I believe the term refreshment was born on warm day, uttered from the lips of a man who just gulped the first swig of a cold pint of beer. The carbonation swelled and burst, like music in perfect timing with the hops, a percussive symphony on his taste-buds and he thought, perfect. He searched for a word, a measure of his overwhelming joy. He felt reborn, but in the sensory respect. The word, like poetry unraveled from his mouth: refreshment.

This was the day man first loved beer, at least, that’s how I picture the definition forming.

The truth is that the term refreshment came about sometime in the mid 15th century. It was used to describe food and drink, non-alcoholic drink, to be precise.

How short-sighted of our ancestors to exclude beer from the definition.

The good news is that somewhere along the line, the non-alcoholic rule got tossed and now we are free to refer to anything as “refreshing.” The extremely good news is that as a humble dweller of Denver, you have access to some of the most tasty brews the world has to offer. To celebrate this fact, every month of the year the Mellow Mushroom of Downtown will be featuring a new “Brewery of the Month.” On May 1st, members of the Odell Brewing Team will be at Mellow Mushroom Downtown (Tabor Center) doing beer tastings from 5-7, giveaways and 3$ Odell beers. 4$ pints will be available for the rest of the month of May. As an added bouns, Odell will be featuring a special batch for the occasion, an Oatmeal Coffee Amber. When it is time for June, you need not despair, for a new brewery will be featured. So if beer is something you find as refreshing as a great deal, cruise down to the Mellow Mushroom on May 1st and enjoy some,

Cheers!

The official ribbon cutting will be at 7 PM but those who can sneak out of work early can look forward to sampling seven new ales in the beautiful Denver afternoon sun.  And here are the seven initial ales the Denver Beer Co. will be providing.

Kaffir Lime Wheat- A brilliant straw pour with mild lacing, this wheat has a nose of fresh lime citrus, lemon grass, and banana.  A boldly refreshing porch pounder with bright tones of Kaffir Lime, clementine, mild spices and a crisp, clean finish.

Rye 25 Pale Ale- With a nose as complex as the highway, Rye 25 billows notes of hay and spice with underlying granny smith apple on the nose.  The drink is forward with rye and cinnamon while subtle vanilla and citrus round out the finish.

Gear Up IPA-  A tribute to the auto garage we now call home, this dry-hopped IPA beams with piney citrus and musky/bittersweet hop tones.  The drink is full of flavors ranging from grain and sweet malt, to honeysuckle and tangerine.

Graham Cracker Porter- A campfire in a glass, this robust beauty has seductive notes of vanilla, smoked cedar, and mulling spices on the nose.  A dark pour with mild lacing, she is a rollercoaster of lush chocolate and fig fruits diving into a semi-dry finish of truffle and cherry.

Platte Pils-  With silky malts and sweet grain on the nose, Platte Pils is a clean, smooth brew.  Herbal tones mix with zesty citrus flavors that lead onto a mid palate of mild yeast tones and a finish as refreshing as a cool dip in the river on a hot summer day.

Confluence Pale Ale-  Sweet malt tones on the nose, this easy-drinking Pale is as inviting as grandmother’s cookies.  A citrus-driven hop presence on the mid palate with a crsip finish make this the prefectly balanced brew for cooler summer evenings.

Stormy Summer Stout (until we come up with a more clever name summer stout) -  A cloudy, creamy pour with a nose of chocolate and dark fruits brings a palate of roasted malts, vanilla, and bittersweet hops.  A dark brew you can drink on a hot day, this is a light, refreshing stout.

So gear up for some beer tasting, get ready to try some DBC Pretzels… and make a guess at what Denver Food on Wheels might be showing up in partnership with Denver Beer Co.

Or course I love to poll to see what the most in demand flavors are in the Denver so here’s a question for you.

I really enjoy a great TV show.  It’s amazing the cult like factor that a really great and creative show can have for us as a society.  I remember just after college I lived in a great old old apartment.  This was a turn of the century old 4 unit antique building with hardwood floors, french doors, a shoebox kitchen, and one killer walkout to the roof above the deck.  It was surrounded by a streets full of the same style, turn of the century, small brick apartment buildings along with my favorite dark and cozy Irish pub, a few eclectic restaurants, some old school pub restaurants, and of course a ton of people just starting out and loved our little neighborhood.  Entry level accountants, beginner phone reps, waiters, chefs, first year residents, and grad students alike seemed to all flock together on one night or another for a favorite show.  Many brought beer, some might have made or picked up food, and no one was late.

Back then, and I’ll be dating myself, the biggest night was the X-files.  Never knowing what would happen next we watched, we harrased each other, we all screamed “no way” or “gross” or “that looks like the person you kissed in the bar last night”.  But we loved it.  There was a great book about Urban Tribes and how the culture of the U.S. is changing such that our family network becomes our friends or certain “tribes” we create around activites, hobbies, and interests.  No doubt our behavior proved the books point.  We lived simply and laughed alot, somehow no matter what craziness we were getting into, what new job, new relationship, new crisis, or new funk we were in it could always be counted on that we would get together on that certain night and swap stories and be entertained together.  When I packed my bags to move to Colorado one of the girls in our crew even went and picked up an X-Files copy mug and Fox Mulder ID badge.  I have no idea where she found this stuff, but the mug would change it’s message on the side when you filled it with hot water to say “Trust No One”.  The funny thing was these folks werent’ geeks, well maybe just me.  But it was a bond.

Of course today that happens a little less often.  Or at least there are more opportunities for people not to have a ritual around a show.  First, you can tivo/DVR it and there is no need to be at a certain place at a certain time.  Why rush to meet up with the group at 8 PM when you can record it and watch it whenever you want… alone.  Or maybe you can buy it on Itunes and just follow it on your ipod on the train, at the gym while riding the bike, or flying out on that vacation.  Life sure is convenient, but I still fell some nostalgia for our 21st century version of theatre and sharing it with friends.  Give me old school any day.

So now the question for this poll is about what are the shows that have hooked Denver.  Is it Heroes with the superpowerer characters dealing with an upcoming fight with multiple villians?  Is it 30 Rock or the Office with a focus on making us laugh?  Is it any number of the CSI style style shows that have the whodunit style of detective suspense?  Or is it some drama geared around relationships, love and all that gooey stuff?

I don’t know.  But here is your chance to share what shows you will be, or are, watching this fall.  You can pick as many as you want or watch and comment away. I really did try to get as many of the shows coming out this fall as I could but may have missed some. What am I saying, of course I missed some… there are a boatload. These are shows that involve sketch, screen, and other creative writers who want to keep you entertained with stories, characters and/or satire. Sorry, folks, now straight up news reporting. I was even going to exclude reality shows but that would miss out on a HUGE cult following. I have been amazed at how many folks love their reality TV shows. If I missed your favorite, let me know.

To learn more about this fall’s lineup, the station it’s on, or the premier date check out the following Links:

For Dramas http://tvdramas.about.com/od/tvshowsaz/a/fallpremiere07.htm. 

For Animated: http://animatedtv.about.com/od/showsaz/a/fallpremiere.htm

For Comedies: http://tvcomedies.about.com/od/tvcomediesbytitle/a/premiere_dates.htm

I don’t know all these shows so it will be interesting to see the results.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I am having trouble avoiding interruption.

I first began not simply noticing this, but focusing on this over the past week. I realized that I was spending far too much of my day checking email or performing some other technology tool task. While out walking my dog, I am checking email. When I first wake up I check email. While writing or working I am checking email. I find it is more than a bit distracting. Maybe it is the nature of my career over the many years where things were always moving so quickly. Or, as those of you who have been reading this blog for some time remember me posting, it is because my iphone or whatever technology toy it might be makes it so easy. At that time it was me singing praises to my iphone for all it allowed me to do and how easily it allowed me to do it.  Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.  Now my habit of welcoming interruption is becoming too much.  And it is something I want to change. A lifestyle that promotes focus without interruption can be a very good thing.

My first steps took place this past winter with the revolutionary idea of not taking my cell phone. For a few peaceful hours I didn’t keep checking my messages or answering my phone. Meanwhile this was the typical discussion I heard around me…

PHONE: “Ring Ring” (actually it was probably some song but this is easier)

PERSON ON SKI LIFT WRESTLES WITH THEIR GLOVES, THEN THEIR COAT POCKET, TRYING TO REACH THEIR PHONE

PHONE: “Ring Ring”

PERSON ON SKI LIFT: “Hello…. Hey dude…. Yeah I am skiing in Vail… I am just riding the lift up…. Yes its great up here today”

PERSON ON SKI LIFT’S FINGERS ARE STARTING TO FROSTBITE AS THEY TALK

PERSON ON SKI LIFT: “I am not sure what we are doing this weekend, lets totally grab a beer on Saturday… No I didn’t hear if Sue was going…. really….. she was looking good on Tuesday man…. Okay….. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha….. um yeah I love that show…. Okay later”

PERSON ON SKI LIFT PUTS PHONE AWAY WITH CRAMPED, FROZEN HANDS AND THEN GOES BACK TO LOOKING AT THE PRETTY SNOW

Of course this is the simpler version. The funniest is the person in the act of skiing who stops to take the call. Not only does this throw off their rhythm but it totally stops whatever Zen moment with nature they might have been having. I respect this works for some. It is just not the choice for me.

So now I am trying to bring this philosophy off the slopes.

The New York Times had an article this past week “Lost in Email, Tech Firms Face Self Made Beast” discussing the new trend for technology companies to be building tools to combat the “beast” of their own creation. I thought this was an especially interesting quote…

“A typical information worker who sits at a computer all day turns to his e-mail program more than 50 times and uses instant messaging 77 times, according to one measure by RescueTime, a company that analyzes computer habits. The company, which draws its data from 40,000 people who have tracking software on their computers, found that on average the worker also stops at 40 Web sites over the course of the day.

The fractured attention comes at a cost. In the United States, more than $650 billion a year in productivity is lost because of unnecessary interruptions, predominately mundane matters, according to Basex. The firm says that a big chunk of that cost comes from the time it takes people to recover from an interruption and get back to work.”

Now I am not sure how this translates to me personally, but I believe my habits ensure some greater level of productivity loss in what is most important to me. And I certainly don’t want to miss any of the company or scenery around me during something as simple and nice as an early morning dog walk.

Yet most people I know or observe are busy scrawling on their electronic devices while out at dinner with friends, enjoying happy hour with their team, or simply in a public and social setting. I can’t complain, I do it too. Now I am trying to stop, slow down, smell the roses along the way and save my email catchup for a specific time and place. So here are a few tricks I am trying to break my interruption habit:

1. First, I turned off my email accounts (yep, not just one) on my iphone. I can always turn them back on when I go out of town but do I really need updated email every fifteen minutes, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty five days of the year. This is probably the single biggest change.
2. Next is to break the habit of constantly checking my phone. I am periodically leaving my iphone (this is going to sound like blasphemy to some) hidden away charging versus having it on me or right next to me. I want to focus on the task at hand without interruption, or temptation of interruption. Barring an expected call I need to wait for there is no reason to not create some “quiet time”. That goes equally for a non phone zone while joining friends for dinner, or taking my dog for a walk, or many other brief tasks. I know that there is the risk of an emergency. Fortunately, everyone around me will have a phone I can borrow. And this doesn’t have to be a long term strategy, just long enough to break the habit of constantly checking my device. But I think being out of touch for a couple hours at a time will still allow the world to keep turning. I can barely remember, but I am pretty sure I lived without a cell phone at one time.
3. I am turning off that little flag that tells me every time I have a new email on my computer/laptop. The darn thing goes off every 30 seconds it seems, and they are never critical. But of course…. it might be really important so I have to stop what I am doing to check it. Enough!

Do you have any other suggestions for how you prevent interruptions? Or do you have a pro argument for the virtues of an interruption rich life. That has been my habit for quite some time.

What about your habits? Here is a poll to ask that question and see how the populations checks in on this one. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

By the way, in the few minutes it took to write this my email box is showing a red alert flag that I have three new messages. I better hurry and check them!

But make sure to plan accordingly because unlike all the St. Patrick’s Day holidays of the past this one WILL NOT be held on the traditional March 17th. Due to a little scheduling problem the Church is moving it. Changed by the Roman Catholic Church to avoid conflict with Holy Monday that falls on 3/17 the 2008 Saint Patrick’s Day holiday will be celebrated on March 15th just a few days away. This is the first time the date has been moved since 1940 and the next time it will need to change will be all the way in 2160.

What will you be doing to celebrate? I remember the days of waiting in line for my old watering hole, Byrnes Pub, to open in the wee hours of the morning. There was some serious Irish pride going on at Byrne’s and folks waited all year for their favorite holiday to be celebrated right. What surprised me is that Byrne’s and many other establishments are still planning to celebrate Saint Patrick’s day on the 17th (the traditional day) which led me to wonder if there might be a revolt of sorts against the changing of the date. Are some out there making a statement that Saint Patrick’s day is simply to important to be swapped out because of a conflict with another event. Or did some folks just not get the memo? Here’s one story talking about how different cities are having different reactions.

For those of us how are consuming the beer it is far better to have a nice Sunday to recover than to be looking at a workday to follow. You know when that happens somebody will have the “great idea” to schedule a 7 am meeting. I imagine that businesses are probably pleased about the date change as well as it means they can avoid a possible crew of zombies on one of their supposedly productive days. I am not sure if it is better for the bars or not. They might certainly have a great night of beer sales for a Saturday, but that probably happens anyway. With a weeknight Saint Patrick’s Day they might just boost it up to being their best week ever.

Of course the smart Irish man or woman might want to celebrate twice just to make sure. You don’t want to tick Saint Patrick off by missing his day now do you (bar managers trying to boost beer sales, this might give you a record breaking week).

What’s your thought on the date change?

Whichever date it is my plans will be milder as I am quite a bit tamer than I was back then. Now I prepare by surfing Itunes to assemble an Irish mix of my favorite bands for the occasion. These would include such groups as Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Skels, Blood or Whiskey, The Tossers, and of course The Pogues. I haven’t quite decided what I’ll do with the mix since I’m not hosting a party… but you never know when it might come in handy.

I’ll likely have a beer or two, laugh with some friends, and exit before things great really rowdy as I plan to hit a beach the very next day and that is when the real fun starts. But you have fun this Holiday and share your favorite way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s day here in Denver.

I’ll do a quick summary for those of you who are thinking about it. First of all, groups are the best. We had a group of 107 folks so we pretty much ruled a car and a half. At first I think everyone worried about seats and being right next to each other but the reality is that with train travel everyone is walking, talking, leaning, moving pretty much all the time. It’s a social scene on wheels.

The views are amazing, although again this became second place quickly to everyone being social. Yet far more scenic than a flood of taillights on I-70.

If you live downtown the Ski Train has a special appeal. We walked over the bridge in Riverfront Park right at 7:00 for our 7:15 departure. I personally set my alarm for 5:30 to take the pup for a long walk and to give me quite a bit of time cushion just in case, so it is not a good night to plan a big Friday out on the town.

Then on the train everyone greets each other, has fun, and kicks back and RELAXES all the way up. No white knuckle driving, no fighting traffic, and there is always a place to buy coffee or breakfast only a short walk away. Some slept, some read the paper, most chatted. Nice.

On the way back this gets magnified into a huge social gathering. Beverages flow throughout the car, there is laughter everywhere and no one is driving. What a great solution for downtown residents… instead of trying to balance doing apres with the drive home and fighting crowds on that sometimes painful return the ski train becomes the apres location. No risk, no worries. One person said it was just like staying in the mountains with no worries about the commute. Considering I carried my skis there and back in less than ten minutes I’d have to agree.

Some bits of advice for you…

Avoid car 2. It’s behind the engine so the front is sealed. Don’t worry, you don’t get any fumes but the lack of ventilation gets TOASTY. We had folks stripping down to the minimum so maybe chair two will be the naked car. Your choice.

There isn’t much you can do about this worry, but if you get behind a slower train your trip could take a bit longer. This happened on our way up but not on our way back. Not too bad, some folks slept longer and the train is comfy. But keep this in mind if you are making strict plans involving timing and make sure you have a puppy sitter on reserve in case your return is late.

Get your food or drink quick if you want it. They sold out of burritos pretty fast on the way up and while they had beer all the way through the trip back, the Stella was the first to go. Don’t forget they close the catering car when they think they are 30 minutes away from the station. This might be longer so if you want stock up before they close.

There is a great lounge car with scrabble and other games. Consider grabbing a spot there for awhile if you have a small group but be quick if you want a seat.

We will be doing the Ski Train again. Give it a shot for yourself. I forgot to mention that the train stopped on a cross track exactly where another train was heading at us. The folks in our car started getting a little bit nervous as it got closer.. and closer… and closer. Then we quickly moved, picture is one of others below.

But it didn’t matter. On their feet, cheering every play, screaming with joy when the Rockies scored in the 6th to break the tie and put the Rockies up 4-1 the fans didn’t even pay attention to the rain.

I was down in section 117 with a great shot on the 1st base line. We hunkered down in our sweatshirts, rain gear, poncho wrapped around our legs, ball caps protecting our faces and dripping water in front of our eyes. The lights were illuminating the shower overhead and created a surreal effect over the players. Fingers pruned, voices hoarse from cheering, and cold beers in our cold hands we loved every minute. And a little secret for future cold games, if you go up top they make hot chocolate with schnapps…. perfect for this kind of night.

Something about this game was different. Maybe it was enduring the rain. Maybe it was everyone sharing the experience. But it felt like we had jumped back in time somehow. The respect for the game, for the team, was just amazing.

I hope many of you got a chance to be at the game tonight. I’ll be there tonight, cheering for our Rockies, enjoying the game. Just one more for the worlds series.

Awesome!

It couldn’t have worked out better. We chilled out and got the celebration started with a round of cocktails (dirty martini, blue cheese stuffed olives please) and then relaxed over laughter, stories, and catching up while enjoying steaks (baseball sirloin for this day of course) and some great red wine. Our boys night out dinner carried us past the first pitch (which we did want to see) but we got there just in time for the blackout. In fact we timed it so close the folks behind us joked that we caused it.

First of all, let me tell you that the crowd last night was amazing. The energy, the rockies flag waving, the cheers, the jeers, and everything else was like a live current. Someone who watched the game at home said it was boring. I don’t know what they were watching but from my seat it was a nail biter with the close score and then the tie up keeping us all on the edge of our seats (or standing) as we celebrated every strike and out that kept the Phillies from moving ahead. That is to say that the comfort zone when we were 1 – 0 disappeared as we watched their one run homer put us neck to neck.

Somewhere around the 6th inning a few incidents started happening around us. Drunk guy falls down stairs (ouch), another drunk guy (doofus) tries to start the wave on his own with beer in hand and sprays the crowd (many apologies did follow), and the last drunk guy (yes, we see you) tries to start his own cheer leading section. There are always those interesting characters.

But what a finish. When, in the bottom of the 8th, the Rockies scored the needed run to put us up 2 to 1 the crowd went nuts. And then for every pitch, out, catch and moment through the top of the 9th the Rockies put the final touches on the SWEEP of the Phillies.

That moment, on the last out, was magic. Friends yelled with joy and high fives all around. Smiles EVERYWHERE filled every face and goodwill flowed. It was AWESOME. How cool to be there and share it with not just my friends but with 70,000 other fans.

The post game party in the streets and bars around the ballpark was just as exciting and with just as much energy. With laughter in the air, the smell of beer in the air, and traffic crawling through the streets we leisurely walked through Denver to find a spot for one more beer and some quality time to revel in the day. Cheers Denver, the Rockies did it!!

My early morning flight out of DIA took off a little after 8 am. With little sleep from the night before, either from nervousness or excitement, it was an easy crash on the plane. I slept the entire way to my midway stop in Vancouver.

Vancouver, by the way, has a fantastic airport. It is beautiful and the views out the windows make it an addition to my “places to see” list. I was transferring to Air Canada (I know, United Mileage plus points… but really) and spent most of my 3 hour layover traveling from gate to gate trying to find an active one to switch my upcoming seat assignment from a middle seat to a window. I could not imagine anything more painful than taking my longest flight to date squished in a coach middle seat. I was dreading it. The airlines had the flight set at completely booked so my chance, my only chance, was that brief window an hour before flight time or close to it when those folks who cancel their flights give up tickets. With the knowledge that there were about a hundred other potential candidates for a window seat I knew my chances were slim. But with only time to kill in Vancouver it was worth it.

It was in the Air Canada private club entrance that salvation came my way. A kind lady heard my request and since mine was probably the easiest request of the pampered and coddled elite who pass her way she quickly pulled up an access screen (I should have thought of this first as the club probably can do changes anytime for their members) and announced that she saw one and only one alternative. It was an aisle seat on the window side and she said “I’m grabbing it before its gone” before I could respond. My thanks went out to her then and today for saving me from another experience.

I boarded and met my seat mate who was a Canadian model named Cory traveling for a multi month agency post in Tokyo. A lot of single guys might be excited but since I am very happily married man it just meant it was someone who spoke English. I always feel so embarrassed that I haven’t taken the time to learn other languages. I can do pretty well with French, I can get by with a touch of German, but I am totally lost in any Asian language.

Her story about the crazy modeling industry in Tokyo was interesting. Apparently the Tokyo market loves to use Canadian, American, and European models for their products. There is a draw to their audience and a created endorsement with the images. I would see evidence of this later in the Tokyo subways with advertisements featuring Tommy Lee Jones and a myriad of other American personalities. The requirements were to look young, cute, and dainty. Her words, they want you to be cute and she works it. Cory’s agency knew her age in the mid 20′s but would pass her off as an older teen for the casting calls. I was amazed to hear that girls as young as young as 14 were going to be living over the next few months in Tokyo as part of this model agency project on their own. I can’t imagine what I would do as a 14 year old in Tokyo for months on my own but the only answer seems to be to get in trouble. And this, Cory stated, is exactly what happens. Her stories, the few I heard before crashing out as we crossed forward from Monday to Tuesday over the international date line, indicated that all the hype about the safety of Tokyo were true. Outside of a few incidents with drunk Japanese businessmen following her home after clubbing until she screamed at them her stays over the past 8 years have been without problems. Cory gave me some tips on places to go and squashed a few myths that I had either read or researched before my trip, shared a cab to the city (cabs are expensive but she said the bus and subway are a nightmare) and then I was on my own upon arriving at the Park Hyatt Tokyo at 3:45 in the afternoon. One final comment on the flight, the food on Air Canada is terrible. Wonderful team members and very friendly but if there is a next time I’m packing some snacks.

Now keep in mind that while it was 3:45 in the afternoon I felt like I had been up for over a day. The combination of a lack of sleep before I left and the poor sleep on the flight meant I was a bit tired. My goal was a quick walking tour of my area, some Sushi for dinner, and then a good nights sleep to wake up the following day for the consistently recommended Fish Market that starts at 5:30 a.m.

The Park Hyatt Tokyo is surrounded by huge and towering office towers and Luxury Hotels. The site of the movie “Lost in Translation” it truly does have the panoramic views of Tokyo that are breathtaking. I had gone for an upper tower room and upon check in I found myself in a wonderful corner city view room on the 46th floor. My representative upon check in had indicated there was one available on the 51st floor a bit higher but she confided that my room would offer her favorite view. She was right and WOW what a skyline. Tokyo seems to go on and on forever. It is like a sea of buildings that stretches farther than I can see.

I quickly cleaned up and heading out. After landing, customs, and over an hour of cab ride plus just checking in it was now past 6 pm. I shot up to the famous New York Grill restaurant at the top and took in that spectacular view with a quick cocktail and a bit of a “whew, I made it” moment. Then it was off for dinner.

I asked at the front desk and concierge about recommendations for Sushi and they kept recommending the first floor restaurant. I poked my head inside and found your typical New York Style casual style eatery with plastic boxes of prepared sushi similar to anything you might find at Whole Foods or Wild Oats. This was going to be an ongoing challenge during my trip, the assumption that as an American my sushi tolerance was tuna and California Rolls. Since the local team didn’t seem to be much assistance in this I was going to have to set out by foot (which I prefer actually).

I started out on the main strip and found a flurry of neon glow, vending machines for every easy food or drink you would want, bicycles parked everywhere and tons, and tons of people. I had hit the beginning of the post work day and salarymen and salarywomen (term for the white collar workers) were getting their groove on. After cruising the main stretch in Shinjuku without any great prospects I drifted into the side streets where the restaurants magically appeared, along with a number of shops and bars. The neon still and signs were everywhere and so where the people. I circled a few times, taking in the different prospects and then found just what I was looking for. It was a small Sushi restaurant with perhaps 20 chairs. Inside at least half the seats were taken and nothing about it looked tourist. I figured if it was totally empty and this was where there were locals were going then there must be a reason. Inside three sushi chefs worked busily center stage of the u shaped sushi bar and a conveyor belt circled them carrying all sorts of delicious items.

I walked in and their was a cheer from the staff as a greeting and I quickly took a seat at the bar. The cheer, of course, was not just for me as they did this to every person who came in while I was there. My choice of restaurants was a great pick for a number of reasons. First, since other than my phrase book and dictionary I spoke virtually no Japanese this allowed me to just look and grab any dish that cruised by on that awesome conveyor belt without ordering. Second, since I was picking for myself there was no worry that the chef would assume I was intimidated by sushi and give me only the basics. And third, since the folks around me were the locals I could watch their picks and maybe try a favorite or two.

The sushi, for the record, was amazing. I had items in colors and with some light sauces that I had never had before. And talk about fresh, I almost couldn’t pick up the toro because it fell apart like butter in my chopsticks. I had the most amazing white almost translucent squiggle things and some amazing fish I didn’t recognize. The problem of course was that I didn’t know how to say “what is this” and even though I could have looked it up in my phrase book I also didn’t want to interrupt the chefs who were slaving away to keep the conveyor belt full.

And these guys eat FAST. Piles of empty plates soon filled up in front of the other diners at the bar and it didn’t take me long to follow suit. They leave those in front of you as they are your bill, so to speak. Different items cost different amounts (darned if I knew which was which) so the stack in front of you gave them a total when you were done. They had a special powder that you put in a cup and then in the bar every couple seats was a hot water spout to make your own tea. They showed me this when I sat down just to make sure I didn’t mess it up, which of course I would have because I thought the spouts might be for soy. I am not sure if Tokyo has liquor licenses but this place might not of had one since everyone drank only tea, no sake or beer. So on my big splash first night not a drop of sake, only a gallon of green tea. The salaryman to my right was loading up on the raw shrimp, clearly his favorite as it was his bite every other time while the salaryman to my left seemed focused as I was on the variety plan. One of the chefs smiled a few times and checked in to see if I was okay and it was clear that I was not their usual customer and they were enjoying it. The comments I repeatedly heard about how friendly everyone is in Tokyo were totally true.

After creating a respectable pile of mini plates and trying every different item I could find I finally hit my max. I pulled out my phrase book to say “that was delicious” (oy-shi-kat-ta) and one of the ladies circling added up my plates and gave me my bill. I walked to the corner cash register and paid what for dinner something close to the cost of my Hyatt cocktail. No surprise there and certainly an awesome experience.

I left the restaurant and spent a good hour getting lost trying to find my way back to my hotel. Fortunately I spotted the tower and weaved my way to it through the streets. They say Tokyo grew without any plan, buildings popping up wherever they might and streets organically growing in no set order. Plus street addresses are pretty much worthless as they indicate a sector in a grid, then a sector within that grid, and then another sub sector. From there you have to wing it to find your final destination as the actual street numbers don’t go in order. They say that the street numbers in some places indicate the construction year so you can see how that doesn’t help unless you can pick the architecture out specifically. Either way I finally found it, went to my room, and crashed hard. It was a long day and my next days log will start with my jet lag waking me up around 4 am which works perfectly for attending the fish market. I’ll tell that story in the next post as I am about one day behind and now need to set out for some sights.

By the way, sorry for the lack of photos today. I had my camera on me in the cab but left it when my ravenous nature carried me out for my sushi dinner. Many, many more tomorrow.

There are no hand brakes on a cruise bike. It is far simpler than that. You pedal forward, you move forward. You pedal backwards, you stop. But it is taking my brain a little time to let go of all the years of using hand brakes on scooters, bikes, mountain bikes and pretty much anything on two wheels.

But other than that.. I love my new Cruiser bike. And here is the scoop on where to find them.

It all started when some friends of our got their own cruiser bikes and were showing them off to us after a Rockies game. We had just finished a couple brews and were heading out when they pulled up to show off their new bikes. I wanted to learn more.

Basically the cruiser bikes that are growing in popularity across the country right now are appealing for a number of reasons. First of all they have character. You can get them with awesome paint jobs including flames or flowers, gypsy writing or skull and crossbones. Whatever your taste they have a bike for it. You can get low riders, classic cruisers, European throwbacks, and townie roadsters. Add to that an wide selection of tassles, old fashioned bells, squeaker horns (pictured above), retro lights, front baskets, back baskets and more and you can create your own
piece of art or expression of your personality.

And lets not forget that it is one more two wheel vehicle that allows you to skip the headache of driving in a car, parking a car, and lets you be a little bit more green.

After asking around we found one of the top brands was the Electra Bike. There are many other brands out there and I recommend you take some time to do some web surfing and check them all out. While Electra may be one of the most popular, it may also be the most common. But with so many different styles you can still find something unique and then you have the benefit of customizing it.

Priced from about $100 and up to about $600 for a bike these make great downtown transportation solutions because they aren’t as risky as chaining up a $300 mountain or road bike. Don’t get me wrong, they will get stolen if you don’t have a good bike and word at the bike shop is that this time of year with school starting is ripe with a boost in bike thefts. I even found new ones less than $100 in some of the other brands like XYZ bikes.
Before selecting my bike I searched the Electra Bike site, XYZ Bikes, sixthreezero, Firmstrong, Micargi, Greenline, Nirve, Schwinn, Hampton Cruisers (fun tunes on their site), and Sun. I also checked out the stores around town to “kick the tires” on the different bikes. While I am sure different bike stores focus on different types of bikes I have to compliment the guys at the Cycle Analyst in Wash Park for having the best cruiser selection and accessories. These guys had models on the floor to at least get a feel for the ride and they had TONS of books with the drawings and designs for most of the others. This way you can just stop in, pick out your bike, and either leave with it that day or wait till it comes in. If you can find a floor model you will save yourself the shipping cost. Plus they have so many accessories in stock you can try out different baskets, bells, and everythign else to trick out your bike to your hearts content.

Four of us went over to pick up our Electra’s including mine, one ladies Betty, one ladies, Gypsy, and one ladies Hawaii (all Electra). Then everyone set out by bike to go grab some beers and celebrate their new bikes. The cruiser that was calling my name was the Amsterdam sport. I loved the classic retro European style, the old school leather seat and handle grips, the positioning of the handlebar, and the leaner meaner tires. Or maybe it just reminds me of my dads old cruiser that I used to ride from home to campus and the nostalgia of that time.

Either way, I just love the darn thing. Now I am working to trick it out with my own favorite items and even hunting around on ebay for some antique or European items that aren’t available in the neighborhood store. But thats just me and everyone likes what they like.

If you get one don’t forget to get a GREAT LOCK!! I was warned to only get the U-bolt locks with the newest key lock system. These require a very loud machine to drill away for 20 minutes or so to break and that is not likely to happen without being noticed. The other cable style locks can be cut quickly, quietly, and sadly while you are enjoying a stop in your cruiser day. That would be a big bummer and a big disappointment, especially after you have transferred effort and creativity into making it yours.

I’ll let you know how my adventures on the cruiser bike go. I bought a couple bike maps while I was at it and have a great deal of exploring to do.