Motivation. Or, Hop to It.

I'm happy to boast that two of mine are among the "Final 19 or So" of the Ought-Ocho Yule Log Beer Blog Battle Royale. You can see them here. If nothing else comes of this (besides some hip beer schwag), at least I'm now motivated to get a real camera. One of these days.

On the book: We're really under the gun now. I'm going through the manuscript and finding all those little holes I'd forgotten were there. Our distinguished publisher wants to start looking at whatever we have by Christmas, even if it ain't quite perfect yet. If he means that as a motivational tactic, it's working.

To the right is a photo I hope to include in the section on navigating bilingual Brussels. Not up to me, though.

Finally I want to push you toward a post at Appellation Beer. I know it hits home for me and many other American beer lovers living abroad (or traveling for extended periods of time).

My cravings for intensely hoppy beers have abated somewhat. I have more appreciation than I once did for subtletly, balance and drinkability – whatever those words mean to you. But I can't ignore that even among Belgian ales my tastes run to the hoppier end of the spectrum.

You can take the boy out of America but you can't take the something something I forget how it goes.