http://www.internationalbeerday.com/“I thought that was every day.” – Kevin

Up front, I am far from being a chess master. If you’re experienced enough to know that you’re not very good, we’d probably have a decent game. But, I’ve done some research on chess openings, and played quite a few games, and would like to put together a quick, accessible summary of some sound opening principles. These opening principles are guidelines: you will find plenty of exceptions as you play. But faced with so many options, this should help to narrow them down.

This post is guest-posted on Dave Knows Portland as well. When Dave asks, it is imperative that you do the right thing. Especially when it’s “Hey, Rick, would you like to checkout this new restaurant that serves tasty BBQ and delicious grown-up beverages?” So, I did the right thing: show up to Southland for a preview of their tasty menu. Southlandis a new project by the folks who brought the Casa del Matador to Portland located just a couple doors down at 1422 NW 23rd.

Well, I have to say, I’m a bit sad. I have really enjoyed MS Flight. It seemed to be targeted at the casual Flight Simmer. I suppose that would be me. I like FSX as well, but it’s a bit clunky, and very full-featured. When I feel like some defined missions or lightweight adventures, MS Flight is great. The graphics and performance are nice on my system. I just read today that they’ve cancelled the program, which is too bad.

I’m embarking on a new mission with my family to simplify our lives and get out of debt. We’ve somehow managed to drive our credit card debt well into the 5 figures, and that’s not sitting too well. We are working on becoming aggressive towards our debt. Here are the initial steps we’ve taken to eliminate this burden. Stop using credit cards Move cc balances to 0% interest account Kill debt with savings Consolidate subscriptions Question purchases This is where we’re at after an initial paydown, and the consolidation in progress.

was just thinking about my commute since I’ve been riding regularly, and how much I enjoy my morning time on Portland’s light rail, the Max. It’s really the only time of the day that I can count on to be my own time. I can read, write, get some work done, chat with strangers, or just stare blankly. When I work, it’s without fear of interrupts, so that 30 minutes can be more productive than a whole day in the office.

I’ve always enjoyed Lompoc beers. Many sunny afternoons have been misspent sitting on the porch at New Old Lompoc, and I’ve had quite a few pleasant cool-downs from soccer and riding at Hedge House and the brilliantly named 5th Quadrant. Tuesday the good people of Lompoc held a tasting event for their holiday beers, and it did not disappoint. Eric and I arrived early and snagged seats at the bar. From there I was able to snag good glassware and chat up the bartenders (who also happened to be brewers, owners, or Dave).

I’ve recently started contributing to a nifty new iPhone app called urbandig. It is the app that I wanted when I was in NYC earlier this year. It’s the app that I want when I visit Memphis and Denver later this year. Basically, they’ve gone out and found people who know the city, or parts of it, really well, and gotten them to created nice little curated morsels of experience. Portland’s urban dig experience has just been release, and in it you can enjoy my delicious noodle crawl, in which I explore some of Portland’s more exciting Ramen joints.

I’ve been riding the bike a lot lately, and it’s been great. It’s not just good exercise to ride for my commute, it’s also a far better way to relax than driving to and from work. I’ve been doing it so much lately (driven to work once since early August) that I’m kicking around selling one of the cars. We’re currently a 2-adult 1-baby 2-car household. I’ve registered for ZipCaraccount, though I’ve yet to use it.