The First Sweet Tap

I'll always remember tapping my first keg. A nice 20L keg of Rickard's Red.

After a weekend of unsuccessfully tapping the keg, and experimenting with the new Danby kegerator, I finally got it figured out, and as I type this I'm sitting down and enjoying my first pour. Sure it's a little foamy, but I'll get that worked out - for now it's time to sit and enjoy what has been a long time dream - a free-flowing beer line in my own home bar . . . it's much better than staring at this beautiful keg filled with about 60 glasses of beer that I had no access to. Brr, it was pure torture . . .

Speaking of beer, Francine and I were having one of those fun road-trip conversations and one of the questions we asked each other was: "If you could sit down and have a beer with any three people, who would they be and why?"

Fran's list was all interesting, but dead people. Despite my weakness for horror and speculative fiction, I actually kept my list restricted to people who were alive (and thus there was possibly a chance, however remote, that it might actually happen - you never know) I also didn't bother with people whom I already have the pleasure of enjoying a beer with, like my good buddy Steve Gaydos, whenever we're in the same town, or my wife Francine who is always fun to tip a glass with.

My List of People I'd Most Like To Have A Beer With

1) Stan Lee

The man who invented a character whom I've always been able to identify with - the shy, weak, nerdy Peter Parker, who ends up following a creed I like to think I've adapted into my own life (perhaps like an eleventh commandment) "With great power comes great responsbility." - Stan Lee was probably the first writer out there to win me over by creating such a human flawed character who tried desperately to rise victorious above it all. Spider-Man is a character most people know, but Peter Parker is the real strength behind this phenomenal hero. Thanks Stan.

2) Stephen King

What can I say. I've always considered reading one of King's stories or novels on par with sitting around a campfire and listening to an excellent storyteller. So many of King's characters and stories have stuck with me. My first wonderful experience reading his writing was his novella "The Body" which the movie "Stand By Me" was based on. The book this came from "Different Seasons" thus ranks on my list of books I'd like to have with me when stranded on a deserted island. Steve also comes off as a good old boy, down to earth and not at all pretenious. Combine
his down to earth nature with his talent for keeping you on the edge of your seat and you've got an excellent beer buddy right there.

3) Neil Peart

Sure he's the drummer for Rush and I'm sure a lot of people would like to have a beer with him, but I've long been an admirer of his writing. It was his lyrics that attracted me to the music of Rush - and his books "The Masked Rider", "Ghost Rider" and "Travelling Music" are among the best
non-fiction I've ever read - never mind the short horror story he penned with Kevin J. Anderson in the anthology "Shock Rock II" -- Although I'm sure if I had the pleasure of Neil's company sitting at a bar, we'd likely be drinking The Macallan (Scotch) rather than beer.

So there's my list - I put the list in the order I did based on the age of each of them - after all, if there's even a remote possibility of this shared beer happening, I, of course, should prioritize with the oldest person on the list and work my way down to the youngest.

I find it interesting that the three people on my list are all writers. I wonder what that says about me? (besides the fact that I enjoy the company of other writers, especially those whose work I admire)