When you work your butt off...you need a break...and then you can write some more.

For a living, I work with a team to evaluate children for various issues affecting their education.  Then we write reports about what we have found out about their functioning and what it means for their education.  And sometimes what it means for their lives.  What we find out is that sometimes it's the environment or the educational approach that is exacerbating an underlying learning difference resulting in poor progress on academics or poor behavior.  But often we discover they have a condition that is more complex and had not been fully identified, if at all.  That is when we, mostly I, kick into the next gear to further assess, research related issues, and write up the result summary tying all the information together for the benefit of the child.

To do this work more effectively, and because childrens' education depends on this, I had to get some new learning in order to better identify what's going on so that our team can better recommend solutions.  That has taken up most of my spare time in the past two years.  First, I was learning intensively while still working and then I was applying skills intensively in my work while still learning and gaining new experiences.  This past school year has been the most intensive and time consuming of my life.  I haven't had the cognitive energy left over in the past 18 months or so to write much more than the random social media posts on the usual suspect websites.

Also, because I work in the public school world, I am paid about half what I would be paid for the amount and quality of work I did this year.  I did get my best ever evaluation (using a supremely bad evaluation system) and a decent raise (doesn't make up for 5 years of pay freezes though) but even with that raise, I will still make far less than my peers in clinics and even in other school districts.  So, some of my very little free time has been in servicing clients for by side financial business for extra cash.  I haven't seriously added clients in over five years, but I am dutiful in providing service when my current ones ask.  I'm very responsive, just not that proactive in anticipating their needs anymore.  And I'm just pooped.  Now I'm going to surf the net for mindless entertainment.  Please feel free to comment on what is new with you, my one remaining reader...heh

And Also...Rational Minds Prevailed

Obama was re-elected.  Love won out in three states and hate was defeated in a fourth state.  Women won and white male right wing nuts lost.  Pot won, too.  I'm predicting job growth just based on the last one...like maybe addiction centers will open across the street from Pot Shops.  So, in that respect, some states won economically...especially since regulations will also provide tax revenue.  I suppose though, it's a mixed bag...dime bag?  Heh.

But seriously, I told my mom on Sunday that I thought Obama would still win even if it was a close race.  Am I his biggest fan? No.  I was a delegate for Hillary the first time around.  I would love to see her run again in 2016, but frankly that's four years away and I'm not so sure she'd want to by then.  In the meantime, I do believe that now we will see some decent improvement in Congress.  The Republican agenda will shift in order to be more relevant to the younger generation.  Will they continue to be very conservative fiscally? Yes. Is that all bad?  No.  Will they get their way and cut important social programs.  Maybe some will get cut back, but I doubt all of them will.

I think we'll see the Republicans move in a more Libertarian direction.  Ultimately, they will still want small federal government and more control at the state level.  But perhaps they will come to realize that smaller government means in all ways, not just fiscally.  They can not ask for less intrusion by the federal government except when they decide that government needs to intrude on the private lives of their constituency.  Really, Republicans, you can not have it both ways because you want to bully others who do not look like you, act like you, or think like you.  Democrats do still need a stronger backbone, but at least Democrats have proven that caring about the needs of the many counts as much as caring for the needs for the few.  Thankfully, they have enough of what it took to win.  And also...rational minds prevailed.

The Unholy Alliance of Right Wing Corporatists and Religious Wing Nuts

ARI EZRA WALDMAN posted on Towleroad a blog post suggesting that a small amount of progress is being made in the Republican party as they appear to be taking their anti-gay rhetoric underground.  I responded in the comments that I almost wish the Republican party would hang on to it's overt anti-gay strategy...it was just starting to work to our advantage.  But yes, the shift is now towards anti-union as the new state by state strategy (which is really an anti-education message in the sheep's clothing of an anti-tax message).  Imagine the US of A as a third world country with really nice resort locations for the rich and powerful.  The working poor in what will become affordable domestic corporate factories and the very rich living their golden years basking in the sun on resorts that no one else can afford to use.  That is what the corporate loving politicians want.  Because they will be the last ones in the US of A with pensions and free healthcare (THEY would never vote against their own best interests).  So they, too, will bask in the sun on resorts with the very rich in their waning years.  These politicians have tied their personal interests so tightly to the corporate purse strings that even I am left wondering if most of those on the Democratic side of the aisle aren't also so similarly tied.  I do believe some of our elected officials start out with the good of the people in mind...at least the non-republican sorts.  But the seduction of money and power leads to political blindness and ultimately corruption.

Now we have the right wing corporatists continuing their assault on the general public by systematically feeding them messages of how horrible not only taxes are, but how horrible unions are for demanding "high" pay and pensions for public sector workers, which then, of course, results in "high" taxes.  It's a message that is becoming so well ingrained in the public psyche that people will literally vote against their own best interests because they are either too easily led astray or too lazy to do their own research.  What are their own best interests?  Well, a free quality public education so that their kids and grand kids can also find work and maintain a decent healthy standard of living and contribute to the standard of living of our FREE society.  Not interested?  How about having a well maintained system of streets and highways (don't let the chuck holes fool you, our roads need work but they are far superior to those in a third world country).  Don't care about that either?  How about when you're old and need assistance?  No more social security or medicare, even though you've paid into them your entire working lifetime?  Still don't care?  Then, probably no one will care about you or your comfort in your last years on this earth.  The privatizing of all of these and other "public services" will result in third world living conditions.  There will be the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS.  There will NOT be a middle class.  This will happen because people are generally VERY short sighted (of course there are exceptions, duh, but not enough of a voting block).  It's a known fact that people generally tend to focus on the here and now and have much difficulty thinking about or planning for the future.  Having worked in finance for over 20 years, the most common issue I see is buy now on credit because I want it now and I don't have the ready cash.  Even when put on a plan, people don't save easily, especially in the last 30 years.  Couple that way of thinking with the indoctrination of "NO" or low taxes, which is so insidious, that the remaining members of the middle class are willing to vote against their long term best interests to "save" a few bucks now on taxes.  They do this not knowing or somehow not believing that they're giving away their future security to line the pockets of corporate thieves.

So why do these money grubbing corporatists align themselves with the religious right wing nuts?  Don't the churches minister to the people after all? Well religious institutions are the best way to get the biggest cache of resources, of course!  Corporatists think in terms of resources and, in particular, how to exploit resources to line their own pockets.  Religious institutions are a very, very, very large source of voters in a captive audience.  For one thing, they congregate weekly to hear messages (purportedly from God, but that's another rant for another day).  Why not plant a message of corporate interest in the minds of so many voters all at once.  Just start giving donations to churches, etc. and tell them how much you agree with their "holier than thou" messages and while scratching their backs plant the message of how many more sheep will flock to them if they scratch the corporates' backs.  And so the unholy alliance of money grubbing corporatists and religious wing nuts was born.  Then when the younger generation grew up and began to question the validity of anti-gay stances, the corporatists moved on to their main agenda.  Anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-women, etc. messages were just the BAIT to hook a huge voting block.  The main goal is and always has been accumulation of money and thus power.  The religious right wing nuts are just a means to an end.  It's the corporatists and their politician puppets that will attempt to undermine society as we know it, knew it, and hoped it would become.  My hope is that the general public will get their collective heads out of the sand and come together to say no to being brainwashed by these messages.  Pay attention to the history of mankind.  It's always been about power (money being the symbol).  Those who threaten the power base are the enemy...especially if they are "different" than those who see themselves as the ones in power.  In the US of A, being a person of color, a woman, a homosexual, a financially poor person, an old person, a disabled person, a person of not the predominant faith (or similar in faith)etc. is a threat to the power base if allowed to combine their numbers.  So divide and conquer.  Pit one against the other and ALWAYS keep your eye on the power (i.e. the money).

The War on Women...and Education

Yeah, I haven't been posting in a long while.  I've been terribly busy with my education and the education of others.  But my employer (a conservatively run school district with a very conservative right wing nut BOE and their hand picked superintendent) has been waging an insidious war on teachers and related educators this year, so I feel the need to say something.  They're out to destroy the district by destroying the union and chasing away great experienced teachers.  They're doing this all in the name of "reform."  But really it's the corporate greed monster that feeds them.  The board of education for this district is almost all right wing nuts whose campaigns were funded directly and indirectly by organizations like ALEC.

Meanwhile, there has also been a War on Women being waged by generally the same right wing nuts.  Dorothy Snarker put it well today in her blog.  As I hope my 3 remaining readers know, there is a concerted effort by the republican party to take away women's rights over their own bodies that has become much more focused and actually has gained some traction even though a majority of people probably think these ideas will fade away if they just ignore them.  I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure at this point the right wing nuts are HOPING people will ignore them long enough for them to revoke our freedoms.  So below is my response to Dorothy Snarker's blog post:

Might I add that concurrently there is also a War on Education! I think there is a HUGE correlation between these two "planks" of the right wing nuts. There is a lot of money behind these so called movements...or as I like to call them "bowel movements." Ignorance begets more ignorance which begets a serious loss of freedom! I do not think the middle of the road average American is really aware of this because the right wing nuts have them focused on the almighty tax dollar and how many they could be losing. Of course, if they REALLY understood money they'd realize that the lack of a good free education leads to LESS income and LESS freedom. And it appears that the right wing nuts see women's rights as the biggest roadblock to the dumbing down of the American society...hmmmm. Come to think of it, education is one the largest employers of women. After all, if you keep women uneducated and pregnant you'll end up with a huge source of cheap dumb labor...and much larger profits. But seriously you stupid right wing nuts, who really wants to live in a country with no creativity, no arts, no intellectual advances, and no real freedom? I mean, do you really want the USA to become a rather large third world country?

Wednesday's Wine - Another Reader's Recommendation

So, I've been unable to find time to blog. Or maybe, just too busy or too tired...or too brain dead. Anyway, I've been taking some time off over the holidays (btw...Merry Merry and Happy Happy everyone!) to rest, relax, and relativize (hanging with the family). And speaking of family, I recruited my sister in law to assist with the following wine reviews. A person, of indeterminate gender, named jackson popped by my blog a few weeks ago and recommended that I try Oak Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon which can be had for $2.97 at the local Walmart. Alas, in Colorado that actually isn't the case as all adult beverages must be purchased in a liquor store or bar type establishments. So, since I'm in Texas, I bought it and the Oak Leaf Shiraz. And yes, they were both available for $2.97.

First we tried the recommended Oak Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon. We both found it a bit thin and more like a Merlot than a Cabernet. It didn't have the boldness, or at least the heft, one expects of even the cheapest of Cabernet's. But if one PRETENDS it's a Merlot, then it was okay to poor. My sister in law suggested that it might be good for making Sangria. We also thought, it would be acceptable as a table wine served with an equally inexpensive dinner. But not with guests who are savvy wine drinkers...heh.

Next, next we tried the Oak Leaf Shiraz. Initially, I found it had a musty oak scent, but the flavor was definitely an improvement over the Cabernet. However, my sister in law pointed out that it didn't really taste like a Shiraz, but rather it tasted like a Pinot Noir due to the spicy notes. It did seem a bit strong in flavor, and not in an especially great way. However, I left it to sit and breathe for awhile and it improved quite a bit, although it had a bit too much alcohol on the finish. Still doesn't taste like a Shiraz though...heh. I think after leaving this out to breathe for about 30 minutes, it would also make a good table wine or an excellent Sangria. And better than the Cabernet.

So, for around $3.00, if you live in a state that allows alcohol sales in the local Walmart, you too can experiment with ultra cheap wines. Me personally, I'll stick to the $5.00 to $10.00 wines...heh

Tuesday's Time Waster - How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Courtesy of Jannie Funster I found out awhile back that I'm 48% addicted:

48%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Created by OnePlusYou

Go to Jannie Funster's Blog to find out your level of addiction...hehehehehe

Wednesday's WineSSSSSSS

So I know I've been away for awhile (see previous post for excuses...er...reasons). I still don't have a replacement for my personal laptop. Today being a snow day at school, but having the work laptop at home, I decided to catch up on wine reviews! Lucky you, my three remaining readers, I have seven wines to cover. Yeah, just because my laptop died didn't mean I stopped drinking wine. Though, I must admit I've rediscovered my liking for vodka tonics and beer...heh. A reminder before the reviews. All of these wines can be had for about $10.00 or less and generally (though not always) have very high ratings (mid 80's and higher) than would be expected at those price points. I get great deals on wine at both 3S Liquors and at Applejack Wine and Liquors.

Starting in my own state of Colorado, I bring you a Rose (yes, it's PINK), but Rose's are still better than White Zinfandels which are still PINK, not white. And actually, I found this Plum Creek Palisade Rose, 2008 quite tasty. For those of you trying to imagine where in Colorado any vineyards might exist, the Palisades are on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains and known for their peach trees. In other words, the Palisades are on the western edge of the state. Warm summers and cool nights make for pretty decent wine. Here's what the winemaker's at Plum Creek say about their rose in 2004 and I think it still applies to their 2008 vintage:

"Palisade Rosé is a light, semi-sweet Colorado wine made in the traditional style of great Rosé. The grapes are pressed as soon as they arrive in the cellar. The juice is left a very short time in contact with the grape skins in order to give the wine a delicate color.

Merlot grapes from our Somerset Vineyard give a fruity and lively character to this handcrafted wine. A rich viscosity enhances the wine’s silky smoothness. Luscious strawberry and cherry tones abound in the nose and on the palate."

I don't remember what I had for dinner with this wine, but I'm pretty sure I had some really spicy green chile one evening. And a rose with it's fruit forward flavors is a nice counter point to the spicy heat of green chile.

Speaking of white zinfandel's. I did manage to force one down. The label on this La Famiglia Guadagni White Zinfandel, 2007 from California might look familiar (and as Syd would say...looks like...well you know...heh) because I reviewed another wine from this vineyard awhile back. Anyway, I admit that I bought it for the label and because I liked that other wine too. While I was looking for a picture of the bottle I found this short description on the Western Importers' website:

"This bright and lively White Zinfandel comes from Lodi California, the heart of the California Zinfandel region. The nose is bright and inviting with aromas of berries, citrus blossoms, and strawberries. On the palate it is more of the same with a crisp refreshing style of wine that finishes with the heart of a Zinfandel."

I actually liked this white zinfandel, though not enough to make me like ALL white zinfandels...heh. In the past, I've found that white zinfandels go well with ham, pork and spicy dishes.

Moving on to the white wines. I actually got talked into trying this
Louis Latour Ardeche Chardonnay, 2006 when I was looking for a wine from France that was under $10.00. Just as with white zinfandel, I'm not a big fan of chardonnays. However, instead of an overly buttery feel, this one was a bit more crisp. It still had notes of oak and vanilla as with many chardonnays, but I liked it much better than most. I recommend pairing chardonnays with poultry dishes, especially a Thanksgiving turkey dinner. This will go well with any poultry dish I think. I might even be likely to buy it for this coming Thanksgiving now that I think about it...heh!


More along the lines of white wines I like is this Angeline Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 2008. Nice and crisp with mellow fruit flavors. Wine Enthusiast rated it a 90. That's a big value for the price and style! This is what the winery said about their wine:

"Fresh floral, honeydew melon and bright tropical aromatics lead to crisp and lively green melon flavors. This wine finishes soft and light with a lingering touch of citrus."

They recommend pairing with shrimp or a spicy halibut. I think it went well with salmon too.

I know this is a tiny picture but, yes, that is a leopard on the label...I think. I pick this Herding Cats Merlot/Pinotage from South Africa at 3S Liquors at the suggestion of a fellow patron. She left the store with several different Herding Cats wines, so I figured, "What the heck!" I also pick up another one of their wines for a later review. In the meantime, I found this red blend pretty good for the price and you seriously can't beat the name. Also, bonus, a wine from South Africa (home to Charlize Theron I might add). Internet Wines.com provided this description:

"This wine is smooth and supple with aromas of cherry, vanilla and mocha tones. The palate is soft and velvety with a lingering aftertaste following though."

They also recommended serving this wine with spicy beef dishes. I would agree, but then I love pretty much anything spicy...heh.

Of course these days I'm rather preoccupied with many things Italian...okay a specific Italian... Anyway, why not have an Italian wine too!?! This Falesco Vitiano Cabernet Sauvignon Sangiovese Merlot, 2007 blend from Umbria, Italy seems vaguely familar. Oh that's right, I reviewed the 2006 vintage...heh. This red blend was dark with a mix of fruit flavors including some notable plummy flavors. I enjoyed it quite a bit...which is why I've had it two years in a row to review. Of course, I had it with spaghetti and, later, with a great steak.

The last wine for today's review is another of the Gallo Twin Valley line: Pinot Noir. I last had their Hearth Burgundy which was surprisingly really good, but apparently I forgot to post it here. Anyway, their Pinot Noir is pretty good too. I've had better and I have had worse when it comes to pinot noirs. But for under $10.00 for a 1.5 liter bottle it's a great value to have around as an everyday table wine. If you like pinot noirs and are having a big party, a few bottles of this will definitely fill the bill! Serve it with heavy o'dourves or a nice steak dinner.

Enjoy! And check back in this location in a few weeks for pictures and a review of my cruise with Sweet.

Preoccupations and a Dead Laptop

I mentioned in one of my last posts that I was on a journey. Have to say it's kept me rather preoccupied. Work, too, has been very busy...just like this time last year, but far less stress. Then there's the matter of my laptop. Alas, the motherboard burned out at the battery recharging component. I don't quite get the process of that, other than it appears the battery was drawing too much electricity through the motherboard due to failing to hold the charge for very long. The moral of that story is, when your battery becomes toast (usually within about 18 months) buy a new one. I'm currently back online via my old desktop. It's rather slow. In the meantime, I have been trying new wine almost weekly, but haven't found time to blog on them...see reasons above. I promise to get to them as soon as the RAM I ordered from EBAY shows up.

Sunday Surf - Happy Birthday to Me...heh

I know y'all (15 of you by the looks of the follower's list) are wondering why I haven't been blogging very much. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're dying for some wine recommendations. Alas, I'm still working on a few of those, so none today. But I did think I'd share what I did for my birthday this year. Of course, today is actually my birthday, but Saturdays are more fun...heh

So yesterday, I went to Water World for Girl Splash 2009. I was going to go when the park opened at 10am, but it was chilly and partly cloudy all morning. I decided to do some house work and run some errands. By around 1:30 the sun was more out than not and I decided to finish my last errand and go. Earlier in the week, I bought a Resident ID for where I live because Water World gives discounts to residents of two cities that share one recreation district. It was $6.00. An all day pass for Water World is $15.00 this summer. So for the same total cost as a Girl Splash ticket, I could also have discounts for two years to all the other recreation offerings in the area...heh. I'm cheap, I know. As it turned out, it only costs $7.50 if you show up after 2pm. YAY! I had a bunch of fun with some of the local lesbians who aren't afraid to show some skin, AND I got a lovely hat from Carve Designs!

Later I went to dinner with my friend K. H. She wanted to try a new restaurant in the Highlands area just due west of downtown Denver. It's called Julia Blackbird's. Kind of Californian style Mexican food. K.H. and I rated it an 8 overall. We liked the patio dining option and it was actually too cool inside anyway. We started off with margaritas. K. H. had a Pomegranate margarita which was so good, she had another later. I had a regular margarita, but it was so-so. I've had better, but it wasn't bad. Then we had chips and salsa...mmmmm. The salsa was spicy and had good flavor. They followed this with guacamole made table side. They used two whole avocados, tomato, garlic, green chile, lime, etc. The guac was yummy. The only thing it needed was either spicier green chile or some jalapeños.

Later, our en tree's were delivered. K. H. ordered a shrimp burrito with green chile and avocado garnish. She said it was pretty good. It looked fresh and yummy to me, but I was too stuffed from the guac to care about trying it. Plus, I didn't want to be disappointed that I hadn't order it instead of the Chicken Cordon Green. The chicken was supposed to be "stuffed" with green chile, but instead it was over grilled and a bit dry with a green chile laying on top. It was also swimming in a soupy green chile gravy. The grill flavor was good though and the green chile also had nice flavor. However, the dryness of the chicken and the watery consistency of the green chile gravy made the en tree rather disappointing. I took most of it home to doctor into something better for dinner later this week.

The last thing I did was go to Her Bar (see link in the right hand column) for drinks and mingling. They charge $5.00 to get in the door, but you get the first drink on the house. They should really put some restrictions on this (like only wine, well, or beer) because I got an $8.00 drink (Grey Goose and tonic with limes)...heh. My office assistant also found my gift certificate (thanks Tammy!) So I bought another Goose and tonic later on in the evening. By mid-night I'd met a gal (a girlfriend of a long time acquaintance who shares my same birthday). The owners of Her Bar (also friends) offered to buy each of us a shot to celebrate. We had one of my very old favorites: A Screaming Orgasm! HEHEHE! Because I know y'all wanna know, it's made of vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, and a splash of Amaretto (that's the part that makes it a Screaming Orgasm instead of a regular one...heh). Later I had a coke and then I went home.

So there ya have it...how I celebrated my birthday. Well that and some texting through out the evening. BTW...there sure are a lot of people going out to socialize at bars, yet spending the evening texting instead of TALKING with fellow patrons...heh. Guess the world is much bigger than a little ole bar now...

Saturday Surf - Facebook

I set up a Facebook account last fall...or maybe winter. I don't remember exactly, because I didn't really want to set it up at all. My sister in law recommended it a few times and then she told me she posted pictures and videos of my nephews there. Then the folks at work were toying with it and I thought about it some more. I think I figured out that one of my good friends was doing more posts there than on her regular blog. Anyway, at some point, I figured "What the heck." I'd just use it as my family and old friends connection site. I used my actual given name and said my main purpose is networking (keeps the riff raff away...lol). And I'd keep it very neutral and clean...no raunchy jokes and links...heh ('cause you never know when you're going to be googled).

Then slowly over months I was "friended" by family and old friends from high school. I only have real world friends on my Facebook account. Which means I've either met them in person, or have spoken with them by phone over the course of more than a year or so (actually only one friend falls in that category...heh). I get regular requests for "friends" who do not meet that criteria. I suppose I could start a TheWeyrd1 Facebook account, but really isn't it enough to have a blog for my fun pop culture and gay community pursuits and leave the Facebook for my boring real world stuff?

The one really nice thing that has happened as a result of my Facebook account is reconnecting with a friend from high school. Apparently, she "knew" I was a lesbian and she is too. I'm like, "Dang, why didn't you tell me!?!" In my head I'm thinking, high school would have been so much more interesting! But she had things to sort out. I guess timing is everything in life and it's been really nice having someone to chat with that "gets" where you're coming from because they were literally THERE. Course, I don't know where this "new" friendship will go, but the journey could be interesting...

Wednesday's Whine - What I Did This Summer

I worked extra duty on and off at the J.O.B. from which I should have taken an extended break. I did this so I could pay for:

1. Remodeling my bathroom and starting the remodel of my kitchen.

Bathroom before...notice the ugly tile and old toilet:

















Bathroom After...notice the new bamboo floors and low flow toilet, but try not to notice Tucker's unmade bed under the counter...heh:
























Before and after pics of my kitchen:















































2. The trip I took to Oregon but not for vacation exactly. I went to take a class so I can renew my license. But while I was there I did manage to visit my half-sister for her 60th birthday and meet my new great half-niece (which means I'm only half old, by the way). I'd post pics, but I don't post individual pics of my family.

3. The whole day I spent at the Denver Pride event. Actually, since I was in Oregon, I missed the Women's Pride Party. As a result I didn't spend that much money.

Total attendance estimates depended on who was reporting. The GLBTCCC (PrideFest organizers) said Denver's event is the 7th largest in the country with 300,000 in attendance. The city put the number closer to 100,000. I'll play the odds and say it was about 200,000 over the two days. Here's a crowd shot at the end of the parade:



















4. The spur of the moment opportunity to go to an Indigo Girls concert. I think I spent about $30.00 or so, but the big expense was the time spent on a bus getting back to the parking lot from the remote location of the actual event. The actual location supposedly holds around 900 people, but I think the crowd was smaller than that...yet it was sold out.

This is a picture of the stage (with the opening act playing) which backs onto the Poudre River (which was running high, by the way):



















My replacement camera for the one that stopped working after a week, doesn't take good pictures at night. Of course it was identical to the first one and also stopped working after a week. I've since upgrade to a slightly better one. But in the meantime, here are the girls and their guest keyboardist (whose name I don't recall):



















Now for the WHINE:

1. Tomorrow I finish another continuing education class so I can get one of my many licenses renewed.

2. Friday, I take another class to renew another license...this one's so I can keep my J. O. B. There's more whine in there somewhere, but I'm just too tired to whine about it now...heh.

And now for some WINE:

I did have that bottle of Harlow Ridge Sauvignon Blanc recently. It was crisp, as I like my white wines and as most Sauvignon Blancs tend to be, but not particularly exciting. Nevertheless, for $6.00 it was very good buy. However, it wasn't so great that I would serve it to a dinner date...heh. I would serve it on a hot summer night to pals hanging out around the swimming pool though...

Saturday Surf - What Kind of Lesbian Are You?

I'm home on a Saturday evening. How depressing is that? Then I'm noodling around on the net and find this quiz in the forums on AfterEllen.com:

Which type of Lesbian are you? The Undefinable You just like ladies, and that does nothing to affect your lifestyle or appearance. You are you, and you are unique! In fact, you're probably bi. You should check that out.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Sheesh. I am so NOT bi. I already checked that out in college...like everyone else does...in reverse.

Wednesday's Wine - Other Ladies' Recommendations

So today I'm doing something different. I'm sharing a drinks link, an old friend's spirit recommendation, and an online/email buddy's wine review (because she doesn't have a blog). So first off, you may have noticed my extra long list of links and blogs that I like or follow. One of them is the relatively new De-Cantation in which she reviews three wines with two under $10! Go check them out.

My new old friend (HS friend who I re-connected with via Facebook) loves her some Grey Goose Martini's. I prefer vodka tonic when I'm not having a glass of wine or a cold beer. We decided to have a text toast of Grey Goose, and I must say it's SMOOTH!

My online buddy, Kath wrote to share about a Malbec she tried since she was inspired by another recommendation she found on this very blog:

"Having my first ever Malbec tonight.......Black Mountain Vineyard, 2005. Watson's Grove, CA. $3.99 at Trader Joe's. I'll let you know how it is..."

Later (and not that long later...heh), she wrote to share the following review:

"The bottle reads:

"With an intriguing cross-section of flavors that range from fruit to floral, Black Mountain Malbec offers a very pleasing experience. Notes of violets and orange pekoe tea join with raspberries and plum. The finish is velvety as soft tannins delight the palate. Take advantage of this wines depth and complexity.It pairs nicely with a variety of cuisine...

"Very nice, indeed. really smooth and subtle. I will definitely seek out more Malbecs in the future. Thanks for suggesting. ;) "

Just a suggestion, but understand if you don't LIVE IN California, their wines might cost a tad more somewhere else. In other words, a $4.00 bottle of wine might run closer to $8.00.

ENJOY!

Wednesday's Wine - Harlow Ridge Petite Sirah, 2005

Despite my efforts otherwise, I could not find an ACTUAL picture of this bottle of wine, but since the label pretty much looks like the other Harlow Ridge wines that I've reviewed so far...you can just imagine it in your minds. So on with the review...

This wine, like the others, is from the Lodi region of California. I may have mentioned in a review of another Petite Sirah, that this grape is NOT to be confused with the Shiraz, Syrah, or Sirah grapes. They may have some original varietals in common, but they taste quite a bit different. A good Shiraz, Syrah or Sirah (different spellings related to where it is grown) is going to be "fruit forward" or as I once read, it's a wine that has a "big fruit" taste. Conversely, Petite Sirah is more earthy and actually kind of "small fruit" in taste. Maybe that's why it's called petite. What I do know is that this grape has been used in the past to give other wines more depth in flavor and color. In the last few years it's been showcased as a wine grape on it's own.

Harlow Ridge Petite Sirah, 2005 is typical for this grape. It holds up well with steak and probably other savory meals such as stews. I don't think it makes a great summer red, however. In fact, I still prefer Harlow Ridge's Cabernet and Pinot Noir. On the other hand, at $6.00 I would buy this one again. It's earthy with a vaguely tart edge. Not much alcohol on the finish, but a tad more than the other two just mentioned. Overall, I'd drink it again...in the winter...with some nice beefy stew and crusty bread...in front of a fire...in my fireplace...heh.

Enjoy!

Wednesday's Wine - Harlow Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

As promised and early in the day (since I'm on vacation) I bring you the follow up review on one of the other Harlow Ridge Wines. This time it's the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lodi region of California.

I went back to 3-S Liquors to pick this and another Harlow Ridge Wine for about $7.00 or $8.00 (I really should write the prices down). Anyway, the clerk, who is a wine geek himself and a neighbor, said he didn't find this Cabernet Sauvignon that good. I have to say I disagree. While hunting for a picture of the label, I found this VERY BRIEF review:

"Jammy and spicy, with distinctive geranium notes and herbal cherry flavors on a medium frame."

I not sure what "geranium notes" taste like although I understand that tastes are often associated closely with scents. If you know what geraniums smell like, then this wine may TASTE like what you think geraniums would taste like based on their scent...but only vaguely since it's just "notes." I do agree that it's somewhat "jammy" and definitely spicy and a bit of cherry midway on the palate. Also a bit of alcohol burn on the finish. I will give the neighbor guy some due since this wine is definitely not a typical Cabernet Sauvignon. On the other hand, I liked it. And for the price, I think it's a pretty good value.

Keep in mind that it's a bit spicier than most Cabernet's when deciding on your menu. I had it with bbq pork loin and later with a blackened steak salad. Both times the flavors of the meal stood up to the wine.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I got the Harlow Ridge wines for $7.00 it turns out when I went back to find out and NOW they're at a new sale price of $6.00!!!

Wednesday's Wine - Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2006

It's Wednesday, so it must be a wine post. Ooooo boy, another good bottle for under $10.00 right!?! Um, yes. And, uh no. I'm not in Colorado today...actually haven't been since Friday morning. Yeah, I'm in Portland, Oregon. Did you know that Oregon is known for Pinot Noir (they're also known for Rieslings, but I don't have a liking for sweet wines, so not much to share about those...)? Well, anyway, I spent the weekend with my half sister and her daughter's family. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I ended up touring wineries on Sunday with only my sister. Somewhat surprisingly, it was fun (could be that happened because she was the designated driver...heh). We went to three wineries. The first of which was Secret House Vineyards (the others were LaVelle Vineyards and Sweet Cheeks Winery). In all, I think I tried close to 20 wines. It was mostly sips and small swallows, but you know they kind of add up...heh. My sister did try about 5 or 6...mostly Rieslings.

So back to the possibly under $10.00 bottle of wine, but might not be...hee. As you can see in the title, I had the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2006 made by Secret House. But let's start at the beginning. It's quick, really. First I had the 2005 Pinot Noir and it was pretty good. THEN, I had the 2006 and my socks were blown off. It's OMG yummy. What makes it extra yummy is that I got it for $10.00. But, uh, you can't. So really, it's not fair, because I've devoted my Wednesday's Wine posts to wines you can get for under $10.00, at least in my part of the world (aka, Colorado). On the other hand, I did get it for $10.00 (exactly, because they don't have sale's tax in Oregon) and if a bottle of wine cost me $10.00 or less I believe I'm still obligated to share...at least the information...right??? Heh.

I must say, this is easily one of the best Pinot Noirs I've ever had. It might be one of the best red wines I've had in a really long time. It actually sells for more like upper $20's low $30's if I recall correctly. And because the owners are selling the winery, they marked all of their wines down to $10.00 a bottle regardless. If I wasn't flying home, I would have bought several bottles. As it is, I'm now staying at a hotel in Portland for a class and am nursing a bottle over a few days. The difference between a really good $10.00 (or under) wine and a mediocre wine over $30.00 isn't much. But the difference between a really good one in the $30.00 range and a good under $10.00 is definitely noticeable.

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2006 has a great berry type fruit taste on the front of the palate (I found out recently that this can mean it's "fruit forward"). However, it's NOT all fruit in the front. There is definitely a scent and taste of oak right at the beginning. It's kind of anticipatory of the complexities to come. This wine is somewhat bold in all the flavors without any one being overpowering and they all linger on the tongue. There is a bit of alcohol on the finish, but it's less than the burn of alcohol that lower cost wines often have. Here's what Ron Appetit (who must have an "appetite" for wine...heh) says on the back label about his wine:

"A lush, full-bodied Pinot Noir, with intense flavors of berry, black cherry and currants. A complex Pinot that will be wonderful with a robust meal. This varietal speaks to the mystery of wine in a most elegant voice."

Yeah, what Ron said! If any of my readers live ANYWHERE near Eugene, Oregon, I recommend visiting Secret House Vineyards by June 30th to pick up this wine. I found it went well with a meat pizza, as well as left over Turkey Schnitzel. I would have preferred it with a good steak, but in order to have the wine, I have to make do with carry out. Tomorrow, I'll probably have the rest with some kind of beef stir fry from the Chinese restaurant near by. By the way, you KNOW a wine is good when it's still yummy in a Styrofoam cup!

ENJOY!

Wednesday's Wine - A White One and a Red One

So last week, starting on Wednesday, I had new floors put in my kitchen and bathroom. I still drank some wine prior to Wednesday, but somehow I didn't get around to sharing...heh.

The weekend before the floors were installed I had the white wine. Then over the weekend to celebrate the floor completion (along with the installation of a new low flow toilet and energy efficient dishwasher) I grilled a steak for dinner. Of course, that required opening a bottle of some kind of red wine.

The white was another Pinot Grigio. I think I might like Pinot Grigios a little bit...heh. This one is Lumina Pinot Grigio, 2007 from the Ruffino Winery which is in Italy. Hopefully The Gentleman will stop by and give us her opinion on it. I found it crisp and generally pretty good. I've had better ones, but for the price (around $8.00 from Applejack Liquors) it was a good buy. Depending on what you like in a white wine, it could be good by itself, but I would prefer something else for sipping. On the other hand it went well with chicken and veggie stirfry. Here's what the folks at Ruffino said about their Pinot Grigio:

Lumina means "Illumination of the moon"; the label's quartered-moon icon represents the ancient alchemist's symbol for this planet. Lumina is a Pinot Grigio with a well recognizable personality. Its medium-bodied structure and full aromas makes it stand out in the broad Pinot grigio category. This wine, which was first introduced in 2002, has in fact been so well reviewed by consumers world-wide that its production has grown well beyond 1.000.000 bottles per year in only 4 years.


I also picked up a Malbec at Applejack for around $8.00. Malbec is gaining some popularity among red wine enthusiasts, but it is a bit different from other reds. It's not a bold red like a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. On the other hand it's not as wimpy as Merlot (sorry...heh). This 2008 Tilia Malbec is from Argentina and is definitely complex and yet smooth. I noticed the fruit flavors (kind of a berry/cherry taste) on the front of the palate, however it also seemed a tad spicy in a mellow kind of way. I liked that it didn't have the alcohol burn that some thinner reds have at this price point. Here's what one wine purchasing website said about Tilia Malbec, 2008:

The 2008 Tilia Malbec presents a dark purple color with violet highlights. The nose offers bright black cherry aromas with light floral notes and a touch of toast. The mouthfeel is full and rich, with ripe, concentrated cassis and black raspberry fruit flavors interwoven with a touch of chocolate and sweet spice from light oak aging. This finish shows ripe, silky tannins.

I loved it with my steak and another evening with my Taco Bell (as a result of multiple trips to the store after all day post construction cleanup, I was too tired to cook...heh). By the way, both bottles were screw top, but that didn't take away from the experience and it's much easier to keep the wine longer...but not as long as you can with box wine...heeeee.

ENJOY!

Saturday Surf - I Got Tagged...dang it.

Jannie Funster tagged me and this is what she wanted to know:

1. Who is the hottest movie star?

Unlike Jannie, I'm not going to be equal opportunity and pick both a guy and a gal. I don't honestly look at the guys and think "ooo, he's hot"...heh. As for the women, well there are so many. But in the hottest category I think I would pick Charlize Theron. When I was younger, I would have picked Jodie Foster. She's still hot, but she hasn't been doing a lot lately...so I haven't seen any HOT pictures of her. Also, I'm kind of disappointed that she broke up with her long time partner to pursue a younger gal. Kinda cougar like. But really, it was the acknowledging of her longtime partner in such a sweet way and then a couple months later she moved onto the younger gal. Not so hot.

2. Apart from your house and car, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

Probably my computers and Treo cellphones. The first Treo was around $400. The last desktop computer was $1600. I'm a bit of a geek, but only a tiny bit.

3. What’s your most treasured memory?

We moved a lot when I was a kid (no my dad was not in the military and neither was my mom...at least not after she got out of the Navy and started working and THEN met my dad). We moved to Omaha in the mid-70's and lived there for 2 years. That was probably the best time in my life as far as having friends and being part of the cool group. It might have had something to do with the boy next door (yes, there actually WAS one and yeah, I might have been inclined to marry him someday...he treated me like an equal, which is very important). He was very popular and liked me (though not really THAT way) and included me in everything. I totally loved my life when I lived next door to Rob.

4. What was the best gift you ever received as a child?

Two guitars. I got the first from my rich uncle and grandmother when I was 12 (my parents gave me a ukulele when I was 8 and electric organ lessons when I was 10...but I kept begging for a guitar...I think they were too poor to buy one). Anyway, it's a Harmony Stella student guitar and I still have it. Very twangy. The second guitar is a Ventura with a split rosewood back. I got that when I was 16 and up until about 10 years ago, I played it almost everyday.

5. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Um...sometimes I think one of my biggest mistakes was recently not insisting harder that some of my older investment clients consider something more conservative for their portfolios. I get told that I'm too "aggressive" in my approach to things when I think someone should do something different than they are choosing to do. So I backed off more than I should have.

However, more personally, I think my biggest mistake was not taking the scholarship offer to Cornell for an undergraduate degree, because I thought (at age 18 when you THINK you know everything) that I would only be allowed to study Industrial Psychology which I didn't want to study. Later, I made the mistake of not pursuing a Ph.D. in Behavior Genetics like I originally had hoped to do when I moved to Colorado from Ohio following my undergraduate degree from NOT Cornell. I wonder if I could get a Ph.D. from Cornell in Behavior Genetics...

6. 4 words to describe yourself.

Intelligent. Introspective. Honest. Humorous.

7. What was your highlight or lowlight of 2008?

Honestly, 2008 was not that great of a year for me. There isn't really anything that stands out as a highlight.

8. Favorite film?

The Hotel New Hampshire. This one stars the aforementioned Jodie Foster. I first saw this while visiting a friend in D.C. over spring break in 1984. My favorite scene (all 30 seconds of it) is Jodie's character in bed AND kissing (and presumably other activities) Nastassja Kinski's character while being secretly observed by her character's brothers, played by Rob Lowe and Paul McCrane (ER). For those of my readers who are into the male of the species, there is a scene in which Rob Lowe's character loses his virginity to an older woman by...well...let's just say he's standing and we don't SEE the woman. Anyway, Rob Lowe's facial contortions during this scene are VERY good and very funny. As a psychologist, this film is awesome...all the sexual issues you can think of are covered on one movie. By the way, it's base on one of John Irving's many novels (most of which have become movies). In fact, The Hotel New Hampshire got it's start as a short story that Garp was writing in The World According to Garp before became a full blown novel itself.

9. Tell me one thing I don’t know about you.

Read the rest of this MEME...it's ALL things you don't know about me...pretty much.

10. If you were a comic book / strip character, who would you be?

Does this question refer to exisiting comic book characters? If so, I'll pick the one that I actually scored out for last year. Actually, it was the comic book character I should DATE:

Black Canary. Apparently the picture expired, but you can still read all about her.

Bonus question: What’s one stupid thing you did today, Weyrd1?

Let my head continue to ache, while doing this dang meme. Thanks Jannie! Now I think I'll go drink some more coffee and take a painkiller of some sort...

PS...feel free to tag yourself, if you like.

Saturday Surf - To My Blog Buddy

Citizen of the World (who is self-described as A Little Off Kilter)...I'll miss your blog posts...even though many of them made me really hungry. I'll miss seeing the landscape of your travels too. But mostly, I'll miss knowing there's another cool psychologist out there making observations about random things. I hope you'll still visit and leave comments now and then. Until then, I'll raise the occasional glass of wine and toast you (while I visualize pictures of your fabulous meals).

Wednesday's Wine - Harlow Ridge Pinot Noir, 2007

Well aren't y'all lucky tonight! Here I am with another yummy wine. This 2007 Pinot Noir from Harlow Ridge is slightly lighter in both color and heft than typical Pinot Noirs. Perfect weight for a red wine in summer.

I picked this one up at...well shoot, I went to both my favorite stores this past week. I do remember it was about $7.00. And it's available at a few liquor stores here in Colorado, so I'm sure to have it again. Anyway, it has a lightly spicy nose (which means it smells peppery and spicy), with nice fruit flavors on the finish. I found it smooth, but not wimpy. It was good with a steak that was sliced for sandwiches I think, but I had it pan fried along with steamed asparagus. I finished off the bottle tonight with stir fry in a homemade spicy teriyaki sauce. It also held up well with BBQ chicken.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I bought this bottle of wine at 3S Liquors. I figured this out when I made my weekly stop and saw the display of all wines Harlow Ridge. I now have in my possession, two more flavors! Check back here in the coming weeks to see what I think of these $7.00 wines...