THE FATHER BLOG

TGIF everyone. Been a busy week of travel, work, and dealing with a puppy who was spayed on Monday and not allowing her to bit and lick her stitches. Three major factors have contributed to helping this go quite well so far: 1. a dog surgery recovery suit. 2. my wife who has been dealing with her 99% of the time and doing amazing 3. dog sedatives to keep her calm. The vet office says Delaney is “high-spirited”. We think that is just fancy talk for saying she is bat shit crazy. There is truth to that…but I love her either way.

Anyhow, back to the summer dad – must have item. Blackstone Griddle! I picked up one of these a few weeks ago and we love this thing. We’ve done fish, Mexican street corn, and chicken fried rice so far. Super easy to use, not hard to clean, and just does some things a grill can’t do. Looking forward to using it again tonight with some beers in hand.

The weather is getting warmer and BBQ season is here in NJ. (for the record, we grill year long regardless of the weather). Just like I mentioned the three things making Delaney’s recovery go well, here is the list of what you need in your BBQ pit this summer: 1. A good grill 2. a Blackstone Griddle. 3. a smoker

Happy Friday and happy cooking!

The typical definition of a Beer Mule is basically any variation of the Moscow Mule or a drink that replaces the liquor base with a beer base. This is not the Beer Mule that I’m referring to however. Here is my definition of a Beer Mule, why you need a few of them, and why you need to embrace the roll yourself.

As a self proclaimed craft beer nerd, there are beers that are just special to see making an appearance in the beer fridge that bring a smile to one’s face. I’ve mentioned before that living in NJ, there is nothing better than having a few cases of Treehouse or Trillium in the fridge to choose from and share with friends. However, neither of those breweries are around the corner. Treehouse is a solid 8+ hour round trip and Trillium is a little further.

However, over the years, I have built up a solid group of friends (myself included) that fall into the category of “Beer Mules”.

The Beer Mule is someone who will haul your beer from a brewery and back to your local area for you.

So when one of the mules sent me a text this past week and said to set up a pickup for Treehouse because he was stopping by this past Saturday, it made for a great weekend! No 8+ hour drive, no hauling cases across the parking lot on a hand truck and keeping them cold for days to make the delivery. Just a quick trunk transfer this week and I’m set for top notch beer for a bit.

I will be making a trip to Boston in the summer and will be gladly returning the favor as well as picking up for my other mules. I see probably having close to 10-12 cases of Treehouse and Trillium in the car with me on that trip to disperse among 5-6 guys. Some of us get up to that area more often that others (lots of fall and winter hockey tournaments up that way to pass by) but I’m always happy to grab stuff. We are also not limited to just those breweries. I have brought back beer and received beer from all over the country…and some internationally as well.

So if you are a craft beer guy like me, do yourself a favor, and start developing your own network of mules. It’s well worth it!! Cheers.

After the Easter weekend, I woke up this morning to the report that Pope Francis had died. Growing up Catholic and attending Catholic school all the way through 12th grade, it was always a big deal when a Pope passed and we learned about the conclave and the secret chamber of voting. During my childhood, I only vaguely remember when Pope John Paul I passed just 33 days into his tenure as Pope. Oddly enough, 33 days was only the 11th shortest tenure as Pope.

The list of the 11 shortest-reigning popes^[1] includes:

1. Pope Urban VII (September 15–September 27, 1590):^[11] reigned for 13 calendar days,^[a] died before consecration.
2. Pope Boniface VI (April, 896):^[12] reigned for 16 calendar days
3. Pope Celestine IV (October 25–November 10, 1241):^[13] reigned for 17 calendar days, died before consecration.
4. Pope Theodore II (December, 897):^[14] reigned for 20 calendar days
5. Pope Sisinnius (January 15–February 4, 708):^[15] reigned for 21 calendar days
6. Pope Marcellus II (April 9–May 1, 1555):^[16] reigned for 22 calendar days
7. Pope Damasus II (July 17–August 9, 1048):^[17] reigned for 24 calendar days
8. Pope Pius III (September 22–October 18, 1503):^[18] reigned for 27 calendar days.
9. Pope Leo XI (April 1–April 27, 1605):^[19] reigned for 27 calendar days
10. Pope Benedict V (May 22–June 23, 964):^[20] reigned for 33 calendar days.
11. Pope John Paul I (August 26–September 28, 1978): reigned for 33 calendar days.^[

Then there was Pope John Paul II….who is pretty much all I remember going through school because he was literally there for those years and beyond. Over 26 years..and was the 3rd longest tenured Pope of all time behind Pope Pius IX and Saint Peter himself! That’s quite the exclusive list.

1. Saint Peter (30–64 AD or 33–67 AD): 34 years.
2. Pope Pius IX (1846–1878):^[2] 31 years, 7 months and 23 days (11,560 days).
3. Pope John Paul II (1978–2005): 26 years, 5 months and 17 days (9,665 days)
4. Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903):^[3] 25 years, 5 months and 1 day (9,281 days).
5. Pope Pius VI (1775–1799):^[4] 24 years, 6 months and 15 days (8,962 days).
6. Pope Adrian I (772–795):^[5] 23 years, 10 months and 25 days (8,729 days).
7. Pope Pius VII (1800–1823):^[6] 23 years, 5 months and 7 days (8,560 days).
8. Pope Alexander III (1159–1181):^[7] 21 years, 11 months and 24 days (8,029 days).
9. Pope Sylvester I (314–335):^[8] 21 years, 11 months and 1 day (8,005 days).
10. Pope Leo I (440–461):^[9] 21 years, 1 month, and 13 days. (7,713 days).
11. Pope Urban VIII (1623–1644):^[10] 20 years, 11 months and 24 days (7,664 days).

So with all that history thrown at you, welcome to 2025 where we now have betting odds on who will be the next Pope.

Luis Antonio Tagle, a Cardinal from the Philippines and a prominent figure within the Roman Curia, has steadily risen through the Vatican ranks, has odds at 7/4.

Pietro Parolin, currently the Vatican’s Secretary of State, is known for his diplomatic acumen and close working relationship with Pope Francis. His odds are 6/4.

I’m just passing along the numbers regardless of how sacrilegious it may seem.

In all honesty though, this is a part of history. If you have a moment over the next several days, take a look and see whether the smoke coming out of the chimney at the Vatican is black (meaning no new Pope has been chosen yet) or white smoke (we have a new Pope). Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.