So much has changed about the liberal arts college where I spent some of the best times of my life. Massive construction projects that were just beginning as I graduated are now complete. There’s a new theatre (where the lecture took place, actually), new dorms that look like luxury hotels on the inside, and a new dining hall that reminded my friend Sara of an Atlantic City buffet. Oh, and Kent Circle, with its 7 or 8 coveted parking spaces, exists no more (this will only matter to readers who lived in the Hill dorms, the Cullen dorms or Kent). While I’m somewhat jealous of the students who get to have a much more comfortable campus experience, I’m also glad that I got to live in a converted office building (Gibson), an ancient building filled with creative arts majors (Middle—a dorm they will never get rid of because of its historical significance, but will never be the same as it was in 2004 when the best people ever lived there), and a slightly dumpy dorm with centipede issues improved only by the showerheads my best friend’s father donated (Worcester). The students who reside in Sassafras may never know what it’s like to sleep in several layers of clothing because northwest winds defeat the purpose of walls when radiators break (Worcester), but they also won’t have a gritty college experience to create anecdotes for nostalgic diatribes in blog entries. Yes, being back on campus at this point in my life has caused me to wax poetic about my time there, but I will try to pull myself back on track.

This was my first visit back to campus since starting graduate school (aka deciding to make something of myself), so perhaps the reason I enjoyed it so much is that I no longer feel like my degree is a complete waste. The company didn’t hurt, either. My darling friend Alisha (the one with the Dad who gave us water pressure in Worcester) is in her final semester, and she played hostess to Dan, me and several others. Sara, the founder of The Medium lit mag and someone I’ve worked with on multiple projects, came down with Rielly who I remember being involved with pubs too even though we didn’t hang out. Alisha’s good friend and fellow senior Maureen was present, and her brother Rob who worked with me on a group project in advertising and went to high school with Dan, showed up part way through the reading. Could you keep track of all that? Everyone shared more ties than those, as WAC is a tangled web, but those are the ties to me, the antisocial babbler. Standing in Alisha’s kitchen was probably the most social I’ve been in months, and I guess the difference for me is that on campus, even the most random social situations (usually) aren’t awkward. It was nice to swap stories and anecdotes, and it was good to show Dan more of what made me me.

We witnessed the lecture itself from the balcony of the new theatre. Rather than dealing with the crowds, we chose to sit somewhere that we could see, hear and pass a communal thermos of fruit juice and alcohol. Daniel Handler was dry and watching my Dan (who refused the thermos, by the way) watch him was part of my enjoyment. Handler opened with an anecdote about his research into the Eastern Shore, which he accomplished primarily through reading the Kent County News.  He mentioned an article about a chicken house fire in which thousands of chickens lost their lives that was currently under investigation and a story about the heat-sensing abilities of snakes. From these articles, he deduced that the Eastern Shore clearly had a problem with arsonist snakes. Cue laughter. There were some uncomfortable moments—the kind where a speaker makes jokes about Judaism/Anne Frank, and you don’t know enough background to guess if it’s okay to laugh (it turns out it was because he was raised Jewish. Does this mean I can make Lutheran jokes?). Handler also talked about the name Lemony Snicket, and how he came to write books for children. For him, it started in childhood, with a serious dislike of books where everything magically worked itself out for the protagonist. He wasn’t a fan. Life is harder than that, though you may never have Count Olaf trying to get you.

Returning to Washington College, if only for an evening, proved to be a worthwhile adventure. Though I miss undergrad terribly, returning to campus creates a sense of pride rather than a sense of longing or regret. I miss the carefree lifestyle I led there, where my biggest worry was the next paper due or an upcoming test. Now I see WAC as a place that taught me how to learn. Through my liberal arts education, I grew to love research and writing. I would not be who I am today if I had not attended that Sophie Kerr weekend in 2003; my decision to attend Washington College is single-handedly the best decision I’ve made so far in my life. I have a second family made up of wonderful friends, an inquisitive mind fostered by my education, and the ability to return to a place where an author who writes books where children narrowly escape death gives a lecture that makes me realize there is nothing wrong with life being a bit difficult. It’s life, and WAC has given me a positive outlook on it.

Dogfish Head Beer is easily one of my favorite beverages. I am a fan not only because many of the brews are tasty, but also because the story of these craft brewed Delaware delights is so intriguing. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, was an English major who started a brewpub in 1995 at the age of 25. His brewpub grew exponentially since then, and now DFH is a mid-Atlantic empire, even seeing expansion in the face of 2009′s recession. DFH has built a culture around their ales, or perhaps the beer has evolved around the off-centered culture; the off-centeredness is seen not only in the taste of the ales themselves, but also in the employees and avid fans of their craft brewing, of whom my father may be #1. My Dad, Dan and I rang in the new year in Rehoboth Beach, DE at a dinner celebrating DFH’s 15 years in the brewing business and toured the brewery (with its new and improved visitors’ center) before we headed back to PA. Though I’ve done the brewery tour before, I was especially struck by the knowledge of our guide John and convinced that I do, in fact, need to evangelize this fabulous company’s off-centered ales to other off-centered people around the world.

I’ve been eating at the Rehoboth brewpub since before I could legally drink, and long before I liked the taste of beer. The food I tend to choose is gourmet pub grub, but it turns out that many of the ales DFH creates pair well with true gourmet dishes. I learned this at the He Said Beer, She Said Wine dinner that Dan took me to in September. My Dad is actually the one who first introduced me to DFH. As a loyal Delaware Beach visitor, he’s been drinking 60 Minute IPA basically since its creation, and his appreciation for craft brewing has only increased as the DFH line expanded. My own taste in alcohol only grew up include beer within the last few years, starting toward the end of college when I could tolerate Blue Moon and other “girlie” beers. One of DFH’s claims to fame is their continuous hopping of certain beers (60, 90 and 120 Minute IPAs, which are continuously hopped for the amount of time specified in their names); unfortunately, I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of hoppy beers as I tend to prefer sweeter flavors. One thing I’ve learned from the brewery tours I’ve witnessed is that there are two types of beer: lagers and ales. DFH makes off-centered ales, whereas many of the beers I tended to enjoy when I started drinking beer are lagers (i.e., Yuengling, which is apparently more of a PA thing, or Sam Adams). Over time, curiosity has led me to trying many types of DFH, and even the hoppier flavored 60 Minute IPA has become something I enjoy. It’s very rare that I drink DFH without a food pairing, though, because the flavors are so strong to me; therefore, I’m very happy to go to beer dinners where I can pair the suggested beers with bites of delicious foods.

Ushering in the new year at the Dogfish Head brewpub had been one of my father’s top priorities since the beginning of the summer season of 2009. He was so intent on accomplishing this goal that he began emailing about it long before it was announced. He was probably one of the first ones to book a reservation once the event was announced, and he encouraged his friend Mike from work to attend as well. Dan and I also followed the DFH Twitter and Facebook with dedication, hoping we wouldn’t miss our chance to attend what promised to be a unique dining experience. As more details emerged about the event, we grew more excited. The night was being hailed as Fifteen Beers for Fifteen Years to celebrate 2010 as the fifteenth year of business for DFH, and fifteen beers would be paired with various courses culminating with a champagne toast at midnight. DFH’s website listed the dress as “off-centered black tie,” which let our minds roam to decide on the perfect outfit. As it turns out, not many people took the dress all too seriously, but Dan and I showed up in our attempt at SteamPunk fashion, and I think that we looked stellar. I donned an antique fur coat and decked out a black clutch with tiny metal gears; Dan sported a paisley vest, a top hat and carried an antique cane that belonged to his late grandfather. If the two of us were more outgoing (see: drunk enough to get out on the dancefloor), we would have been the envy of anyone who thought it prudent to wear jeans to such a lovely event.

We were greeted with a soft pretzel in a Gruyere cheese sauce served with a 60 Minute IPA. I eagerly downed both of these, and they complemented each other delightfully. The salad course was an arugula salad with prosciutto, Parmesan, walnut, white grape and roasted pear péche vinaigrette served with Pangaea and Black and Blue, the latter of which I later purchased at State Line Liquors. I’m not really the biggest fan of arugula, and I found the prosciutto to be a bit too salty to work with the earthy flavors, but the vinaigrette was something I could use all the time. The appetizer course was probably my favorite, and the hosting manager informed us that this offering was on the original menu at the brewpub many moons ago. They served us a wood grilled duck egg roll and cane sugar shrimp with roasted peanut sauce and Asian slaw with Sah’tea, Raison D’Etre and Chateau Jiahu. Raison is not one of my favorite DFH beers, but all three did pair well with the food. Chateau Jiahu is one of the ancient ales that explores a historic recipe for a beer that is part adventure and part science fair experiment. Sah’tea is another beer with an exciting background, as it involves boiling the wort with hot river rocks; it was also my favorite of the three served with this course. For our main course, we had some of the spiciest mac and cheese around! Our course was an ancho glazed pork tenderloin with chipotle mac and cheese and poblano sauce served with Theobroma, Black Thai and Immort Ale. I couldn’t finish my mac and cheese it was so spicy (but delicious!), and Dan cleaned his plate. Theobroma is one of my DFH favorites and with chilies and Aztec cocoa powder as some of its ingredients, it paired well with the pork.

Dan was a fan of the ancho glazed pork loin and chipotle mac and cheese

Our palate cleanser—a pomegranate granita served with Festina Peche—was completely refreshing after two hearty, rich courses. I passed my Festina Peche over to Dan, though, because while I adore my Festina Peche flavored chapstick, I’m not keen on bitter Weisse style ales. By the time the cheese plate arrived, I as starting to feel full. (I would also like to point out that unlike when we attended the beer/wine dinner, I was truly sampling my beers and not downing the whole glass; I realize that it was New Year’s Eve, and drinking is acceptable, but I find it difficult to get drunk in public, especially when my father is present!) I tried each of the three cheeses—Midnight Moon, 5-year vintage Gouda, and Carles Roquefort—with the bread and small sips of the three beers, which included a 2008 Red and White, Punkin Ale and a 2006 120 Minute IPA. The two vintage beers they chose with this course are similar to wines in that they age well and have more alcohol than your average beer. Punkin Ale is one of my favorites, too; I think it taste likes autumn in a glass. Finally, for dessert we received a beautiful plate containing a Fort Crème Brule and World Wide Stout chocolate ice cream milk shake served with a 2008 World Wide Stout and a 2007 Fort. Again, these two beers age well and are high in alcohol. It was my first time trying Fort, a beer in which the raspberry flavor is present but doesn’t overwhelm like some other fruit-flavored beers, and I thought it was delicious! I know that at some point, I will buy myself a bottle of it.

Overall, I would have to rate the food and drink combinations set forth by the brewpub as spectacular. Though I didn’t finish all of my beers, I tasted them and appreciated the attention that went to their creation. The myriad of flavors in the different beers worked in combination with the food. Some of the layers were complex, and I wish I had the talent to analyze things like the judges on Iron Chef America. However, all I have is my opinion and this blog, so I state—for the record—that this event was one of the most fun things I’ve done. As they cleared our last plate, champagne was handed to us to prepare for the impending change of the decade. The entertainment, Nate Myers & The Aces, played up until the countdown. They had a bluesy style and are actually from my home area, so I really enjoyed them. I especially liked the funky covers of different songs (like when they went into “Gin & Juice”) that played while we dined. As we rang in 2010, it was a flurry of horns and hugs and clinking of plastic champagne glasses. By this point in the evening, everyone was feeling friendly. The founder of Dogfish Head, Sam Calagione, had made his way downstairs to ring in the new year and made his way to the dancefloor. As for Dan and myself? We stayed about 15 minutes into the new year, but chose to head back to the hotel to relax in some New Year’s peace and quiet with our bellies full and happy. My father stayed with his friends and danced while having a few more beers, and I picked him up shortly after last call. To me, it was the perfect way to ring in the new year; I was with people I love, eating delicious food and drinking delicious beer and just generally in good spirits.

New Year’s Day was spent mostly relaxing, and eating. Dan and I checked out a restaurant we had always thought about trying, but that’s a different post for a different time. Friday night, we headed back to the brewpub to try a few brews that we hadn’t had on our beer tasting adventure the previous night. I made the mistake of sucking down two PG-13s (DFH Beach Beer with DFH Blue Hen Vanilla Vodka) at a record pace, but I managed to try a sip of my Dad’s Squall IPA, Dan’s Olde School barleywine and Son’s Love Hefe. I also tried a sample of the Life & Limb, something I wanted to try for months, even though I couldn’t possibly hold a full glass. (Life & Limb is a collaboration between DFH and Sierra Nevada. It’s delicious, but higher in alcohol content. I had the small beer from their brewing, Limb & Life, in November, and apparently that beer is the rarer find. Dan also bought me a Life & Limb t-shirt for Christmas because the artwork is beautiful.) We thought it was important, since it would be awhile until spring and visits to the brewpub, that we enjoy our last night in Rehoboth with these delicious drinks.

Saturday was bitter cold and windy, which made it less regrettable that we had to leave the beach. On our way home, we stopped in Milton, DE for a tour of the Dogfish Head Brewery. My father has taken the tour over ten times, and this was probably my fourth or fifth time. My only visits to the brewery have been during the construction of the new visitors’ area, so I’m not sure what it looked like before the remodeling began. However, this visit, the new section was open. The space to wait for the tour, shop for off-centered merchandise and–most-importantly–taste the beers is much more open and has floor-to-ceiling windows that let tons of natural light inside. Previously, the room with the bar and merchandise was between the warehouse and the brewery, with no natural light. I think this new set up will be great for those in charge of giving the tours and selling the beer and merchandise; it’s vital to give light to flowers, and to off-centered marketing staff. Perhaps the most stunning facet of the remodel, however, is the outward appearance of the building. The new entrance reminds me of a ski lodge, but that may have been the cold weather talking. It looks very natural, which I would expect from DFH since being green and working toward sustainability is considered by many politicans to be an off-centered goal.

Dan's stunning picture of Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE

The tour has three stops in which those on the tour learn how Dogfish Head made and makes their beer. The first stop is to see the original brewing equipment. Sam started the brewpub at age 25, after taking a few years to find himself (and working at other breweries) after graduating with an English degree. Opening Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in 1995, Sam’s goal was to bring original beer, food and music to Rehoboth. He was trying to do this with a system that brewed approximately 12-gallons at a time. So the brewing production increased from every other day, to every day to three times a day. They expanded to keep up with the increasing demand by renting a warehouse space and purchasing some larger equipment, but by 2002, even that was not enough and the brewing aspect of Dogfish Head moved about 20 minutes away to a converted cannery in Milton, DE. The second stop on the tour would make sense to home brewers more than me, but it shows where the hops and barley are magically made into wort. It’s at this point of the tour where hops are passed around and my Dad gets giddy like a kid. One of my favorite facts at this stop in the tour is what they do with what’s left after the barley imparts what it can to the beer: it’s put into trucks and given to local farmers to feed to their cows. These cows turn into the burgers and steaks at Dogfish Head. Also, the excess water from the brewing process goes through a cistern system and is given to the farmers as well. All of this explains (at least to me) why I cannot go to Rehoboth Beach without eating a burger at Dogfish Head. The final stop on the tour showcases where the delicious beer is aged. In addition to traditional barrels, there are two oak barrels for certain beers and a barrel made of Palo Santo wood from Paraguay to age the Palo Santo Marron. What really makes the tour interesting are the random facts that the tour guide can throw out. He knew exact figures of the brewery’s growth over the past few years (and it’s pretty impressive), how much beer they make by the hour and the varying lengths of time it takes to make certain beers. I can’t even begin to capture all I heard unless I start taking a tape recorder with me, but I’m always very impressed. I recommend that if you are anywhere near Delaware and love craft breweries, that you make it a point to stop in. If it’s summer, there’s a beach you can visit, too, so it’s a win win situation.

Sam Calagione is an inspiration to me. He started his beer empire at 25—the age I am now—and though he hit a few stumbling blocks at the beginning (which you can hear about on the tour or read about in Sam’s book Brewing Up a Business), he rang in 2010 in style. We did too. If you asked me two years ago if I thought I’d be celebrating 2010 with craft brewed beer, my boyfriend and my Dad, I probably would have laughed in your face, but I can’t imagine a better way to wrap up 2009. This year, I discovered the joy of trying new things and going on adventures. I’ve learned to appreciate more than just the pub grub, and I’ve learned to appreciate how well a nice beer can go with some good food. So thank you Sam, for creating a great American business. Thank you Dad, for financing this adventure. And thank you Dan, for the past year and the upcoming one! And yes, that’s my corny conclusion—blame it on the beers.

This is how I know that I have a wonderful boyfriend. The plan was to drive down Saturday, which according to all forecasts, would be the height of the storm. He came to my house prepared with his parents’ 4-wheel drive Ford Escape full of blankets and winter gear, and when my Mom suggested we drive down Friday night and rent a hotel room, he realized it was a good idea. We arrived in Frederick just as the snow started to fall and checked in to a Comfort Inn about a mile from Kate’s house. We watched the snow start to come down harder and harder while enjoying our king sized bed. Well, I enjoyed the bed a lot more; I had taught that day and I fell asleep pretty fast. Dan watched a movie, read some of his book, and ate some beef jerky.

By morning, Frederick was covered in what I would say was about a foot of snow. We took full advantage of our late checkout time, and waited until about 2 p.m. to dig out the Escape. We borrowed a shovel from the hotel since a huge drift had formed around the SUV. Then we headed started driving what was supposed to be 0.8 miles to Kate’s house, missing our turn and taking a scenic detour in the snow. The roads were not in good shape at all, and we were thankful that we had four-wheel drive to help us out—even though the four-wheel drive then got stuck in Kate’s freshly plowed-in driveway. A neighbor who had recently pulled the mailman out with his pickup truck attempted to help us, but it was only shoveling and reverse that could fix us. When we finally got in to Kate’s house, we were tired and wet and the snow was still falling!

We were the only ones out of the original invitees that made it to the party (aside from Kate’s neighbors, who came because this was actually her parents’ party), so our hanging out wasn’t really exciting. It was a lot like it was in college. Catching up, eating good food and watching ridiculous television (introducing Kate and Scott to It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia). After it was dark, we went outside to get our air mattress and sleeping bags and clear the SUV off once again. The four of us played in the still-falling snow, too. Scott nailed Kate in the head with a snowball and she pushed him into a snowbank. I built a tiny snowman that Dan stabbed with an icicle. By morning and our next round of playing in the snow, about two feet had fallen. After a delicious breakfast with Kate’s family, we hit the road. Side streets were still rough, but the interstate was dry and getting back to my house was easy.

I wish I had pictures from this weekend, because it was so random and so pretty. Snowball fights and beer may have led to a headcold, but I also have the beginning of a great ending to 2009. I’m extraordinarily delighted that Dan helped make this visit possible. I’m thrilled I got to see one of my favorite people and her wonderful man during their brief time in the US. And I’m happy I survived what folks are calling Snowpocalypse 2009.

Dan’s been going to Longwood since he was a kid, but I only went for the first time when we started dating. I’ve seen the seasons change there this year, and it’s been a beautiful experience. Longwood at Christmas is something that draws in huge crowds. Usually, they have their fountains lit in addition to all the Christmas lights, but the temperature wasn’t cooperative during our visit. It was probably in the low 30s and it was breezy! Thankfully we spent some time in the conservatory where it was warmer, and Dan bought me a hot chocolate when we were back in the outdoors. All in all, it was another amazing experience and he walked away with some beautiful pictures.

So without further ado, the gallery…

Sunday morning came far too fast. We woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking, and when I emerged from the bathroom, my birthday presents were waiting for me on the bed. Dan, of course, did a fabulous job. He framed a picture of us before our He Said Beer / She Said Wine dinner and one of my favorite pictures that he took on one of our outings (and he got frames that were my style, too). He also got me the Dandy Warhols vinyl that I had drooled over–and it’s signed! The mix CD that came as part of my gift beat the mix I’d made him in August, but I wouldn’t know that until the drive home from his house that evening.

Breakfast was delicious again, and Dan found the berry bread pudding particularly enjoyable. I’m not a berry person, but I appreciated that it was a treat for those who were. Neither of us are really outgoing around strangers, so we mostly listened to conversations at breakfast rather than starting them. Sure, when someone spoke to us, we would answer, but we didn’t go out of our way to be chatty. This was, after all, our first bed and breakfast experience. We’ll work on that. People automatically assumed we lived together and were somewhat perplexed when we independently answered the “where are you from?” question.

Before we left, we wanted to try our luck with the dock again. We grabbed our books and headed down to the bay. The chairs on the dock were still damp with dew, but we sat on the platform and read in the peaceful morning sunshine, savoring every last moment we could. We watched swans and sailboats in the distance, and noticed bald eagles flying overhead. We were alone, but surrounded by the warmth of nature. The beauty was practically spiritual. Sounds kind of corny, but to me, it was surreal. I should note that Dan is part of the reason I appreciate nature so much. Around the time we started dating, I was going hiking a lot and I’m not sure if it was subconsciously done to try to impress him or because I was stircrazy from unemployment. He’s also done wonders for me to stop hating bugs. So to be sitting with him on the edge of the Chesapeake was wonderful, even when I knew there was a huge spider living on a web below the dock.

Of course our vacation had to end eventually… We hauled our bags out to the car after coming back from the dock with rosy sunburned cheeks. We shyly approached our innkeepers to pay our bill and were greeted warmly. I’m not really a “hugger,” but I accepted hugs from Joann and Jim with only mild awkwardness. They chatted with us a bit, and–like people at breakfast–were surprised that we don’t actually live together. I guess to a girl like me, it seems nice that I can be mistaken for someone who’s engaged or married or at least living with someone. It does help me feel as though I might actually be 25. Our hosts asked us to write about our stay on TripAdvisor, and I’ve been drafting a post for quite some time. I genuinely want to promote their establishment because the atmosphere was so much warmer than anywhere else we may have considered staying. We said our goodbyes to our hosts, and as we walked out to the car, we paused to say goodbye to the dogs.

Since I hadn’t given Dan a glimpse of anything in Chestertown save a quick walk around campus and my friend Sarah’s yard, we made a few stops there before heading home. We drove through the downtown area where a lot of change had occured since my time as a student. The biggest change being the closing of my favorite bar, which is another story for another time. One of our stops included campus so I could see my “little sister.” She was laying on the green with her friends and while we talked, the awkward feeling came back. At 25, I didn’t belong on that college campus anymore. I felt like I’d outgrown it. Lunch at one of my favorite strip mall restaurants, Luisa’s, was also a little bit awkward for me, although I definitely ate a ton of my favorite seafood marinara.

The whole experience, in retrospect, was bittersweet. Mostly sweet. Every moment spent with Dan in Rock Hall was special, even when we walked back to my car after our sunset cruise to see that we’d left my headlights on. I can truly say that every moment we were there was a happy one. However, being with him also made me realize that my life is completely different now. It’s not even the milestone birthday, it’s just who I am.

When we finally arrived at the bed and breakfast, I tried to shake the foul mood that Chestertown’s changes had caused. The long driveway led up to a beautiful house, and as we pulled into a parking space, the awkward kicked in. did we go in the front door? How do we announce ourselves? Questions even Google can’t answer always rush into my head at inopportune times; they make interacting in the real world difficult because while I’m really just petrified with fear over doing or saying the wrong thing, it often comes across as rudeness. Luckily, in this case, there were three dogs to announce our arrival and one of the innkeepers–Jim–was quick to intercept us and give us a tour. He greeted Dan as the “person who asked the most pre-stay questions ever.” In Dan’s defense, most of the questions were mine. I’d started having nerves about the trip as soon as I’d given my credit card information, and Dan swooped in to help ease my overactive imagination’s fears.

The property of the Inn at Huntingfield Creek was absolutely gorgeous even though our stay fell on the cusp of fall. The path to the dock was bordered by soybeans and sunflowers. The field of sunflowers–probably majestic in the summer–were going to seed. The leaves of the trees were threatening to change colors, and some crunched under our feet. Inside, our room looked just as it did online. We had a large bed an an antique bathtub. The blue was rich and gave the room a relaxing vibe. Since it was too early for dinner, we thought we’d take our books down to the bay to enjoy the sunset. We set out, Dan with his Nikon and me with Sedars and King in my purse. The walk took us through those fields and a wooded area before opening up to bay grasses. However, the Chesapeake was so happy to see us that it tried to come up to greet us; the water had cut off access to the dock, and mocked us by seeping up further as we stood there. We returned an hour later after settling for secluded chairs by the pond and the scene was worse. Fish swam in the path, and our shoes squished in the grass. The sunset was breathtaking, and it symbolized that we needed to grab food. At the advice of our innkeepers, we went to a local restaurant called Harbor Shack for dinner. My entrée was basic, but our appetizer was scrumptious. I wanted to give myself a facial with that crab dip! After dinner, we drove to the ice cream shop down town, debating its hours and where to park. A young girl scooped our Butterfinger cones and gave me a cup of water after overhearing me talking about needing to take a pill. she complimented the purse Kate bought me in New Zealand, prompting me to make awkward conversation.

One of the many great things about the bed and breakfast was the bed. Aside from the down duvets (which I discovered I was allergic to), there was a cozy quilt and fluffy pillows. And because our room didn’t have an actual TV, we watched an episode of Fringe on Dan’s laptop and settled in for a night of serious slumber. There’s something to be said for not having a television available; we slept soundly in complete peace without any distraction. In the morning, we could hear movement downstairs and smell bacon cooking. It was a gentle way to wake up compared to the screeching cell phone alarm I’m used to. The spread at breakfast was impressive. Breakfast basics–bacon, eggs, toast–a coffee streusel, a peach/basil bake and chicken sausage, The following morning, we were greeted with the same basics and Joanne’s famous berry bread pudding. To this day, I regret taking only one helping each morning.

Our Saturday plans weren’t too strict. The only thing we had scheduled was a sunset cruise around the bay at 6:15. We decided to explore the nature preserve on Eastern Neck Island with Dan’s camera and some binoculars. We started at the visitors’ center where we picked up a map. Behind the building there was a short path that ended with a observation blind in a wooded area from which we could see the bay and the bay bridge. Perhaps in a different season, this area would be teeming with wildlife, but today it was fairly quiet. I used Dan’s Nikon binoculars to scan the edge of the water and spotted a few birds; Dan used his Nikon D90 to photograph the large spiders living in the observation blind’s windows. We wove through the nature preserve, spending some time watching herons and ospreys at Tubby Cove and spotting a young deer on Deer Inn Trail. The latter trail had was full of mosquitos, but the view of Frying Pan Cove, where the Chester River meets the Chesapeake Bay, is so perfect that it was worth the bites. The deer, too, was a surprise. I insisted that it had to be fake, but Dan–the logical one–maintained that no one would plant a fake deer on a trail in a wildlife refuge. “If it was real it would have moved by–” I was cut off by the deer moving its head and running away. Our last stop was the Butterfly Garden and the trail there. We sat at a picnic table next to the garden where I’d eaten lunch four years prior during a day of community service with my college. I’d volunteered to help with Into the Streets and freshmen move-in and I’d ended up fixing up the trail and spreading mulch with a handful of first-year students. Being back there and seeing how much the garden grew was impressive, and sharing the spectacular view with Dan was even better. He takes stunning nature photographs, too, so even with the few butterflies present that late in the season, he managed to get some great shots. We drove back into town to Java Rocks, the café owned by our innkeepers, and split a roast beef panini. I was impressed with my ability to enjoy the sandwich as it was a bit fancier than the fare I typically choose–it had a horseradish sauce and cole slaw, the latter of which I’m usually completely against.

The early start to our day meant that we had a few hours to kill before our sunset cruise, so we relaxed with our books by the saltwater pool. Half the guests of the bed and breakfast had the same idea as two other couples already had the comfier chairs. The cool nights had made the water quite chilly, but after a long while in the sun, I gave in and slowly made my way down the stairs into the frigid water. I lost my nerve, though, and went back to the chair after about fifteen minutes of trying to will myself under the water. By this point, we both had a decent sunburn on our faces, and the sun continued to bake us. Dan decided that he was ready to take on the water, and the other couples had vacated the pool area; before I knew it, we were in the middle of the pool, splashing and toying with the idea of complete immersion. It was quick, it was refreshing, and I have no idea why I did it. Sure, Memorial Day weekend, I had braved 57 degree ocean to swim, but that was different. When I asked Dan why I was back in the freezing pool with wet hair, he responded, “Because you have a complex.” It might be true. Regardless, I had the pleasure of following up that refreshing dip with a warm bath and a glass of red wine.

Describing the sunset cruise is difficult. I could go chronologically and talk about the trouble finding the dock, how overdressed we felt because we wanted to look nice for each other, how difficult it is to climb into a boat in a dress, our social awkwardness, or something like that, but I think there is only one way to illustrate how amazing the experience was.

We followed the cruise with a delicious dinner at Waterman’s. Instead of ordering way too much food as I am prone to do, I stuck with a reasonable portion. The food was delicious, but after such an active day filled with nothing but the outdoors, we were exhausted. We didn’t stay for the band playing on the patio, nor did we stop for ice cream in town. We went back to the bed and breakfast and got ready for bed. After a few minutes of reading, we were ready to pass out. I didn’t even have the energy to wait until midnight so I could open my birthday presents!

I’m a pub grub kind of girl; the idea of a fancy dinner with good wines and beers intimidated me slightly, but I was excited because I have been trying more new things lately. The staff at Caffé Gelato seemed a bit overwhelmed at first, but as the night progressed, the process began to move smoothly. In some ways, I feel we got shoved into a table in the back because we were younger, but because we had this table for two to ourselves, it added a romantic aspect to the dinner. Whatever the case may be, it took us a bit longer to get served our first drinks. We actually got the food before the beverages, and I didn’t want my pan-seared scallop to get gross, so I ate most of it before my 60 minute IPA was poured. With this reception course, I immediately noticed how well the 60 Minute IPA worked with my last bite of scallop.

Sam and Marnie came back to our section of the restaurant to introduce themselves and the evening as we finished our “warm up” course. My impression of Marnie Old was that of a sophisticated elementary teacher. I’m not saying that because I felt like she was condescending or anything like that, but because she was very good at projecting her voice and addressing the entire room. Sam Calagione, on the other hand, was a bit more timid; he was modest and funny, but mostly he reminded Dan and I of one of our friends in his demeanor. This dinner was on the larger side for the duo, and the layout of the restaurant proved to be a bit of a challenge for them as well.

Our first voting course was served as Sam and Marnie wrapped up their introductions. I may or may not have had a slight buzz from the sparkling wine and sheer giddiness leftover from the initial surprise of the date. That slight buzz may or may not have fueled my description of the mixed greens as “grass” and the eggplant as “baby food.” I was also chewing pine nuts for the first time ever. Dan and I agreed on this course; he said beer, she said beer. The Indian Brown Ale, which I’d never tasted prior to the evening, had an almost nutty flavor that complemented the pine nuts of the salad. The wine, while delicious and fruity, was basically too flavorful and overpowered the lightness of the salad. Perhaps it worked better with a mouthful of eggplant, but it resembled squid or brains or a mix of both, and my experience wasn’t going beyond that first hard-to-swallow bite.

He said beer for our second voting course, and I say that he was completely wrong. However, a few people I chatted with later in the restroom line actually agreed with him on this fact, and they were self-proclaimed wine aficionados. I attribute this fluke in their initial reaction to Midas Touch. As Sam explained, Midas Touch is based on a recipe supposedly found in King Midas’s tomb. It’s a good beer, and I’ve had it before. Following this logic, though, one could argue that my preference of the pinot blanc was due to its novelty to my tastebuds. I maintain that the wine brought out the Parmigianno-Reggiano and fresh basil while the beer overpowered it. The effects were similar to the prior course, but with wine being the proper complement.

Problems arose with the third voting course. I feel that I didn’t give it fair judgment because they ran out of Raison d’Etre and I already had quite the buzz. The pairing of the pinot noir rose with the cider brined pork belly was delicious, and I feel that even if I’d had Raison as I first tasted this delectable hunk of fatty pork goodness, I would have voted wine. Raison is another Dogfish Head brew that I’ve tried on the brewery tour. I believe both times I tried it, I’ve made a face. That should be some kind of sign. The wine, though, expanded the flavors of the pork and the butter beans and joined forces with the mango slices to provide a small party for my mouth. And since the waitstaff came across the Raison after already giving us some extra Indian Brown Ale, I think this might have been the point in the party where I donned the lamp shade.

At this point, I understood the placement of the sorbetto. Unfortunately, what should have served as a breather for us probably just let my blood alcohol content increase. I suppose time was also needed for the preparation of our entrée, and during this period, Sam and Marnie came to talk to our room while Dan was MIA in queue for the restroom. I wish I remembered more of what was said! Apparently some in our room were “upgraded” to a pinot noir because there was not enough pinot noir rose, and Marnie asked them to please disregard the mangos in combination with the darker wine. Sam discussed the creation of Palo Santo Marron, the beer that was to be served with our entrée. For those of you who haven’t been on the tour of Dogfish Head’s brewery multiple times, they age this beer in a very unique, dense South American wood. In a way, it is a bit like wine. It’s very dark, delicious and rich. It was up against a cabernet sauvignon, though, which I have been drinking like grape juice lately. Honestly? The last thing I really remember is cutting my lamb with Dan’s knife since mine disappeared with my pork belly plate. I do not know how I voted other than “OMGSOGOOD!” Perhaps Dan can fill me in on that one.

At some point during the dinner, I made two restroom trips. During both of these, I managed to talk to (annoy?) the people in line on either side of me. On my first trip, it was the aforementioned wine aficionados who were very impressed by this sweet surprise from my boyfriend. The second trip was someone who worked for the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach who apparently shares my birthday (September 20) and strongly believes that I would enjoy the limited edition brew they currently have on draft, Chicha. After this last trip, I returned to my seat to find my chocolate cappucicino cheese cake, my 18% ABV glass of World Wide Stout and a port that I believe I described as a wine lollipop. I sincerely hope that I did not finish my glass of World Wide Stout, though I found this formerly intimidating beer absolutely delicious.

While I may not know who won the wine vs. beer battle, I feel that the dinner was so unique for me that it is almost indescribable. Not to get sappy, but it was a damn good surprise that shows how well Dan knows me. It definitely falls under adventure because I tried a bunch of new foods and opened my mind (possibly a little too far) to the concept of pairing wines and beers, which was something I’ve obviously heard about as a Food Network addict but never thought I’d experience. Furthermore, it was educational. I learned that even if the waitstaff does not pour you a “tasting portion” of an alcoholic beverage, you don’t need to consume the entire sample provided to you. Doing so is a great way to black out slightly and spend a Monday with a slight hangover. All in all, this is probably the coolest birthday present anyone has ever given me.