Raucous!

As many of you know, I love words that are a bit more "nuanced" than the typical run-of-the mill words.  I have an "ear" for these words and tend to remember them when I hear or read them and enjoy using them to pepper my speech. 

"Raucous" is a word that I find quite delightful.  The formal, technical definition of "raucous" is

- making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise

 

However, the colloquial use of the word is so much broader.  It is contextually often used to denote a rather noisy party-ish sort of mindset one may have.  In the sentence below, this type of sentiment is akin to what I am attempting:

"I am hoping and planing to have a raucous, good time this evening!"

And, I believe that the above will be true.  My wife and I are planning to have my SIL and her husband (of course my BIL) over late this afternoon to chat and play Euchre.... and to at least eat snacks if not consume the ethereal delight formally called PIZZA.  I will try my damnedest though to limit myself to one slice... maybe.... just maybe TWO if my wife gets it with Italian Sausage. It is always delightful when they come over for we get to talk and laugh and have a very fun time also at Euchre. I will likely also have a beer or so while playing, which will further enhance the fun.     

Back in early December, while buying supplies for our Christmas celebration with folks, I purchased some wonderful bottles of an IPA called "Two Hearted Ale" which I was introduced to for the first time perhaps 2-3 years ago at a scientific meeting I was presenting at where it was one of the featured beers I could use my free drink ticket on at one of the evening events.  I had never seen it before, but being a biologist, I appreciated the label, as did many of the other biology cohorts at this meeting.  It appeared to be the most popular selection of the various libations we had to select from.  

It was a truly WONDERFUL IPA.  It was incredibly robust and "hoppy" in flavor with a deep, malt-like texture and flavor as well.  It was so wonderful that I kept the bottle cap as a momento of sorts to remember it more specifically.  

Well, back to Christmas.... because of a variety of circumstances (illnesses and conflicts) our gathering had a few folks missing.... including the folks who would appreciate the beauty of this IPA who I had ear marked purchasing this for.  We do not have many drinkers of alcohol in our family, and of the few who do, none are heavy drinkers in our broad family. And in that small pool of folks who will occasionally drink, we do not have many folks who appreciate IPAs either.  So, for the non-teetotaler folks who would enjoy a beer, I also bought some traditional, typical (read as... "blah") beer that they like.... for them (Bud Light).  At Christmas, three of the six Bud Light were consumed by folks.  None of the six "Two Hearted Ale" bottles were consumed.  I ended up not consuming an IPA (nor one of the "blah" bottles either) because I had wanted it to be a shared experience with the folks (who ended up being sick).  

But.... I am GOING to have one of those "Two Hearted Ale" bottles this afternoon!  It will be a beautiful, celebratory beer referencing my funded grant! Hell, I may even have TWO!  

If I feel like being truly raucous..... perhaps.... just perhaps...  I will even allow myself to have THREE.  But, I do not know....  I have a very sneaking suspicion that my resolve about not smoking a pipe at home might evaporate if I were to indulge in three of these delicious IPAs.  

It is odd.... now that in the nearly six years I have refrained from smoking my pipe (well, other than the TWO delightful exceptions..... one bowlful at Iwan Reis in Chicago... and one at the cemetery on my Father's 100th Birthday).... I am not sure if having a pipe at home.... could be a one-time thing or if it would be the event akin to the final drop of water to make the dam burst..... and I would fall back into my prior patterns of indulgence of the beautiful leaf.  

But, we shall see how it goes.  No matter what, I am hoping for a wonderful time!  

Now, to get a helluva lot of paperwork and writing off my desk this morning.  Some grading..... a lot more Institutional Review Board nonsense..... and also two different meetings.... before I can work on my classes for next week.  

* * * * *

Oh.... I DID stomp out my miles today and have hit the minimum 50 miles (~80km) I aim for each week.  So.... my tired hooves can rest Saturday and Sunday!

PipeTobacco