I got married precisely a month ago. Now, that's a pretty big life event and folks usually get dressed up. However, I didn't want to get married in my dress uniform, or rent a tux, but I also don't have much a wardrobe to choose from down here. In fact, my civilian options were downright spartan. I eventually decided to go with dark jeans and a green dress shirt, but my footwear options were only Vibram FiveFingers or government issue.
So Sarah and I took some of the time after ring shopping to drive around town in the rental car hoping to find some nicer casual boots/shoes I could wear for the ceremony as well as around town when I'm not in uniform or doing PT. It turns out (to no one's surprise) that I have abnormal needs/tastes for footwear. We searched high and low for a simple, stitched welt boot or stout leather shoe, but it seems folks around here just aren't into that. Too much nylon and plastic sole molding and goofy lacing. We ended up going right back to the first shop we stopped at and I got these:
Doc Marten's Paved Jasper. They've got less chunky, thinner soles than regular Docs and the waxed brown leather can take a polish well enough (the polish has made mine darker and a bit more even in color than this picture). They were perfect for our little ceremony and have broken in quickly and comfortably. I am a little worried about them being too hot for the summer, but that remains to be seen. Overall, a solid, understated product from a company better known for their more garish designs.
When Sarah was here this last time, she and I picked up a bottle of Trois Pistoles because I had enjoyed Maudite and La Fin du Monde from the Québécois Unibroue before and also thought the bottle looked epic. Unfortunately it was a lot like Brewery Ommegang's Three Philosophers, which I had back at Killdare's when I saw it on-tap. Both are Belgian style dark ales that smell absolutely wonderful. Dark fruits and deft multi-fermentation. There is clearly a lot of attention and craftsmanship in both, but the flavor is just too much for my palate. It's not too hoppy or too bitter; kind of a sour cherry/spice flavor that just doesn't belong in my beer. Not every beer adventure can be a victory. This was a voyage of discovery.
So Sarah and I took some of the time after ring shopping to drive around town in the rental car hoping to find some nicer casual boots/shoes I could wear for the ceremony as well as around town when I'm not in uniform or doing PT. It turns out (to no one's surprise) that I have abnormal needs/tastes for footwear. We searched high and low for a simple, stitched welt boot or stout leather shoe, but it seems folks around here just aren't into that. Too much nylon and plastic sole molding and goofy lacing. We ended up going right back to the first shop we stopped at and I got these:
Doc Marten's Paved Jasper. They've got less chunky, thinner soles than regular Docs and the waxed brown leather can take a polish well enough (the polish has made mine darker and a bit more even in color than this picture). They were perfect for our little ceremony and have broken in quickly and comfortably. I am a little worried about them being too hot for the summer, but that remains to be seen. Overall, a solid, understated product from a company better known for their more garish designs.
When Sarah was here this last time, she and I picked up a bottle of Trois Pistoles because I had enjoyed Maudite and La Fin du Monde from the Québécois Unibroue before and also thought the bottle looked epic. Unfortunately it was a lot like Brewery Ommegang's Three Philosophers, which I had back at Killdare's when I saw it on-tap. Both are Belgian style dark ales that smell absolutely wonderful. Dark fruits and deft multi-fermentation. There is clearly a lot of attention and craftsmanship in both, but the flavor is just too much for my palate. It's not too hoppy or too bitter; kind of a sour cherry/spice flavor that just doesn't belong in my beer. Not every beer adventure can be a victory. This was a voyage of discovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment