Out and about in the wilderness of Life

Buncha crazy people out this morning, like yours truly. But you won’t find me sporting a Santas helpers hat with fake ears!

Today I visited the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, PA.

I am visiting a friend in Harrisburg over the weekend when I thought it might be fun to take a drive over to Pottsville. It was only about an hour or so away and the weather was just fine for a fall drive. And it was a nice drive, we even took a more rural road part of the way out so we could enjoy the fall colors here in Pennsylvania.

Pottsville is a small town and really has one main claim to fame, the Yuengling brewery. The Yuengling family immigrated to the area and opened the brewery in 1829. And ever since then, through war, prohibition and wavering attitudes towards regional beers, it has been family owned and operated. In fact, the brewery has to be purchased by the family heir rather than a simple inheritance, this to me is a great principle to live by.

Over the last couple of decades they have expanded and now have two brewery’s in PA and one in the Tampa, FL area. But it is doubtful that they will ever stop producing at the Pottsville location as that would take away their title of America’s oldest brewery.

The tour was nice (and free), we went through several of the different production rooms where the beer is made and bottled. We also got the chance to go into the man made caves under neath the brewery. Here is where they used to ferment the brew before such processes were modernized.

After the tour we got a free sampling and of course spent money at the gift shop. Ever since moving to the east coast I have found that this is my new regional beer of choice. Even their light beer (premium that is) tastes really good!

So for the last year i have had chronic heel pain on my right foot. This comes and goes, so i didnt worry about it to much…until recently.

After my godsons visit my foot was killing me. It hurt to simply stand, much less walk. So i went to the doc and she had some xrays taken. Turns out the i have a nasty bone spur on my right heel.

Today i went to a podiatrist. He checked things out and said there was a 60% chance that through therapy I might get well…or at least well enough to walk without much restriction. Then there was 30% chance of professional therapy and a 10% chance of surgery.

Gotta go back in 2 weeks for a re-exam, this is one of my greatest fears. While I don’t like being over weight it didn’t stop me from walking (perhaps not as far as some, but still). Just hope I can get back on the trail soon.