found drama

Part year-in-review, part brag sheet, part best things and stuff, part tap-the-microphone “is this thing on?” life support post for this, my much-neglected blog. It’s been a few years since the last time I did one of these, and several of those were pretty hard years — but now seemed like the perfect time to get back to it. So without further preambles: a look back on my 2023, in no particular order…

Beer and brewing

Aside from a double-batch of cider, I didn’t homebrew at all in 2023 (didn’t even make it to any club brews!), but I gave back to my homebrewing and craft beer community in other ways:

• Taught two classes at Black Flannel (“How to Taste Beer” and “Belgian Beer: History & Influence”)
• Assisted with the annual Feats of Strength brew day at Black Flannel
• Wrapped up facilitating a year-long BJCP study group…
• …and then served as a control taster for that cohort’s tasting exam
• Wrapped up assistant teaching a seven months-long Cicerone study group…
• …and then served as a control taster for that cohort’s tasting exam
• Leveled up to the BJCP National judge rank
• Served as organizer/coordinator for three BJCP-sanctioned competitions
  1. Green Mountain Mashers American Amber Ale Style Challenge (small)
  2. Greg Noonan Memorial Homebrew Competition (large)
  3. Champlain Valley Fair Homebrew Competition (medium-large)
• Taught a “Homebrewing 101” class at City Market in Burlington
• Co-presented at the Vermont Craft Brewers Conference on the value of having Certified Cicerones on staff

Health and fitness

Solidly into my mid-40s now, I’m continuing to keep myself active with at least some kind of fitness-oriented activity on a near-daily basis. A hard-charging 30 minute routine at the gym (elliptical or bike) is pretty typical, but other things are entering the routine more often as well.

• 13 days at Smuggs for the 2022-23 ski season
• Attended 42 yoga classes…
• …and got into crow pose for the first time
• Completed the Vermont 10 Miler for the second time
• Attended my first “spin” class
• 538 activities recorded to Strava for 173 hours and 54 minutes

Music

Making music a bigger part of my life again.

• Made it to (at least) 8 concerts, including…
  • Taking the boys to see Clutch (E.’s first rock show!)
  • Newport Folk Festival
  • The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra
• Supporting E. as he continues to learn the cello
• Watching H. turn into quite the accomplished trumpet player, including (but not limited to)…
  • His entry into the Vermont Youth Orchestra…
  • …including two performances at The Flynn
  • Auditioning for and making the Vermont All-State Band
  • Auditioning for and making the New England Regional Band
  • Performing with the EHS jazz band on Church Street as part of 2023 Discover Jazz Festival

Outdoors

One must get out under the sun and into the woods.

• 13 days at Smuggs for the 2022-23 ski season (did I mention that already?)
• Took an “Essentials of Map & Compass” class through the Green Mountain Club so that next time my phone battery dies and the AllTrails map goes dark I don’t get eaten by a bear
• Summited Killington which puts me one away from doing all the Vermont over 4ks
• Summited 6 more Adirondack High Peaks (making that 14 of 46 for me)
• Annual fishing trip to Grand Lake Stream (mostly for smallmouth bass)

Travel

I’ve been trying to travel more and this year’s destinations included:

• San Diego (first time with the boys)
• Montréal (first overnight there)
• East Coast road trip (including Philadelphia + Baltimore + Virginia)
• Portland, Oregon (mostly for work)
• Southern Vermont (parts of the state I’d never been to)
• Keene Valley, New York (more Adirondack hiking)
• Princeton, Maine (fishing at Grand Lake Stream)
• New York City (my first time)
• Playa del Carmen and Chichén Itzá (my first trip to Mexico)

And the rest

• I’ve really been stretching/growing myself professionally: led a year-long project to GA, and then helped assemble the plans for its next big phase
• I finally made it to the Multnomah Whiskey Library … 1,160 days after my original Hall Pass reservation
• Helped H. build his first PC (although he did most of the work — and I was 20 years out of practice)
• Saw my first Broadway Show (“Here Lies Love”)
• Got a 300+ day streak going on Duolingo, where I managed to learn enough Spanish to have a clumsy dinner conversation in Playa del Carmen before switching to learn French
• Read 62 books
  • 46 of them audiobooks
  • 24 of them were non-fiction
  • Only 4 of them were re-reads
• Got engaged to this beautiful person on top of Armstrong during one of our Adirondack adventures!

2023 shaped up into a pretty strong year and I’m excited about what’s to come in 2024!

About Rob Friesel