Local pride

Macalester grad Omar Ansari started the local business Surly Brewing Company. I've only tasted their concoctions a time or two, but I may need to sample the swill again soon. This Wall Street-Journal article is about a legendary Belgium brew, but it includes this line:

Two American Web sites, Rate Beer and Beer Advocate, rank the strongest of Westvleteren's three products, a dark creamy beer known as "the 12," best in the world, ahead of beers including Sweden's Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter and Minnesota's Surly Darkness.

Way to go, Surly. Too bad I generally don't enjoy dark beers.

On a side note, the story of the Trappist monks reminds me a lot of "The Drawing of the Dark," a book by Tim Powers. It's an entertaining read. Not wonderful. Not for everyone. But perfect for, say, an airplane ride.

This is my niece, Francis, getting a bath on Thanksgiving Day. Yeah, she had to clean up in order to impress the in-laws.

I learned two valuable lessons during the holiday week/weekend. One, I know how to properly handle a small baby - at least in some situations. Two, one should not drink heavily in the night prior to a long morning flight.