I helped my brother edit his eulogy of Dad because I knew I couldn't hold it together to speak. Which was good for me because I could feel like I was still in the words. And he gave an amazing eulogy. I think in situations like that, a vague plan at least helps but anything spoken from what you feel will be good. I definitely was impromptu at my Grandma's memorial but I was really content after. If writing helps you, write. If just speaking is your thing, that will work too.

Watching Amy Adams on Ellen, I don't think I knew that there was supposed to be a Superman with Matt Bomer! He is so perfect for it. (She auditioned for it, as well as the last one, before finally getting this one.)

But ... he's Nightwing. Someone just needs to write it and fund it and make it. But he's Nightwing.

Lemon balm and oregano are mint family, and they take over the garden like mint does. I'm not much a fan of mint--we had some weird type in the backyard in NC and...nuh uh. Nothing you'd ever want to eat or garnish with. But a lemon balm yard? Or oregano? Heaven.

I bought a strawberry pot pre-planted with a different herb in each pocket. In two years, everything but the oregano and chives had died. There was oregano out every opening, bright and healthy and thriving, and a tuft of chives out the top like a bizarre hairdo. We couldn't bring with--I assume it's still oreganoing and chiveing away without me.

I made the mistake of buying a six pack of Redd's Apple Ale today, hoping it would taste like a dry cider with a little malty goodness for good measure. It's like somebody stirred fermented apple jolly ranchers into apple juice from concentrate, then carbonated it. Uggh.

Well, thank you for being the test subject, Gris! I saw that stuff and was curious, but no longer.

I broke up with the girl tonight. She didn't fight it, so I think she was just hoping I'd do it so she didn't have to. Still sucks.

I tried to write a eulogy for my mom but in the end I shotgunned a glass of white wine and winged it. I think it went well.

I made the mistake of buying a six pack of Redd's Apple Ale today, hoping it would taste like a dry cider with a little malty goodness for good measure. It's like somebody stirred fermented apple jolly ranchers into apple juice from concentrate, then carbonated it. Uggh.

Thanks for taking the hit Gris, because I'd have bought that under the same assumption.

I lift a whiskey in yr honor :(

meara, that sucks. I guess I'm glad there wasn't also drama, but still.

Managed to catch my 12:15 train in time, otherwise I would have had to wait for the 1:30 train, and I'd only just be getting home at 2:30 am! Nice walk, even though I could barely see. Had a scare not twenty feet from my driveway, where there is absolutely no shoulder when a car hurtled past with the music blasting and someone screaming out the window.

Had a cicada inside my shirt on the train, ick and shudder.

Got ganged up by the bride, groom, and their friends when I belatedly reminded them of the noise curfew. There were tears and accusations of my inhumanity on their special day. I caved, not realizing it was a city ordinance. Texted with boss lady, showed her response to the mother of the groom, who took care of it. She came back and said "They call me Mrs. B, and it's not because I'm beautiful." Go Mom Power!

Still, the music stayed on past curfew, but hopefully none of the neighbors called the police to complain, or else I'll be in deep doo doo with the ED on Monday.

Bride and groom lost their dickishness by the end of the night and apologized for freaking out and were extremely thankful for the extra time I allowed them.

Thankfully the bartender hopped to it when I said he had to stop serving alcohol (the substitute DJ had been a total dick).

My potted mint does okay but doesn't thrive out of control like all the reports I read. It's enough for my daily tea and occasional mint simple syrup infusions for julep, though, so that's fine.

This year I planted 8 basil plants. Two in pots to try to keep alive over winter and 6 in the ground that will be for pesto making for the freezer. Can't have too much pesto. It will be a wild basil forest in that bed in the next couple of weeks. Going to do my first harvest tomorrow to encourage bigger growth.

I like a nice dry cider sometimes when I'm not in the mood for beer, but was really misled by the "ale" and was hoping for something like the Abita Strawberry Lager - an obvious actual beer with a bit of refreshing complimentary fruit flavor. I'm sure there is such an apple infused beer out there, but this ain't it.

I'm sure there is such an apple infused beer out there, but this ain't it.

Shock Top makes a Honeycrisp Apple Wheat ale. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard good things about them.

Unfortunately, I quite dislike most wheat beers, and Shock Top's Belgian white (which I imagine is probably the backbone of that beer) is one of my least favorite. I know that the the hefeweizen flavor profile probably mixes best with apple, but my palate craves a lager or even APA backbone instead. I actually think a decent hops profile would mesh well with a crisp apple bite.

Maybe I'll try infusing some of my own, using SeriousEats's french press method, a decent pale ale, and some pink lady apples.

I do want to say that when Redd's is correctly compared with its real competitors - Mike's, Smirnoff Ice, etc - it's actually really good. At a college sophomore party, given a choice of Mike's, Smirnoff, Redd's, and Natty Lite, I would definitely choose the Redd's. But it's also significantly more expensive than most of those, so I'm not sure it will take off the way they hope with the true target demographic.