that the strength of any community comes from the people that make it up. We are Irondequoit, we are Rochester, and it matters how we treat you and how we are treated in return.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and the ramblings of a couple of experiential life livers from Irondequoit, NY.

Sincerely,

MR & MRS IRONDEQUOIT

cc: Irondequoit Chamber of Commerce
Beer Advocate
Nathaniel Square Corner Store
Beers of the World
Tap and Mallet
www.beercraft.com
www.aroundtownROC.blogspot.com
www.rocbeer.com
www.creamaledrinker.wordpress.com

Happy Birthday to You....

2009-11-02T10:09:00.007-05:00

Happy birthday to my dear friends at Tap & Mallet. I can not believe it's only been 2 years since you have become a staple in the Rochester, NY scene. The presence that you have created is that of someone much more "established" (a.k.a old) and I believe you are a fantastic example to Rochester's love for authenticity and craft beer.

I'm not sure exactly what makes Tap & Mallet so great; could it be the dedication to fantastic, fresh craft beer, the staff that defy the notion that craft beer is snobby, or simply the "characters" that you attract?

I love that when someone new comes into the bar and asks for a Bud, no one laughs... but instead offers a fantastic suggestion "I'm sorry we don't have Bud, but we do have beer X that we think you might like". I appreciate that the folks on both sides of the bar are genuinely, authentically, and absolutely interested in beer.

You have built your own community... the "Characters of Tap"....I appreciate the fact that any given day I can walk into the Tap & Mallet and see half a dozen people I know. I might not know them well, but I know that we have one clear passion in common; THAT'S what builds a stronger community. You break down social barriers and allow for fantastic collaboration amongst your peers.

So, Happy 2nd Birthday Tap & Mallet. I appreciate you, I value you, and I thank you for bringing good beer, good people, and social change to Rochester, NY.

Is There a Real Person Behind that Avatar?

2009-10-31T11:10:00.004-04:00

The internet just turned 40 years old. One would think there would be more known about the “wild west” of the online community by now. It seems that no matter how much research is done on every topic from online dating to the business effectiveness of social media the world just can’t agree what to think of this new frontier of building relationships.

There are a number of questions about online relationships; such as, could the ambiguousness of our online presence come from the fact that the majority of the information on the web one places there about themselves? How can there be valuable relationships developed when there is a keyboard and a monitor in the way?

There’s Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and a host of other opportunities for people to connect and to tell the world exactly who they are; or at least who they want others to think that they are. If educational institutions won’t allow most online citations as credible sources can people trust these modalities when building a relationship?

The answer is yes, building a new relationship is scary, but have courage and hope. The components of relationship development are the same no matter what the modality. One can not control another person’s motive, the best one can do is use every skill available in the process; self-disclosure, active listening, staying present, and building trust.

On or off line relationships are tricky and require risk and effort. With great risk and effort comes great reward; have courage, be purposeful, honest, and authentic without forming judgment or trying to control the other person. The results will yield transparency, strength, and fulfillment in any relationships.

Another Thursday Night in the R O C...

2009-10-29T17:28:00.006-04:00

It's Thursday night in the R O C and I'm feeling like doing something other than play on my computer and listen to my pups bark. I have no plans, no friends have asked me out, and there isn't anything imperative that needs to be done at home.

From my perspective there are endless options, but I've narrowed it down to the following five:

1. Drive to Wegmans, return my movie, purchase a 750ml of La Fin Du Monde, and return home to grade exams.
2. Drop into ICC Truth basketball practice and watch our young leaders sweat.
3. Call my darling partner and ask him to meet me at Tap & Mallet for a craft beer and a chit chat.
4. Drop into the Boulevard and see what they're all about.
5. Listen to Filthy Funk at Lovin Cup.

See, the coolest thing is that some of these could be done in combo, where as others would be a one or the other. I love the freedom to explore and am blessed to live in a small city with endless opportunities!