The Best of my 2020 Friday Faves All in One Place
Well, 2020 is just in the books. Let’s be honest, it’s going to be it’s own book.
Every Friday I would sit down and record things that I liked from the week. I went back through every Friday Faves (which moved to my Newsletter in September) and pulled out some of my Favorite Faves. This is a massive list, and I left whatever I wrote at the time in there because I thought it offered a snapshot of where my head was at, and where our planet was, when I wrote it.
Please, feel free to toss a few of your favorites from your year in the comments section. Your 2020 favorites can be someone else’s 2021 favorites.
I’d encourage you to sign up for my newsletter by CLICKING RIGHT HERE. It comes out every Friday, and frankly, I think it’s pretty good.
I hope everyone has a much improved 2021.
Farewell, 2020. Like a bad houseguest, you have overstayed your welcome.
Let’s get into it!
Books
Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr - Thanks to Sam H. for sending me this book. A beautiful memoir about a year in Rome with infant twins and the lack of any desire to write anything.
Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. - James Baldwin is a fascinating character, especially in light of the protests this summer. His lyrical delivery, haymakers disguised in poetry, is exquisite. This book uses Baldwin’s writings and speeches to frame what’s going on in the United States today.
The Searcher by Tana French - A wonderful mystery novel set in western Ireland. It follows divorcee Cal, an ex-Chicago cop, who moves to Ireland on a whim. Trouble finds him. Or he finds trouble. It’s slow paced, but so well written. Tana French is one of my favorite authors. Reading anything by her is a pleasure.
Paper Tiger by Tom Coyne. A great story about Coyne’s quest to become a pro golfer at the age of 29. He’s nowhere close to good enough when he starts, moves to Florida, hires a coach, trainer, and sports psychologist. He’s an excellent writer and story-teller.
Final Rounds - James Dodson brought his dying father back to Europe for one last trip. The goal was to retrace his father’s World War II footsteps, play some golf in England and Scotland, and have one last trip together. It’s described as a golf book, but it’s not.
Sapiens - This book is outstanding, particularly the first 250 pages when author Yuval Noah Harari dives into the deep history of humankind and discusses the agricultural and scientific revolutions. You’ll pick it up and think it’s going to be the most dense read you’ve ever had, but the writing is simple and digestible and will make you smarter.
The Splendid and the Vile - Sometimes a book comes out at the perfect time. Erik Larson’s new book The Splendid and the Vile is one of those books. It covers Winston Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister. Within a week of his appointment in May 1940, France fell to Hitler’s Germany. Four months later, the Germans started bombing London and didn’t stop. The British experience during these months, with a massive army just across the English Channel ready to pounce is astounding. When the night raids started, Londoners flocked to the subways to sleep, as many as 177,000 a night, to avoid the bombs. Others slept on their top floor because they’d rather fall with the rumble than be buried underneath it. Churchill is quite the character, sometimes his behavior reads Trumpian, and then it doesn’t because he proves smart, determined, steadfast, and brave.
One quote stood out to me because it relates to this pandemic so closely: “The raids generated a paradox: The odds that any one person would die on any one night were slim, but the odds that someone, somewhere in London would die were 100 percent.”
My Season With Verona - This was a wonderful book. Tim Parks spent one season following his favorite football team, Verona, throughout Italy. He travels to every away game, in many different ways. Cars, trains, buses, planes (public and private). It’s a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. The characters are insanely passionate, angry, and loving. Park’s writing brings them all to life. The team’s rollercoaster season couldn’t have been a more perfect subject. Read the first chapter, depicting an overnight bus ride to Bari, and you’ll be hooked.
I found myself learning a lot about Italy’s culture; the schism between north and south is deep and intense. He doesn’t get bogged down in match report writing, but when he does offer blow by blow recaps, they’re riveting and impactful to the story. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, this is an excellent read.
Paddy Whacked by T.J. English - This book covers the underworld of Irish-American mobsters over the last 160 years. It’s well-researched and, even with the horrible topic, an enjoyable read. Some of the characters and stories take place in my backyard and surrounding areas, but they stretch to New York (duh, Chicago (double duh), and New Orleans (who knew?). There’s a riveting section about John F. Kennedy and his family’s connection to bootlegging and the mafia which blew my mind. Amazon
Midnight in Chernobyl - This book will get a deeper write-up in my Book Club section, but I just finished it this week. My sister gave it to me for Christmas because I loved the HBO series. The book is incredibly well researched (the last 20% is notes, acknowledgments, and sources) and dives deep into the mechanisms that allowed for such a disaster to happen and then get covered up. The Soviets were good at it.
Websites/Articles
Visit “Brain Pickings” and just spend some time poking around. I have tried making it a point when my brain wants to go to Twitter for a “break” to type in "Brain Pickings instead. My brother described it as a “bath for your brain.”
“Fathers and Sons” by Wright Thompson. I’ve been knee deep in Masters stuff this week, and Thompson’s piece about visiting Augusta for the first time and the regret of never going with his dad before he passed away is touching and heart-breaking and lovely.
“Buying Myself Back. When does a model own her own image?” by Emily Ratajkowski. This is an incredibly honest and eye-opening piece.
Jack Kornfield : I’ve listened to a bunch of interviews with Kornfield recently because he possesses an incredible ability to state things plainly and beautifully. His entire website is full of wonderful texts about mindfulness, and he’s a great listen/read if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed during this pandemic. Here’s a link to a podcast he does with Sam Harris of Ten Percent Happier.
Zen, Ultra-Marathoning, and the Art of Suffering: We’re all suffering a little bit right now in our various ways. This is a splendid piece about Avery Collins, a world famous ultra-distance runner. I’m not sure how people do this stuff, and it’s always interesting to read about the different mentalities that ultra-runners have. They aren’t all cut from the same cloth. - SBNation.com
Allen Iverson: Admittedly, this is something I read a month or so ago, but realized I needed to share. There was only one athlete that my brother Ryan, worshipped: Allen Iverson. For a brief, horrible spell, he was a Philadelphia 76ers fan. Living and dying with every game. I remember watching game 1 of the NBA Finals when the 76ers beat the LA Lakers because Iverson went into overdrive and destroyed them. The series wasn’t very exciting for 76er fans after that, they lost the next four and the Lakers cemented their legacy.
This Players Tribune article, written by Iverson, is just a really fun read. It’s also one of those pieces that, if I were still a teacher, I’d cut up and share with my students to show that there are all sorts of ways to write and share stories. Iverson’s writing breaks some rules, but god damn it’s interesting and heartfelt.
MOVIES
JoJo Rabbit - What a movie! Jojo is a ten year-old Nazi who has Hitler as an imaginary friend. He discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his walls and his entire world is turned upside up. Just an exceptional story.
Parasite: I finally got around to seeing the Best Picture of the year, and it was, unsurprisingly, incredible. I thought I had a bit of an understanding of the plot from the trailer, but I didn’t. It had the feeling of a folktale told in modern day. Yes, there is some violence, if you’re not into that kind of thing, but it comes in a very small dose. If you still have a chance to see it in the theater do it (if it’s still open and you’re willing to go outside…). The subtitles weren’t a distraction, but they were tiny in the version I watched and sometimes blended in with the background.
1917 - For the first time in my life, I went to see a movie by myself last week at the new Arclight in Boston. In the last year, we have gone from having one theater within walking distance (Boston Common) to having three within walking distance. I mistimed my arrival at the theater and found myself in an empty cinema 30 minutes before the showing with a small popcorn and an ice coffee. It was rather eery, and I was actually nervous I was in the wrong theater, even the screen was turned off. I did enjoy the experience of seeing a movie in the middle of the day, and I plan on doing it more often. There’s a lot of good movies out there right now.
Okay, let’s talk about 1917. It’s spectacular. The critiques I have heard are centered around a lack of story, and I would say that’s a fair thing complaint. If you’re looking for a plot-driven, dialogue laden movie, then this isn’t where you should be looking. If you’re looking for a movie that’s going to offer amazing cinematography, sweeping views, tension, and fun cameos (Richard Madden, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, and Mark Strong) then 1917 should be on your list. The main two actors are really excellent, the movie doesn’t drag on.
I’d put the first 30 minutes up against the first 30 minutes of any movie ever (I’m looking at you Saving Private Ryan).
Knives Out - Another fantastic movie (two in one week!). A witty Who-Dunnit that is well-paced and kept me guessing the entire time. Daniel Craig sheds his James Bond skin and is wonderful as the New Orleans detective hired to crack the case when well-known murder mystery author dies suspiciously.
Queen’s Gambit - It was on here last week. It’s here again because we finished it and it’s exceptional and wonderful and heartwarming. You’ll finish the 7 episodes and just want more.
TV AND WEB SERIES
No Laying Up goes to Oregon - This is a delightful trip with some incredible footage and excellent stories about the founding of a golf mecca on the Oregon coast.
West Wing Season 4 - The show is leaving Netflix on December 21, which sucks because we’re not going to to finish the series by then unless we both get fired and get 50 inches of snow.
Last Chance U - The junior college docuseries about football has been back for a couple weeks now and it’s exceptional, again. We have left Independence Community College and coach Brown and are now embedded at Laney Community College in Oakland, CA. Coach Beam is a hard ass too, but it’s different. The entire vibe is different, in the California Community College system, students are given no housing, so the players are driving hours a day to get to and from Laney. Some sleep in their cars and have jobs just to make ends meet. Being in a big(ish) city also means no insane locals who live and die with the Laney Eagles (they have the A’s, Giants, Warriors, and 49ers do worry about).
There was always a discomfort watching Last Chance U because of the gaping educational gap the show exposes. It’s even more clear now in light of the racial unrest this summer. So many of the athletes are young black men who are just barely holding on and if they lose football, they will lose so much of their identity. Dior is my all-time favorite character, just an outstanding, hardworking kid that any coach would love.
Ted Lasso - In the span of 24 hours, this show was recommended to us by two people. It’s Major League meets Bend it Like Beckham. Ted Lasso is a college football coach who is hired by AFC Richmond to coach a Premier League soccer team. He’s hired for one reason, to destroy the club. Why? Because the owner wants revenge on her ex-husband who cheated on her for years, and the club is the only thing he loves. Lasso is an "“aw shucks” American who slowly weasels his way into everyone’s hearts with his kindness and bad jokes. It’s on Apple TV+, and it’ll make you laugh and rethink how you react to bad news and bad breaks.
DCI Banks - I think I’m creeping up on a Joe DiMaggio type streak with procedural crime drama recs on Friday Faves. DCI Banks is a solid watch and another Brit Box selection. The structure is a bit like “Law and Order” but instead of one episode it takes two to solve the crime. We’ve watched the first four episodes and have enjoyed them.
Don’t F**k with Cats - This three part documentary is stranger than fiction. It starts with the posting of a horrendous video online and ends with an international manhunt. In between, a cadre of amateur Facebook investigators keep the flame lit as they communicate and hunt for a horrible man who could be anywhere in the world. It’s tough to watch in some parts, but a fascinating story.
Killing Eve - I’m doubling down on this. I wrote about Killing Eve a few weeks ago when we had only watched three episodes. Now we’re just about done with the second season, and I am here to tell you to open up Hulu and watch this show. Jodie Comer, who plays the assassin Villanelle, is fabulous. She’s one of my favorite TV characters of all-time. Yes, she’s a ruthless psychopath, but we find ourselves laughing multiple times an episode because of her. The scenes with Sandra Oh, who plays Eve, and Jodie Comer are exceptional and typically range from 5-12 minutes. The origination of the show is interesting; a dance writer for the Observer, Luke Jennings, self-published the books on Amazon. They picked up steam and Jennings suddenly was creating the show alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridges. Here’s a story about it from The Guardian.
Outer Banks - This has become a guilty pleasure over the last week. I loved The O.C. in college, it was appointment viewing among my friends, and the theme song, California by Phantom Planet, was popular at parties and even karaoke bars. The Outer Banks has beach fights, vacation homes, tension between the rich kids and the locals, and awesome landscape shots (about as close as any of us are getting to vacation right now). The added bonus to this show is the treasure hunt angle. John B, Pope, JJ, and Kiara are trying to find a sunken ship in the outer banks, following clues left by John B’s dad, who disappeared at sea., while trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys in pursuit of the same treasure. It’s a Goonies vibe, without the 80s campy vibes. I’m only four episodes in, but it’s a fun watch.
Sunderland ‘Til I Die - If you’re from Sunderland, then it’s “Sunnerlan.” The show follows Sunderland AFC, a huge football club up in the northeastern corner of England. Like many great documentaries, it does not unfold according to plan. Sunderland was relegated from the Premier League to the Championship in 2017. The first season of this series follows the club’s effort to earn promotion back to the Premier League in 2017-18. I watched the first episode a long time ago, and jumped back in this week. The first season is superb, riveting, and a fabulous live sports replacement in the time of Corona.
I’ve also realized that there is nothing scarier than a terrace of angry English soccer fans, at one point they get so mad they break the Netflix camera. They’re also the champions of inappropriate gestures.
The second season picks up where season 1 left off, in the summer of 2018. A new season is on the horizon and some new, very interesting, characters have come aboard. You can find it on Netflix.
Shetland: This show is like a warm blanket. The Shetland Islands are way up in the middle of the North Sea, north of Scotland and east of Norway. We were poking around Amazon Prime and noticed there were two seasons we had not watched. A Brit Box membership was required, so we signed up for the free trial and jumped back in. The show follows Detective Inspector Perez as he tries to fix every freaking problem on the island while also solving murders. The scenery is beautiful, and the stories are always interesting.
Let me put it this way… we tabled Tiger King and watched Shetland night this week instead.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive: The series is back! I texted by buddy Pat who is on paternity leave: “I know what you’re watching this week.” He wrote back, “Oh shit. Was that out today?”
Not many shows can generate that type of ESP.
Las Vegas Mayor with Anderson Cooper - This is an incredible, scary, sad, riveting, confusing 25 minutes of TV.
ALBUMS
Fine Line by Harry Styles - I’m late to the Harry Styles party, but golly is Fine Line an exceptionally fun album. The last four songs might be some of my favorite closing songs on an album in a while. Turn it on, turn it up, and if you need, forget that this guy was in One Direction (but remember he was in Dunkirk… is he the next Justin Timberlake?!)
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac This is one of my favorite albums. Popped it on this week while making dinner. We played this album during our wedding dinner straight through.
Heard it in a Past Life by Maggie Rogers - I’m sitting in a Caffe Nero in Concord, MA right now killing time before a late meeting. I’m a little tired after some substitute teaching this week, and Maggie Rogers felt like the perfect shot of five hour energy. I love her album Heard it in a Past Life and was so pumped for her Best New Artist Grammy Nomination. I bet she outlasts Lizzo…
Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers - This new album is excellent. Bridgers is quirky and honest, just listening to her lyrics will snap you out of whatever trance you’re in. It’ll rip you back into reality, and then make you grateful for what you have.
Ancestral Recall by Christian Scott eTunde Adjuah: I had never heard of Christian Scott until this week when I listened to an interview with him on Ryen Russillo’s podcast (listen here starting at the 14:30 mark). He was raised in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and played a mean trumpet. He was touring at 15 years-old and Ancestral Recall has been in the rotational all week. Pop it on and you might not think of jazz the same way again.
Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens - Sufjan Stevens is mellow. His music is a bit quirky, but always has a place in the world of background tunes. His lyrics, when you stop and listen to them are intense, but with a bit of humor sprinkled in. This particular album is about five years old. He has an exceptional Christmas Album (please wait until at least September 1st to play that one…) and “Illinois” was the first album in a failed attempt to write one album about each state.
The Hare’s Lament by Ye Vagabonds: My brother sent me these guys on St. Patrick’s Day, and I played it through three times over the course of the day. It’s a really excellent album. The two guys harmonize beautifully and some songs are sung in Irish.
Dedicated B Side by Carly Rae Jepsen: Spotify delivered this to my earballs this morning, I’m listening as I write these words right now…. Carly has a knack for writing so many songs that her B sides are better than her albums.
Color Theory by Soccer Mommy
What’s the Story Morning Glory by Oasis - Another throwback album, so many good songs. I could make the argument the most popular song, Wonderwall, is the worst one on the album.
Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 by Sturgill Simpson - His latest album, probably written while bored in quarantine this spring, is outstanding. Old school bluegrass sound. Crack a cheap beer and sit on the deck this weekend. It’s gonna be warm!
PODCASTS
“Can We Pull Back From the Brink” Making Sense with Sam Harris - Thanks to Mike for sending this one along in response to my newsletter from last week. It’s a great listen. Just Sam and a mic for nearly two hours. It was recorded in early June. I wish he had someone to push back on some of his points, but it’s worth your time.
Chasing Scratch Podcast- This is my new favorite podcast, it’s a delight. The podcast is about two guys trying to become scratch golfers, the problem is they’re 11 handicaps. That basically means they need to improve their average score by 11 shots, which is very difficult. While the podcast is heavy on golf talk, it’s really about two great friends. The episodes are well organized and produced. They bounce back and forth from present to past, splicing in audio from the golf course, old phone calls after their rounds. Mike and Eli live in North Carolina and Kentucky, so they don’t get to play with each other unless they’re on a golf trip. The side-effect of the two guys chasing scratch is they also improve their health. They start doing yoga and dieting. One of the guys used to drink 30 sodas a week, including a large coke with his McDonald’s breakfast. It’s an interesting study in accountability and setting a goal with someone else and keeping at it, even through the low-points (like shooting scores in the 90s when you’re trying to shoot 72).
Nice White Parents Podcast - An exceptional podcast about certain parents bending New York schools to their will. Sometimes they know they’re doing it, other times they don’t.
Wind of Change Podcast- Could a rock ballad have possibly ended the Cold War? This podcast investigates the likelihood that the CIA wrote the hit song “Wind of Change” by German rock group the Scorpions in 1990 to become the “soundtrack to the revolution.”
Rewatchables - Karate Kid: I love this movie and I’d listen to a four hour podcast about it. Some great behind the scenes stories and observations. It might change your mind about who you think is the good guy because Daniel san was kind of a whiney brat.
OTHER
Stadio Sessions - The Stadio soccer podcast is excellent, and their interest in music and soccer blend in their 2 hour music sessions they post on mxlr. I listened to the Soul/Disco session this week, and I look forward to enjoying the other sessions. Good music for work from home life. Here’s the link.
“David’s Ankles” - The Daily podcast has started doing Sunday stories. This one is a a wonderful story about Michaelangelo’s David statue written by Sam Anderson.
Stamped From The Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi - Spotify has been kind enough to place this powerful audio book on their platform for free. I started it this week and I am looking forward to continuing it. Kendi was also a guest on Brene Brown’s podcast on June 3. If you have a teenager, Jason Reynolds and Kendi joined forces and wrote a version of Stamped for teenagers.
EAT
Cider Doughnut ice cream from Lickety Split in Williamstown. Waffle cone optional.
Crispy Orange Cauliflower - This appetizer at The Barn in Williamstown was was “stop it’ good. A crazy mix, think Orange Chicken but instead it was a half a head of cauliflower, presented like a wedge salad. It was no surprise that we saw it coming out to nearly every table over the course of our meal.
Grilled Peaches - My sister made a dish with grilled peaches, pesto, and prosciutto this week. Yes, it seems like a mess of ingredients, but it was dynamite. Just grill the peaches and add the pesto and prosciutto when you’re ready to eat.
Short Rib Grilled Cheese - Just typing those words makes me feel like I need to go for a run. After my 9-holes of golf this Sunday, Tiff and I had lunch with my mom. It was the first true post-golf meal I had eaten. With every clubhouse closed, the 19th hole is a thing of the past, for now. Our lunch was at a little spot in Acton called Rapscallion. It’s a brewpub, they make good beer and their food is solid. This grilled cheese was delightful. It was stuffed with meat and cheese, but instead had the perfect mix. The sourdough bread was also thin and crispy, cooked perfectly. Even with a side salad, this heavy lunch knocked me out when we arrived home on Sunday and I needed a nap. The sign of good eating.
Monument’s Meatball Sub - A little story about me: when I was a in third grade I was a regular at a Subway sandwich shop. It’s true, I’d walk into the store with my mom and the people knew me and would start to whip up a meatball sub. Every Tuesday was a half day at school, so this Subway was our weekly lunch spot.
The Monument version was very different from a Subway sub. It was on garlic bread, the meatballs were massive, it had a bit of kale, and the sauce was incredible. It was a special all last week, so I treated myself to the sandwich on Friday afternoon, splitting it with Tiff because it was massive. I also had to run 10 miles to feel okay about it (I didn’t do that in third grade after my Subway lunch.).
Area 4 pizza in Cambridge
Skillet Cookies - Our friend made this last weekend during our quarantine pod gathering. We loved it so much that Tiff made it this week, too. Here’s the recipe.
Breakfast Gyro at Committee in the Seaport - Tiff and I are running a bunch of miles on the weekends as we creep up on the Big Sur Marathon at the end of April. This past Saturday was a cold, windy day for a run along the Charles River. A trip to Committee kept my legs churning, and golly it was worth it. We don’t go to brunch all that often, but this Breakfast Gyro might be my favorite brunch item I’ve had in Boston.
The Gyro is served in a large pita stuffed with chorizo, scrambled eggs, and cheese. It’s insanely good all the way around. The chorizo is in big chucks, the eggs are cooked perfectly (creamy but not watery). The pita is soft and the side of potatoes require no ketchup or hot sauce. Just a dynamite brunch following a 19 mile run.
Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Eggplant, Tahini: No Ohio decadence this week… just some good ‘ole fashioned, “I need to eat a little bit better” vibes here. This bowl from NYTimes Cooking (it’s a worthwhile subscription) was delightful, and gave us plenty of good leftovers (Tiff is not really a leftover person, and she had it twice this week!). It’s the time of year where roasted vegetables are a great option, we love Brussels Sprouts, and are learning to love eggplant (we had it in two meals this week. So we’re really trying).
Seared Scallop Pasta With Burst Tomatoes and Herbs - This NYTimes cooking recipe is dynamite and incredibly easy. If you’re not a scallop person, or they intimate you, or you don’t like the smell of fish in your apartment (like someone I know…) you could substitute scallops with shrimp, salmon, chicken, or.. nothing. From “First chop to first bite” it probably took 35 minutes.
Cadbury Chocolate Mini-Eggs - These delightful eggs might be the best holiday themed chocolate in the world. Listen, I’m not talking about the Cadbury Cream Egg. Those are weird. I’m talking about the small, candy covered chocolate eggs that make M&Ms run and hide for a few weeks. I bought a bag at CVS last week, and while it might have been the greatest choice I made all week, it’s something that can’t become a habit.
BOOZE
Hot Toddy - It’s that time of year! We made ours using the Royal Rose “Spiced Hot Toddy” mix. A worthy addition to a winter classic.
Save The Robots IPA - This Radiant Pig Brewing selection is light and summery. I ordered it out of curiosity and found it delightful.
Chelsea Sidecar: Lemon twist, 2 ounces gin (we used Barr Hill), 3/4 ounce Cointreau, 1/2 ounce lemon juice. Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon. Toss in the liquid ingredients together with ice and shake, shake, shake! Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Mezcal Sour: This was my brother’s drink of choice. I cannot remember how to make it off the top of my head, it involved egg white, honey, mezcal, muddled basil, a “dry shake” and then a “wet shake” after adding the egg white. It was delicious.
Brewdog’s Hazy Jane: This was a new one for me this week. I had it in Hoboken, and then I proceeded to have a couple more (hey, it pairs nicely with chili…). It’s on the sweeter side as far as IPAs go, but as someone that likes Pepsi over Coke and Bud Light over Miller Lite, I seem to have a taste for more sugary drinks.
Great Escape and PM Dawn by Trillium - Two delicious stouts.
"Orchard Fashioned” - Tiff and I are back out in Williamstown for a few nights. The Barn is a favorite (and convenient) spot of ours. There’s a server that remembers us and they make some delicious cocktails The Orchard Old Fashioned was a cider-type Old Fashioned. It was my dessert!
NON-BOOZE
Chick-Fil-A Milkshake: The Cleveland airport has a Chick-Fil-A and Shake Shack right next to each other. It wasn’t a hard choice, but it’s a great one to have to make. What a time to be alive. I had one of their vanilla milkshakes for the first time in my life. They top if off with whipped cream and a cherry… but be careful, if you’re not careful you might get some of it in your beard and walk around in public for a bit.
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks - This is a delicious, decadent drink. The temperature has dipped low enough and it’s October, pumpkin flavors for everyone!
Roy Rodgers - Instead of drinking a beer while watching the Celtics, I enjoyed an ice cold Pepsi with a dash grenadine. Shoutout to the Holy Cross golf team in 2006 and dinners at Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse.
Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild - This is making Sober September more manageable (and will make Dry January manageable, too).