Welcome Home Sunday

In celebration of our return from south Florida, all of the family gathered at the house for a pool party on Sunday afternoon. Everyone was there and the family really came together around the pool, and in the pool. It was such a hot day--at least 96 degrees with humidity over 90 percent.

The pool has warmed up to 84 degrees. It is clear and inviting.

The day allowed everyone to get together again to talk about what is happening. Two of our families are in the process of moving to new homes: Jer and Nicole and Patrick and Tina. So there is alot to talk about and a lot of excitement.

Of course the grandsons were there and were the life of the gathering with their unique antics.

Ethan is really improving his swimming skills and also discovered the joys of whale riding as we call it on daddy. They crossed the pool a number of times under the watchful eye of Nicole. Even Jax was involved as a safety spotter.

Patrick and Tina brought some great chips and salsa which Ben--the keeshond really enjoyed when he could. (When no one was looking)

All in all it was one of those really fantastic days which helps remind me about why we actually come home from vacation--to be with our family.

Fabuloso

Fabuloso--it's not just a general purpose cleaner anymore!

I'm sitting here reflecting on the vacation just ended--and the past two weeks where I truly got away from most of it--yeah, I check my Blackberry every so often cause I really don't like to be truly out of touch.

On vacation in Jupiter, we used Fabuloso cleanser to clean the counters and walls in the unit--and "FABULOSO" became the word to describe activities of the vacation that were outstanding--like the Fabuloso sunset, or the fabuloso bike ride along the beach, or the fabuloso trip to the Everglades. You get the idea.

So, as I'm preparing to head off to work for the first time in over two weeks (and only the third time I've actually had socks and shoes on my feet), I'm wondering where it all went and how it all happened so fast.

Why do vacations end? Why is it vacations go by at what seems like a speed faster than real life?

I guess it is so we can remember that life is really bigger than what we're doing right now. We may think we are the center of the universe, but we are not and if we want to or need to, we can change what we are doing and where we are.

And then--we have a FABULOSO family get together (more on that later) to remind me that life is happening right here and right now and I need to be in the moment and not on a beach a thousand miles away.

Mama Mia Movie Review

Fun, beautiful, and thoroughly enjoyable. We saw Mama Mia today and really enjoyed the music, the acting, the story, and especially the imagery/cinematography. And, if you've never seen the stage version--then you, like me, will have fresh view of the movie.

Meryl Streep is fantastic in the lead role and as the movie progresses her singing actually improves as she becomes more sure of her voice.

As the movie opens it becomes an irresistible force for smiles and laughs. The music is fun, the story is fun and the location of the film is absolutely beautiful. That coupled with the strong acting by Pierce Brosnan is enjoyable too.

The professional reviewers reviews are mixed. Joel Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal writes During the first few minutes of Mamma Mia! I resisted the bombardment of good cheer, then surrendered almost unconditionally. Yes, of course this is fairly old-fashioned entertainment, but it's really, really entertaining." A.O. Scott in the New York Times found himself similarly torn. "You can have a perfectly nice time watching this spirited adaptation of the popular stage musical and, once the hangover wears off, acknowledge just how bad it is. ... If you insist on folding your arms, looking at your watch and defending yourself against this mindless, hedonistic assault on coherence, you are unlikely to survive until the end credits (which may, by themselves, kill you all over again). Surrender, on the other hand, is easy and painless. It's Greece! It's bellybuttons! It's Meryl Streep! It's Abba!" Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times remarks that he saw the original stage version and didn't think much of it then, even though it went on to become one of the biggest musical hits of the decade. "So here's the fact of the matter. This movie wasn't made for me. It was made for the people who will love it, of which there may be a multitude. The stage musical has sold 30 million tickets, and I feel like the grouch at the party." He has company. Michael Phillips, the Chicago Tribune critic, says that he's seen the stage version of Mamma Mia! three times. "It's disappointing, then, to see the film version of the stage hit turn out this way -- not lousy, but pushy." Lisa Kennedy in the Denver Post comments that the movie "too often feels like a souvenir program: something to revive the feelings you had watching the stage performance." And Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun comments that the movie "is like a party where everyone is so desperate to have a good time that it makes you miserable."

But the important one is the Baltimore Sun reviewer--if he hates it, it has to be a good movie.

A couple cautions for those who do not know the story--while the music is compelling and fun, there are references to sex and homosexuality.

Rating: See the movie on the big screen. This movie is fun and beautiful. Young children may not enjoy the adult story line--but the sights and sounds are worth the ride.

If you see the movie--come back and leave a comment about how you reacted to it. I'd love to know about your opinion of the movie.

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Wine Review

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. I guess I'm catching up on the wines we have been drinking. And this one was an excellent wine which stood well on it own. It had a beautiful color and a wonderful full bouquet with a long finish.

Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red color, the expression of cabernet sauvignon is evident providing structure and elegance. Lots of berries fruits and hints of tobacco and vanilla. Promising abundant soft rounded tannins. The structure and balance of this full bodied wine makes it very pleasant and enjoyable. A very sophisticated wine with a delightfully long finish.

We enjoyed this wine with a full bodied fish and steak dinner (surf and turf): the fish was breaded and fried King Mackerel and the turf was very tender tenderloin kabobs done on the grill. The starch was a sweet potato. The wine held up well and enhanced itself and the food.

Recommendation: A special wine for a special occasion. At about $16 (for a good buy but seen in the $25 range) it is not inexpensive but carries itself like much more expensive wines. A definite quality wine that should be included in many meals.

See the review of the 2008 vintage ofthis wine here.

Big Ass Chard 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay Wine Review

Well in keeping the theme of white wines to go with a seafood dinner, the back-up wine for the evening was the Big Ass Chard 2005 Napa Valley Chardonnay. We had been impressed with the Syrah from the same vintner and decided to give the Chardonnay a whirl as the second wine for our seafood dinner.

We were not disappointed in this wine either. It was very buttery with a hint of oak. A good light Chardonnay to accompany the meal. One purveyor of wines, the Salt Creek Wine Company, describes the 2005 as follows:

There is nothing subtle about our Big Ass wines! From the name to the label to the fruit-driven flavor profile, these wines make a bold statement. Big Ass wines deliver everything that typifies the California winemaking style: soft, round, buttery-toasty Chard. These wines are as big as their name!

I have to agree. This was an excellent middle of the road Chardonnay.

An interesting tidbit I picked up about the winery: Big Ass wines are made at Adler Fels’ Sonoma County winemaking facility under the direction of head winemaker Harry Parducci Jr. The brand was introduced in 2004 and produces just over 30,000 cases annually of premium varietal wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Recommendation: A solid wine to compliment many foods and which will also stand on its own with cheeses. Very enjoyable. A good buy for $14.99.

Masi Masianco 2007 Wine Review

We were looking for a recommendation of a nice wine to serve with a seafood dinner and our favorite wine expert recommended this wine. It turned out to be a very nice choice and will likely become a house staple. Four of us thought this was the best light Pinot Grigio wine we had tasted. It went very well with dinner complimenting the flavors of the meal to perfection.

The label to the right is from the 2006, the 2007 says 2007 in the upper shield.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Review

Rated 90

A blend of 75% pinot grigio and 25% verduzzo. Straw-yellow with a gold tinge. Pleasantly sweet aromas of fully ripe apricot and tropical fruits jump from the glass, with hints of cinnamon and brown sugar adding complexity. The palate is rich with grapey, tangerine and almond flavors; there's a hint of sweetness but harmonious acids keep this fresh and lively. Offers a lovely rich mouth feel but the persistent finish shows noteworthy freshness. This unique blend of grapes is a very successful one; although not terribly complex, the wine is irresistible in its juicy, grapey appeal.

Wine Tasting Notes
The wine has an intense straw-yellow color. The intense and fragrant bouquet is characterized by floral (wisteria) and fruity (apple, pear, bananas) notes. On the palate, it has a pleasant acidity, good freshness and intense taste. Medium bodied. The over-ripened Verduzzo leaves a delicate hazelnut note on the finish. A unique wine with a distinct personality, Masianco balances the clean, white fruit and citric acidity of Pinot Grigio with the complex, buttery, tropical fruit notes of Verduzzo.

We agreed with the tasting notes and found this to be a delightful wine. /something that gives Pinot Grigio a little life.

Recommendation: Try this wine. At $14.99 it is worth the value as this is a special wine.

Jupiter in the Morning

Beaches that are wide open with few people on them are becoming harder and harder to find--hence, I'm not going to divulge which beach near Jupiter we went to this morning--but it was wonderful. The day was perfect, the ocean a bit cool at 78 degrees, but calm and inviting with its turquoise hue.

The boys in the boat had the right idea for the day--enjoy the sand and the surf. It was idillyic. Chris and Mary escaped for a long walk along the beach to talk about stuff and to enjoy the shells on the beach. Chris found more interesting sea glass.

I was content to run into and out of the water every so often while reading under an umbrella on the beach. We got to the beach later this morning because I drove our departing friends to the sirport to rent a car for the next part of their trip.

But a fabulous day on a quiet beach with the sound of the wind and surf.

Another Day another Happy Hour

Unbelievably, our vacation is rapidly drawing to a close. It has been a wild ride with our friends here in Florida and I only wish it would not end. We said good-bye to one couple this morning as they headed off on part 2 of their vacation, and we are on tap to depart Friday afternoon.

We have been doing late breakfasts and lunches, and later dinners while definitely slowing down to enjoy the scenery.


Some of us have been enjoying searching for treasures along the shoreline--and finding them! Seashells and sea glass in all shapes and varieties are always a find. Chris has definitely found treasures and is sharing them with us.

As you can see--last night--July 16th the water was smooth and the sky was filled with colorful clouds to enjoy. Unfortunately for me, due to suspended sand in the water it continues to be poor snorkeling conditions. But I enjoy a lot more than just snorkeling.

Happy Hour is a time to get together and reflect on the day and also enjoy the scenery. Jupiter Island, where we generally celebrate Happy Hour on the beach has to rank as one of the finest Happy Hour locations in the world!

Aboard the Blue Heron

Note: If you believe that fish are friends, not food--do not read this entry. It ends badly for some friends.

Drift fishing off the coast near Jupiter is always exciting. I look forward to a morning trip on the Blue Heron to catch dinner for the evening. Today's excursion was especially exciting as I caught two King Mackerel to add to the two that my boating companions caught for an exceptionally promising dinner.

George and Fran accompanied me on the four hour adventure on the high seas. After carefully checking the weather for the day, we decided to try to get the trip in before the afternoon storms.

Unfortunately, when we got to the Jupiter location, they had decided not to sail due to too few people, so we headed off to Riveria Beach to make the 8:30 am sailing.

Pelicans were there to wish us fair skies and winds. One got especially close--so I took his picture.

We made the sailing and were underway to the open Atlantic. The day turned out to be very good. Everyone on the boat caught fish. There were a lot of brand new fishermen on the boat and a horde of kids who kept the crew busy. We even had two baby's in strollers aboard who kept their Mom's very busy.

The catch? The most numerous were Bonita followed by the King Mackerel, a rainbow runner and a red snapper. Bonita are not really good for eating and most were thrown back. We had some exciting shark encounters--and I lost three catches (probably all Bonita) to the hungry predators which followed the boat at two stops. One of the sharks was a 10 foot Bull Shark--and he made short work of a number of catches. They were fun to watch, but it was frustrating to drag a fish up from the depths only to have a shark eat it. And while Bonita are a fun fish to land, they require a lot of work.

In the end, the King Mackerel were the best catches of the day--and we got four of them. They are also a lot of fun to land, and I know dinner will be awesome tonight.

As we returned to the dock about 1 PM--the rain started, but the intrepid fishermen were happy to have had such a successful day.

As it was raining on the docks when we returned, I was not able to get a picture with my fish, but I did get one of Fran with his.

A Stroll in the Everglades

Yesterday, we decided to reprise our adventures in the Everglades in an airboat operated by Everglades Safari and we also determined to visit Everglades National Park at the Shark Valley entrance. We had never been to the Shark Valley part of the park--so this was to be a real new experience.

For the day, so we could all travel together we decided to rent a minivan. The smaller cars we each have rented just won't do 6 people. As it turned out--the minivan decision was a great idea. We were all together and not trying to caravan the roughly 120 miles to the Everglades.

It was a rainy day, as it turned out and we have never been assaulted by as many mosquitoes anywhere as we were today.

But it was an awesome day. The wildlife was in evidence everywhere and there was a lot of bird sightings as well as the expected alligators.

The day required some rain protection measures and we emptied two bottles of bug spray--and still got bites on top of bites.

Everglades National Park - Shark Valley was an unexpectedly fantastic time. This part of the park is highlighted by a two-hour tram tour through the River of Grass with multiple opportunities to both see wildlife and to really understand the complex environment that is the Everglades. There is a tower at about the 2/3 point which provides some stunning views of the park.

The opportunity to spend quality time in the park on a guided tour is fantastic and we only wish the two-hour tour were longer. We saw deer, gators of all sizes, egrets, herons, and really gained an understanding of the Everglades.


After the Everglades, we did a return trip to Everglades Safari's airboats to allow the neophytes in our party to experience the Everglades form an airboat. A radically different experience from the tram.

It was fast and int the rain a lot of fun. We saw a lot fewer animals but really enjoyed the ride. Afterward, we toured the exhibits--but really cut that short since it seemed the mosquitoes had not been feed in what seemed like forever. They were biting through the bugspray.

Probably the scariest picture of the day was the vultures in the trees. We were afraid they were waiting for the mosuiitoes to finish with us and then pick clean the bones.

All is all though, it was a great day in the Everglades and we highly recommend both the Shark Valley part of the Everglades National Park and the Everglades Safari Airboat Tours. Convienently they are both located within about 10 miles of each other off the Tamiami Trail.