The Start of Summer

My last final was Friday, so my summer vacation started Saturday morning. Friday night I went out to eat with a fellow classmate after the test. I have two new food experiences to relay to you all. We went to Wandos, known for their fish bowl cocktails and nightly fish fries. I had my first experience with batter fried walleye. I little peppier than cod I'd have to say, but very delicious. I also had the Smithwick's Irish Ale there. This too was very pleasing to the pallet. A lot darker than I imagined, but I guess that's to be expected coming from Guinness. I've just been sitting around the apartment to kick off the first few days of summer. I went into the lab to work yesterday, and I'm going back in an hour or so to snip some more mice tails. It really puts a nice spin on the day. Looking forward to all that summer has to offer. Camping trips to the state parks. My first legal drinking age visit to Mayfest in Mount Carroll Illinois. And hopefully my first legal gambling age visit to Las Vegas. This should prove to be a nice summer. See you all soon.

Mifflin St.

Sorry for the long hiatus from blog updating. The end of the semester has been a busy one. As you can see, last Saturday was the Mifflin St. block party where they estimate 20 - 25 thousand people descend upon our little street for one last end of the year hurrah. A few beverages are consumed, and a great time is had by all. Uhhh, maybe not all. This year was quite a Mifflin St. party for me. I actually didn't have a drop of alcohol on this day. I know what you are all thinking. "Jason, you are such a responsible boy. It's good to see you can have a fun time without feeling the need to drink." I actually started to celebrate on Mifflin Eve. To make a long story short, I let my youthful exuberance get the best of me, and I spent some time with my dear friend the trash can that night. Thus, the next day my stomach and head weren't ready for the hair of the dog. So I made a quick lap down the street to take in the atmosphere and returned to our humble abode for some brats on the grill. Finals start this week, and my first one is actually on Sunday. After that I plan on staying here in Madison to work in the lab I've been in this year, plus get a second job. I've applied for a phlebotomist position at Meriter Hospital a few blocks down the road. It's from 4:30-8:30 am, so it should be an interesting time. Other than that I don't have much more to say. Except to say that my latest blog update request came from my favorite cousins. Jill, Beth, and Sara have requested my next beer review be of Smithwick Irish Ale. I'm fairly sure this is the correct one. It's an Irish Ale made by Guinness. It seems to be a cult favorite of those who have tried it. I've actually already tracked it down at the Brocach Irish Pub on the capital square. My incredible detective skills revealed that the the picture on the home page shows that the tap to the far right is Smithwicks. From now on, I encourage active participation by my blog readers, and additional suggestions for beer tastings are also welcome, especially if you're buying.