Having spent this past week with my head in a vise, being force-fed a crash course in drafting and turbine calculations, I consider myself lucky to still have the ability to put more than two words together.  At the very least, I think I now have a valid excuse for my incoherent ramblings.

I saw "The Adjustment Bureau" at the West Ed Scotiabank Cineplex - I thought it was a great movie, but found it a tad convenient that Matt Damon's character jumped to a conclusion about the Adjustment Bureau's background, with only a little bit of prodding.  There could have been many other explanations, as such, but they were never explored.

Dinner was with my oldest brother at Moxie's the next night, before catching another movie.  I had one of Moxie's house beers, their Big Life Euro lager, which is brewed by Big Rock.  The beer pours a golden straw, with little head.  It's grassy but I also found a touch of floral notes at the back of the sip.  I didn't find it to be anything special.

We saw Battlefield: Los Angeles at the North Edmonton Cineplex, in the UltraAVX theater.  It was my first kick at the AVX can, and while the picture was crisp and clear, the sound was great and the seats slightly more comfortable than those in older theaters, I don't know if I would dish out the extra bucks to see every movie like that.

At first, I thought the reserved seating was a great idea.  We bought our tickets before going for a bite to eat, so we nearly had the pick of the place.  Come showtime, however, everyone had crammed into a sardine can leaving the front and side seating virtually empty.  With traditional theater seating, I've found movies that have been out for a little while before I see them generally have a little more elbow room between myself and the mouth-breather next to me.  Perhaps this was a fluke?  I'll put it to the test at the next big action flick I see in the AVX.

The movie itself was great, I thought.  Aliens invade Earth, kicking ass and...they didn't care about names.  The humans eventually figure out some of their weaknesses, and push back.  Lots of action - there were some lulls that could have been approached differently.  It's an action movie.  How much back-story do you need?

During my travels between my course in Spruce Grove and my two evening outings in Edmonton, I stumbled across a place called "The Beer Hunter".  Three thoughts crossed my mind:  Is it a specialty beer store!?  followed by Is it a specialty beer pub? and then How quickly can I cross three lanes to get there?

Pulling into the parking lot, I realize it's not a liquor store, but a bar & grill.  I open the outer door, to be greeted by the grin of a half-naked UFC fighter.  Recovering from my horror, I walk past the bronze castings of bull elk flanking the stone-surround entrance.  Trophy deer mounts adorn the walls, amid more posters for the upcoming UFC pay-per-view.

I'm pointed to the beer list on my table, a sleek black padded book about half an inch thick, and handed a menu.  I ask for a few minutes to decide on a beer, as I'm dreaming about what I might find within.  From where I'm sitting, I can see roughly half the bar and eight taps.

Flipping through more advertisements for upcoming pay-per-view events, their St. Patrick's Day specials, appetizers, cocktails, shooters, more shooters, wine and scotch, I panic.  Where's the beer list?  I check once more, and my heart sinks.  One page, with eighteen beers.

Molson Canadian, 67 and Dry; Coors Light; Budweiser; Kokanee; Pilsner; Corona;  MGD; Sleeman's Honey Brown; Moosehead; Kilkenny; Heineken; Rickard's Red, White and Dark; Guinness; and Miller Chill.

I ask for a Kilkenny, and as I wait, I continue to look around.  Multiple big screen tv's hang from the ceiling and walls, with a projection screen on one end of the establishment.  They alternate between sports highlights and sledding videos.  In one corner, the pool table sits beside Big Buck World and Golden Tee.

So my assumption that the name of the establishment has something to do with specialty beers has completely blown up in my face.  Looking at the menu, food names like the 5x5 team platter, the 30-06oz steak sandwich and a slogan on one page reading "Best BANG for your BUCK" really highlight the multiple plays on hunting with a very healthy dose of redneckism.  Their menu even has a reference to their Beer Hunter Babes calendar.  Silly me for not knowing "The Beer Hunter" actually has three locations in the Edmonton area.

I order the salt & pepper steak bites and a buffalo burger.  Keeping with the motif, the steak bites look like moose droppings.  Although greasy, they taste much better, I must say.  The burger's a little dry, but has a nice taste.

I leave, doubting I'll return, and head to the Sherbrooke Liquor store where I drop $100 on beer.  Now that's something to write about!