Five Questions with Mike

That's Mike there on the right... enjoying the ocean in 2007.

1. Sunrise?
The sunrise at IP is a beautiful thing, that only the devoted get the opportunity to experience. I've actually only stayed up throughout the night to watch it one time, but it was pretty great. The challenge of staying up to watch the sunrise (not getting up to see it...you need to stay up to see it), is not to let it wreck the rest of your day. There is so much horseshoeing, volleyballing, boating to do that you need to stay on your game. I advise you limit your post-sunrise nap to no longer than 2 hours.
2. Porter or Stout?
Asking if I prefer porter or stout, if that's your question, is like asking if I prefer eating the pork alone, or pork with Jen's homemade BBQ sauce, or maybe the sweet and tangy sauce, or maybe the.....sorry. Or maybe it's like asking whether it feels more satisfying to get a ringer against Jim and John or to watch Jamie follow up with a second. (Which reminds me of the inevitable rematch, or two) I lost my train of thought, but let's just say, both please! The real question is, what crazy ingredient am I adding to one of them this year?!!

3. Sleeping in the driveway - good idea or bad idea?
Bad idea! Who would ever sleep in the driveway?! Now, passing out in the driveway after drinking too much Jungle Juice and almost being run over....well, that's a bad idea too. Stick to the beer if you want to avoid the driveway experience.

4. On tenting... antics and best practices?
I've always enjoyed sticking with the "tenting community." I don't mind waking up to scorching heat ultimately, because it forces you to get up early and enjoy the day. Why sleep too comfortably and waste more of the morning? My only recommendation, if you're not rallying, is to get there early enough so you can erect your tent in some daylight. Kind of a pain otherwise.

5. Favorite memory and parting wisdom.
So many 'favorite memories' to list. The first year I was exposed to the industrial level fireworks was quite an experience. The tubes were not sized appropriately for the fireworks, causing them the spin around in the tube prior to lift-off, and thus exploding about 20 feet in the air right in front of us. Amazing, yet terrifying. The 2am slip-n-slide is always such a good time. I think I'd take watching the dogs run down with bags on their feet over the naked sliders though. Finally, I've been getting some professional training and mental coaching to improve my horseshoe game so that we can finally beat Jim and John R. Hmm..parting wisdom. Although I advise filling up on as much pig as possible by trying every sauce possible, just because it's all so good, don't neglect those hot dogs and the sides. Ridiculous.

By the way, here are my beer names (re-named for the occasion):

2006: Spruce Juice (Brown Ale spiked with [too much] Spruce Essence)
2007: Porter's Maple Goodness (Porter brewed with a gallon of the Porter Family's maple syrup from VT. Calculated to about 14% abv)
2008: Big Dumb Blonde (Belgian Blonde Ale)
M&C's Zesty Summer Ale (Ale brewed with wheat malt, 3 hop additions, Grains of Paradise, and the zest of 2 lemons; brewed by Colleen, rookie to brewing and to IP)