The journalistic bolt from the blue

For as much as I hate my job Mondays, Tuesdays and paydays, we get perks. People send us crazy things: books, food and even a toilet seat (the benefit went to my friend the Homes Editor).

But flipping through the brochure for the first Columbus AleFest last week, I came to the conclusion the $30 admission probably wasn't in the budget. Too bad, because as a lover of well-crafted beer, I though it might be a neat event. A small beer festival at the North Market a few weeks ago deftly spotlighted what our locals produce in small batches (though Gordon Biersch's presence is a mystery--last time I checked, it's a chain), and this larger festival seemed to cover a different scale entirely. But it wasn't in the cards.

Then my boss walked through the newsroom with the letter and a pair of passes.

Start pourin', barkeep. Start writing, commentary editor.