Ah, THE WEEKEND!

Ah, Friday. Just in time to my point of view.

Going to TRY to be short & sweet tonight, though that appears to go against my nature.

But, here goes . . . .

First . . . Sip! was great last night. It definitely seemed to be the best crowd in some time and have to say I think there were a lot of new people participating, which is great. I was largely stationary at Downeast, both pouring and snacking, and the crowd was lively and chatty!

Next . . . if you’re in the mood for more sipping this weekend, there’s a brand new beer concept making its mark in Audubon Park beginning tomorrow. David Brunson, owner and creator, will launch Taps from Scratch. This seems like such a cool & fun concept for the wonderfully diverse and eclectic addition to the group businesses emerging all about this cool area. Taps on Scratch will be a private club open to guests, focusing on beer lovers who both want to try new flavors brewed on spot, but also might have a desire to add to the man cave (& woman cave?) at home. I LUV the retrofitted refrigerators with taps secured to the front. These actually got David started, as they were rented out and sold to others for home use. He resolved starting in January to make this happen, but has been doing the fridges and home brew thing for a few years.

As he told me about the Taps from Scratch concept, “It’s nice because it’s not hard on the pockets and you get to try a lot of flavors. You get a glass for five bucks and then take a ten dollar tour.” On site, he brews two 15 gallon kegs at once and it can take as little as four hours, depending on the mash involved. He refers to Taps on Scratch as a “nano” size brewery, as any Apple product LUVer might easily and quickly related to the iPod nano. David creates and names all the recipes, including one variety on the blackboard called Kool-Aid which immediately caught my eye. He says it’s actually “Kool-aid Red . . . full of flavor, very malty.” Another is called Atomic #79, for which he explains, “Atomic number 79 is gold. It’s a golden ale.” I think he enjoys the naming nearly as much as he does the brewing.

He gives me a quick tour and explains each room will have its own theme and points out function art – brewing equipment – hung on the walls along the way. Very industrial, cool, and definitely fitting!

My verdict is that in a time of Local focus, for those who enjoy hanging out with neighbors, others in our community and LUV beer . . . . Taps on Scratch is perfect for you! And if you also desire bringing some of that home with you, all the better.

This morning I was off to Park Avenue for a meeting with Winter Park enthusiast and new author Elaine Sullivan. I’m not going to tell you a lot, but Elaine is the writer, photographer and Winter Park enthusiast responsible for the new book, Winter Park Chain of Lakes: Boathouses Past & Present. It was wonderful finally meeting her this morning for coffee along Park Avenue, and I’m looking forward to writing about her story and her LUV of so much of Winter Park later this weekend. Watch for the Local LUV’n Local at the end of the column for Local places where you can pick up a copy.

As I left Park Avenue I was tempted by a familiar Graham’s Appraisal & Estate Sales sign beckoning me over to The Cloister condominiums off Morse Boulevard. I parked and soon took the elevator up and while I did not find the matriarch of the well-known Local estate sale biz, I did find her daughter, Heather Lyons. I met these ladies years ago at an estate sale on Bonita Drive near my home. They always have great stuff and are VERY professional in the way they handle such events. If you checked out my Yelp account, you’d see I do not have such high regard for all such businesses. But today when I made my way up the elevator at The Cloister, Heather also told me they’ll have a LARGE sale next week in Oviedo with tons of art and high end furniture. The sale at The Cloister goes through tomorrow, Saturday, September 29. Check out their website for more info: http://grahamsappraisals.com.

Now . . . .random notes, as I walked down to Park Avenue last evening I took a photo of the condo building now being RAPIDLY worked on along Canton. Little birds CONTINUE to tell me lots of things about that building, and other little birds continue to DENY that information just as quickly. So, I am going to leave it at that . . . . except to say I think its architectural finishes look a helluva a lot like some English country house! Done.

Also . . . need some groceries at the house? GREAT! This weekend, at the Winn Dixie at Goldenrod & University, the Winter Park High School guys' basketball team will be bagging groceries to earn money for a tournament during their Christmas break this year. Pick up things you need at the house and help these guys as they work their way to a great high school memory! Get behind the team and support their efforts in a very easy way!

Signing off for the weekend . . . . I saw the SADDEST photo on facebook earlier today from Louisiana. It was a dog now called Snickers which had been ABANDONED IN A DUMPSTER WITH NO WAY OUT. I am an animal LUVer and if you could identify said despicable sack of human excrement I would hunt them down, bind their arms and legs and provide them a similar experience. Translated into a nice version: There is NO EXCUSE for such disgusting behavior. There are LOTS of animals out there now who need, dare I say DESERVE a chance to be LUVed. No matter the ills which beset those who took them in, purchased them, to whom they have been entrusted, as with children, it is NOT their fault. So, either take your big boy (girl) pills and deal with life without taking it out on someone or something else, or find a nice spot out in the woods (maybe near a hungry Grizzly?) where you can spend some time by yourself.

If you or someone you know desire a new furry member of the family, one providing unconditional LUV and affection, consider tonight’s Give A Dog A Home dog. Tonight . . . Beaker the Muppet Puppy and his siblings from Pet Rescue by Judy! Beaker and his litter mates were brought in with their mother, Mrs. Piggy. Their time was up so they were brought to us so we could find them forever homes.

FOSTER UPDATE: The muppet pups are some of the cutest puppies I've had the pleasure of fostering. Every one except Janice have shorty little legs and resemble their Mom, Ms. Piggy. As told by their current Foster furparent: They are all sweet and playful and have a blast bouncing around the yard. Although they were somewhat timid when I first brought them home, they quickly learned that us humans aren't so bad after all. They love to be picked up and cuddled, and are happy to give kisses. They get along great with my big dogs, other pups and my cats. They sleep through the night, don't mind bath time and will be easy to housebreak. These pups will do great in any family situation willing to shower them with love and affection! We will miss these little characters around our home!!

AND . . . . down around Lake Eola in Orlando this weekend is BarktOberfest! Here’s an opportunity to see firsthand animals looking for their new furever homes!

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