Emily on Ventilator Meds.

A Picture Share!,
originally uploaded by ckocel.

Little Emily went to the hospital the other night. She has a high fever and RSV. She needs to get on this vapor medication. Its pretty scary stuff. You don't want to see her hooked up to this stuff. Too sad.

):

IT'S BACK!

IT'S BACK!,
originally uploaded by ckocel.

Over ten years ago I had my first Samuel Adams Cream Stout. Thanks to Raf, who one day just said, 'you got to try this beer - its like a meal'.

So we went to Big Bear in U.A. and got a six pack. It was dark and full of delicious flavors. I had never tasted anything like it! For me it was a "gateway beer" that opened my eyes and taste buds to other possibilities in beer drinking enjoyment. Gone forever was the days of drinking two dollar cases of 'Geobel' or 'Red White and Blue' and the wide mouth 'Gennesee Cream Ale'. I stopped drinking the big brewery beers for the buzz and opted for the darker and smaller beer companies (now commonly referred to as MICRO-brews) for flavor.

Samuel Adams was the Big little Micro Brew. They had a series of seasonal beers that made me open to trying new beer selections. Cream Stout disappeared from the regular seasonal rotation and for years I drank a beer in Los Angeles called 'The Spatan Optimator Double Bok'. It was the closest in taste to my old Cream Stout, so I stuck with it (so did the pounds!).

Now, many years and many pounds later, I don't drink like I used to. I have a beer here and there and sometimes I don't even finish. I always wondered what happened to the old Cream Stout. Well, now its back and better than ever! I saw it at Krogers the other day and grabbed a six pack. I chilled it and split one with my wife (I couldn't finish the whole thing!) - a perfect nightcap!

So if you come across this beer, grab it and give it a try, it may not be around for a long time.
Long time.

cK

p.s.
There is another Sam Adams beer out that I have never been able to find, but would always look. My friend E Said, years ago, it was like nectar from the gods. I had a small portion of it when I visited him in Nashville, and it's taste was indescribable. It was a dark beer that came in a small dark blue Champaign style bottle complete with a cork. I never drank another sip all these years, but always kept my eye out for one. I know it was a relative of the Cream Stout, but I never could remember the name of it. I wish I could get a hold of a bottle of that one!

If anybody out there can find this golden fleece of beers, please send me one!!!

HOT COFFEE!

A Picture Share!,
originally uploaded by ckocel.

I liked the sentiment on the cup more than the coffee. It was so hot I HAD to wear my work gloves to hold it.

Presentation Service

I worked a late night gig last night. This is a shot of me up in the air about twenty feet. I am directing a light to "flood" the stage for some event for the mornin'. Pretty low maintenance stuff.

Horrors of War: The movie.

Hey I'am in a movie called "Horrors of War". Look it up on IMDB!

Things Change.

I ran into a woman at Target the other day, she looked so familiar... I had
to say something to her. I said, "Excuse me, but you look so familiar. Do
you know me... or I know you?" I fully expected a "No, I just got one of
those faces" type of an answer but instead - much to my surprise - she said,

"Chip Kocel! Caroline S******wald."

"Little Carrie S******wald?" I haven't seen since 8th grade middle school?
Carrie was the grade school crush my friend Erich had. Her name made it into
my best man speech at his wedding, saying something like '...We've been
through a lot, from your first crush "Little Carrie S*****wald" to the
women you would be with blah blah blah...'. (You can fill in the rest,
pretty standard best-man speech stuff).

She said she wasn't sure how I knew her, as Carrie or Caroline. We gave
each-other the quick review of what we missed, a whole lifetime of
information distilled into a readers digest log line. Then we quickly gave
each other the "What are you doing now?" answers and went our separate ways.

Looking into her face I saw the little girl I knew in 8th grade. The
feeling that came over me was so indescribable, I imagine it can only be the
closest feeling that one would have if one actually traveled back in time
thirty years.

After she gave me her card she turned and walked away. She had the same
spring in her step as if she were that ten-year-old girl that carried all
her books in that over-stuffed book bag so many years ago...

Out on the Streets

One thing that you can't forget to do when you go out on campus and drink, is walk the streets and get cheap food. Now anybody over twenty-five will know that when you get drunk and have less than two bucks, you could always get a "GYRO" to calm your munchies. Well, now a days you better have over three bucks! That's how much the dollar gyro has inflated. So put some change away early on in the evening if you're going to need a food fix.

We got ours the night of the Doves concert. The price may have changed, but the tasty Greek flavor has not.

The Doves.

Hey,

Raf and I went to a "Doves" concert the other night. It was good and loud. I haven't been to a show in a long time. Turns out I ran into a bunch of people I know from my work here in Columbus. Small world. After the show, we went to the saki bar next door to the concert. In my day it used to be an Insomnia coffee house with a Skyline Chili above.

We had a little too much to drink and were harrassed by college girls wanting our "digits". But that's the price you pay for being young and hot looking on a friday night!

Thanks to Raf for the ticket. His wife couldn't go so I went in her stead. Comming soon: "The Decembers". I am there!

Peace out!

Chip