February Figuring – Part I

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

I Want My Mummy(s)

In 2016, Thebeerchaser hit the depths and regaled you with the story of one of my favorite downtown Portland haunts – that being the now gone-but not forgotten, Mummy’s Bar and Grill – only one and one-half blocks from the Schwabe law firm’s offices in the PacWest Center. https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/12/06/mummys-a-buried-portland-treasure/

I told you about the co-owners – Phillip and Ghobvial Moumir – two wonderful gentlemen who emigrated from Egypt and started the restaurant sometime around the mid-80’s in a confined, dark, idiosyncratic subterranean space across from what was then The Oregonian building – offices and printing presses.

My two law firm colleagues on one of my visits, Margaret Hoffmann and Brian (Brain) King – did not hesitate to join me for drinks even though they were both Super Lawyers and it was with somebody from firm Management.

I look back fondly on those pre-retirement days and was thus heartened by a post in a blog I follow. Writer John Chilson, a content strategist and writer for architects, developers and urbanists, also has a fascinating blog – Lost Oregon. One of John’s laudable missions is to save historic building in the State.

“‘Lost Oregon’ aims to document the history of architecture of Oregon, some buildings lost to time, others being repurposed, recast, and reused, others rising anew. Oregon has a ton of great old commercial buildings with great bones. Let’s be creative with them instead of tearing them down.”

John did a great narrative with pictures in a post entitled, “The Mummy’s Mystery.” I was flattered that he included a link to my post on Thebeerchaser, but what made it even better was a comment from another noted Northwest writer, photographer and architect – Harley Cowan. (see below)

Harley, like John, has an incredibly interesting background and we’re fortunate to have both of them in Portland

External Photo Attribution at the end of the Post (#1 – #2)

Harley’s comment on the Lost Oregon blog post was great:

“While working at Yost Grube Hall Architecture in the nearby PacWest Building, we would occasionally take an office happy hour at Mummy’s and take over the place–which wasn’t hard because it wasn’t big–because Joachim Grube enjoyed it so much. It reminded him of his time in Sudan in the 1960s. The two Egyptian guys who owned it were real characters–very friendly, talkative, and funny as hell if you were paying attention. They called Joachim ‘The Big Boss.’

My understanding was that Oregonian staff were regulars before the paper moved. We would joke that the atmosphere at Mummy’s was dead, but when it filled up, it was fun, authentic, and strange. You really felt like you weren’t in Portland anymore. The owners, always found sitting at their same places at the bar, would criticize us on entry for not coming back sooner. We need more places like this. It’s a loss for sure. A relic from another time.”

What I loved about this comment was that Yost Grube Hall was my law firm’s primary architects (we went through many remodels and expansions with them) and I knew Joachim (who passed away in 2022) and others in the firm well, although never aware of their affinity for Mummy’s.

Check into the Lost Oregon website. John is a talented writer and conveys his expertise well. https://lostoregon.org/2026/01/19/the-golden-nugget-milwaukies-almost-hidden-gem/

It’s obvious to me that although Mummy’s no longer serves great gin martinis or the best falafel sandwich in Portland in what some fondly described as a “tomb experience”, it’s legacy will never be buried.

How Dare You Discriminate!

The NCAA College Football Playoffs are now history and pigskin fans wait with anticipation for the Super Bowl on February 8. That said, a recent Substack column by my friend and former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter – Dwight (The Godfather) Jaynes – longtime broadcaster and journalist caught my attention and brought to light a grievous situation. (#4)

“They have changed team nicknames everywhere, but there’s one that should be cancelled now!”

Take a look at this excerpt and you will see why I thought the post was excellent. (#5)

OK, I understand the new world order. I get it that we all have to look for new ways not to offend people. We must work at simply being nicer. I get it. My former high school changed its nickname from Indians to Warriors decades ago…The Redskins are gone and the MLB Indians have turned into Guardians…

I’m not fighting any of those changes. What bothers me, though, is that not all the offensive nicknames have been changed. There are some nasty ones still out there. And we’re seeing it right now in the College Football Playoffs.

There is one school out there torturing a group of people who are largely unable to defend themselves. It isn’t fair and I guess I’m going to have to step up and call attention to this terrible injustice…Mississippi and its fans are nasty. Unaware, perhaps, of what they’re doing.

‘Ole Miss.’

Come on now. One of the first rules I learned as a kid was ‘Respect your elders.’ It has to stop…This is blatant sexism, which hurts even more because of the blatant ageism…

Although I haven’t used AI for any writing, a few images for the blog have been fun to employ so I had it create the following and asked The Godfather for permission to cite his column. I thought this image nailed it! (#6)

While my high school alma mater Oregon City didn’t need to change our mascot name from “Pioneers,” there was for a time, some ill-advised clamor about “Pioneer Pete’s” appearance.

When my class graduated in 1966, our parting gift was a massive plywood rendering of Pioneer Pete (replete with musket and bowie knife) to hang at the entrance to the gym which it did for years until a new school was built in 2003.

Fortunately, in 2001 when a few activists wanted to “emasculate” our mascot by “photo-shopping” out his musket or trashing existing images, the ill-conceived move was ultimately resisted – overcome by objections from a broad swath of alumni.

One suggestion was to replace the musket with a flagpole. (It might have been hard for pioneers to kill game with a flagpole…. #7)

I recounted this story in a 2012 Beerchaser post, because it was quite interesting as reported in this excerpt from the December 12, 2001 story in The Oregonian:

” A burly guy with a coonskin cap, Pioneer Pete stands like a sentinel throughout Oregon City High School. He stares from hallway murals, the backs of varsity jackets and walls in the gymnasium and football stadium.

A musket in his grip and a knife slung off his hip, Pioneer Pete is catching some flak these days. Some students and administrators say his weapon-toting ways break rules that apply to students. He’s even been booted off the cover of a brochure advertising the search for a new superintendent.”

For Better or Worse? (#8)

The pandemic brought global and national changes from its declaration in March 2020 to May 2023, when it was officially announced as ended by the World Health Organization. That said, many of the adjustments we made as individuals during that difficult period linger or have become permanent parts of our daily lives.

It changed our routines in working, shopping, traveling and socializing. A Pew Research study from just a year after the pandemic started revealed:

“The vast majority of Americans (89%) mentioned at least one negative change in their own lives, while a smaller share (though still a 73% majority) mentioned at least one unexpected upside. Two-thirds (67%) of Americans mentioned at least one negative and at least one positive change since the pandemic began.“

One old guy’s (not me….) response was pretty representative –“The destruction of our routines has been disorienting.”

It was very difficult for quite a while, to see our four granddaughters exclusively and then primarily by FaceTime. Trips to the gym stopped and ZOOM became an ongoing occurrence in everything from attending church, non-profit board meetings and Happy Hour and social gatherings.

I had visited and reviewed almost 400 bars and breweries from the start of Thebeerchaser.com in 2011 until the pandemic and in the next three years, the additions numbered only about twenty until I could hit new establishments with abandon again.

Since travel was largely restricted, it did, however, motivate me to reconnect with some of my former college and work associates I hadn’t seen in years by ZOOM.

NROTC Class of 1970 — Mulvey, Palmer and Williams

For example, Jerry (Rodent) Mulvey, Bill Palmer and I started a quarterly ZOOM meeting which has continued and provides an opportunity to recount stories from our midshipman summer training cruises and college pranks. (Usually, they’re the same ones we related one quarter before, but forgot…)

Janet and I initiated one hobby in 2020 which has continued and we really enjoy – jigsaw puzzling. Maybe it was Deepak Chopra’s quote that started it although it was probably more due to boredom and trying to divert our minds from the news and figure out what was happening.

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.”

We started with 300-piece, graduated to 500-piece and now only do 1,000 piece. Since 2020, we have done at least 100 puzzles of all different brands and images. You can see a few of our favorites below:

And the experts have supposedly asserted that tackling these challenges is good for the brain:

“Studies have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can improve cognition and visual-spatial reasoning. The act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together requires concentration and improves short-term memory and problem solving.” (https://blogs.bcm.edu/2020/10/29/a-perfect-match-the-health-benefits-of-jigsaw-puzzles/)

I would suggest, however, that the concussive ramifications of knocking one’s head against the wall when stumped may refute that theory. And oh, are they addictive – “I’m just going to get one more piece or make this connection before I go to bed….”

Janet and I are both grateful to my former legal management colleague, Linda Lehmann (see photo below) for her encouragement and generosity in helping us get started and continuing in this healthy activity. (#9)

And finally, after the pandemic, puzzles have been a good family activity (albeit sometimes competitive) especially on beach trips – and the granddaughters participate.

So try it – although with the focus it requires, I recommend saving your brewski until afterwards.

Cheers and Go Seahawks

External Photo Attribution

#1. Harley Cowan website (https://www.harleycowan.com/contact).

#2. Linked-in site for John Chilson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmchilson/In)

#3. Oregon Live obituaries (Joachim Grube Obituary (1932 – 2022) – Portland, OR – The Oregonian)

#4. Dwight Jaynes Facebook site ((1) Facebohttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=753233004833086&set=t.728951893&type=3ok)

#5. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_of_Mississippi_water_tower.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Fredlyfish4 – 17 November 2018.

#6. AI Image Generator

#7. Oregon City High School website (https://www.ochspioneers.org).

#8. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wikiproject_COVID-19_-_logo.svg#/media/File:Wikiproject_COVID-19_-_logo.svg). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Ederporto – 14 April 2020.

#9. Linda Lehmann Facebook site.

Light Your Bulb at the Tulip Shop Tavern

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post. #)

Since I started my Beerchasing retirement hobby in the fall of 2011, I’v visited over 425 bars and breweries. About 140 have been in the Portland metro area – close to my home. That said, there are still many wonderful watering holes waiting for a Beerchasing expedition.

For example, I recently “discovered” Jerry’s Tavern – an outstanding dive bar that’s been adding hundreds of bottles to the sales of Miller High Life. Opening only about eighteen months ago, it has risen to the ranks of favorite dive bar for many Portlanders.

I needed a new bar for me to get together with a group of “old guys” who periodically gather for beer and to tell stories. Since most of the group are lawyers, the stories aren’t that interesting…but the camaraderie is good.

Past mustering of this group over the last two years has included the Basement Pub, the Sandy Jug, and Holman’s:

Since our last gathering towards the end of 2025, we added a few to the group, so I needed an establishment that had at least one large table and where the music and crowd noise wouldn’t preclude our conversations.

After some research and based on recommendations, I chose the Tulip Shop Tavern (hereafter TST) for a late Wednesday afternoon gathering. I was impressed with the owners’ backgrounds, the reviews and the ambiance.

That said, after a very positive experience, one of our group lamented:

“Williams, you must be losing your touch. This place has too much class. Next time we need a hardcore dive.”

That comment was taken under advisement by the Executive Committee (that would be me – Thebeerchaser.)

As the co-owner, Devon Treadwell stated:

““Tyler (her husband) and I take a lot of pride in making our home space cozy, ‘Devon Treadwell says. ‘We don’t want it to feel cold and dirty, but nice and warm. People want to hang out here.’” (Portland Eater 3/21/19)

They have succeeded in that desire.

Why You Should Raise a Mug at the Tulip Shop

(#1)

Tyler and Devon Treadwell are entrepreneurs and respected pros in the Portland hospitality industry. As stated in New Schoolbeer.com shortly after they opened TST in May, 2019:

“…Tyler and Devon Treadwell, local hospitality industry veterans, have quietly opened their tavern without much fanfare…Tyler Treadwell was on duty on a pleasantly warm evening, mixing drinks and pouring beers like a pro with years of experience, which in fact he is, with stints at Cascade’s Barrel House, Saraveza, and the Rum Club.

His wife, Devon, has put in working time at Higgins, Sweedeedee, and yes, also at the Rum Club.”

Perhaps their success with the Tulip Shop evolves from a combination of their prior experience, good instincts, willing to take risks, luck and a strong work ethic:

“The Treadwells put no small amount of sweat equity into the space, taking over the former Pop Tavern premises, putting in a lot of elbow grease to clean it up, and remodeling where needed.” (New School Beer)

They also have complementary skills – he handles the beverages including the outstanding cocktails (“The cocktails here get wild with a laundry list of spirits.”) and she handles the food:

“…The menu includes burgers, pork schnitzel, pickle-brined fried chicken, and Alaskan cod sandwiches, all using Dos Hermanos milk buns. TST also has beer-battered onion rings and French fries served with sauces made in-house including curry ketchup and Alabama white barbecue. Specials have included cheeses and chicken sandwiches.” (Portland Eater 4/20/23 – “15 Best Restaurants and Bars Along Killingsworth Street in Portland”)

Both the cocktails and the food have gotten rave reviews as has the ambiance.gg

And speaking of favorable reactions in the six years since they’ve been open, the TST is often mentioned. They made the list of Portland Monthly’s ten best bars in 2023. In addition to asserting that TST was the City’s best burger bar, Oregon Live’s Michael Russel included it in the list of Portland’s best bistros in 2024.

The awards continued in in 2025 with a ranking of 33 in Oregon Live’s best 40 Portland restaurants.

And social media reviews are quite positive – almost effusive as is this one from Yelp in July 2025:

“Get the double smash burger and thank me later. It was quite possibly the most perfectly cooked smash burger patty I’ve eaten. Crazy good. On top of the amazing burger, the rest of the experience was pretty solid, too. The onion rings were delicious, and the staff were very friendly as well. All in all, a solid spot that I’d gladly revisit

“Crazy good” (#2)

Since my group of old guys, just drank beer and did not try the food, I returned a week later with my former lawyer colleague at the Schwabe firm, John Mansfield – a “victim” of many prior Beerchases.

John had the Daily Special – three tacos for only $11. I feasted on the fried-chicken sandwich ($15). We both agreed that the menu and quality of food merits a return trip(s).

By the way, our server, Rochelle, was a gem and Darren the bartender was also great.

I had a nice chat with Tyler Treadwell and his vision was impressive. First, he was smart to hitchhike on the same great location of two previous dive bars which had been successful but eventually closed.

NE Killingsworth is an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants that has a following both by locals and those from the burbs. The prior two bars also had character:

Ducketts from 2010 to 2016 – “… a bar should be a place where everyone feels welcome and as I kept an eye on the broad cross-section of humanity ambling in and out the front door my heart warmed to this little neighborhood dive.”

Pop Tavern from 2016 to 2019 – “For a bar explicitly devoted to pop, there’s a sense that this, finally, is a place where history is preserved… as advertised by a lit-up indoor marquee that faces only toward the people already drinking, ‘LESS FASHION MORE THRASHIN’, the sign might entreat the bar’s drinkers.”

Tyler and Devon upgraded the bar so it’s (in Thebeerchaser’s opinion) a seamless integration of an upscale dive and neighborhood bar. That said, Tyler stated that he is well aware that bars go through cycles and need to adapt and change to both retain existing customers and attract new patrons. (#3)

It should be noted about the only complaint besides it being very busy (any bar owner would love that complaint) was that the loud music along with multiple conversations made it difficult to have a discussion. Our group of old guys wouldn’t offer that lament as it would lead to inquiries about which of us had hearing aids.

(Above left to right – Kimball Ferris, John Kelly, Larry Frank, Doug Blomgren, Doug Walta, Bernie Stea and Don Williams)

Although I have a lot of Portland bars I’ve never visited to this point which need exploration, I’ll definitely return to the Tulip Shop Tavern. Besides supporting a great hospitality couple and the robust food menu at reasonable prices, there are exotic cocktails and slushees to investigate.

We stuck to the draft beer lineup, which was great, but as one mixed drink connoisseur stated: “A cocktail is a hug you give yourself.” Anyone reading the news these days, certainly needs a hug. A slushee would also fill the bill and they look outstanding.

“Stay thirsty, my friend!” (#4 – #7 above) (#8 – #9 below)

External Photo Attribution

#1 Tulip Shop Tavern photo as appearing in Eater Portland.com May 23, 2019 (Two Rum Club Alums Open Their Killingsworth Americana Bar Tomorrow [Updated] | Eater Portland).

#2 Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1426513856143969&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000&type=3).

#3 Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=335177764527053&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000&type=3).

#4. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/tulipshoptavern/photos/pb.100063561036461.-2207520000/142666123778219/?type=3).

#5. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1132005755594782&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000&type=3).

#6. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1182866800508677&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000&type=3)

#7. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1229264675868889&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000&type=3).

#8. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1228521969276493&set=pb.100063561036461.-2207520000).

#9. Tulip Shop Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=497126849082679&set=a.4971268390826800).

Thebeerchaser’s Year-end Stocking Stuffers

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

Well, Beerchasers, I’m going to start the New Year with some unfinished business and with belated Christmas greetings and miscellaneous tidbits I’ve been saving for the year-end. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

I have not succumbed to using ChatGPT or equivalent for any writing and AI conceptually scares the heck out of me, but I figured using it for images like these two was a good compromise.

My wife who had admonished me that if I got on a ladder, she’d leave me, agreed to hire somebody to put Christmas lights on our house this year and they did a great job.

I decided to supplement it with AI and loved the result. Some people even asked me if that was real. I asked Janet if we could send the image as our Christmas card…So much for that idea. (#2)

Greetings from Thebeerchaser!

Revisiting Jerry’s Tavern

In a recent blog post, I told you about a wonderful “new” Portland dive bar I discovered. Jerry’s Tavern – less than two years old, has already established itself as a premier Northwest dive. Even on its entrance, it purports to be “world famous.”

Portland Monthly Magazine asserted that Jerry’s had the best Bloody Mary in Portland.

“It’s the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever personally consumed in Portland, full stop, and an emblem of the perfected-classics ethos that guides Jerry’s Tavern.”

Since I had only consumed a Miller High Life on my first visit, I returned with my former colleague at the Schwabe Williamson law firm, Margaret Hoffmann. After we both downed a Bloody Mary, we agreed that it was pretty good, but the amount of testing to validate that premise at other bars was impractical.

Then in mid-December, Oregon Live food critic Michael Russell, in his column – “The Best Thing I Ate This Week” states emphatically:

“I thought I had a decent handle on Portland’s wing scene…In a single visit, Jerry’s Tavern upended all that.

The friendly Midwestern dive, tucked between the breweries and strip clubs of industrial Northwest Portland, serves the best wings I’ve had in Portland: big but not flabby, fried until the edges go all crispy, coated in a pitch-perfect Buffalo sauce.” (emphasis added)

Although it will be a challenge to pass up another meatloaf sandwich, Margaret and I agreed that we need a return trip – this time to try the wings.

Connections!

As I’ve stated before, I’m an Oregon State University Beaver and my wife, Janet is an Oregon Duck. The tradition of the Civil War Rivalry goes back to 1894 and has been contested 128 times through 2024. So, it’s hard for me to root for the Ducks – especially now that they’re in the Big Ten and the PAC12 is decimated.

That said, I admire former Duck and now Los Angeles Charger quarterback, Justin Herbert. He’s a true competitor and evidently a great teammate and leader. I was therefore interested to see that his current girlfriend is singer, Madison Beer. (#3 -#4)

The name Madison Beer vaguely rang a bell and then I remembered when we first ran into that moniker – the City of Boston in 2024. We had just finished a cruise from Montreal to Boston and had an extra day in Beantown, so we decided to hit Fenway Park where the Red Sox had an afternoon game with the Washington Nationals.

We didn’t want to rent a car and decided to brave mass transit. The hotel maître d’ gave us directions for using public transportation to get to Fenway. First, we had to take a bus to South Station. There are three levels to South Station and for help, we groveled and got a grumpy edict from a Transit Authority Officer:

“Take the Red Line to Park Street then the Green Line to Kenmore. Don’t screw it up or you’ll end up at Boston College.” Then he grinned (a little) and said, “Worst case is you’ll never return and your fate will be unknown….”

Well, after a bus trip and two subway lines, we finally walked about four blocks to Fenway and joined an excited throng about two hours before game time.

When I say, “excited throng”, I have to clarify because I realized that a significant portion of the crowd – lined up for several blocks – was not in line for the baseball game – they were waiting with great anticipation for a concert at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway.

“(It’s) a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose live performance venue that occupies roughly 91,500 square feet on four levels and accommodates 5,005 patrons.” (#5 – #6)

It was somewhat chilly and I wondered why most of the adolescent girls in line were dressed in tutus – in many cases supplemented by capes and tiaras. And most were without coats. I asked a security guard, and he said they were waiting for a Madison Beer concert scheduled to start at 7:30.

I thought Madison Beer was a micro-brewery in Wisconsin. I found out, however, that she’s a twenty-five-year-old singer- songwriter with ties to Justin Bieber. Fenway was one of sixty-three concerts on her 2023-2024 “Spinnin” world tour. These hardy kids had lined up five hours (or more) early for the evening concert for which they paid an average ticket price of $143.

Janet laughed and said, “Well, that’s one event at which you’d be way out of place even though you are Thebeerchaser!”

While Madison Beer and Canadian singer.Justin Bieber, had been good friends in the past, I would suggest that she picked the correct Justin for a more meaningful relationship! The quarterback is much better at the naked bootleg than the singer. (#7)

“The rain has its beauty, but my heart longs for the clear skies beyond it.”

We Oregonians are used to a wet environment. It’s usually either cloudy or rainy from late October through March. Most Oregonians don’t carry umbrellas – we get used to walking hastily through the drizzle. This year is different, however:

“(Up to) two-thirds of an inch of rain is likely for Portland by 12/5, while the coast could see between 1½ and 3 inches and the Cascades up to 4 inches of rain. Oregonians can handle rain, usually, but wind is another story

….Add the threat of winds up to 30 to 40 miles an hour, and Santa might want to do more than keep his wind surfboard handy. Willamette Week

How rainy was it? (#8 – #10)

Well, the term, “Atmospheric River” became part of the lexicon of Portland first graders.
Elementary school students became more concerned with hearing about landslides than the slides on their playground?
Last week, heavy rains triggered a sewage overflow advisory for the Willamette River because Portland’s Big Pipe hit capacity.

What seems somewhat paradoxical on the meteorological front is that winter temperatures so far have been very mild. But that has been economically catastrophic for Oregon ski resorts:

“Oregon ski areas typically open for the season around Thanksgiving, but here we are in mid-December and the runs on Mounts Hood and Bachelor are still alarmingly snow free.

The multiple atmospheric rivers that swept through the Willamette Valley last week did nothing to help the mountains’ snowpack because it was too warm. It all fell as rain, just like it did down here. Willamette Week 12/15/25 (#11 – #12)

I’m finishing this post still on the topic of weather and relating a story about my late friend, author, Brian Doyle. He passed away from brain cancer, far too young at 60 in 2017. Acclaimed for his essays and novels, he was also Editor of the award-winning Portland Magazine published at the University of Portland.

More importantly, people loved Brian for his humor, compassion and sense of spirituality, family and nature. He also had a unique writing style that made his work captivating.

We became friends and Beerchasing buddies in early 2013 when I wrote to him after reading about the “Brian Doyle Humor Scholarship” at the University of Portland where my younger daughter attended.

“No joke – you could earn one of five $3,333 Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor for students who propose a way to bring some laughs to the (UP campus.)

…The application should include a brief but detailed idea for a humorous project, which can be anything — videos, comic books, comedy nights, websites, performances, graphic novels, you name it!”

My letter stated that I was intrigued and impressed with this way to enhance campus life and wanted to “honor” him by naming him my next Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter – an accolade he could put on his resume right below Notary Public.

All it required, was for him to meet for a beer and an interview. Although a very busy guy, he agreed to meet me at the Fulton Pub. Brian drank wine, we had a wonderful conversation and a number of Beerchasing expeditions followed after that.

This talented author was also known as a gifted speaker. One reviewer wrote in 2010, “He’s an insanely intense and achingly vulnerable speaker who laughs and cries at his own stories.”

Brian spoke at a dinner of the Lang Syne Association in Portland in 2015. He gave one of his characteristic lists – things he appreciated about Oregon. Halfway through the inventory was this item: “A thorough patience and even appreciation for rain and mist and mud.” (emphasis supplied)

Brian and Dr. Sam Hollway at the St. John’s Pub

The next time we had a beer – at the St. John’s Pub on a stormy, yucky day, I chided him about paying tribute to our seemingly never-ending precipitation. Early the next day, I received a very short e-mail with only the words:

“Heh, Heh…”,

He attached an essay that was published in The American Scholar and included this excerpt:

“It has been raining so hard and thoroughly that the moss has moss on it. It has rained since last year, which is a remarkable sentence. Even the rain has had enough of the rain and it appears to be pale and weary when it shuffles to the lobby to punch in and out every day…….

Slugs have congregated in the basement and established a new religion complete with tithing expectations and plans for expansion into Latin American markets. Mold is now listed in the stock exchange.” (#13)

My tribute to Brian written in 2017 can be found here Brian Doyle – Beerchaser Eternal. It’s gloomy in Oregon today, but just remembering Brian, brightens up this and any day.