The Return of the Long Lost Blogger

Yes, it has been a long time since I have updated the ol' Asheville Beer Blog. Lets just say that 2009 was not the best of years for me. I don't like to get personal in a blog about local beer, but here goes. The fun began in March when my dad became ill and was admitted to the hospital. I spent a week in Florida, helping out my mother and spending every day in the hospital with dad. We were waiting for a diagnosis, and when I finally left to come back home we had one. My dad had vasculitis, a somewhat rare and hard to diagnose disease. But the news was initially good, as the doctors felt it could be treated. I was home for a little over a week when I got a call from my mother. I instantly knew what the call was for. My dad died on March 31st of last year. He was a 30 year Marine veteran, and was a little rough around the edges, but he had a great heart. I miss him every day.

Naturally, the year did not start off well. Fast forward to September. My brother-in-law was admitted to the hospital, and eventually was taken to ICU and went into a coma. Things did not get better from there. He died on October 3, 2009, my wife and her other brother by his side. Allan was one of the most fun people that I have ever met. He is also missed.

Oh, and to top it off, we had to put our long time beagle companion to sleep the weekend before Thanksgiving. Seriously, my life has been a country song this year.

Needless to say, I really haven't been motivated to keep up this blog. My wife and I are still dealing with the losses of our loved ones. One of the lessons you learn as you get older is how to deal with loss, and we have had a crash course this past year.

So, what now? I have never been the best person at keeping up with this blog, even without life's distractions. But I will do my best to get back into the swing of things. Starting now.