I feel like I owe you all an apology, I haven’t exactly been on my blogging game lately. I’m not usually one to make excuses, but this new job is really cramping my style creatively. I have to give a lot of credit to Seth for stepping up and taking over the blog in my brief absence and satisfying your need to read. Anyway, I’m sorry, and I’ll do my best to keep up on my blogging duties.

On Monday my wife and I played hooky from work and kept our son home from school to go to Six Flags St. Louis.

Now this wasn’t just any old day at Six Flags, this was this season’s opening day. It’s the first time the park opens throughout the week and not just the weekend.

If you think this would be a busy day, you would be wrong. We chose this day for that reason specifically.

First of all, school isn’t out for the summer. All the kiddies are still reading, writing and ‘rithmetic-ing. Second of all, it’s a Monday and most of the adults are headed back to work, not to play. Lastly, the theme park’s water park doesn’t open until next weekend.

Many Six Flaggers wait until both parks are open to get more for their money. All of these things were working in our favor. Aside from a handful of people who had the same brilliant idea as us and a number of schools on field trips, the park was relatively empty.

I don’t know about you, but if I can avoid waiting 2 hours in line to ride the Batman coaster that lasts a whole 60 seconds, I’m going to do it! We’ve done our research.

It was a beautiful day to ride roller coasters. The temp never reached 80 degrees, it was overcast and there was a nice cool breeze blowing.

There we were, my trusty wife and our uncharacteristically adventurous six year old son. Luckily he’s tall for his age and can ride all but two roller coasters in the park, and he LOVES riding them.

We had a blast. My favorite part of the day was when we were on a ride and I could look over and see the sheer delight and excitement in my family’s faces. Then after the ride sharing our individual experience, laughing loudly as if no one was around.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted and soaked to the bone. We smiled and laughed so much our cheeks were sore.

These moments are priceless and can be so easily lost in the daily grind of work and school and life in general.

Wondering how this was going to relate to brewing? Well, here we go. When we open our brewery, it’s going to be a lot of work. I understand this and embrace it. I’m not naive, the amount of work is not underestimated. I, along with Brian, have owned and operated a restaurant that occupied at least 16 hours of our day seven days per week. BUT when the daily operation is down to a science it’ll be three best friends making beer. We won’t be bound by the corporate office “allowing” us to take a vacation day to spend much needed time with our families. It’s freedom. I’ve already been my own boss, it’s the greatest feeling anyone with the entrepreneurial spirit can experience. It’s probably why I’ve never been fully comfortable in my day job. A yearning for more.

Our brewery will happen, and when it does, I believe our personal lives and work lives will be fulfilled.