Planning a beer fest?

More exciting stuff (it sounds like I am exciting suddenly)!! I have joined up with Free Guitars for Future Stars to plan a beer fest to benefit their program. This program, can I say, is very awesome. Free Guitars for Future Stars has been working to fill a void that is left when schools have budget cuts, and cut their arts programs, namely their music programs. They are a group of truly caring, talented, and wonderful people, and now I am lucky enough to put my name with theirs!

So a beer fest... Where to begin? I am super excited. We have a bunch of ideas, and are starting to pick out the particulars of where and when. Do any of you have advice? Want to help? Words of encouragement?

Music and beer, seems like a partnership that was just meant to be!

A Rant- About Fitting into a Box

In the last week I have been called a feminist beer blogger, and a "forgetter"; so ignorant to the work of feminists the world over and the work they have done, all they have suffered... I certainly don't feel like either one of those names fits who I am. I work very hard in my life to promote equality of genders and embrace the differences between people. I want to believe that the strong role models I have who support me or inspire me to be a strong and successful person will also help inspire and support my daughter. I want my daughter to be strong and happy, but so secure in who she is the world of naysayers and categorizers will tremble at her glance. Maybe that makes me a feminist? Maybe the fact that I signed up for women and gender studies as my minor gives me some sort of ability to call myself a feminist? I really don't think that fits...

Of course on the other hand I do on occasion think of issues without considering the gender or minority aspect involved; I am able to separate those issues of equality from other issues on occasion. I am sure some of you have seen this article which has gone wild from the Daily Mail on "The History Girls", if not you should read it. I could pick apart all of the things which I find wrong with the article (and there are many) and you could all agree or disagree with what I say. I however want to discuss the fact that these women have PhD’s, should be addressed as Doctor, and all of them have extensive knowledge in their field. My issue is not how they dress, I don’t really think that the clothes you wear should decide how you are perceived by society, but I understand it does; I also don’t think that all of these women are dressed up like sexual objects.

 No, my issue is the lack of respect for their intellect, both on the blogs which I read that are condemning the stylized versions of historians (these doctors allowed themselves to be photographed like that), and within  the article itself. The questions which are being asked are AWFUL! But the interrogated makes the best of it that she can. Why is it okay for society to be up in arms over the way in which a magazine (a magazine guys, not a journal or a recognized media outlet, a magazine) portrays the physicality of these women? Shouldn’t the main issue be why are we focused on what they look like, and not the questions that were asked? Why is this magazine so sure that it’s audience wants to know a bunch of phony BS like who would you go back in time to see? Is it because we can’t focus on real issues? What about women who actually take bullets for their beliefs, like Malala Yousafzai? I am well aware of the fact that women the world over cannot get education, cannot get medical care, cannot vote, cannot drive, cannot earn enough money to support themselves or their children… to me THAT is what the issue of modern feminism should be, not what someone who is smart enough to make up her own mind decides to wear or say. I am not forgetting the past, I am only trying to look forward to the future because there are millions of women who still don’t have any sort of equality, and if a puff piece in a UK magazine brings a wider audience to a field where people can learn empathy and compassion for fellow humans, then is that so bad?

Here is a good link to a blog which I love where the writer picks apart the article: How Did We Get Into This Mess?

If you want to know more about women in the beer world, your first stop should be : Women Enjoying Beer

And if you want to learn more about helping women and girls around the world build a better future: Because I’m a Girl

This lady here has some fantastic ideas on raising strong and fierce girls: Dr Frankenbaby’s Monsters

When You Know, Without A Doubt, That You Are No Longer Cool-And May Never Have Been

If you didn't know, I have a younger sister (6 years younger), who lives in the city, and has cool friends, and a cool apartment, and a few cool jobs, and a cool band. Usually I am just so excited to go see her that I forget that her world, and my world (almost 30, with a soon to be 4 year old, steady job, husband, and no social life that I can escape to without snacks and juice boxes in my purse) seem to get further and further away every time we see each other.

Recently I went to see my sister's band (Property of Saints) play at the Township with 13 Monsters. I was a little worried that I might embarrass my sister in front of her new drummer by falling asleep in the bar (which I did once before at Goose Island but that is another story). Prepare to witness my epiphany-of-no longer-cool.

Conversation between me and my friend Amy at work before going to see my sister:

Me:        I just have to remind myself to have no more than two beers because I have to get up early tomorrow to pick up Autumn from my dad’s.

A:            How early do you have to be there?

Me:        Christie’s band is the last to play, and the first band doesn’t start until 9… so it will be a long night. If I have alcohol on top of that I will fall asleep in the bar (again). Blake still teases me about the last time… but I woke up at 4:30 this morning to take care of his daughter, so I think I deserve to sleep at the bar if I want

A:            Gotcha.

Me:        I really turned into an old person there didn’t I?

A:            I know how you feel. But you have to get over the hump of your normal bedtime. On Saturday, I was exhausted around 9:00 but I got up, started moving around and I was ok.

Me:        That is why I am going to do my best to not drink…

A:            Or wait until later in the night to start drinking.

Me:        Yeah, usually I get handed a beer upon entering a bar… I think that might not work. We are supposed to get there around 8 to eat dinner with the band. I am not sure how to tell them that we are old and usually eat dinner around 5:30/6:00 and 8:00 or later might turn me into a gremlin

A:            City people never eat dinner before 7:00… but then again I normally don’t either.

Me:        That is because you are some sort of Human/City dweller hybrid!

A:            This is true.

Me:        Well I suppose you are mostly human… 

What do you think, does handing out crackers to the hungry people make up for the fact that I put the crackers in my purse for my daughter and make me cool? Does having a beer blog make up for ordering coffee all night at a bar? 

PS, Be sure to go check out both of those bands, and give them a listen... your ears will thank you