Car went in for service on Monday. Well past due for an oil change and I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong since the check engine light popped on and went off last week. Could it be that the gas cap was loose or something simple? No, of course not. Turns out a valve was not closing leading to misfires in the engine and a carbon buildup, which is very labor intensive to clean up. There was more too. The brakes needed replaced (I knew that was coming), one of the shocks broke and one of the tires had some damage. Not all of this was fixed this time, it’ll be going back in a few weeks to complete the work. And the cost, let’s just say it was 4 figures.

I also started reading Stoneman’s Raid by Chris Hartley. Bought it when I was down in Kinston at the CSS Neuse Museum (I think it was there). You may have heard of this little known Civil War event thanks to The Band and their famous song The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Not the Joan Baez version, but the one where the late Levon Helm sings it. Wonder if I’ll come upon someone named Virgil Kane? Doubt it. I will come upon the Danville Railroad.

Tuesday took me to Carlisle to take in the York College/Dickinson game. Always appreciate the free admission there. Stopped at Devil’s Eye Brewing in Dillsburg. First time there and that’s not a surprise since they are brand new. It was also Taco Tuesday, $1 tacos! Then I got another first timer in at Cold Springs Inn Brewing about a mile or two away. Now I just need to get down to Alesmith in Red Lion and I think I’ve got every York County brewery visited, at least for another 2 weeks until another opens up (I’m joking but it sure seems that way lately). Oh wait, no I don’t haven’t been to the Stony Run Brew House which is just down the road from York VW. It’s right by 24 so I can get to Red Lion easily with that too. Sounds like a plan. Sunday? Actually can’t, Alesmith is closed on Sundays.

Yeah I know there’s Jonerstown Brewing up in Dover, which is I believe formerly State of Mind Brewing. I don’t think they actually have a tap room to sit down and have a beer. They only do festivals so far. I don’t count them yet until they have an actual physical location. I don’t want to show up to some random house thinking I’m going to get a beer because the address is someone’s house.

First the good news, no Dickinson students were outraged over Red Devil basketball players choice of Halloween costumes and I got to see some basketball! We’ll see if those special kids let F&M play basketball on Friday against Lancaster Bible, didn’t work out too well when they tried to stop the soccer match (darn fence getting in the way). So what does York have this year? It was a back and forth first half with York making a late run to take the halftime lead. The wheels fell off for Dickinson in the second half. York guarded Dickinson’s best player more effectively, their big man got into foul trouble and I think they just ran out of gas. York kept its foot on the accelerator and took a huge lead that allowed the deep bench to get some good playing time. York wins 90-63.

Headed up to Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday to see the Bears take on the Penguins. It seems like half of the Penguins have already been promoted to Pittsburgh at some point this year. First stop was in Pottsville to tour the Yuengling Brewery. I toured it about 12 years ago. It was some of the same and some different things. I was hoping that the chocolate porter would be on tap for the post-tour freebie. It was and I am lucky. They were apparently out of it for about 4 days and had just added a new keg that day. You get two free beers after a tour but everyone also could get a smaller glass of the chocolate porter too. Ooooh, that was good and I won’t get it any fresher. Yuengling has a winner with that one.

Had a late lunch at a pizza place in downtown Pottsville. Had a pizza with baked ziti on it, that was good. Baked ziti might be on the menu for next week sometime. Then it was up to Wilkes-Barre where there is a nice coating of snow on the ground. The problem is that there is not really anything in between Pottsville and Wilkes-Barre other than Hazelton and the brewery in Conyngham is not open on Wednesdays. Happy Hour beer at Benny Brewing and a pregame beer at Breaker before heading to the Mohegan Sun Arena. I would have preferred a Saturday for this but this is just the way the schedule falls. Hershey and Wilkes-Barre play a lot but Hershey doesn’t make most of their trips up there until late in the season and that might conflict with basketball so I’m getting this in now. Also less of a chance of a major snow at this point.

I expected some chippiness in this one as the two teams are bitter rivals but no fights or roughing penalties were had.  Only 5 total power plays were called. This was a defensive struggle as both teams couldn’t get one in the net, though there were 3 shots that hit off the post. Both Phoenix Copley and Casey DeSmith were on their games and regulation ended on a 0-0 tie. It was the same in OT and this went to a shootout. Stefan Noesen netted a goal in the shootout for the Penguins and that proved to be all got by any goalie. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton wins 1-0. Made it home in about 2 hours on the dot. It was also 23 degrees when I left Wilkes-Barre.

Thursday and Friday played out like normal. Had an open weekend, the first in a long time and I think I’ll have a few of them coming up. On Saturday it was finally time to do the York City Six. Liquid Hero then Gift Horse then Mudhook then Old Forge then Crystal Ball before ending at Collusion. Then I stumbled home. I did the five last year since Old Forge had not opened yet so this is the first time I’m doing all six. My liver did not feel good at the end of this but I made it.