... we've decided to pull the plug on ourselves rather than watch another month go by without new posts.

It was fun getting to know our readers online and in person. It was fun making t-shirts and having several of our t-shirts stolen. It was fun crafting inappropriate photo illustrations. But now it's time to stop having fun. Let us pay tribute to what was:

Kelly: "Poor GritCity. I'll be sad to see it go. All I can say is, I'll carry you all in the fannypack of my heart."

Laura: "Blogging about Tacoma almost made me want to move to Tacoma."

Cole: "I’ll miss all the virtual friends and virtual money we made."

Niki: "I don’t even work here anymore."

In other words, thanks and happy Thanksgiving (almost). Feel free to share your remembrances or just delete us from your RSS feeds.

Oh, also, you should follow thenewstribune.com on Twitter. I happen to know the user name and password and occasionally sneak some fake stories humor in when the bosses aren't looking.

Last month I was told that my idea for "Plant a Beer Nut Day" was the winner in Rusty George Creative's "Create Something Weird" contest. The result:

Today is Plant a Beer Nut Day!

Today also happens to be GritBaby's first birthday, so June 19th is quite the day in the Cosgrove house.

Years from now, I'll be able to gaze proudly at our thriving beer tree and tell my boy how it all began with a tiny beer nut that was fertilized with some Tacoma Brew.

This is also how I'll explain the birds and the bees to him.

I went in to Satellite a few minutes ago for my morning cup of coffee. When I went to pay, owner Pat Brown presented me with a question: Want free coffee or to make someone else's day?

Sometime this morning, an anonymous coffee drinker paid for their morning cup and put $5 in for the next person's drink. I was the eighth person to have benefited from the experiment. (But, of course, I opted to make someone's day over getting a free Americano.)

I'm not sure if the experiment lives on but it's worth stopping by to check out.

And, to the anonymous coffee buyer, thank you!

I'm getting jittery just thinking about it:

When: Friday, March 21 at 9 p.m.
Where: Supernova Hair and Tattoo, 817 Division Avenue, Tacoma
Bands: Eddie Spaghetti & Rontrose Heathman of The Supersuckers and Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies
RSVP: satellitecoffeeco.com/invite.html
Freebies: One free 8 oz. French press coffee between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Here's a little something to tide you over:

In case you missed it, Soundlifers Ed, Bill and EJ compiled a handy round-up of local sports bars that are good bets for watching the Super Bowl.

They tackle (mwah ha ha) the subject from a food and entertainment perspective so you don't end up watching fantastic TVs while tolerating mediocre grub.

Go Giants! Yeah, I said it.

And it won't be the last time.

Thank you to everyone who weighed in.

Looks like we're on for a GritCity meet-and-drink. Me, Cole, Laura and Niki promise t-shirts for a lucky few, and inappropriate remarks for all.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Top of Tacoma, 3529 McKinley Ave.
Why: Because because because because because!

Be there or be somewhere else.

(But please come or we'll be lonely.)

Hey, guys-
Remember me? Well, I remember you and miss you all (most of you) very much.

To my great dismay, there have been no bills introduced in Olympia involving prostitutes and coffee shops. Yet. But I've been checking regularly and will keep you in-the-know.

But I'm having fun. I met some nice legislators and lobbyists. I also met a Pierce County politician who told me I looked like Nicolas Sarkozy's wife (I don't, but would it were so...).

I know Cole is mad his car was broken into, and I would be, too. But one thing that's wonderful about Tacoma is that nobody there asks me if I'm an intern, introduces me as an apprentice, inquires how long I've been "helping with this reporting thing," or says, "You remember Niki, she's the new assistant."

All in all, its good for my ego. I mean, how many more years could I be mistaken for an intern? (Twenty, if I play my cards right and everyone loses their vision.)

In closing, I look forward to seeing you all on Friday at either a bar or a coffee shop. It's time for me to go now.

Niki
P.S. Would it kill you to send me a frigging care package?

Hi friends.

We've been whinging** about these dang t-shirts for ages now, so let's get together Friday night and do something about it.

That's where you come in.

I know you have lives and babies and puppies to care for. So I say you all tell us what you'd prefer:

Option A: Bar night at Top of Tacoma this Friday. Cheap martinis and a good jukebox.
Option B: Coffee evening at one of our fine local establishments (TBA). Bring the fam.
Option C: Some combination thereof? A minibottle of Bailey's for your latte? Whatev.

We have about two handfuls of t-shirts to give away to the first folks who come Friday, and we're launching an online store so you can buy extras for your babies and your puppies.

So what say you, Tacoma? The lines are open.

** That's British for "whining." You can tell by the "g."

Everyone has probably realized that I do little but go to coffeeshops and daydream and (not) post on the blog. I make no excuses.

But sometimes a GritCity post comes to you all tied up in a bow.

Voila: On my usual pilgrimage this morning, I snapped this festive streetscape to share with y'all.

In other coffee news, I'm cheating on Blackwater with Satellite Coffee Co. I make no excuses. Check with the baristas there first, but on most Thursday nights at 6, they've been hosting cuppings (ie tastings; I'd say "tastings," but I'm a yuppie; I make no excuses) of fancy-pants coffee varieties.

Merry Christmas to us.

One of our regular readers lives in the Bay Area and is visiting Tacoma this week, so he wanted some suggestions on where to get a drink. Here are some of our favorites.

Niki
• Monsoon Room About the size of a closet, and perpetually dark. Prepare to get very drunk on tasty exotic/expensive drinks.
• Tempest I love the pin-up girls in the bathrooms. They will not, however, buy me drinks ...

Laura
• The Spar Because they’ll fry anything.
• The Parkway Because I swear their beers have a higher alcohol content than other bars.
• The Pup Room at The Poodle Dog Because it’s on the way home. And I like poodles.

Cole
• Any wine bar They always feel like a classy way to start a night. If purple teeth are classy.
• The Red Hot The place has a genuine friendliness about it. Plus, it's within stumbling distance to my house – but I'm not sure how that helps you.

Kelly
• El Gaucho Go for the vodka, stay for the cheeseburger. Late happy hour till 1.
• Knapp's Like going to your jolly drunk uncle’s house.
• Magoo’s It’s so loud and dark, you might get lucky.

Best Place We Haven't Been to Yet But Really Want to Go Sometime Soon: Top of Tacoma

And we have some questions for you:
Paddy Coyne's or Doyles?
Pacific Grill or Sea Grill?
E9 or Farrelli's?
Matador or Masa?

Also, if any bars will be open late Christmas Eve or Christmas night, please let us know. We'll definitely need a drink after work.

Ho ho ho. I'm back to work. A few days late, but here are some Santarchy photos from News Tribune entertainment editor Craig Sailor. For more, check out Santarchy's MySpace page. And my friendly next-door neighbor Matt Driscoll wrote about it and has some photos too.

Santas board the bus outside the Harmon.

=> Read more!

A photo that goes along with Niki's story today on the Tacoma Beer Society caught Kevin Freitas, left, (www.kevinfreitas.net) and Michael Pierce, right, (in-tacoma.net) enjoying some product at E9.

I can't decide what's better fuel for a writer: Coffee or alcohol.

My vote: Why pick just one?