We got all crazy this weekend and actually left the confines of El Dorado Hills.  TWICE.  Let it not be said that we aren’t the Brave Explorers out here in our new environment.  Most of this craziness was due to all the rain we got over the weekend.  Can’t ‘que, can’t sit outside, can’t walk the dog…  Might as well drive.  So, Saturday we decided to go visit some of the local breweries.  One might point out that’s the same thing we did last weekend, but that place was hardly local; That darn near qualified as a road trip.  We started our afternoon at New Glory in Sacramento.  They’re relatively new in town, and not very widely available, but I enjoy their Mighty Eighth at Ruff Haus on my sporadic visits there.  (They were so pleased to hear that, they gave me a few coupons for free stuff at Ruff Haus, score!)  We shared a few samples there, then moved on to Hoppy Brewing.  After some mild negotiating, we convinced the other patrons to switch from the hockey game to the Mules basketball game.  I’m honestly not sure who was more incredulous;  Me, that they were actually watching hockey, or them, that these odd interlopers wanted to take over the TV for a D2 basketball game.  In the end, Donette’s UCM tee-shirt was the trump card and we got to watch the exciting second half of the Mule’s victory.  We also enjoyed some fine grub.  I’d liken this place a lot to my beloved 75th Street;  Very good food, a bunch of regular customers, and “decent” beer.  For the most part we just enjoyed our lunch, then moved on to American River in Rancho Cordova.  This place certainly lacked style points, stuck in the middle of a warehouse district with no windows.  (Hey, what would you look at anyway…  The other warehouses?)  They were nice, informative people though, and I did enjoy the 2x IPA I tried there.

Sunday we once again technically left EDH city limits, but only to do our bi-weekly shopping in neighboring Folsom.  What a DRAG, I despise shopping.  We were perilously low on staples at the house though, so we had to suck it up and make the full rounds.  Trader Joe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, the pet store, and Costco.  OK that doesn’t sound like much, but it was taxing.  We could have done with stops at Home Depot and the grocery too, but I was spent.

I’m bona-fide now!  Granted, I actually got these tags in, uh, November, but just now actually got them on the bike.  (Not one, but TWO bolts must be removed in order to replace the plate.  And me without a working cordless screwdriver.  My arm is still sore.)

My new Cali tag

Well I’ve had a few days off, which was nice I suppose.  I didn’t really do anything of note, just needed to burn a couple of vacation days.  About all I really managed to accomplish was leaving a large dent in the couch in front of the TV.  Saturday was effectively our only day of entertainment, when we drove to Auburn to visit Knee Deep Brewing.  I’m a big fan of their beers, and I’d heard the brewery was a fun destination, so we decided to make the trip.  It was a solid hour drive, and I’ll admit we were a little disappointed to get there and find it was all indoors.  Maybe we should have researched that one a little better.  I’d heard they had cornhole boards (which they did,) and food trucks, (also true,) and from that info I somehow derived it was an outdoor venue.  Oh well, what can ya’ do.  We made an afternoon of it, then traveled back to Folsom and met some friends at Lockdown Brewing.  I must say, I’m not a huge proponent of that place, but at least they had outdoor seating.

And…  That was my weekend.  I played a few good rounds of fetch up in the park with Teagan.  Cooked a few moderately successful meals.  Went to the gym once.  Maybe I’ll turn things around today (my last day off) with a hugely exciting day.  Yeah, that’s pretty likely;  Too bad it will be too late to make this update though.

Enjoying a Hopparillo 3x IPA at Knee Deep Brewery

One of my friends who is old enough to know better has filled my mind with naive thoughts of taking a hike this coming Fall.  With that in mind, I decided to start some light (very light) training.  Luckily there are numerous trails within walking distance of our front door.  The weather was quite nice Monday so Teagan and I kicked things off with a 3.5 mile hike down a nearby path.  (Or, rather, UP and down.)  Can’t beat the views!  This path is about 1/4 mile from our house.  You can barely see the Sierra Nevada range on the horizon.

Taking a hike with Teagan

Fine weekend indeed.  The Martins flew in Friday night and we spent the weekend catching up with them.  Not a whole lot of catching up to be done, as we just saw them two weeks ago.  We had a good time though, always nice to have visitors.  The weather cooperated too, and we were able to get in a copious amount of patio time.

Saturday the flow of the afternoon was interrupted a bit when we had to meet with our Realtor and finalize the purchase of a house.  Remarkably, after last week’s little setback, things came together and we ended up with a better deal than the original, at least in my mind.  It’s the same exact house we wanted, but I like the lot much better.  It’s right by the entrance to the subdivision, and closer to the clubhouse pool;  Definitely a short walk, no drive required.  The lot is quite a bit larger too, and the best part is (for Teagan and her loathing of dogs on the other side of fences) we will only have one neighbor.  The only bad thing I can come up with at all is that we got stuck with the fire hydrant.  Eh, no big deal.  We lucked into this spot because the construction trailer is currently sitting on the lot, and they didn’t want to sell it because people will be hounding them to hurry up and get started.  Hey, another bonus for us, as we’re in a lease until later this Fall, take all the time you want!  We headed home and celebrated our purchase with a grilled tri-tip roast.  It came out much better than my last try, I’m getting the hang of them.  (Sorry Aushermans, you got shorted.)

Our new trailer

Sunday we took the Martins out for short tour of a few nearby wineries.  The weather started a bit on the unpleasant side (relatively speaking) but it warmed up quickly and the clouds burned off.  We kept the tour short;  Just went to Too Good and Belle Piazza.  After that it was back to the house to sit on the patio, where Donette treated us to a fine dinner of Rotel dip.  We had a grand time;  Who’s coming next?