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We just returned from an evening at one of our favorite brew pubs, Town Hall Brewery. On Tuesdays from 7 to 9 PM they have a promotion where they give away a two liter bottle, known as a growler, full of freshly brewed beer, if you get a winning coaster. Alas, neither Jay Bee nor I got a winning coaster. Instead we enjoyed some food and some of their tasty tap beer. I had a beer called "Banana Bread" followed by a "Retreating Darkness" and Jay Bee had a cask (freshly drawn) "India Pale Ale" and a "Retreating Darkness."

Now we are home in our warm house. It is chilly here in Minneapolis. The forecast calls for below normal temperatures the next few weeks, just as I was looking forward to spring arriving. I hope the ground hog will not see her shadow later this week and will instead foretell a rapid arrival of spring.

Labels: beer

I have been playing football, or what Americans call soccer, once or twice per week for the past few months. I have been enjoying getting out on the pitch with the boys and girls and working on passing, ball control, shooting and the other skills that are involved with playing this game.

I grew up playing soccer and loved it as a child. After a really abusive incident that happened when I was in 7th grade, I gave up the game all together, Now as an adult, I find I love it again.

I have been playing with a group of guys (and a few women) since it got cold out in October, 2006. We play indoor soccer at a facility with small and large fields. This group is putting together a team to play in a league for the next few months and I will be playing with them. The only drawback to this group, is that they are all straight folks, and athletics can be one of the last bastion of unapologetic homophobia. I look forward to coming out to these folks, but I have the sense that the longer they know me the more impact my coming out to them will have.

Then I got to thinking, there is no GLBT soccer group in the Twin Cities. There are lots of other sports, but not the worlds greatest game. I spoke to a few people and posted on Craigslist, and we have started a GLBT soccer night. So far so good, I will keep you updated as my skills progress.

Shortly after the holidays, we installed the two bird feeders we got a presents. My aunt and uncle gave me a charming brushed copper feeder and JayBee's folks gave him a really nice farm house red, squirrel-proof feeder. Both feeders were loaded up with lots of tasty seed and we sat back to wait for the arrival of some attractive birds. The first week was quiet, the squirrels were the only visitors and they had troubles getting food from either feeder and seemed to have given up.

The last week we have seen a huge increase in the number and variety of birds coming to feed. I spent a bit of time identifying the little ones that I did not know and below are positively identified visitors:

House Sparrow ,Common Redpoll, American Tree Sparrow, Black Capped Chickadee, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, White Breasted Nuthatch and Dark Eyed Junco.

There are several other birds that look sparrow like but are distinctly different color and I have yet to identify them. It seems that once the dinner bell rings (i.e. bird feeder located and deemed safe), the birds start to flock to that location. Both JayBee and I are also enjoying hearing the chatter and songs of the birds as they perch and feed on our back deck.