Perfect Life? No...Even Better, Our Life!

A little while ago someone commented on one of my Instagram photos that my life was perfect. I've had other people tell me they love my posts about my life and how much fun it seems I am having. It's a weird thing to hear and something I didn't think too much about until the last week or so. If you follow all the other places I ramble on about my life, you'll know we had a few events last weekend that really illustrated how much Craft beer has changed my life.

On Friday we went to a All You Can Eat Lobster and Rib fest after I won a ticket from Waterloo Brewpub Abe-Erb. The Rotary club did a great job in planning and our dinner featured some fine beer in addition to the piles of food. As we finished, I turned to Mrs. Polkaroo and told her that Descendant's Brewery was only 10 minutes away. She loved the idea and off we went for a flight and a pint. When we sat down at our table, we joined a couple who were already there and started to talk about our adventures. It turned out that they were Brewmaster and founder of Descendant's Robins' parents. A lively hour or so of exchanging stories and tasting some great beer took our night up a notch. The things that happen when you simply say hello and open yourself up to conversation never cease to amaze me.

Winner, winner, lobster dinner!

3rd lobster of the night

Flights at Descendant's

I could get used to this view!

Saturday found us climbing onboard the Toronto Craft Beer Cruise with our friends Joan and Steven for a 3 hour jaunt around the water with that beautiful skyline as our backdrop. 10 amazing Ontario Craft brewers were aboard with more than double that in offerings and we cast off with hope in our hearts. The weather was outstanding and as I sampled my way around the boat, ran into more beer friends and hung out with the Mrs. it occurred to me that the life I have is indeed very sweet. Brimstone Brewing and their Sinister Minster IPA were my beer of the boat and I had a great time sharing some of my journey with them as I enjoyed more than one sample of this balanced IPA. Running into Jeff and Susan from Muddy York probably was the highlight of my night though (forgot to get a picture...next time). When we visited the brewery in March for Polkapolooza, Kat and I were blown away by Jeff's personality and enthusiasm. Not much has changed since then and he and Susan took the time to talk homebrewing, life and the changing landscape of craft beer in multiple visits to their station. Mrs. Polkaroo is not a craft beer gal, but she absolutely loved the Helles Lager from Muddy York and we both can't wait to go visit and see all that has been happening with one of our favourite breweries. Thank you for always having time for us guys. Seriously, if I lived closer I would no doubt be making multiple trips a week for beer and conversation.

Cruisin' with my favourite person!

Beer of the boat



Beer of the boat! Sinister Minister from Brimstone!



Pretty lady on the boat!

 A year ago I couldn't imagine spending a night in Toronto on a cruise with such a diverse group of people and beer when I was still pounding macro lagers and wasting my nights. The times they are changing indeed.
 I'm not a bar guy anymore but couldn't pass up the chance to hit up legendary Craft Beer spot Bar Volo and it was there that I faced the toughest decision of my life, their tap list. It was intimidatingly huge and for a guy who has had a fair amount of beer, I had only had 2 or 3 of their 30 plus offerings. Luckily Steve grabbed me a Jelly King from Bellwoods Brewery and helped end the stalemate or I am sure I would still be standing there trying to decide. We laughed, ate and drank till the wee hours before heading home and a day off on Sunday.

Is this heaven? Close enough.

This smile never left my face!

When morning dawned and I finished my coffee waiting for Kat to wake up, I decided we should go visit my beer friend Adam up in Guelph to drop off the Grandma's Boy from Bellwoods I had picked him up the week before. After finally getting to meet face to face and have a few minutes of planning something for the future, we made another decision that perhaps shows why we may look a little crazy to our friends and family. I had loved Jelly King so much that I needed some more in my life, so off we went to Toronto for the second day in a row and yet another trip to the red bell on Ossington.
A quick stop was all I had time for but we did managed to grab a bunch of old faves and some new stuff that was put away for later in the week. Once again I had noticed a stop I wanted to make before heading home and despite a timeline that included our nieces' 16th birthday party, Kat was agreeable and we popped in for a flight at one of the newest brewpubs in Ontario, Bandit Brewing. Gorgeous and very cool looking with perhaps the most coveted glassware in the city, I grabbed four samples with the White IPA being the standout and a promise to return for a more thorough "investigation" and perhaps a pint or three.

Flights are my joy!

That logo is a keeper. just don't steal the glass!

Making my way back to work Monday found me in a wondrous mood and while many people find my Relentless happiness difficult to believe, I persist in trying to find the positive in the everyday. The weekend had fuelled my heart to accept more joy and the work week floated by in the best of ways to find us last night (Wednesday) having a small BBQ dinner and thinking of what to do with a night off with no work for either of us the next day. We had heard of a delicious little ice cream spot from Joan called Bang Bang and who doesn't want dessert, even if its an hour away. Coincidentally located nearby was Bellwoods and off we went. Bang Bang is small but mighty in the ways of flavour. Their wall of choices was a huge hit with Kat and we sat just outside the bustling spot on a chilly June evening marvelling at our treats.


Lots of choice here...wow!

My choice...What? Too obvious?

Someone was super happy!

A short walk brought us to my destination of choice for beer and we again decided to sit down for a spell and soak in the atmosphere. Their patio is buzzing almost every time I go and we each grabbed a drink, Jelly King (of course) for me and a West Avenue Cider with cherries and Brett yeast for her. Funky, sour and refreshing, it was a shame we could only have one. Our service was outstanding and attentive, spot on staff. We ordered a plate of crispy fries and enjoyed the vibe as the sun set on the city.

My happy place!

That Bell signals something special here

I was alerted by a friend on Twitter that Henderson Brewing was only a few minutes away and since they were open for a little while longer, made another surprise stop. Big space, more great people and beer I am excited to try made this one a hit in my books. I perhaps bought a growler of their Blonde Ale, but that's another story.

New to me and another cool spot for good Craft beer!

 These things keep happening and each time I marvel at how far my life has come since wallowing in self pity, drunkenness and depression only a short time ago. I know it seems that we do nothing but drink beer but to be honest, Craft Beer and the people and places that make it are only the catalyst to drive us out of our comfort zone and into the world. We use visits to breweries to explore Ontario and beyond with some real exciting things planned for later in the summer. It has become less about the drinking and more about finding neat things to do and see in the course of our travels. I am comfortable with what we have accomplished so far and excited for this new chapter in our lives.
So while my life is far from perfect and I have bad days like everyone else, I think the fact that we actively pursue being happy as a goal and don't sit around complaining about how unfair life can be makes a difference. We all have bumps in the road, but that's no reason to hide from the world. Get out and do something you love, push those negative thoughts out of the way and try to embrace all the good that is out there. I know my life is getting so much better every day because of it and yours can be too.
As always, beer isn't the reason for my happiness, but it helps to have some to celebrate all your accomplishments, big and small.
Raise your glass and your standards, one beer at a time.
Cheers!



Update to Polkapolooza 2016 and The Polkapocalypse!

It's been a tornado of activity for this normally sedate Polkaroo and my head is still spinning from all the new beer I've found on my travels.

On Tuesday, I made the solo trip to 6 breweries in the Guelph, Waterloo and Cambridge area. I made it despite the rather aged Jeep not being at its best. I nursed that baby through over 200 kilometers of Ontario's highways and biways and managed to grab a metric tonne of brews. Check out my Instagram for the pics and some more details. Needless to say it was a great lead up to my birthday that culminated in a surprise and impromptu beer share at my cousins house after we ran into each other when my parents took me out for dinner. Great night having a couple of brown pops with family !

Beer Road Trip!

Wednesday was up north day and our plan to hit up to 7 breweries was compromised when Mrs. Polkaoroo's car decided it was tired and stopped dead on the highway. Luckily we have CAA, so the tow back home to our mechanic was paid for and it was just 30 minutes into our journey, so not too much time was wasted. It took about an hour to figure out the culprit. It was a damn leaf. Somehow a leaf had bypassed the air filter and was covering the airflow sensor in the engine. Fluke of epic proportions and one that cost us almost $100. We managed to keep smiles on our faces and to be honest it wasn't the worst case scenario, so we laughed it off and continued north. Barrie brought 3 new breweries and then it was off to Gravenhurst and Bracebridge. Unfortunately due to the all the lost hours with the "Leaf of Much Trouble", we did not have time to make it to Lake of Bays or Collingwood. Next time.

Northern Beer haul.

So after 3 days I have logged over 800 kilometers or 500 miles. So now I know what I would walk 500 miles for. 11 breweries, 52 new beers, 10 new glasses and a lovely amount of time spent with my favourite person.

Today is Toronto day and this is one of my favourite cities in the whole world. Vibrant and constantly busy, it is energizing when I turn that corner on the highway and see its' iconic skyline. Lots to see and do there today, follow along on Twitter @drunkpolkaroo. Easier to post quick hits there, so I'll keep you updated.

One of my favourite places on the planet.

Saturday brings to an end all the travelling and searching. Along with 3 of my friends, we have decided to celebrate my birthday this past Wednesday and the conclusion of Polkapolooza 2016. It has been dubbed the "Polkapocalypse". We will be doing a road trip to 4 of my favourite local breweries to purchase and/or refill growlers, get beer stuff like new glassware and some other sundry items we may take a shine to. The four are Great Lakes Brewing in Etibicoke, Cameron's Brewing in Oakville, Nickel Brook Brewing in Burlington before finally coming to rest at my hometown favourite, Collective Arts Brewing. We will finish at C.A. for two reasons. One, it's the closest to home and two, I have come to think of them as an integral part of what keeps me from slipping back into bad habits. Their beer is always spot on, they have wicked can art and I always feel pride as a Hamilton boy when I walk into their bottle shop. Couldn't think of a better way to end this journey and when we are finished with our beer trip, and maybe have a nap, we will head to my cousins house where the true Polkapocalypse begins. We have decide to only enjoy the fresh beer we pick up that day, so growlers and half growlers will be our joy that evening. We will sharing them with other friends and family and that alone makes this trip worth it. With great craft beer like we are buying Saturday, it will lead to a thoughtful and delightful evening.

I will keep you updated on both Twitter  and Instagram as the day progresses and as always, we will be drinking not to avoid our lives, but to celebrate them. Stay safe my friends.

Before I finish, I was surprised with a gift from another cousin this week. He set up Drunkpolkaroo.com  and linked it to my Facebook page. Just awesome and if you need to find where all my stuff comes together, that's the place. For my video beer reviews, try Drunkpolkaroo.com/Youtube and you will be taken to my Youtube channel. Unexpected presents always make my day. Thank you Matt, I cannot express how happy this made me.

We will be working on making everything easy for you to find and share. plus I now have a sweet new email.  If you want to get in touch with me for anything, just send it to rob@drunkpolkaroo.com and maybe we can get together for a beer or two.

Cheers and thanks again for all the love and support.

I can't wait for Polkapolooza 2017!

Cheers!



My Home

I'm helping some old friends move today and it reminded me of all the times in my life that I have packed up my stuff and tried starting again in a new place. When I was a kid, we moved a few times, at least 7 that I can remember and each one brought me no closer to finding my place in the world. As an adult, I continued this pattern with coming home and going away an astounding 8 times in 13 years. I would leave for a variety of reasons, being a smart ass teenager was one, a failed marriage another; but mostly just because I had a burning desire to get out. I would move out, love my new life for a while and then retreat to something familiar when I got my ass handed to me. This probably would be continuing to this day if it wasn't for my wife.

We have been together for almost 18 years and married for 12. When we first got hitched, we lived in an apartment and saved as much as we could for the down payment on a house. It wasn't easy, but after 2 years we had enough to start looking. Not the quickest thing to do from what we had heard, but we were prepared for a long search to find our home. How wrong we were. We went to see a big old century home in our preferred neighbourhood and Kat was quite right in seeing that it was way out of our comfort zone in terms of repairs, style and upkeep. I was on the fence, but then Rick, our realtor, suggested since we were down in the area, we should see his newest listing for comparison. Why not?

When we pulled into the long driveway, I saw the two car garage at the back and was intrigued. Then we went in the front door and came around the corner from the living room that was off the foyer, this was the moment I knew we were going to buy it. The house was a standard two bedroom, but the owners had put a full addition plus a sunroom on the back of the house. the look in my wife's eyes told me all I needed to hear. That sunroom was a window to a huge, overgrown yet potentially amazing backyard. The property backed onto a ravine and with all that room, we could have some fun back there. We couldn't put an offer in soon enough. It was a few days of back and forth but in the end we won our dream home and have been here ever since.

While contemplating the purchase of our home, I have been thinking about all the times I've talked about selling it and moving somewhere else. Not because I don't love it, quite the opposite. It is my favourite place in the whole world. My Grotto in the backyard for all my warm weather needs. Decks on decks is the motto and I build them as I need them. My basement bar, which I've dubbed Merle's (A place to get Haggard) after one of my favourite classic country stars, is my winter hangout and the place where I feel most at peace. But I have a rambling spirit and I imagine new adventures await just over the horizon. In reality all that awaits is spending another ten years getting everything up to the awesome place I have now. Kat always brings me back down to earth when I want to move to the west coast or Toronto. She knows that I am happier here than I will ever be anywhere else and it is her who keeps me from doing stupid things like moving every year or so.

But still the open road pulls at me. I haven't lived in one place this long since I was a kid and some part of me will always miss that freedom when I didn't have so many responsibilities and could just pack up my belongings and go. That wouldn't be easy of course, I have accumulated ten years worth of stuff and even with repeated clean outs, more stuff appears every year. So I will remain firmly planted in my home. We may not have the best of everything, but we have enough of what really matters.

Cheers!