I had a great 4th of July weekend. We headed over to Diamond and Portia’s for a barbecue. Diamond, always great with a barbecue, really outdid himself this time. 
Using a gigantic grill, he cooked up several dozen pieces of succulent chicken, going through 20+ bottles of barbeque sauce while he was at it. Great beer, excellent food, video games and great conversation highlighted a fun weekend 🙂
Last Wednesday was OMSI After Dark, featuring the Science of Home Brewing. The Brew Package included OMSI After Dark admission, a pint glass, and 10 tokens, all for $25 for non-members. Many of Oregon and Washington’s craft brewers were on site, each offering two of their brews for sampling. The selection disappointed me greatly, as almost everything available was either a Pale Ale or one of a variety of High IBU assorted Ales, both of which I strongly dislike. There were no Porters or Heffeweizens, and only a few Stouts.
I did find a true gem hidden amongst the cornucopia of crappy IPAs: Fort George Brewery, out of Astoria (Goonie Land!) offered their Spank Stout, a deliciously dark and flavorful concoction spiced with five types of peppers, including habaneros. I’d like to try it again soon, as my perception of it may have been colored by my dislike of the other selections.
The Narnia exhibit was fun to see. They had props and costumes up from all three recent movies. Its always surprising how cheap and shoddy they look in person. Quality Film, lighting, filters and effects do wonders to improve the authenticity of cheap props.
In the middle of the exhibit, a weapons and armor demonstration was set up. I had a chance to hold and test several types of swords. It was great research for my upcoming Lucas Crichton book, as I’d had a few questions regarding grips. Pictured below is a giant broadsword. 
As much as I loved it, it is a bit bigger than Crichton’s sword, “Bone”, will end up being. But not by much. In general I’ve been very impressed by the exhibits and events offered at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Few if any states have an equivalent facility that is as engaged with the public and as willing to experiment with non-traditional offerings.
daltonchadeverett 