Brewers vs Reds in Cincinnati 2010

It's tradition to bid a fond farewell to Coach Gordon Bombay before heading out on a roadtrip and this one was no different. We left at night, so he was sleeping. Of course if it was day time he would have been sleeping too. All he does is sleep, eat and coach pee wee hockey.

Kevin considers himself an amateur skateboarder. He would have tried out for the X-Games but his commitment to the Back Alley Burners takes up all of his grinding and ollie time. But every now and then he gets the itch to roll out and try out some new tricks.

Mad Man Dave and his friends had already driven down on Thursday, but Kevin and I both had to work during the day. So we left Thursday night after work and drove through the night. In the morning we arrived in Clermont, Kentucky which is the home to the Jim Beam distillery. Timmy had stopped here a few years ago and recommended it for anyone who enjoys a nice glass of bourbon. Kevin and I have been known to drink some whiskey when the moment arises, so we figured that we needed to visit the land where imagination came to fruition in liquid form.

We rolled into town around 8:30am. The tour center doesn't open until 9am and the first tour of the grounds begins at 930am. We had plenty of time to poke around on our own and we made like a bunch of curious cats as we explored the giant barns the housed the aging whiskey in oak barrels. The sheer size of this facility baffled me, and when I found out that this was just one of many housing units on the property I flipped my lid. That's a lot of booze people! But I was ready and willing to do my part to drink it all up before the day was nigh. And we will succeed.

A few years ago my Dad lived down in Florida. I went to visit him several times, but I wasn't available to tag along when Timmy drove down there. I'm not entirely clear on the circumstances that brought Timmy through Clermont, Kentucky but I know it involved exchanging cars with our Dad. Timmy loved whiskey like I love rum, so he stopped here. I remember this picture he took (on the left) and took a similar one of Kevin. They are virtually identical. The skill and majesty that went into the making of these memories does not go overlooked by the staff of this site.

Timmy told me that if I ever get a chance I should come here. He knew I'd like the whiskey but also that I'd enjoy the scenery. The natural beauty of the rolling hills made this distillery unique compared to other alcohol making plants that I have toured in this country.

Some people will relish in the fact that they sat in the same rocking chair that James Beauregard Beam may have rested on his laurels, but I was more excited to lay my backside on the surface previously occupied by the great Tim Reck. I rested in the seat of greatness.