Patti F. Smith

 

Lost a very good friend yesterday–literally passed in her sleep at the age of 43 😦

Beer seems too frivolous right now so let’s just take a short look at the past:

• Signal of Liberty, June 10, 1844 – Died: Ann Eliza Hixson aged 18 years, 10 months, 20 days. Her parents were among the first to immigrate into our part of the state, arriving in 1826 with the infant Ann. She died from a “painful and protracted illness.”
• Michigan Argus, June 10, 1864 – Died: Lottie Hartwell, aged one year, one month and fourteen days, died of diphtheria. The two sons in the family passed away of the same disease in April and the father is fighting in the Civil War. Mother Theresa Hartwell is left alone.
• Ann Arbor Argus, June 10, 1892 – Died: Patrick Toban, aged 81, died of paralysis at the county house. [ed. note. I would guess this was the county poor house, located where the Washtenaw Rec Center now stands]
• Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat, June 9, 1899 – Died: John Ellse, formerly of Ann Arbor and then residing in Detroit, passed away and left behind a wife and six children.

Post Script ~

On perhaps a happier note, I’m helping some new friends with the Storytellers Project! Check out the great article at the link above.

 

 

Here we are again, friends!

Three things for your enjoyment:

• Beer
• History
• Bee Humor from 1881

Let’s get it started!

What’s happening in local beer?

• Townies Brewery opened in the former Glassworks space and had its soft opening this past week. Friends who went gave it positive reviews! Also, looks like it will still be dog-friendly! Now I just have to convince my other half to let me get a dog!
• Blom Meadworks –  A special tour will be happening with one of my friends, Tammy of Tammy’s Tastings. I will be going!
• Ann Arbor Distilling Company –  Kittens and Cocktails on Thursday at 6pm! Adoptable kittehs and booze! FREE TOURS will be given every Monday and Tuesday throughout the summer! These run from 4-5:30 and I highly recommend going. Ari is super nice and the place is beautiful! Also musician Harrington Brown will be performing on next Saturday.
• Arbor Brewing – Cards Against Humanity tournament on June 12th! Can’t wait until then? Trivia happens every Thursday!
• Grizzly Peak/Old German/Blue Tractor/Jolly Pumpkin –  New at Old German-Trowbridge Keller-Pils! A German classic made with Michigan-grown Mt. Rainier hops from Top Hops Farm in Goodrich. Jolly Pumpkin/Tired Hands collaboration bottles are available at JP! New spring specials at the Tractor–check them out on their Facebook page!
• Pileated Brewing –  Squishigan Red Ale is back!!!
• Pointless Brewery & Theater –  The always awesome shows are happening and so is a women’s improv jam on Wednesday. I am going to try to make it if school doesn’t exhaust me.
• HOMES – Peach Vanilla Sherbet, a lactose sour, hit the taps this week. Tickets are on sale for their first Nucleate Beer Festival on June 16th!
• Wolverine State Brewing Company – Sava’s beer dinner this Wednesday and tap takeovers on Thursday (at Monelli’s Italian Grill in Kalamazoo) and on Friday (at Clubhouse BFD in Rochester Hills).

On this day….

• Signal of Liberty, May 20, 1844 –  As always, the Ann Arbor Debating Society was not here to play with you; it was here to kick ass and debate stuff. This week it debated the following: resolved, that labor saving machinery is beneficial to the laboring classes.” Mrs. Hulme, a milliner and dressmaker, advertised her shop in Lower Town. She specialized in making silk and straw bonnets. Blank deeds, mortgages, and summonses could be purchased at the newspaper’s office. Other notable topics included articles on political lying, the possible annexation of Texas, and a riot in Philadelphia. The latter event occurred when folks from the Hibernia home (Irish settlers) fired shots in the vicinity of a peaceful meeting of the Native American party. A fight broke out, ended after about an hour, and started again the following evening. The mayor suffered a wound, martial law declared, churches were burned, and about a dozen people were killed.
• Michigan Argus, May 20, 1864 – The Democratic County Convention was to be held with 12 people appointed to represent our city. (And by “people”, I mean “white men” as our 15th and 19th amendments–two of my personal favorite amendments-were not yet a thing).
  • Losses in Michigan regiments fighting the Civil War were reported and included reports of a captain losing his leg and of report of about 161 recent deaths, 722 injuries, and 540 missing soldiers.
  • [ed note: we were fighting a bunch of traitors known as the Confederacy. They ended up losing the war. There is no reason to display their flag, especially not in our state. Read again the numbers of dead/missing/injured…and that was just from a month or so]
• Ann Arbor Courier, May 20, 1881 – WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK OLD TIMEY ANN ARBOR? Residents of the third ward reported that their dogs were being murdered! At least 17 doggos were killed and the residents were pissed.
  • In lighter news, our friends made a funny! The quoted the Nashville News which said that bee keepers don’t know how they can sell honey if the bees don’t cell any this summer (cute). The Eaton News replied “that was ex-cell-ently put!” (adorbs). The Courier said “yes but it don’t bee-comb people to weigh such honied words so lightly.” (WINNER!!)
  • Vacant lots at State and North (now Kingsley) were quickly becoming a dumping ground for the city. Shade thrown at common council for doing anything about it.
• Ann Arbor Argus, May 20, 1892 –  Washtenaw County Teachers’ Association met. I hope they all headed out to drink afterwards. Teachers can really drink.
  • J.T. Jacobs and O.M. Martin “and wife” went to Jackson. (K.E. Anderson and “wife” [i.e. me] haven’t gone to Jackson in awhile but I’d like to go to the brewpubs that have opened. See above about teachers and the drink)
  • “Col.” Jason Riley is visiting. I have to wonder about the quotation marks. That is a story begging to be told.
  • The race track went up at the fairgrounds!
  • Oh God…there was a thing called University Minstrels who were described as “our swell society boys in burnt cork” and now I have to remember that parts of the past really sucked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are again, friends!
For your enjoyment:

• Beer
• ITEM!
• History
• Deep mud hole on State Street

Let’s get it started!

What’s happening in local beer?

• Blom Meadworks –  There will now be chocolate pairings thanks to Mindo Chocolate Makers! On June 6, a special tour will be happening with one of my friends, Tammy of Tammy’s Tastings!
• Arbor Brewing – Mother’s Day Bingo tonight at 6pm! Don’t forget that Velvet Hammer is coming back! There will be a food/beer pairing on June 22nd and CornerFest on June 23rd!/ Corner: Beer Family Feud on May 15th! COME ON DOWN (Yes I know that is The Price is Right. It still works). Beer Yoga on May 20th and also Halcyon Sundaze that day! There is truly nothing like Halcyon Sundaze…DJs are spinning music, warm weather, great beer….
• Grizzly Peak/Old German/Blue Tractor/Jolly Pumpkin –  Double Diabolical is back on draft at Jolly Pumpkin!
• Pileated Brewing – I would suggest going there and getting some the Cherry Blonde. I found it delightful. Also saw something on the menu about blueberry beer coming up as well as some sours and hazy IPAs….
• Pointless Brewery & Theater – Lots of cool shows as always! Next weekend is Shakespeare at Pointless: Brewery of Errors. I went to one of these shows last year and it was great! You get to play a drinking game with the cast. I never quite got the excitement over some dead white guy like Willie S but the show was still a blast.
• HOMES – DRONES, a double IPA, has premiered! Lazer Light Show (another DIPA) is back, too! Brunch starts this Sunday at 11am! Tickets are on sale for their first Nucleate Beer Festival on June 16th!
• Biercamp – I saw something about chili cheese tator tots and pork tator tots. TOTS YES!!! Oatmeal Brown, Vienna IPA, Blonde, and Double IPA on tap.
• Wolverine State Brewing Company – Next Saturday is the Wolverine Craft Beer Challenge that I mentioned last week!

ITEM! Ed Vielmetti tells me that he found a liquor license request for Mothfire Brewing Company! Stay tuned….

ITEM #2! Looks as though Townies Brewery will take over the space vacated by Glassworks Brewhouse.

On this day….

• Signal of Liberty, May 13, 1844 – Ann Arbor Debating Society examined this statement: resolved, that direct taxation should be resorted to by the General Government as the only way of collecting a revenue.” Wheat buyers were offering 70 cents a day. [ed. note: not really sure what that means…for processing the wheat? for not peeing in the wheat? What?]. The Liberty Ticket nominated James Birney for president. [ed. note: I would be willing to dig this guy up and give him a chance now.]
• Michigan Argus, May 13, 1864 – The “doings” of the Common Council (precursor to our City Council) were reported. The mayor submitted the following: petitions and communications, committees reports, unfinished business, motions and resolutions, reports of officers. The petitions included wanting plank walks at Willard & Fletcher, Brown & Pontiac, East Catherine between State and Ingalls, Washington between Fourth and State.
  • Daniel Hiscock was there! Boyfriend wanted a street in his “addition”, west of Main Street. Possibly did this become our current Hiscock Street?! The firehouse needed a new hose and engine repairs (the matter was referred to committee).
  • Talk of putting a street from Allen’s Creek to the west side of Main Street. [ed. note: They didn’t know it then but Allen’s Creek would eventually be buried. This burying would in part lead to flooding on many streets including Depot Street. About 150 years after this meeting, my husband and I would buy a house on that street and find out that flood insurance costs a shit-ton of money!]
• Ann Arbor Argus, May 13, 1892 –  We had a cold snap that year and almost ran out of coal! Fortunately, some dude named E.B. Hall got four carloads from our friends in Ypsilanti to keep us all from freezing. Good lookin’ out, E.
  • A sign fell down at the postmaster’s office and smashed a case. Seriously, this was a news item.
  • Ladies should read the new ad of Mrs. Otto, the milliner.
  • A dog got lose and bit the sheep of Gottlieb Zeeb and if “the dog goes in that direction again he will get in trouble.”
  • A horse at the livery on North Main became alarmed when an express wagon suddenly appeared. The horse turned quickly, throwing 30 loaves of bread into the mud.
  • There was a a “veritable, despicable, dire mud-hole” on State Street, so deep that someone put a “No Fishing” sign next to it. Now we plant flowers in pot holes. Some things never change!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are again, friends!

Three things for your enjoyment:

• Articles I wrote this week
• Beer
• History
• “That’s pretty good for Grass Lake”: Burn of the year in 1898
• Putting an end to the silly fad of cutting hair, shooting into crowds

Let’s get it started!

What have I been up to this week?

• Cool Jobs article about Keith Orr
• Common Language Bookstore goes viral!
• Phenomenal woman Dr. Irene Butter

What’s happening in local beer?

• Blom Meadworks – New meadery opens (yes, I know this isn’t beer; just go with it). There will be weekly tours and yoga. A special tour will be happening with one of my friends, Tammy of Tammy’s Tastings.
• Arbor Brewing – Velvet Hammer is coming back! There will be a food/beer pairing on June 22nd and CornerFest on June 23rd!/ Corner: Mother’s Day Brunch next Sunday!
• Grizzly Peak/Old German/Blue Tractor/Jolly Pumpkin – GP is hiring cooks and dishwashers! Stop by to apply! JP won best pizza in town from Metro Times! It is very good pizza and goes great with their beers!!
• Pileated Brewing – I would suggest going there and getting some the Cherry Blonde. I found it delightful.
• Pointless Brewery & Theater – Lots of cool shows as always! Improv jam on Sunday night at 7:30pm, showcases of improv classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, improv troupes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So yeah legit you could see improv every single night this week!
• HOMES – Tickets are on sale for their first Nucleate Beer Festival on June 16th!
• Biercamp – I have confirmed that it is still the beer of my pal, Teo Watson-Ahlbrandt so you know it’s good!
• Wolverine State Brewing Company – How cool is this? WSBC will work with six area restaurants for American Craft Beer Week!

On this day….

• Signal of Liberty, May 6, 1841 – Census of Michigan showed 23,539 people in our county. Democrats had majorities in 13 towns, Whigs had majorities in seven towns. Produce of “every description” will be accepted for a yearlong subscription to this paper.
• Michigan Argus, May 6, 1864 – Last call for mail going east is 4:30pm; for mail going west you need to get your mail in by 11:30am per the postmaster.
• Ann Arbor Argus, May 6, 1898 – Mrs. John Avery went to Bay City to attend a conference on equal suffrage [ed. note: She had her own first name, I presume? Yeah Yeah I know it was the 1890s. Still. “Mrs. Ken Anderson” does not approve!]. Mrs. Ann Pack has been here since December but has returned to NYC. [ed. note: Her first name was used…hmmmmm….]. Patrick Byrne came home from Kalamazoo to visit his mother; his first visit in many years. Sigma Nu’s annual banquet at the Elks’ Club is coming up, Hangsterfer will cater.
• Best burn of 1898 comes from the Ann Arbor Argus who says that the fifth graders in Grass Lake have several ways to spell the word “icicle”, including “icesickles”, “icycycles” and “icecickles.” Concludes the paper–“that’s pretty good spelling for Grass Lake.” [ed. note: Grass Lake needed some ice after that sick burn!]
• Ann Arbor Argus reported that someone was shot in the arm by a student who was being pursued by a crowd of people wanting to cut his hair. The paper declared it time to put an end to this “silly fad”. Of chasing people to cut their hair? Shooting randomly into crowds?!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this issue:

• Beer
• History

What’s happening in local beer?

• Arbor Brewing – Trivia on Thursday, Bingo on May 13th, lots of great beers on tap right now!/Corner – Music Monday, Trivia on Wednesday, Spring beers on tap including Strawberry Blonde, Tilted Earth Spring IPA
• Pileated Brewing – Thursdays are vinyl nights! Bourbon barrel aged beers are coming! (My personal go-to place on Fridays)
• Pointless Brewery & Theater – There is always something cool happening here. Tonight is an improv open jam, live improv Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and beer! I like the Remedy.
• HOMES – Trivia Tuesdays, open dart night on Wednesdays, board game night on Thursdays! Beer is all good, I recommend the King Cold Brew if you like coffee beer.
• Grizzly Peak/Old German – Karaoke on Thursdays at OG, next Brewers’ Night is June 5th. Beers currently available (the boddies sounds really good!)
• Blue Tractor – The Pitmaster Porter is quite good, IMO.
• Jolly Pumpkin – Get yourself some sours!
• Biercamp – Get some beer with their delicious, delicious MEAT!
• Wolverine State Brewing Company – Pints & (yoga) Poses is back on May 10th, trivia on Mondays, award winning beers!

On this day….

• Signal of Liberty, April 29, 1844 – The Ann Arbor Debating Society is meeting on Saturday. Ladies and gentlemen are invited to attend! Resolved: that society is justly accountable for the crimes of individuals, for man by nature is not totally depraved.
• Michigan Argus, April 29, 1864 – E. Ketchum of Ypsilanti would send you a small treatise on Ice Cream & the Philosophy of its Manufacture if you just send him your address.
• Ann Arbor Courier, April 29, 1881 – Gen. Partridge from Bay City was in the city overnight as was B. Frank Bower from Detroit. Dr. A.W. Chase left for Toledo to take up his business there. Dr. Georg is going to Washington to see a patient. Dorr Kellogg left for Battle Creek and is expected to spend the summer there.
• Ann Arbor Argus, April 29, 1898 – The YMCA’s fourth annual banquet took place last Tuesday. Speakers included Judge Lane, Rev. TW Young, and ES Gilmore. Private Johnson was slated to give a toast but instead was at Island Lake. The high school orchestra performed; Mrs. R.H. Kempf and Miss Rose French performed vocal solos.

 

In this issue:

• Beer
• History

What’s happening in local beer?

• Arbor Brewing – Trivia on Thursday, Bingo on May 13th, lots of great beers on tap right now!/Corner – Music Monday, Trivia on Wednesday, Spring beers on tap including Strawberry Blonde, Tilted Earth Spring IPA
• Pileated Brewing – Thursdays are vinyl nights! Bourbon barrel aged beers are coming! (My personal go-to place on Fridays)
• Pointless Brewery & Theater – There is always something cool happening here. Tonight is an improv open jam, live improv Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and beer! I like the Remedy.
• HOMES – Trivia Tuesdays, open dart night on Wednesdays, board game night on Thursdays! Beer is all good, I recommend the King Cold Brew if you like coffee beer.
• Grizzly Peak/Old German – Karaoke on Thursdays at OG, next Brewers’ Night is June 5th. Beers currently available (the boddies sounds really good!)
• Blue Tractor – The Pitmaster Porter is quite good, IMO.
• Jolly Pumpkin – Get yourself some sours!
• Biercamp – Get some beer with their delicious, delicious MEAT!
• Wolverine State Brewing Company – Pints & (yoga) Poses is back on May 10th, trivia on Mondays, award winning beers!

On this day….

• Signal of Liberty, April 29, 1844 – The Ann Arbor Debating Society is meeting on Saturday. Ladies and gentlemen are invited to attend! Resolved: that society is justly accountable for the crimes of individuals, for man by nature is not totally depraved.
• Michigan Argus, April 29, 1864 – E. Ketchum of Ypsilanti would send you a small treatise on Ice Cream & the Philosophy of its Manufacture if you just send him your address.
• Ann Arbor Courier, April 29, 1881 – Gen. Partridge from Bay City was in the city overnight as was B. Frank Bower from Detroit. Dr. A.W. Chase left for Toledo to take up his business there. Dr. Georg is going to Washington to see a patient. Dorr Kellogg left for Battle Creek and is expected to spend the summer there.
• Ann Arbor Argus, April 29, 1898 – The YMCA’s fourth annual banquet took place last Tuesday. Speakers included Judge Lane, Rev. TW Young, and ES Gilmore. Private Johnson was slated to give a toast but instead was at Island Lake. The high school orchestra performed; Mrs. R.H. Kempf and Miss Rose French performed vocal solos.

 

I promise this is Ann Arbor related…sort of! I have a book coming out in August. The publisher is small but mighty! The book is of course set in ANN ARBOR!! Here is a preview of my main character.

Stay tuned for more….

I love dogs. If ever you doubt how amazing dogs are just read about Dusty, the mail dog (circa 1954).

DUSTY!!!

 

It me!

Rejection

I did this story last year when Kevin Allison’s RISK came to the Detroit area! I was terrified to meet someone famous but he was super nice! I think I just vomited words at the nice man and I know I said he should move to Ann Arbor. Because that’s totally what you say to people.

It is pretty though, yes? Nowhere else has frozen dams like we do.

The story is about how I inadvertently bullied a girl in the 8th grade and how that shit stays with you. I am nothing if not a rule follower so I did what the RISK told me to do–I told it for the first time in public on that stage and I never did I ever think I would tell those things to other people.

 

So I made the mistake of looking up the other two performances and was like holllly damn french fried shit! Which one of these is not like the other, which one of these just doesn’t belong?

Totally famous writer dude

Totally famous speaker writer lady

Me

But at least I got this to look forward to in a few months so I’m totally chalking it up as a win for me!

 

 

There is some quote or another about how life happens when you are busy doing something else. That’s true! Lots of stuff has been happening lately!

This happened! Another packed house for the readin’! We heard some amazing stories, as always, and drank booze and ate my special Peanuts Tgiving dinner: popcorn, pretzel sticks, jellybeans and toast crackers! I’ve always wanted to do that and by golly THIS IS ANN ARBOR FUCKERS and we don’t do anything half assed so there we were.

This also happened:

For the third time in a row, this sold out! We donated $700+ to Ozone House. The line up was all sorts of crazy awesome and I am so proud to have birthed this thing!

And now it appears that Britain and my history book will come out in early 2019 and my first FICTION BOOK (!!!) will be published in 2018! These nice people will be publishing the book I started writing in 2000ish and just kept updating and plugging away at.

 

So! Life has happened!! Enjoying the ride!