Making the world a better place.

One thing I try to do is volunteer my time to change things for the better.

I have posted on eelgrass planting already, but among other activities I also volunteer on the fire department and (along with 40 and GUDG) also am a NEMBA member, trying to keep places available and open to mountain biking in New England.

The other day I was thinking to myself- what can I do to really lift up my fellow human beings? Bring him or her a little joy, a lot of hope, and perhaps a big smile? Then it came to me. Get 'em loaded.





Yep. So I gave my boss a call last night and told him that I needed half of Thursday off so that I could head down to Cottrell Brewery and help Newport Storm bottle up pallets of yummy Hurricane Amber Ale. Here are some of the empties waiting to receive their frosty golden deliciousness:





For my day job, I get to sit on my ass all day. Actually DOING something felt pretty damn good. Especially when I was informed that, "it is never too early to sample...". And that was at 9am. Hells yeah. My kind of job. I had been thinking to myself that operating a brewery would be a fantastic career- were it not for huge weight gain I would undoubtedly accrue. Well- I'm here to tell you- these guys work- and probably work much of those calories off. I know I did... Hence there not being a picture of me smiling surrounded by hundreds of fresh, full soldiers. No time to take a person off the line to pose a picture.

For my efforts, I was rewarded with some take home items to sample:





So, to try my theory out, I took some of my new friends with me to the Thursday night Bat Patrol ride in Big River. After a couple hours pounding the trails (By the way- night riding is fabulous. That ride should be a weekly event), we got back to the parking lot and each cracked one open.

I saw smiles. I think we have found the path to world peace.