Head Full Of Doubt / Road Full of Promise | Meller’s Sports Hub | GAF East | John Doe | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise by The Avett Brothers. I saw these guys live with my family at Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, they were excellent. You may know this song because it gained popularity in the background of a Northwestern Mutual commercial, but the full song is just as great. This tune was on in the background at one of these fine drinking establishments in New York City right around Halloween ‘23.
Well, I do flood myself (responsibly) in the black darkness of Guinness pints, but I’d like to think people can see a bit of the light I see in it.
With Week to Week Notes, I don't expect much from anyone. Not that I couldn’t use the help here or there, but I understand we’re all busy in our own worlds. If people get a kick out of the Notes, terrific, but nothing in life should be owed, deserved, or expected. What’s cool about running my own sports blog is it doesn’t matter who’s in office.
While I understand politics is super serious and very important, I find it all divisive theater. All both sides are worried about is getting votes and dividing people. Fook that. I get people from both parties are going to roll their eyes and maybe will unfollow Week to Week Notes because of these nihilistic sentences, but no bother, all of it is out of my control, just like whoever gets elected - sorta the point of the verse.
My point is, whichever of the 2 geezers gets re-elected on my birthday this November, Week to Week Notes won’t be affected. I hope it’s a place for everybody. For me, it’s about sports, music, history, and pints.
We accept everybody, except Boston sports, they can still kick rocks. Lol jk, but not really.
Since I was a kid I always dreamed about doing something in sports, but I could never envision what that was. First, it was to be the Centerfielder for the New York Yankees. Then it was to GM the New York Yankees or New York Jets because of all the hours I’d spend playing MVP Baseball, MLB The Show, and Madden. Of course, both of those childhood dreams sound so naive now, but it’s pretty cool to try to write the stories I used to read in Sports Illustrated so I’ll take it. It took me a while to free it.
Jeez, thank you to all those who’ve stuck by Week to Week Notes during the many times of the early beginnings of this when I constantly doubted if I could do this. Wouldn’t be able to do this without you!
Enough about me, the second part of this song changes from “I” to “you.” This probably sounds like a broken record, but I hope to always try to encourage people to go with their gut and believe in themselves. Along the way, there may be people that tell you that can’t do something. It ain’t easy but try to focus on the people that tell you that you can and go for it.
Northwestern Mutual sure picked a winner! Also, have to thank my uncles for putting me on to The Avett Brothers early on.
I too get frightened by those who don’t see it. Great tune with good words to live by!
On to the pints…
#GuinnessChallengeSeason
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, whom I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Diana is the bartender, she is a hockey-soccer fan of the Rangers and Liverpool. The wings are recommended. Diana is more of a fan of Magners over Guinness. She likes New York, originally from Mexico. The bar name comes from the owner’s last name. Brick exposed behind the bar. As soon as I sat down I was asked “Is there was a game I was here to watch?” because they’d put it on the TV. Great sports bar like that. Nice $40 for 5 bottles a bucket deal. I can’t wait to get home and pass out on the couch watching college football.
Remember last fall when we had football on TV? Me too, miss it. Located on the Upper East Side, Meller’s is a sports bar with high-quality food and a casual vibe. They have a neon sign that lights up and reads bad decisions make better stories, ain’t that the truth? Meller’s is an excellent spot to watch all kinds of sports like the men's & women’s March Madness Tournaments going on this weekend. From their socials, I can see that last weekend they had a good crowd and a fun environment for the Madness of March basketball. Monday to Friday they have a Happy Hour from Noon to 7 PM and their kitchen is open every night until 2 AM if you’re looking for some late-night grub. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Meller’s again!
Song On In The Background: Head Full Of Doubt / Road Full of Promise by The Avett Brothers
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: I already reviewed the GAF West. This one will be showing the Rugby World Cup. County Cork sign behind the bar along with a football box filled with names. They do darts on Monday&Tuesday, trivia on Wednesdays, karaoke on Thursdays, and comedy on Saturdays. Belle is bartending and she is from Slovakia. She loves NY for “its people and attitude.” Bar’s bar, no kitchen, but you can bring stuff in. They have a Sky Box for every soccer and rugby match. Their patio in the back is quite quaint.
GAF across the pond means house or home. I learned that from visiting their other spot at GAF West. Located on the Upper East Side, GAF East is equally as fun! On their Wednesdays, they are home to host the NYC Trivia League. Make sure to get there by 8:30 PM ET. The back patio is a real hidden gem where it looks like once it’s warm they have comedians and live music. GAF is a cozy pub with a nice pint and a good crowd. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness there again!
Song On In The Background: Thriller by Michael Jackson
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Halloween Night. I’m dressed up as a sportswriter who loves his pints of Guinness for Halloween. Oh, wait, no, that’s just my usual outfit of jeans, a Champion pullover, and a Paddy hat. For an inconspicuous bar name, they are well decorated for the holiday with tons of spider webs and a massive clown behind the bar. Let’s see, they have exposed brick and a nice wooden finished bar top. I’m John Doe-ing this because I can’t talk to the bartender. The bar is packed and they are busy. Everybody is in costume, but I haven’t seen any good ones yet if I’m being honest. Kinda disappointed.
Jeez, I forgot this fall I was a Halloween costume critic. John Doe sure did an excellent job decorating for Halloween. I’m not really a scared-of-clowns-guy, but even I was startled by the giant one they had behind the bar. Located on 5th Avenue in the middle of The Flatiron and Empire State Building, John Doe is a delightful mix of yesteryear and today. Their craft bar and kitchen serve up a creative variety of classic cocktails along with flavorful original dishes. They have an extended Happy Hour that runs from 11 AM to 8 PM and on the weekends a very popular bottomless brunch. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at John Doe again!
YouTube Rabbithole
The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise