My first post on the Daxko Nation blog went live yesterday: What If You Could Wear Anything You Wanted to Work? (Ok, maybe not anything.)

The Daxko blog is choc full of free content on job interviewing, technology, and of course, culture. I’m hoping to average 2-3 times per month and will link on my Twitter feed when a post goes up.

Growing up, the thought of drinking never seemed appealing to me. I didn’t have alcohol until I was 22, and even then I rarely had more than three drinks of any kind over the course of a year.

When I moved to Seattle I worked for a company where the average age on an employee was 28. We weren’t paid as competitively as we should have been, though to make up for it, mild mannered happy hours on the company’s dime were a regular event. It was through these happy hours that I finally forced myself to move past the Bud Light.

People always say that “beer is an acquired taste”. It’s so, so true. Beer is a taste that, in all honesty, is at first unbearable. Then one day something clicks. You not only like it, you love it. You begin to notice even the most subtle differences between to seemingly identical beers. The fact that Seattle is one of America’s beer hubs only fueled the newfound love.

In May I decided to keep track of the beers I tried. Below is the list containing those beers. By my estimation, 174 overall between May and December.

I’m sure there are multiple errors on this list (both in grammar and in noting the correct brewer and/or beer name). Feel free to recommend corrections by commenting on the post.

*Denotes personal favorites.
+Denotes disgusting beer.

21st Amendment Brewery Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer+
Abita Brewing Co. Turbodog
Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale
Alaskan Winter Ale
Anchor Steam Ale
Anchor Steam Summer Ale
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Avery duganA IPA (Cask – Centenial Hops)
Avery duganA IPA (Cask – Chinook Hops)
Ayinger Hefeweizen
Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen
Bass Pale Ale
Bayern Pilsner
Bear Republic Brewery Racer 5 IPA*
Bell’s Brewery Pale Ale
Big Sky Brewing Company Scotch Ale
Big Sky Brewing Company Trout Slayer Pale Ale
Bitburger Pils*
Black Star Brewing Going To The Sun IPA
Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager
Blackfoot Organic Pale Ale
Boddingtons Pub Ale
Boulevard Single-Wide IPA
Boundary Bay IPA*
Boundary Bay Scotch
Bridgeport Brewing Ebenezer Ale
Bridgeport Brewing Hop Harvest
Bridgeport Brewing IPA
Bud Light
Budweiser
Carlsberg Pilsner
Coors Banquet
Coors Light
Deschutes Big Rig Bitter
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Hop In The Dark Cascadian Dark Ale
Deschutes Inversion IPA*
Deschutes Jubilation Winter Ale
Deschutes Twilight Ale
Diamond Knot Ho Ho
Diamond Knot IPA*
Dick’s IPA*
Dixie Beer
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA*
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Dogfish Head Raison D’être
Elysian Brewing Company Bifrost Winter Ale
Elysian Brewing Company Jasminel IPA
Elysian Brewing Company Men’s Room Red Ale*
Elysian Brewing Company The Immortal IPA*
Emerald City Dottie Lager
Erdinger Double Wisse
Firestone Double Barrel Ale
Franziskaner Weissbier
Full Sail Brewing Session Lager
Full Sail IPA
Full Sail Pale Ale
Full Sail Wreck The Halls IPA
Georgetown Brewing Company Lucille IPA
Georgetown Brewing Company Manny’s Pale Ale*
Georgetown Brewing Company Roger’s Pilsner
Good People Brewing Company Snake Handler Double IPA
Goose Island Beer Company 312 Urban Wheat Ale
Great Northern Brewing Co. Big Fog ESB
Great Northern Brewing Co. Buckin’ Horse Pilsner
Great Northern Brewing Co. Fred’s Black Lager
Great Northern Brewing Co. Wheatfish Wheat Lager
Great Northern Brewing Co. Wild Huckleberry Wheat
Great Northern Huckleberry Wheat
Green Lakes Organic Amber Ale*
Grolsch Lager
Guinness
Hacker-Pschorr Alt Munich Dunkel
Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
Hale’s O’Brien’s Harvest Ale
Hale’s Supergoose Double IPA*
High 5 Hefeweizen
Hofbrau Hefeweizen
Howell Brewing Back Row Baptist IPA*
Kettle House Cold Smoke Scotch Ale
Kokanee
Kona Brewing Company Longboard Larger
Kona Brewing Company Pale Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Company IPA*
Lazy Boy Brewing IPA*
Lazy Boy Brewing Mistletoe Bliss
Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company Reb Ale
Leavenworth Oktoberfest
Leinenkugels Hefeweizen
Mac & Jack’s Brewery African Amber*
Mac & Jack’s Brewery Serengeti Wheat*
Mac & Jack’s Brewery Two Tun IPA
Maisel’s Weisse
Maisels Weisse Dunkel*
Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Imperial IPA*
Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Old Seattle Lager*
Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Pilsner
Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Red Amber
Miller Light
Modelo Especial
Montana Breweries Highlander Premium
Nectar Ales Red Nectar
New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire
New Belgium Brewing IPA
Ninkasi Brewing Company Believer Double Red Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Company Oatis Oatmeal Stout
Ninkasi Brewing Company Radiant Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Company Sleigh’r Dark Doüble Alt Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Company Spring Reign Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Company Total Crystal Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Company Total Domination IPA*
Ninkasi Brewing Company Tricerahops IPA*
Odin Brewing Company Kolsch
Odin Brewing Company Pilsner
Odin Brewing Company Smoky Bacon Ale+
Okanagan Spring Pale Ale
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pacifico
Pack-String Porter
Paulaner Oktoberfest*
Pike Brewing Company Double IPA
Pilsner Urquell
Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen
Pyramid Breweries Hefeweizen
Rainier*
Red Stripe Lager
Redhook ESB
Reissdorf Kölsch
Rogue Brewery Portland State IPA*
Rogue Brewery White Frog Ale
Rogue Brewery Captain Sig’s Deadliest Ale
Rogue Brewery Dead Guy Ale
Rogue Brewery Double Mocha Porter
Rogue Brewery Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Rogue Brewery Honey Orange Wheat
Rogue Brewery XS Imperial Red
Rogue Brewery Dry Hop Red Ale
Rogue Brewery Mom Heffe*
Sam Adams Lager
Sam Adams Light
Sam Adams Summer Ale
Schneider Weisse
Schooner Exact Brewing Company 3 Grid IPA
Scuttlebutt Brewing Company Black Pilsner
Scuttlebutt Brewing Company Tripel 7 Belgian*
Shmaltz Brewing Company Coney Island Lager*
Sierra Nevada Brewers Reserve
Sierra Nevada Brown Ale
Sierra Nevada Harvest
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Summertime Ale
Spaten Lager*
Spaten Oktoberfest*
Spaten Optimator*
Spaten Pils*
Stella Artois
Stone Brewing Company Arrogant Bastard Ale
Sweetwater Brewing Company IPA
Tamarack Brewing Company Yard Sale Ale
Tecate
Tommyknocker Pick Axe Pale Ale*
Trumer Pils
Two Beers Brewing Co. Fresh Hop IPA
Two Beers Brewing Co. Persnickety Pale Ale
Urban Brewery Honey Lager
Urban Brewery Hopworks IPA
Veltins Pilsner*
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Wernesgrüner Pils
Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale
Yaletown Brewing Co. Brick and Beam IPA
Yaletown Brewing Co. UFG Pilsner

+ enlarge

We’re back from a cruise, and I’m sick! Woo-hoo, Monday!

I’m as sad as Kanye that I’m neglecting you.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m at one of the happiest points in my life.

Back in Alabama.
Closer to friends and family.
Working for a company I’ve been in love with for 18 months.

…and all of those things have pulled me away from blogging. It’s a good, bad thing to happen because, you know, things are pretty good.

That said, you’ll see more activity around here soon. Daxko (my new employer) fully supports an online presence (such as a blog or Twitter account) and I’m excited about discussing more serious topics in a detailed and jovial manner.

Until then, I’m as sad as Kanye that I’m neglecting you.

And now, I’m off on a cruise for a week.

+ enlarge

Are we all back at work yet? I hope so. I started my new job two weeks ago. It’s tough being on cloud nine while everybody around just wants to go home and enjoy Christmas. Now… we’re back at work, and I can continue to be giddy.

Total states visited: 12
New states visited: 2 (Arizona, New Mexico)
Total countries visited: 2

Albuquerque, New Mexico*
Astoria, Oregon
Birmingham, Alabama
Cannon Beach, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon*
Flagstaff, Arizona*
Forks, Washington*
Fort Smith, Arkansas
George, Washington*
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Las Vegas, Nevada
Memphis, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Orange Beach, Alabama
Palm Springs, California
Pearlington, Mississippi
Port Angeles, Washington
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California*
Tupelo, Mississippi
Vancouver, British Columbia
Whitefish, Montana*

Some blogs produce long, detailed, drawn-out posts at the end of the year. They link to multiple blog posts and photos, highlighting their favorite moments in what certainly becomes a digital public record. And you know what? Nobody reads them.

Here’s my year in review:

Many of your followed our cross-country trek on Facebook and Twitter, so I’ll just post the highlights.

If you want to view these and the rest, head over to Flickr.

Needless to say, I got lots and lots of stares as I stood in the parking lot of Oregon’s athletic department in my bright orange Auburn shirt. It was well worth it. War Eagle.

Chelsea’s car was broken into on night one. We found this out quite literally as the words “Sacramento seems like a really safe city” left my mouth. Thankfully, nothing of significant importance was taken.

In-N-Out is one of those burgers that, upon initial consumption I was never blown away by. My last few experiences have made me nothing but an obsessed devourer and blind loyalist.

So scarred by the break in, we felt the need to drive through Palm Springs for an evening at the Rancho Las Palmas.

The bartender at Rancho Las Palmas inquired if she could use us as guinea pigs for new drinks. We did could, could never be able to, consume them all.

Meteor Crater, AZ. Self explanatory and mind-blowing.

Like The Eagles, I’ve stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. That’s a flatbed Ford. Evidently the ‘girl in the flatbed Ford’ was on her lunch break.

Thai: Orrapin
Seafood: Ray’s
French: Cafe Presse
Phở: Thanh Vi
Sushi: Blue C
Steaks: Joey
Fried Chicken: Ezell’s
Sandwiches: Paseo
Pizza: Serious Pie
Mexican: Cactus on Alki Beach
Burgers: Red Mill
Doughnuts: Top Pot
Cupcakes: Trophy Cupcakes & Party
Ice Cream: Molly Moon’s

Cheap Eats
Burgers: Dick’s Drive-In
Seafood: Spud & Ivar’s

Four years later, it’s time to say goodbye.

Memories to come over the next two weeks.

Trading the Space Needle for Vulcan’s magnificent buns of iron. Seriously, he is a physical specimen to admire.

I’ve accepted a job with a Birmingham-based software company. Chelsea and I will be residents by December 19.

Moving back to The South has always been a goal for Chelsea and me long before we were married. Chelsea moved to Los Angeles in 2005 right after college. I moved to Seattle in September 2006, convincing Chelsea to get her own place in Seattle in 2007 when we started dating again.

Birmingham is an amazing city and there’s never been a better time to be a resident. Home to one of the best restaurants, best pubs, and best music venues in America, it doesn’t lack in culture. An international hub for physical therapy and health care for years, it’s also home to one of the fastest growing small business/technology incubators in America.

An afternoon drive takes you to the beach or the mountains, Atlanta or Nashville, the lake or the plains. Birmingham is big enough to feel big, small enough without feeling too small, and it’s the perfect place to start our family. I absolutely love this city.

To top it off, we’re closer to many of you. At this point in our life having friends and family within arms reach seems almost a foreign concept, and that’s not ok. We like you.

So, we’re pumped. Very.

As excited as we are to move to Birmingham, we’re equally as sad to leave Seattle. Seattle will get many posts over the next few days. This city has been amazing in both the experiences it provided and the people we’ve come to call close friends. For the rest of our lives we’ll find any excuse possible to visit.

For now, we plan and pack, and listen to a Randy Newman classic. So you in three weeks.

I heard (and felt) something crash outside. I look out just in time to see a cab pop out, sliding down the hill at a speed no car should be driving, even with chains (which he didn’t have).

Went outside to talk to some of our neighbors, two of which were standing on the sidewalk as it happened.

I’ll spare the breakdown. Just watch the video.

Ah, the unbearably terrible snowstorm of 2008. The only positive result of your occurance was shown in the ability for Seattleites to ski to work, and sled through our streets.

We currently live in the most awesome of neighborhoods: Queen Anne Hill. Living on the actual hillside is giving us front row seats to both the beautiful (snowfall over Seattle) and the terrifying (a road with a 20% grade with black ice and snow).

Let’s just hope they shut it down before anything bad happens. Until then, I’m by the window.

+ enlarge

We went to Vancouver, BC this weekend for some relation and birthday celebration (myself on the 11th and Chelsea on the 14th)

And now, three men making giant candy canes by hand:

+ enlarge

After a broken tooth (yes, broken… not chipped) was addressed by the dentist on Tuesday, I got home a little earlier than normal, enjoying late afternoon from the living room.

I will never get tired of this view.

+ enlarge

Ever since we started gong out on Halloween in Seattle we’ve always made an effort to “match”.

Our first three years we were TV characters, usually from whatever show had become our favorite in the months leading to Halloween.

This year we talked about mixing it up, and during a discussion of our favorite time of the year (hellooooooo) A Christmas Story came up.

Like many of you, A Christmas Story is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Being Ralphie in his bunny suit and dressing Chelsea up as the “Major Award” leg lamp seemed logical (video).

By the way, that’s an actual lamp shade with actual working lights inside. Kudos, wifey.

2009: Eric & Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights

2008: Joan Holloway and Don Draper Pete Campbell, Mad Men

2007: Jim and Pam, The Office