Loving a big breakfast after a long weekend. Love the Loveless Cafe.

There's just something fun about Nashville. I'm not certain what it is, but I like it.

Beer, Bourbon, BBQ and one other "B" word...

So if this is the kind of tough-ridin' action going down at the North Carolina Beer, Bourbon & BBQ festival, I can't wait to see what happens in Nashville in two weeks.

We came. We sold. We drunkard.

The Great American Beer Fest gave us a lot of firsts this year.

1. We met Norm.

George Wendt stopped by the booth to get a couple snap shots with the ladies. Pics from the entire event will be posted here soon: GABF Tour Pics

2. Brandon got a black eye.

Here's the moral of the story: When a customer bends down to tie his shoe, don't stick your head over the side of the booth to see what's happening. Once you do, POW! Right in the eye socket. And the next day you have a black eye.

3. We blew over the limit.

This one isn't really a surprise considering where we were and what we were doing. But it was interesting to have a gal with a breathalizer stop by. See if you can guess who blew what...

4. I got a birthday hat.

Lisa made a wonderful crown that somehow kept me from puking ... or maybe it was the late night burrito at Illegal Pete's. Either way, the crown was bitch. Even the dude in the restroom line loved it (and he was wearing Beer Gloves). That's pretty bitch too.

5. Nothing got stolen (well... at least nothing of value)

I can honestly say that this was one of the most relaxed Beer Fests even though there was more ground to cover, more breweries and more people than ever before. In years past, we've had to chase down multiple glove thieves, and two years ago someone actually walked off with the mannequin. Right before our very eyes, she was gone in a flash. Brando recovered her shirtless corpse outside the festival from an unsuspecting passerby. The shirt was gone, but at least our booth display would live to see another day.

6. We introduced the "Beat It" list.

The idea that there are actually Official Beer Glove haters out there is as surprising to me as it is to you, but for some reason they show up at the GABF just to let us know how stupid our idea is. We used to just eschew them away. But now they've got a new name. They're the MJs, and their presence on the "Beat It" list is a testament to the fact that there are people in this world who will go out of their way to share an opinion that you have absolutely no care to hear. (More on the "Beat It" list to come...)

The 2009 Great American Beer Fest is GREAT!

The Great American Beer Festival is NEAR!

Tonight we pack. Tomorrow we fly. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we drink.

This Is Not Our Trophy

We're Race Ready

The Official Beer Glove Black Mariah is at weight and ready for tomorrow night's festivities.

There was a moment of panic this afternoon when I got super glue in the wheel well and glued one of the wheels to its axle. Luckily, I had last year's car on hand to pull parts from. Now we have one white wheel on the car. But at least there are four.

Pre-Weigh-In Weight: 5.3 oz.

We're close, but there's going to need to be some weight shaving tonight.

We stopped by Coolfire this afternoon to weigh-in on the official scale. My worst nightmare is coming true. It's too heavy.

Back to the speed shop.

This Year, We're Winning a Trophy

The competition is on. Coolfire Media is hosting its second annual Pinewood Derby race as a fundraiser for the St. Louis Ad Club scholarship program.

Last year we placed well with a car that we thought would be fast. Well, we were wrong. There are faster designs out there. In the speed pool, we placed about 9th. But this year, we're going for a trophy and a spot on the platform.

Below you can see the speedshop. It has all the essentials: pinewood derby kit, plans, a drill, some sandpaper, a scale, wood putty and, last but not least, cold beer.

The car started like all Pinewood Derby cars do. It started as a wood block and a dream.

The first cut is the most difficult. I'm thinking this is the case because we don't have the right tools. It's flippin' hard cutting a small wood block with a circular saw. Lucky for me, I've still got all my digits. So yes, I'm still filling out the Beer Glove with maximum occupancy.

Weighting is key. 5.0 ounces is the limit. We weight from the rear to the middle, using nuts in a hallowed out belly.

Without wood putty, our nuts would fall out. And that would be embarrassing.

Last year's Official Beer Glove car is in the shop as inspiration. In 2008 we thought an arched, batmobile-like body would equal speed. We were wrong. Too many curves just kill your aerodynamics. We've learned our lesson. In 2009, the wedge will lead us to victory.

You can see this year's speed demon taking shape. The lines are subtle. I just hope we can compete with last year's champion. Or maybe he just won't show up.

We've got our first coat of black on the body. She's sleek and beautiful. Tonight, we finish the paint and make sure we're weighing in at 5.0 ounces on the nose.

Official weigh-in is Wednesday night. The event is Thursday night, which is also the kickoff to Ricky's weekend-long bachelor party. I'm likely calling in sick on Friday.