Observations From A Long Saturday

Yesterday was a big day for the ol' business. Those of you that know what we do will know the enormity of it all when I say we had five yesterday. Yes...FIVE. It was a record-breaking day, & it's a record that will remain unbroken. It was a hectic & dreadfully hot & humid day.

In between 1 & 2, we stopped for lunch at a new place that has sprouted off from a very upscale & well-known place in St. Louis. Imagine my surprise when I saw this on the wine list:

(I apologize for the lack of focus -- it was, after all, taken on my cell.)

Still not spotting it? It says "Sauvingon Blanc".

It's SAUVIGNON. One mispelling I could understand (sort of), but everytime that varietal was on the list, it was spelled the incorrect way. I rank this one right up there with another nice place (that has now closed down) that topped its martini menu with the header "Martini's". Gah.

On our way out of 2, I noticed this stained glass window:


You're right - that is a girl sitting at a computer. I know I can't be the only one that finds this hilarious.

Now for something completely random... Sweaty hair that has been dried in front of the air conditioning vent really can be quite cute. Too bad you have to go through so much just to get that look!

And that's all I've got for right now. Doug & I are diving into a lovely bottle of rose' (that I will write about in the future, I'm sure), & I'd like to enjoy it without too much distraction...

Unbelievable...

We just did the craziest thing.

We actually sought out the company of our 4 & 6 year old neighbor kids. We spent time with them, cheered them on, & actually hugged them when we left.

Oh, yes...there was a motive. There was definitely a motive.

We're hoping to achieve this:



The above photo was taken after a Sunday afternoon playdate with 7 other dogs in our backyard. That's what it took to stop Hurricane Truvy. We don't have those resources available tonight, so....

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

We hope it worked...but she just grabbed a coffee cup.

Out of our kitchen sink.

Fuck.

Nope, Not Dead

Well, hello! My goodness, it's been such a long time since I've written. Not because I haven't wanted to or because I haven't had anything to say - that would be crazy - but because...

You guessed it - no time!

Let me give you a quick update:

Work is nuts. I mean, really nuts. Not only is my job much more involved, but with the economy (gah, that phrase!), I'm not taking any chances. No blogging, no blog reading, very little emailing - you know the drill. I'm trying to be more focused on my job. While it might be less entertaining for you guys, it's a good thing for me.

Our side business is booming, which is great, but it also means that Doug & I don't have a ton of free time. But hey, what else is new...

I went to the doctor on Friday & got the all-clear on that lovely DVT I had in February. Criminy, what an ordeal that has been! I'll probably always have some swelling & discomfort, which I'm not thrilled about...but it sure beats the alternative, so I guess I'll take it with a smile. One of the greatest things about this is that I'm weaning myself off of the blood thinner, & that makes me very happy. Shark Week has been such a bitch on that stuff! Seriously...

Yup, that's big news. But here's the biggest I've got for you:

Meet Truvy Tallulah, our 5 month old Black Lab/Walker Coonhound mix! The above photo was taken the day we brought her home a month ago. (By the way, that's not a beard, it's just the angle.) Anyway, I don't know what in the hell we were thinking, bringing a puppy home, but she's here & life hasn't been the same. More on that another time, but suffice it to say that her nickname is Satan.

She's very cute, though. Here, look:

She looks innocent, but trust me...she's anything but! And she's a lot bigger now, & I think by the time she's finished growing, we're going to have a pony instead of a dog....

Puppyhood is tough, but we're finding comfort in knowing that it doesn't last as long as childhood!

Ok, I'm tired & I want to go to bed. Let's hope Truvy lets me.

Jumpin' Back In

It had to happen...I had to go back to work.

After almost 3 weeks of sick leave due to my beloved blood clot (almost 4 weeks if you consider I was on vacation the week before it happened), my first day was what has become the toughest day of every week -- clinic. I was a bit worried about how rusty I'd gotten after such a short time on the job, & that didn't help.

The day sucked. The boss was in a horrible mood & was very hard on me & the other 2 women working with him. Well, mostly me. I really wanted to tell him that I wasn't hired to excel in clinic, I was hired to excel in what I already excel in, but that wouldn't have been appropriate. Instead, I very nicely told him that, if I'd been able, I would've gladly rescheduled my near fatal medical emergency to a time after I'd gotten much better at my new job. Now, I didn't use those exact words, & I really was very polite, but it doesn't matter. He didn't hear me because he wasn't listening to anyone. Even though I knew he was acting out-of-character & irrational, & that my work that day really wasn't that bad, I couldn't help but feel like crap & like a failure at the end of the day.

Life went on. I went at the enormous stacks of work that had been accumulating since I left for vacation (& I'm still not done). We met with some people for our side business, had drinks with friends on St. Pat's, & I had my blood drawn. You know, because I haven't been poked with needles enough over the last few weeks. My blood ended up being too thin - I could've told you that when I bled like crazy after the needle was removed - so my medicine was adjusted once again. My right arm is beginning to make me look a junkie. Then there's been a bit of drama with my parents, but that might be another post for another time. Regardless of that, things were getting better, even though I was still stinging a little bit from Monday.

Fast forward to this evening. We get home & I grabbed the mail. I was so surprised to see that there was already a birthday card (my birthday isn't until the end of the month). I was even more surprised to see the name on the return address label: my boss. I ripped open the card on my way up the driveway, & couldn't suppress a "Holy shit!".

There was a check for $100 inside the birthday card, sent on Tuesday.

Now, let's get something straight. I don't know this guy that well, but I do know that he very likely didn't realize that he was too hard on me this past Monday. He was NOT kissing my ass. Apparently, this is just what he does...he buys me lunch every Monday, sent me flowers on Valentine's & while I was in the hospital, & now a birthday bonus with a note that said "Thanks for all of your hard work, Claire"...spelled correctly & everything. And hey, maybe he doesn't think I'm so bad after all.

To celebrate this gift - & the fact that it's Thursday - we decided wine was in order. Shocking, I know. The first wine we reached for is a favorite of ours...& it was corked. Crap. That's such a bummer, but never fear, we had more wine. We grabbed the Four Vines 2006 Biker Zinfandel , another favorite, & we were not disappointed. Nope, not one bit.

Mmmmm, mmmm, good. Talk about a ballsy Zin!

But you know what? There was more to this big-ass Paso Robles wine than that. Big berry, with wonderful pepper & spice that's not just in-your-face, it's very well done, & very deserving of your purchase. Actually, all of the Four Vines wines are - we've loved every single one that we've tried, which is almost all of them.

Go to your nearest wine store & treat yourself!

At Last...

...I can move! I'm off work all this week, but I'm no longer confined to my recliner prison! No running, rock or tree climbing, cliff diving, riding bikes, motorcycles, bulls, or horses...so, that pretty much leaves me incapacitated.

Heh.

Seriously, other than those things, I can do almost anything I want. I'll be on medication for a while, but the doctor gave me great news.

I can drink wine. And yes, those are angels singing.

To celebrate this occasion, we decided to open up a special bottle. Not one that made the last post, but special just the same.

About a year ago, maybe 2, Doug & I went to a tasting at The Wine Barrel of Buena Vista Carneros wines. We had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Stewart, the winemaker, but most importantly, we loved his wine! Jeff wasn't the first winemaker we'd ever met, but he was cool & he signed both bottles that we bought. (I think I've said it before, but a lot of winemakers can be really boring, so it was refreshing to meet one that's not!) While Buena Vista prides itself on its Pinot Noir, we couldn't help ourselves when we tried the Merlot & the Syrah. It also helped that we were quite Pinot-heavy at the time of the tasting...& we have no regrets other than we should've bought more. (No, I don't know what I'll do with the empty signed bottles. I suppose if we keep it that it'll be something else to dust.)

We opened one of those bottles tonight, the 2003 Buena Vista Merlot.

I reached for this bottle tonight because of fear. We've held onto bottles that we thought would be ok, but fell apart as soon as we pulled the cork...& my friends, that qualifies as a tragedy in my book.

My, mymymymy-myyyyy.... what a lovely experience this was! Rich fruit, perhaps crushed berries, with some leather on the nose, & full-bodied, luscious, well balanced, & divine in the mouth. Blackberries, mocha, & some kind of spice - maybe clove - on the palate. An amazing cool climate Merlot. Fantastic.

Maybe we should've let this wine sit a while longer...I think it could've handled it. It's a tricky call. I mean, 95% of wine made today is made to drink NOW. As much as I'd love to open no wine before its time, who in the hell am I to know when that time is? Aaaauuurrgghhhh!!!

Ah, no regrets.

(Except that we should've bought more! Damn it, we should've bought more!)

2009 Open That Bottle Night

Every year, on the last Saturday night in February, wine drinkers around the world open up those special bottles that they've been holding on to for whatever reason. Sounds grand, doesn't it?

Oh, it could've been...it really could've been. We've never taken part in this, so we wanted to do it up. We were going to have a few people over, perhaps grill up some steak or whatever, hang out & enjoy the food, company, & of course, the vino. Due to my recent malady (read below for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about), I suppose it wasn't meant to be. Boo hoo. I'll live.

Doug & I have quite a bit of wine. We go to tastings around town regularly, & we always buy at least 1 bottle. Don't get me wrong - we only have about 75-80 bottles at this time, so our collection is not that impressive, & we don't have a cellar. Yet. We have room in the basement for one, so maybe someday. Anyway, we've got a few bottles that we've been hanging on to, although we don't really have a plan for any of them.

2004 Ca'Marcanda Promis: A Super Tuscan out of Bolgheri, one of Italy's youngest DOC's, & one of the many fine wines from Angelo Gaja. We were really excited about this wine when we bought it: 55% Merlot, 35% Shiraz - both from the Bolgheri estate - and 10% Sangiovese from Montalcino. We picked this up during a class at Lukas Liquor, where we met our friends Shan & Sean. We'll probably drink this one very soon....

2003 Chateau de Sales, Heritiers de Lambert: This wine is from Pomerol, a tiny region in Bordeaux. I'm not going to pretend to know a ton about Bordeaux because there's just way too much information & it can be very confusing...you know, because it's all French. What I can tell you about Pomerol is that it's on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, which means that about 2/3 of the vines are Merlot. Most of the remainder is Cab Franc, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, & a spot or 2 of Malbec thrown in for good measure. Pomerol is also home to Chateau Pétrus, one of the most expensive and sought-after wines of the world. It's been said that wines from the region can be "sensuous & life-changing". Hmmm...our wine cost enough for about half of a drop of Chateau Pétrus, & we doubt that it'll be life-changing, but we do have hope that it will be wonderful. We had a taste of it when we bought it at Lukas Liquor, & it was!

2003 Chateau Beau-Site Cru Bourgeois Superieur: We bought this from The Wine Barrel. Another Bordeaux, only this time from Ste. Estephe on the Left Bank. Again, I don't know much, but generally speaking, wines from the Left Bank are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Merlot. I wouldn't doubt if there's a little Petit Verdot, Cab Franc, &/or Malbec in the mix, but it's practically impossible to know for sure...again, it's French. I'm not saying that to diss on the French as a people, but their wine politics are very, very odd. Every time I think of studying to be a sommelier (for no other reason than my own amusement), I think of France & think otherwise. Back to the wine...it can probably be aged for a long time, but seriously...why???

2004 Ferrari Carano Tresor: In a word? Yum. We absolutely adore this wine (& most wines from Ferrari Carano), & we were thrilled when it was featured at a tasting at The Wine Barrel. It's a Bordeaux blend that contains all 5 Bordeaux varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, & Cabernet Franc. We really need to pick up the 2005 as well because it's that good.

2004 Ojai Stolpman Vineyard Syrah: I remember this wine well from a tasting at Lukas Liquor a while back, & I was immediately infatuated. The Pinnacle Import reps, Bill & our pal Amy, served an astounding beef brisket with a lineup of 6 different Syrahs, maybe 7. This was a rare thing at Lukas, & it made a big impact on me. Syrah can be a tough varietal to "get", & as with most grapes, there are many, many winemaking styles. I recall that this wine was very dark, almost a blue-black, & was smoky with blueberry & blackberry. Delish.

2004 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon: We picked this up from yet another tasting at Lukas, their special "Big Red" tasting that will probably be on hold indefinitely because of - you guessed it - the economy. That's so sad. Anyway, this wine is 100% Cab, estate grown, & a blend from different vineyards. I remember smoooooth... & very well balanced. We've had several wines from Anderson's Conn Valley & really enjoyed them. Maybe we'll get to try some of their whites someday, but they really are known for their reds.

2005 Long Shadows Pedestal: Lucy & I attended a tasting at Veritas last year, & we were both very impressed with the Long Shadows wines. The 2005 Pedestal is 80% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, & absolutely incredible. Wines from Long Shadows are really cool for many reasons, & their story is one of them. The grapes are grown in Washington, & the wines are a collaboration between Allen Shoup, the winemaker in Washington, & renowned winemakers from around the world. The Pedestal is a joint venture with Michael Rolland of Pomerol (& now we know a little about that place), & it's delightful. It was quite a hard choice to make - most of the wines were about $60 a pop, except for the Riesling...but Veritas sold out of that fast. For good reason, the Poet's Leap is stellar, & my favorite Riesling ever. The fact that I have a favorite Riesling is promising...I'm coming along in my appreciation for Riesling. Ah, but I digress...the Pedestal. So very, very good!

2002 Elderton Command: Another purchase from the Big Red tasting at Lukas, & perhaps aside from the Ornellaia, this Barossa Valley Shiraz was the star of the show. To those of you that are impressed by such things, Parker gave this baby a 95 & that's freakin' high. I remember this was huge, larger than life...stunning, actually. No, wait - what was stunning was that Doug grabbed a bottle of this with no discussion - it was $75, more than we've ever paid for wine. What made this even crazier is that before tasting this wine, Doug didn't even like Shiraz! For that matter, Australian wines rarely top my list of favorite wines, either, but hey - I'm really excited about this wine. In fact, I'm thinking about drinking this for my upcoming 40th birthday, but we'll see. Doctor's orders, you know.

So, there you have it, the pride of our "cellar", although there are several more that I could add. Maybe we'll have a belated Open That Bottle Night sometime, or maybe we'll crack a couple bottles open with just a few friends. Who knows what we'll do, but I can tell you this much -- any day that these wines are opened will be an occasion in itself.

The Needle & The Damage Done

I figured that since I'm laid up at home, sharing my recent health scare with you, that I should at least show you what this awful shot looks like:

There it is. Not so bad, really. Really. It could be so much longer, like a flu shot or something. Now those are big! Oh, who am I kidding...they might not be as big, but I still hate them. For the first & probably only time ever, I'm actually grateful to be fat! I shudder to think about giving myself these shots if I had a flat belly. At any rate, I hope to be finished with these things for good tomorrow.

The damage done? No, no, you won't be seeing that.... I do have some pride, you know.