So much going on here. Dusty cocoa layered over tart stone fruit, some vine and stem, and dark toast. Earthy, almost mushroom flavor on the finish. 4.5/5 stars.
(Continuation of yesterday’s post.)
This visit to Wolves & People was my first extended solo-parent excursion with F. I had taken her to the store several times, and on some drives into Portland. She typically passes out in the car and continues to sleep until she gets home, so that hadn’t been an issue. I thought, “Surely I can take a low-key trip to the brewery on a sunny day and sip on some beers until it’s time to pickup H from daycare!” I even packed everything I would need to survive the trip. I had two changes of clothes (for her), a jacket for me in case the (65 degrees F) temperature dropped, plenty of diapers and wipes, a warm blanket, and even thought to bring a bottle and some pre-measured formula in case she got hungry. Easy-peasy, right?
Wrong. She slept during the car ride down to the brewery, and continued sleeping for around 30 minutes after I arrived. Even after she woke up, she was content for quite a while to look around and absorb the new surroundings. I was able to soak up the sunshine, enjoy the beautiful views of the countryside surrounding the brewery, and sip some delicious beers. A friend joined me, and we chatted amiably about work and the weather. Then F started squirming and fussing.
If you read yesterday’s post, you may remember I wrote about how my youngest goes from 0-60 in nothing flat. This was a clear example. I rocked her and talked to her, gave her a pacifier and bounced her. She continued becoming more agitated. I had my friend mix a bottle using water from my room-temp water bottle. Even though the brewery has water dispensers available, I knew the water would likely be cold since the entire seating area was outdoors. Surely the slightly warmer water would be sufficient to appease a baby? Boy, was I wrong. She tried the bottle, but then became agitated again after a minute of sucking on it. The more I tried offering the bottle to her, the more adamant she became that she would not tolerate “cold” milk. Add to that the increasingly cool breeze blowing across the outdoor area with nowhere to easily shelter from it, and she was mad.
She wasn’t actually cold, because I had her swaddled in a knit blanket and snuggled against my chest with my body blocking the wind, but there was just enough air movement across her bald head to be uncomfortable. The binky was no good either. I grabbed the diaper bag and headed for the only shelter on premises, the single-stall bathroom. I changed her diaper, then helped her through some leg raises and bicycles to work out any gas. She took that opportunity to poop (while letting me know she didn’t appreciate my help), so I performed another delicate operation of changing her diaper while she flailed and cried. We successfully made it out of the bathroom, clean and dry. I ducked my head as I passed the two people waiting in line for the toilet, sure they assumed I had been torturing a cat in there. I continued holding her, alternating between a bottle (she was no actively spitting out the milk, so stop enough of that) and a pacifier (too upset to suck on it) while bouncing and rocking. Meanwhile, my last beer was slowly losing carbonation and pickup time for H was rapidly approaching.
After 30 minutes of this, and being either blatantly ignored by other patrons or given pitying looks, I stuck her back in her carrier so she would at least be out of the wind. She had worn herself out enough that she was willing to be quiet and suck on her pacifier as long as I rocked the carrier. So, I drank my beer more quickly than I intended and had my friend continue rocking her while I closed out my tab. Unsurprisingly, she passed out within minutes of getting back into the car while we rode off into the sunset to retrieve big sister. Ugh. My wife, at least, was appreciative of the reprieve from childcare duties. And I did get to sample some excellent beer. So, it wasn’t a total loss. On to the next adventure in parenting!
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A Beer a Day 
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