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Wine Du Jour: An Unwooded Chardonnay

I went to my favorite liquor store in Athens a couple of weekends ago and bought this wine. First, this is my favorite store because they have a big wine selection and the prices are GREAT. If you see a wine in the grocery store, you can usually find it here for $2 or $3 less.

So, I wanted something different and the other thing good about this store is that there's a guy there who knows stuff and, in addition, he knows where all the wines are. And I asked him for an unwooded Chardonnay.

You see, a couple of years ago, I went to a wine tasting at which I tasted an unwooded chardonnay. I was suspicious of it because I don't have a profound love for white wines and chardonnays are so oaky to me that I actually prefer real wood chips to some wines I've had. But that wine I tasted was GREAT. All the citrus in the wine just popped out. It was like drinking summer and I loved it.

Sadly, I didn't write down the brand or anything, so now I just poke around occassionally trying to find it.

So, I asked the guy for one of these.

See, Chardonnays are usually aged in oak barrels. That's where they get the oaky taste. "Unwooded" ones are aged in steel containers, though, so it doesn't pick up those flavors.

This one is no exception.

Now, I have read that wines are sensitive to temperature. What temperature should be used for white wines? I don't know. It's in a book somewhere, but I'm sure it's cooler than that of reds, which I understand are actually supposed to be served at a cooler temperature than you think.

Anyway, this wine. When I first tasted it, I was not impressed. In fact, I think I was imagining some other taste and when I tasted this it was so wrong. So, I let it sit a minute before sipping it again and it was very pleasant.

I definitely detect something like tangerine in this one and it's very pleasant. It also has a creamy note in it. I don't think I can describe it beyond that because it has a couple of different flavors in it and because I haven't worked much at tasting, it reads as a pleasant noise to my tongue. Alas, this is as good as you're going to get in the way of description.

When I look up Chardonnay in my wine book it says of the grape:

The greatest dry white wine grape in the world, despite its proliferation in virtually every commercial wine-making area. Once erroneously thought to be a member of the pinot family, this classic variety is responsible for producing the greatest white Burgundies and is one of the three major grape types used in the production of Champagne.

Well, I think this is a decent wine and I would certainly consider serving it another time. It's the 2003 Gnangara Unwooded Chardonnay from Austrailia.

How the Day After Tomorrow Didn't Happen

Once again, I find myself completely underwhelmed by the winter fury here in North Georgia. We get all kinds of news reports and people run to the store and buy up stuff. Some people lose their power.

But after sitting inside most of the day yesterday, pretty much all the ice is gone today.

"Ice Storm 2005" was a bust in my opinion.

That's Not Snow

Just in case anyone in North Georgia is wondering right now, that isn't snow falling from the sky. It's mostly water and pellets of ice.

Snow is soft and pretty and doesn't wake me up by rattling against my window.

I just watched my neighbors attempt to back their car up their driveway without success. I thought about buying some de-icer last night while I was getting firewood, but opted against it. *shrug*

So, it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere right now.

What a waste.

Update: Oh dear. They have activated the "STORM CENTER" on my radio station because of the weather.

It sounds like I'm going to be stuck here all weekend. Eff that. I need cereal. I'm getting out at some point and a little bit of ice is not going to stop me.

Update 2: I went outside to put something in mailbox and one of my neighbors was flying around on a four-wheeler. (A few of my neighbors have a death wish.) The accumulation on the ground, I have confirmed, is just slush.

And the radio is saying that the highways are closed down.

Update 3: I just walked to the store and back to get stuff for grilled cheese sandwiches. The store is 3.5 miles away and the weather is my bitch. TAKE IT! Booyah!

I Object!

I found this quiz on the SC Thinker blog.

I really have to go on the record as questioning the scientific nature of this quiz. Just because I can recognize pictures of scientists and mathematicians and name lots of elements on the periodic table and have a cursory knowledge of physics and computer science and programming and have a favorite brand of calculator and ...

Ok. I'm a little bit nerdy. Admitting I have a problem is the first step to recovery.

Inhumane Treatment

I got a wrong number call last night at 2:10 AM. Someone asked me if I answered it and I said, "Of course, I did!"

When I am called in the middle of the night, I assume that someone has set themselves on fire, so when the phone rings I try to be prepared to blurt out, "STOP DROP AND ROLL!" Alas, this has never happened in spite of my having been called in the middle of the night on several occasions.

In addition to being prepared to deal with friends who have a problem with spontaneous combustion, I am also prepared to commit violent crimes usually by way of neck punching, eye gouging, and really filthy insults that might make you cry.

So, basically, I just want to tell people not to dial my number, even by mistake, between the hours of 10:30 PM and 9:30 AM. I might be completely awake for some of the hours within that range like I was today starting at 6:00 AM, but I still don't think it's polite to call.

My question is this: who in holy hell is calling people at 2AM on a Wednesday night?

People who don't know the right number to dial, that's who.

Moon Dog Acre Redux

So, a couple of readers wrote in to tell me how wrong I was about the Moon Dog Acre wine. They attempted to write off my horrible experience to corkage.

Well, I succumed to their wiles and bought another bottle.

Wisely, I took it to a 3 year-olds birthday party so that I would not wind up stuck with another horrid bottle of wine. Three year-olds will drink anything!

Anyway, we tried it. I didn't like it very much but it was not the "demon piss" that I had before. I would also note that this bottle had a synthetic cork.

The wine was fairly spicy and definitely heavy on the berry and fruit. Since we drank it immediately after opening the bottle, the comment was made that there was no wine in the bottle, because not one bit of it stimulated the front part of the tongue. I found that after it aired, it developed more body.

Still, not my favorite wine. I don't hate it like I did though. Thank you, kind readers, for convincing me to get back on the horse!

So, you can go get this Shiraz if you want to. I say: Stick to Yellow Tail. It's cheap and reliable.

I read in a recent issue of Men's Health that alcohol in ANY quantity is bad for the healthy individual. Studies that have shown that red wine helps people with their heart have downplayed the caveat: if you already have heart disease. The article in Men's Health compares it to radiation therapy for cancer. Which is worse: Cancer or radiation? Cancer. Which is worse: Red Wine or heart disease? Heart disease. That doesn't mean you should drink alcohol at all.

I've also held that the word 'poison' especially with regard to things like alcohol and cigarettes is overplayed. (I don't smoke, though.) I've long thought that it's ok to drink a little bit now and again or to smoke once or twice without sustaining any real harm to your health.

Apparently not. Apparently, the least amount is damaging.

I will look into this further because I started drinking red wine for this purpose. If alcohol is always bad for you, then I shan't drink it any more and that's that.

Tonight, I'm drinking Yellow Tail Cabernet-Shiraz blend, by the way. It's decent, but my tastebuds have been murdered because I made a particularly spicy batch of creole to go with it tonight.

"Bored now" - Evil Willow

Brace yourselves, this is sure to be a rambling, fairly pointless post because there are several things running through my head right now.

I'm about to go take a bath with lemon oil and give myself a facial. And I'm going to read a little and go to bed early.

I stuck to my promise and did not go to the office this weekend, though I was fairly tempted by some great ideas and spurts of inspiration to work.

I hate my grocery store. They never have what I want. The other store is too expensive. The other stores are too far away. (Maybe not... note to self: look into a more tightly regimented weekend schedule.)

I think I'm nursing a small addiction to water. I know, things could be worse. Heroin, for example. That's WAY worse than water. But I don't remember being so thirsty all the time when I was younger. Wouldn't it be cool if I turned into a jelly fish? Maybe not. I would sting people all the time, though. Anyway, I noticed this when I bought two cases of water at the grocery store along with a few other things -- but no meat -- and my bill was almost $100. Note to self: invest in some more cost effective means of hydration. Think Pur.

My schedule is too empty. I have too much time. It's making me nuts. Now, I just go to work and then all the rest of my time is my own. This makes me very restless. I don't like it! I don't like it one bit!

I'm thinking of taking some kind of martial arts class because that provides a focus and goals AND it will help me get into shape.

My arms and shoulders feel nicely sore today from hoisting children into the air all night last night. I can't wait until tomorrow.

I want to get into shape, but I wonder how badly because I ran once last week and I haven't done much else in terms of directed exercise.

So, I'm bored. Bored and listless without school. As I recall, that's one of the reasons I went back to school -- because I was bored.

I get so much more accomplished when I have a packed schedule. At the same time, my blood pressure sky-rockets and I get all frazzely about it. A conundrum.

So, maybe a martial arts class two nights a week and a language class two nights a week and then I could fill up the rest of my nights with my own projects. hmmm...

Note to self: price out classes, tutors, whatever. Must get busy.

At Home

I only pulled a nine-hour day today and now I'm at home with the delicious scent of a roast in the air.

I have made a personal vow to not go into work this weekend.

I'm going to go celebrate the life of a truly evil little creature who is turning 4 3 and I might see a movie and I'm going to read my books and clean my house. But I'm not going to the office!

(Reading my new work-related book doesn't count.)

Update: I got his age wrong. He's three not four. Four is the time I was to arrive. In retribution for my most grevious error, the monster farted at me -- twice. Woe is me!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I Present to You...

A sure-fire way to get your ass beat.

Courtesy of Trey Givens who doesn't deserve the link-love I give him.

Cooking in Six Degrees

Go to the Food Network site and vote for Hans to get his own cooking show.

You see, Hans is a friend of a friend.

If this is a selling point to you, please note that he reads comic books. If that's not a selling point to you, I would say that he does it just to keep up with what the kids are into these days.

Thank you.

When Will Atlas Shrug?

I'm so sick of my job. And yet, I persist with working 10 to 14 hour days. I also work on weekends and come in on holidays.

I don't feel that I am adequately compensated for the work I do and I persist. This is the definition of sacrifice. It is not value for value.

Atlas is very unhappy about this right now!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Iceman

I don't really like the cold and I get cold very easily. I am actually amazed that some people think that 68 degrees (F) is room temperature. As far as I'm concerned 72 degrees (F) is room temperature.

Between 68 and 70, I am noticeably less comfortable. Take it down to 65 and I really start to wonder how long I will be able to maintain circulation in my extremeties.

But once you take it below 60, I'm pretty cold, but it's not SO bad. I just think that if it's that cold it might just as well be a little colder because I'll still be very cold.

I have trouble distinguishing between upper 50's and the lower 30's.

So, I go out running in my shorts and t-shirt like I always do because I think, "Well, I ran in this yesterday and it was like 50 and it's sort of 50. What's a little rain." Of course, this is very dangerous, so I do try to exercise some intellectual caution about doing those things, but my body isn't telling me not to do that.

Curious is all.

Pissed

I don't like honey. I don't.

I don't like honey-baked hams.
I don't like honey-glazed chicken.
I don't like honey mustard dressing.
I don't like honey anything because why?

Because I don't like honey.

So, imagine my irritating when I bit into the sandwhich I ordered for lunch and discovered huge gobs of honey mustard dressing there. I SPECIFICALLY SAID NOT TO PUT HONEY MUSTARD ON IT, PEOPLE!!!

Sad

After a long, hard week at work, Mama Laverne and I were going to kick back with some whiskey & coke or something this evening. Sadly, neither of us have any whiskey and going to the liquor store after such a week is really just too much trouble.

Ice-cream it is, then.

Overheard at Work

Calendar Girl: I'd like to schedule you to present at this seminar on February 24th and 25th.

Flibby: Ug. Those aren't really good dates. I will be out of town for the entire week before that and I have to update the presentation materials. I don't think that will get done in time for the siminar.

Calendar Girl: Well, the client is coming for another training course at the same time and they're sending some people to your seminar as well. They won't come if they can't come to all of them at the same time.

Flibby: Fine. Schedule it for those dates then.

Calendar Girl: Are you sure? Will you be ready for it by that time?

Flibby: No, I just told you I wouldn't be. But if they won't come if they can't go to both, then I will have to put something together for them. It just won't be what I want it to be.

Calendar Girl: What about March 9th and 10th?

Flibby: Perfect.

Calendar Girl: Ok! I'll just tell them that February is out and March is the date.

Flibby: You're a pro.

I hate having to repeat myself.

Overheard in Chat

Big Dude: I have a room in my house that I'd like to rent. Do you know anyone looking for a place in Gwinnett?

Flibby: Hm.

Flibby: I don't know of anyone off hand.

Flibby: But I don't really hang with homeless people.

I'm just saying.

I Know Where God Came From

Trey Givens, take note:

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

-Habakkuk Chapter 3 Verse 3

Duh. I'm going to Home Depot now.

It Should Go Without Saying

I was just listening to the radio and this lady called into the show and told a story about how her fiance left her when she was five months pregnant.

Let me say that again in different words. The two people entered into a romantic relationship and concieved a child and then the male terminated the relationship.

I have two thoughts on this.

First, whatever the condition of your relationship with another you are not morally bound to continue that relationship without regard to the condition of that relationship. In fact, I would even argue that relationships can ONLY continue with due respect to the various conditions surrounding the relationship.

I love kids. I think they're wonderful. I also have a great deal of respect for the parental occupation. And I am amazed by the biological process of pregnancy and birth, not to mention the subsequent development and progress of both parent and child.

But if you have ever known a pregnant lady, you know that some of them, particularly those late in term, can be completely insane and quite unpleasant. So, I can understand why someone might feel compelled to terminate relationships with their pregnant ladies.

But my second thought is this:

If you cannot understand why pregnant ladies get so unpleasant sometimes, look at a very pregnant lady and contemplate the location of her internal organs. Where are her lungs? Kidneys? Intestines? All those things are smooshed into various corners of her body to make space for that child. I can't possibly know what it's like, but I get a little crabby even from a little constipation, so the pregnant situation it a bit odd for me to even ponder.

And that doesn't even begin to list the number of things that are pressing on that woman's mind and person during this time in her life.

What kind of schmuck makes a baby but doesn't even stick it out through the pregnancy? He's not even carrying the child! I'm not saying that it's easy, but making babies is a really important and, yes, difficult, life-altering decision. You don't just go about that and then blithely take to the street when you get cross.

Generally speaking, I think guys who leave their pregnant ladies are cads. Totally lame.

Overheard in a Parking Lot

Flibby: Hi. I had a boot put on my car by mistake and I was wondering if you could come take it off.

Cute Parking Guy: What makes you think it's on there by mistake?

Flibby: Um. Because I have a parking pass right here in my windshield.

So, I was a little freaked. And then greatly relieved. And then I was kicking myself because I didn't have the good sense to stay and talk to Cute Parking Guy.

2004: A Year of Building

Jim has an interesting way of looking at things. He recently asked what I thought of 2004 'on balance.' I've never really thought about it that way and I gotta say: I really wasn't that impressed.

It's not that anything really, really bad happened or anything really, really great. It was just kind of blah.

I finished my MBA.
I ended the longest romantic relationship of my life.
I realized that I am actually 27 years old.
I completed my first year as a home-owner.
I made some new friends.

2004 really just kind of lacked any real drive toward any major goals. (I don't count my MBA because that was a terribly disappointing experience overall.) At the same time, I didn't experience any major setbacks. But at the same time, I did get a few things done that needed to be done in order to get ready for the next steps, whatever they may be.

So, although I consider 2004 to be somewhat of a wash, I'm calling it the "Year of Building" to just say that it was really a lot about getting ready for motion, rather than the motion itself.

2005 is anticipated to contain some rather significant drama. I'll keep you posted on that.