The number 2000 is probably best know as a year. It’s hard to believe that it was twenty-two years ago when we moved into the year 2000. Getting there was a challenge as the whole world was in a computer tizzy. The fear that all the computers in the world would crash as we moved from 1999 to 2000 made everyone crazy. Banks wouldn’t be able to complete transactions, phone systems would be disabled, and electric grids would collapse. As it turned out, Suzanne & I watched the Rose Bowl Parade just like always.

Iv’e had a number of nicknames over my lifetime, none of which I plan to share with you, but the number 2000, specifically the weight of 2000 pounds has only had one nickname that I’m aware of: ton. The use of that nickname is definitely overused, usually to exaggerate the weight or size of an object. You might hear; “that weighed a ton”; or “I have tons of friends”; or even “I ate a ton of pasta”. Still leaving the actual size kind of vague but it gets the point across.

As of this week, I’ve actually had a ton of different beers. The big event (well it was big for me) happened while we were on vacation in Rochester New York visiting a granddaughter & new great-grandbaby. As we walked into Hose 22 FireHouse Grill, we were greeted with those words I love to hear, “Beer tasting here if you are interested”. Being a gentleman, I made sure our dinner party was seated and settled before I said, “I’m heading over to the tasting”. The local beer distributor was treating anyone interested in a couple of different beers and I chose Duvel as my 2000th different beer. I shared my accomplishment with the representatives who all congratulated me and presented me with a commemorative glass that had been created just for this beer. It’s my first beer trophy!

I’ve been keeping track of the different beers I have tried since the year 2000, how ironic for this post. Most people can only name a half dozen different beers and they can’t even imagine that there could be that many different beers even available. As it turns out, it’s a drop in the preverbal bucket. There are over eight thousand breweries just in the United States and if each of those breweries had only five different beers, that would be twenty tons of different beers.

So what’s next for the number 2000, nothing is on my horizon. I checked the news and can’t find anything there as well. Could be that the number 2000 has just run its course. I guess I’ll just have to look for a new number to set my eyes on.

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Proverbs 20