That Wasn't So Bad, Was It

I've survived yet another weekend in downstate tiny.lake.town. I didn't run into anyone I used to know. However, I did make an appearance in one of the local newspapers. If you take a picture of yourself with a copy of the Breese Journal in some exotic location, they'll put it in the paper. It would be perversely funny to take pictures of myself with this small town rag and just periodically send them in. Look at me! I ventured outside of Clinton County and lived to tell about it? Where's my cookie? Where's Waldo? Waldo's at the Sear Tower...

On Friday, I went to the AB Brewery with my parents to take the tour. All these years living around St. Louis and never going to the brewery. I can't believe it took so long because the brewery tour was awesome. It has everything I love: pressure vessels, fermentation, generous complimentary beer samples and pretzel packets. Unfortunately, on my 2nd Budweiser Select, I became that person when the cup slid through my hands and onto the carpet. People are becoming less surprised when I drop stuff and make a scene. I can't even make it through 8 oz of beer before I'm making a scene these days. Learning all about the brewery process gave me a greater appreciation for beer and has piqued my interest in wanting to try out a little home brewing. I feel like I've just made a pilgrimage to someplace holy.

After touring the brewery, we went to the Science Center to check out the Titanic exhibit. Impeccible timing, it was, as we were there on the 95th anniversary of the ship striking the iceberg. It was odd to lay eyes on items that had been at the bottom of the ocean for nearly a century. The exhibit had corridors that were designed to replicate passageways and rooms from the ship as well as a put visitors in the middle of the grand staircase. After seeing this, not only do I have a greater appreciation to the magnitude and impact of the tragedy, but I can also better appreciate the attention to detail that went into the making of the 1997 Titanic movie. Upon entering the exhibit, we received boarding passes to the ship that had names and brief stories about the people on the ship. At the conclusion, we could reference the names on our boarding passes to the list of those lost and saved at sea. The name on my card was a 2nd class survivor. After I saw this, I took a seat on a bench and looked up and saw a quote on the exit wall that read "We are all passengers on the Titanic." An odd sense of relief washed over me.