This Week in Mayfair (12/10/12)

Yeah, yeah. I admit. I've been a slacker in the blog department recently. Last week the Mayfair Christmas Village and Tree Lighting sapped me completely and then I got sick with an awesome sinus infection. Actually, I think I've been sick since about October and whenever I get better, one of the kids or my husband gets sick and then we just all give it to each other over again.

The holidays are fast approaching. Are you ready? I'm so proud because I actually had time to sit down (while being sick, mind you) and get all the Christmas cards out. The house is decorated and the lights are up outside so we look ready. Looks can be deceiving though because I haven't bought a single gift for ANYONE yet. Nothing for the kids. Nothing for the hubs. Nothing for the immediate family. It's unusual because typically, I'm all over Christmas. I have the lists of what I need to buy planned out and what wrapping paper I'll wrap it in with color coordinated ribbon. I'm the Christmas Queen. This year I'm the Ghost of Christmas Mess.

What? The lights ARE up.

But I can check one thing off my list; pictures with Santa. My sister and I are taking the kids to see Santa tomorrow which is tantamount to torture for them and hours of laughter for us. My almost 2 year old nephew is terrified of Santa. We took the kids on the Strasburg Railroad Santa Train this year and I'm pretty sure if we weren't there to hold poor Ben down he would have launched himself out the window in an effort to run away from the jolly old elf himself. So tomorrow should be awesome and if you happen to be at Oxford Valley Mall at some point and hear a toddler wailing and cackling witch laughter, odds are, it's us.

This month Viriva is getting into the holiday spirit. Their Signature Loan Rates start as low as: 5.00% APR. For every $1,000.00 in new money members borrow between November 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, they will be entered to win a $250.00 Visa Gift Card. Click here for more information on their website and full disclosures. 

Viriva is also collecting toys for St. Christopher Hospital and food for Philabundance. Click here for their branch locations.

The office of State Rep. Kevin Boyle will also be collecting non-perishable food products through the holiday season to be donated to local food banks. Your donations can be dropped off at the Mayfair office located at 7518 Frankford Ave (Frankford and Oakmont St) or his Fox Chase office located at 7801 Hasbrook Ave (Hasbrook and Hartel). If you have any questions please call 215-331-2600.

 And of course there is always something going on at the Grey Lodge Pub and this week is no different. Tuesday is Lucky 13 Brew Club and Wednesday is Quizzo. However, they are mixing it up Friday with the.....are you ready for the name of this event? I don't think you are but here goes... the "Rogue Rogue John John No More No More Night Night". Yeah, you read that right and I wasn't finger stuttering. On Friday, 14 December 2012 6pm - 9pm this event will take place at the Grey Lodge Pub. What the hell is this, you ask? The immediate thing that popped into my head was that it had something to do with JFK Jr. and wearing a one piece jumper and some sort of Cape Cod brewery. I'm wrong apparently. 

So here's the real story straight from Scoat's, "Rogue's brewer is named John and their distiller is also named John. Rogue's John John series featured Rogue Ales (John #1) aged in Rogue Spirits barrels (John #2). We are told they ended this program, hence the "no more no more". Hearing that we jumped on the last two John John kegs left here in Philly. Rogue John John Juniper is Rogue Juniper Ale aged in Gin barrels. To craft the beer, Couchot aged the gin in oak barrels, which is not typical of gin, so the barrels would soak up the flavor of the gin, before the beer was put into the barrels. Rogue John John Hazelnut is Rogue's heavenly Hazelnut Brown Ale aged in hazelnut rum barrels. A keg of Rogue 15K just arrived, so we will tap that too. 15K is Rogue Ales brewmaster John Maier's 15,000th brew! It's a Belgian stout. Rogue only released 1,515 bottles of this beer, which are/were only available on-line. So we will be tapping three rare Rogue beers."  

Did you get all that? Summary: RARE and LIMITED addition beer at the Grey Lodge. 3 KEGS of it. GOOOOO!!!