The Great Remodel of 2010

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I should probably mention that the other Big Distraction in my life at the moment (as if writing a book weren't enough) is the remodeling project that has engulfed much of our house.

We began planning this project in April 2009 and in January 2010, the work finally began.

Yesterday the guy doing most of the work (emphasis on "most of" and "work") asked if I'd posted photos in a public forum. I had put them on Facebook, but that's easily accessible to people who aren't on FB, so I created a site at Shutterfly and posted the photos there, too.

So if you're interested, you can see them here.

The work is being done by the amazing people at Silent Rivers Design/Build. You can find out  more about them here. I can't say enough good things about this outfit. Because of everyone there, especially Tyson Leyendecker, the architect, and Christian Anderson, the carpenter, the project has been stress free. Indeed, it's been fun. I almost (but not quite) hate to see it winding to a close. (It'll take another month.)

Ridin' Dirty to Bite-Size Edits

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Okay, bad title. But wanted to surface for a moment to say hello to those stopping by either because of the Ridin' Dirty interview or the Bite-Size Edits launch (for that, see here or here). (*1) (The Bite-Size thing, by the way, is, um, addictive, as I discovered when I gave it a whirl. Just what we all need, right? Another internet addiction!)

As I noted in my "hiatus" post, ordinarily I blog at a maniac pace, but I'm currently taking a blog-break so I can finish writing my new book. (Because, yes, I finally realize that I'm not Super Woman. Which is okay because her costume is definitely not to my taste.) But as I also noted in the hiatus post, there's a whole lotta reading material here.

If, for example, you're hunting for more of my opinionated opinions on the subject of drinking, click on "Rational Drinking" in the categories on the left, or click on the "Other Projects" button at the top. Now go! Read!

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*1: To emphasize a point about the Bite-Size Edits excerpt: The text I'm offering at the site is from a rough draft of the manuscript, with emphasis on the word "rough." Think of it was crap flowing from my brain to the keyboard, uneditd. In no way, shape, or form should it be construed as polished prose.

Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Celebration Is Underway [Update]

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I've been hearing about this for months, mostly via Jack McAuliffe, but now there's finally something up that everyone can enjoy: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is celebrating 30th anniversary this year.

The company kicked off the festivities a few days ago by launching a special website. There you'll find photos, videos, and information about the special beers being planned for the occasion. The site is here.

So, hey, take a break and go for a visit. (Apparently that's not a photo of Jack himself, but of his brother Tom. As Jack says, he musta been seriously fucked up when he sent that to Chico. Me, I blame his post-accident meds.)

(And by the way, he's feeling much better. Back to his old cranky, sassy self --- and looking forward to the brewing collaboration in the spring.)

UPDATE: according to Jack's siblings, yes, that's really Jack in the photo. So: either they're crazy or Jack is. My vote's on the latter. Tip o' the mug to Loyal Reader Dave for reminding me to post a notice about all of this here at the blog. And now, per Dave's instructions, it's back to work for me.

Some Recent Good History Reading

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Surfacing here for a moment (okay, the fifteen minutes it will take me to type all this stuff) to alert readers to a couple of particularly interesting bits about "doing" history.

First, this essay from the Boston Globe, prompted, apparently by the recent death of Howard Zinn. (At least that's what I assume led to the piece because I can't otherwise imagine a newspaper devoting so much space/ink/money to the subject of history.)

And then this discovery today: the Spatial History Project at Stanford University. Richard White, author of the blog entry to which the link leads, is a serious voice/mind in American history. He launched his career writing about the American west. Obviously he's now thinking about history from other angles (no pun intended).

I was alerted to both of these gems by via Twitter by Sterling Fluharty (at Twitter as @sterflu). Good stuff all the way around. And now --- back to doing my own version of history.