Puppies In Sweaters!
Nov. 16th, 2014 07:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeThe last week at work has been exceptionally difficult, with me having to work nearly 60 hours to resolve a persistent Dutch problem. This included late nights on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, so by the time Friday rolled around, I was tired, frustrated and incredibly pissed off. Added to this was the fact I hadn't had a holiday in a while and it's fair to say that I had somewhat burned myself out. This, I'm sure, is one of the reasons why I've been feeling detached from the fandom over the last few weeks and generally down overall. I thought I was largely ranting to myself on this journal but it's amazing how many people have expressed concerns about my mental state due to the posts over the last week. I have appreciated the support.
Friday was my birthday meal in Leeds and if I was being honest, before the event I wasn't really in the mood, preferring instead to sit in my own and listening to loud music. Either that or I was in a destructive mood and just wanted to get wasted - which is rare for me. However, it was a rare opportunity to get some of my closest friends together to celebrate my birthday as I have a tradition of always being abroad for it. This is the case this year too - I'm writing this entry on a plane bound for Rome - but I thought I would arrange something with my friends this time as I always seem to miss out due to my always being away. I feared work overrunning - it being my last day prior to a week off - and while I was out far later than I had hoped, I still got into town for 6:45pm ahead of the meal that I had booked at Bird and Beast for 7:30pm. With a little time to kill, I opted to head into a new bar called Brotherhood, which is where the scuzzy Mission nightclub used to be. There was a hipster man standing outside trying to get everyone inside and he interrupted a phone conversation I was having with my mother at the time. He seemed quite apologetic and sir pseudo when I opted to go into the establishment and he personally served me with my beer, a craft effort brewed specifically for them. There was little craft beer on tap apart from this but the bar was nicely bohemian while in summer you could see the front doors would open out to endure a continental style cafe culture with romantic views of Merrion Street. The squash racquets hanging on the wall were a nice touch while the big screens suggest this would be a great bar to watch live sport as it's more cultured with a far better range of beer. I also spied sister bar Manhatta underneath this one, a New York style food joint very similar to The Pit in Harrogate.
I met Wolfie in Brotherhood, where he sampled their unique craft ale too, before we headed down to Bird and Beast, bumping into Entei-rah on the way. I chose this rotisserie place as they had been good to us some three months earlier one Sunday where we dared to turn up at 7:58pm when that stopped serving at 8pm. They were clearing the lines so we got a lot of free beer while they had ran out of chicken so they cooked us one of the most exquisite Sunday dinners I have ever tasted. Sadly other meats are only on the menu on a Sunday so it was chicken all the way on Friday, with the rotisserie really adding to the succulence of the offering. The basting was just divine while the range of sides, including elongated sweet potato and crispy coleslaw meant I was more than satisfied. As it was my birthday, I also opted for a dessert, a mint chocolate mousse with whipped cream and a little chocolate decoration in the shape of a chicken's foot, which is also their logo. They are a classy place, phoning me two hours prior to the booking to check all was well, although they did also phone me during the meal thinking I am someone called James. The proprietor spoke to me during the meal asking what "weird group" we are apart of - he initially thought we all worked together but I kept him guessing, revealing it was something to do with the Internet but nothing more.
As part of my birthday, I also got some wonderful presents. Arc and Draken bought me a doggy bedpan (read lunchbox) and doggy baby bottles where you suck their noses to get the fluid out, both from IKEA. They also got me some anime books in Japanese - I've only had six lessons in the language but it's something to which to aspire. Meanwhile Stray got me some real ale - all southern based sadly - while the cards I received were all touching. Puppies in sweaters yey!!
Since we last visited, which I think was late August, they have opened a new bar called Bird and Beats across the corridor. This is a swanky cocktail bar with the same ambience and dark green paint as the formal hall at my college in Cambridge. Consequently I felt right at home and after some confusion with the bill, we paid and headed over there for some post meal drinks. Draken kindly bought a cocktail for me - one with gin which I got as it was the pinkest on the menu - while we chatted about an idea I have concerning living in Japan for three months sometime in either 2016 or 2017. Draken was on fine form, enjoying his espresso martinis, and I think he would have stayed out later had Arcais not needed to get home as she had to get up at 6am to go to Doncaster and help some elderly people do some Christmas shopping. I was also delighted to find out that Arc and Draken may be at my office Christmas party, as Draken's work's party seems to be at the same place at the same time. I'm now far more excited by the event, having been 50-50 whether to turn up before at all. This was pretty much the last thing we talked about and by this time, Adia, Soma (both of whom sadly I didn't speak to much as they were at opposite ends of the table to me but at least we finally managed to give Soma his birthday present, a border collie pawpet) and Ent had already left while Stray went along with Draken and Arc back to Bradford.
This left the three of us, Wolfie, Taneli and myself and as we left the bar, we noticed the last number 4 bus trundling past, meaning we had missed it. Faced with getting a taxi back anyway, we opted to stay out a little, particularly as my mood had got progressively better as the evening had progressed. Knowing it was Friday night and thus likely to be busy, the three of us opted to go to the other side of the river as there are a few bars there we felt would be a little quieter. One of them is a new venture just opened by the Northern Monk Brewery, an itinerant brewer who has settled down on the south side of the city. The brewery opened in August with the bar coming a mere three weeks ago. The publicity has been awesome as I am sure I had heard about it a lot longer ago than mid-October. The brewery is in an old mill and it was very atmospheric walking down the narrow industrial streets to get there, with the autumn mist closing in and reducing visibility to about 10m. The occasional car loomed out of the gloom (including one whose owner had left the lights on) and after initially struggling to find the building, we eventually did and clunked our way up the industrial metal stairs and into the minimalist bar on the first floor above the brewing area. This place immediately reminded me of the bar on the Tennants Brewery in Glasgow and we were soon sat by an industrial light, looking at a fogged up Victorian courtyard that was stereotypically Dickensian. It added atmosphere and we got to try a range of top brews from Northern Monk as we opted for a taster tray - five third pints for £8. Their strongest ones were the darker ones, which were so good that even Taneli and I liked them, and we are not particularly fond of dark beer. Despite it being late and slightly out of the way, the bar was busy without it being backed, while the bald barman and the chief brewer, who was sat at the bar, were both great to talk to and knowledgeable of their craft. They even suggested I buy the pork Scratchings and they were delicious. I also got some guest double IPA too which was heavenly. Most of their beers were from 'The North' or by them, with the menus saying exactly that. Another tick in my book.
We stayed here until closing time, being the last ones to leave. We phoned a taxi and it proved to be a lot cheaper than just hailing a cab at that hour. They refused to pick us up on a street corner though so we had to stand outside another pub, ironically on a corner, for them to accept our fare. The mist was closing ever in so walking back into the city centre may not have been a great idea anyway plus by the time of our wait, we wouldn't have been able to get a taxi from the city centre in that time anyway. A great move by Taneli and a thrifty end to a brilliant evening - an evening I desperately needed due to the week I had had. I didn't get wasted in the end either, not even drunk but a nice amount if beer. These days that's more of a sung of a good time to me so thanks to everyone who came, it was really appreciated.
Friday was my birthday meal in Leeds and if I was being honest, before the event I wasn't really in the mood, preferring instead to sit in my own and listening to loud music. Either that or I was in a destructive mood and just wanted to get wasted - which is rare for me. However, it was a rare opportunity to get some of my closest friends together to celebrate my birthday as I have a tradition of always being abroad for it. This is the case this year too - I'm writing this entry on a plane bound for Rome - but I thought I would arrange something with my friends this time as I always seem to miss out due to my always being away. I feared work overrunning - it being my last day prior to a week off - and while I was out far later than I had hoped, I still got into town for 6:45pm ahead of the meal that I had booked at Bird and Beast for 7:30pm. With a little time to kill, I opted to head into a new bar called Brotherhood, which is where the scuzzy Mission nightclub used to be. There was a hipster man standing outside trying to get everyone inside and he interrupted a phone conversation I was having with my mother at the time. He seemed quite apologetic and sir pseudo when I opted to go into the establishment and he personally served me with my beer, a craft effort brewed specifically for them. There was little craft beer on tap apart from this but the bar was nicely bohemian while in summer you could see the front doors would open out to endure a continental style cafe culture with romantic views of Merrion Street. The squash racquets hanging on the wall were a nice touch while the big screens suggest this would be a great bar to watch live sport as it's more cultured with a far better range of beer. I also spied sister bar Manhatta underneath this one, a New York style food joint very similar to The Pit in Harrogate.
I met Wolfie in Brotherhood, where he sampled their unique craft ale too, before we headed down to Bird and Beast, bumping into Entei-rah on the way. I chose this rotisserie place as they had been good to us some three months earlier one Sunday where we dared to turn up at 7:58pm when that stopped serving at 8pm. They were clearing the lines so we got a lot of free beer while they had ran out of chicken so they cooked us one of the most exquisite Sunday dinners I have ever tasted. Sadly other meats are only on the menu on a Sunday so it was chicken all the way on Friday, with the rotisserie really adding to the succulence of the offering. The basting was just divine while the range of sides, including elongated sweet potato and crispy coleslaw meant I was more than satisfied. As it was my birthday, I also opted for a dessert, a mint chocolate mousse with whipped cream and a little chocolate decoration in the shape of a chicken's foot, which is also their logo. They are a classy place, phoning me two hours prior to the booking to check all was well, although they did also phone me during the meal thinking I am someone called James. The proprietor spoke to me during the meal asking what "weird group" we are apart of - he initially thought we all worked together but I kept him guessing, revealing it was something to do with the Internet but nothing more.
As part of my birthday, I also got some wonderful presents. Arc and Draken bought me a doggy bedpan (read lunchbox) and doggy baby bottles where you suck their noses to get the fluid out, both from IKEA. They also got me some anime books in Japanese - I've only had six lessons in the language but it's something to which to aspire. Meanwhile Stray got me some real ale - all southern based sadly - while the cards I received were all touching. Puppies in sweaters yey!!
Since we last visited, which I think was late August, they have opened a new bar called Bird and Beats across the corridor. This is a swanky cocktail bar with the same ambience and dark green paint as the formal hall at my college in Cambridge. Consequently I felt right at home and after some confusion with the bill, we paid and headed over there for some post meal drinks. Draken kindly bought a cocktail for me - one with gin which I got as it was the pinkest on the menu - while we chatted about an idea I have concerning living in Japan for three months sometime in either 2016 or 2017. Draken was on fine form, enjoying his espresso martinis, and I think he would have stayed out later had Arcais not needed to get home as she had to get up at 6am to go to Doncaster and help some elderly people do some Christmas shopping. I was also delighted to find out that Arc and Draken may be at my office Christmas party, as Draken's work's party seems to be at the same place at the same time. I'm now far more excited by the event, having been 50-50 whether to turn up before at all. This was pretty much the last thing we talked about and by this time, Adia, Soma (both of whom sadly I didn't speak to much as they were at opposite ends of the table to me but at least we finally managed to give Soma his birthday present, a border collie pawpet) and Ent had already left while Stray went along with Draken and Arc back to Bradford.
This left the three of us, Wolfie, Taneli and myself and as we left the bar, we noticed the last number 4 bus trundling past, meaning we had missed it. Faced with getting a taxi back anyway, we opted to stay out a little, particularly as my mood had got progressively better as the evening had progressed. Knowing it was Friday night and thus likely to be busy, the three of us opted to go to the other side of the river as there are a few bars there we felt would be a little quieter. One of them is a new venture just opened by the Northern Monk Brewery, an itinerant brewer who has settled down on the south side of the city. The brewery opened in August with the bar coming a mere three weeks ago. The publicity has been awesome as I am sure I had heard about it a lot longer ago than mid-October. The brewery is in an old mill and it was very atmospheric walking down the narrow industrial streets to get there, with the autumn mist closing in and reducing visibility to about 10m. The occasional car loomed out of the gloom (including one whose owner had left the lights on) and after initially struggling to find the building, we eventually did and clunked our way up the industrial metal stairs and into the minimalist bar on the first floor above the brewing area. This place immediately reminded me of the bar on the Tennants Brewery in Glasgow and we were soon sat by an industrial light, looking at a fogged up Victorian courtyard that was stereotypically Dickensian. It added atmosphere and we got to try a range of top brews from Northern Monk as we opted for a taster tray - five third pints for £8. Their strongest ones were the darker ones, which were so good that even Taneli and I liked them, and we are not particularly fond of dark beer. Despite it being late and slightly out of the way, the bar was busy without it being backed, while the bald barman and the chief brewer, who was sat at the bar, were both great to talk to and knowledgeable of their craft. They even suggested I buy the pork Scratchings and they were delicious. I also got some guest double IPA too which was heavenly. Most of their beers were from 'The North' or by them, with the menus saying exactly that. Another tick in my book.
We stayed here until closing time, being the last ones to leave. We phoned a taxi and it proved to be a lot cheaper than just hailing a cab at that hour. They refused to pick us up on a street corner though so we had to stand outside another pub, ironically on a corner, for them to accept our fare. The mist was closing ever in so walking back into the city centre may not have been a great idea anyway plus by the time of our wait, we wouldn't have been able to get a taxi from the city centre in that time anyway. A great move by Taneli and a thrifty end to a brilliant evening - an evening I desperately needed due to the week I had had. I didn't get wasted in the end either, not even drunk but a nice amount if beer. These days that's more of a sung of a good time to me so thanks to everyone who came, it was really appreciated.
