What a day it was.
A great day full of family and friends and wine.
We attended three holiday parties during the day, starting with Nicole's Birthday Breakfast at 8AM. The mimosa's were flowing freely and the food was scrumptious. Nicole and her friends Pam and Michelle can really cook up a storm.. And as we all know, I can eat, too. The grandsons were great and even the dogs were well mannered.
From there we had a break before a holiday open house--where the wine flowed freely and the food was excellent. We met new friends and had a great time talking about wedding planning with a young and just engaged couple. We also, of course, were able to retell our story of the consensus blending last week a couple of times as well.
After a short break it was off o our wine club dinner hosted by Gary and Pam and attended by 11 of our closest friends. Wine pairings and good food and conversation highlighted a delightful evening. The hit of the evening was the sherry, I think, although the Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent as well. The conversation never lagged and the food and wine went down a bit too easy.
Was it a chore to attend three holiday functions in the same day? Not at all. It is the holiday season and connecting with friends and family is really what the season is all about. Strengthening ties and rekindling friendships makes each of us stronger and helps sustain us through the bleak midwinter.
I think I miss holiday parties during the summer. I love barbecues but there is something special about the holidays.
Next week is not nearly so hectic--and so I expect to be able to finish my shopping. But yesterday was a truly special day and one that I want to remember for a long time.
Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Birthday Morning Breakfast
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| Chris and Jax After Breakfast |
This is Chris and Jax relaxing after the festivities.
Boy in the Window
He was sitting there in the window of a store in downtown Ellicott City. Off the beaten path--but there he was: blond hair, 4 years old or so with a precocious grin on his face accompanied by his dog--a cute black and white border collie.
The building was old, painted white with green shutters and some gardens in front of it and so I was able to watch his antics from a short distance away. I surmised that his parent--probably mother, was inside shopping and he, like me, was bored with the entire shopping experience. I have no idea how long he had been shopping, but I had been on the expedition for only about 15 minutes and we were fortifying ourselves with coffee, but the entirety of the shopping "event" was yet in front of me.
I was with two of my grandsons, Ethan and Jax, but I could relate to the young boy in the window who was amusing himself lost in his own world of imagination oblivious to the passers-by who noticed him.
I was standing in a garden drinking my too-hot coffee while the rest of the group finished up inside. I was thinking I was gonna need a restroom in a couple minutes if I really drank all of the coffee. It was early autumn and the air was brisk, but not yet cold. The roses in the garden retained their full bloom--reds and yellows graced the walk in front of the buildings cast off to the side of the parking lot.
Then the boy saw me watching him. He hid his face, playfully and then peaked back to see if I was still observing his antics.
I stared unabashedly at him and smiled allowing him to see that I was not being judgemental nor disapproving of his activity. Recognizing this, he resumed his play and ignored me. Which was fine. I was losing myself in my own thoughts and he was the catalyst transporting my mind to another place and time.
Ethan strolled out of the coffee shop right at that moment and we began conversing about the day and the flowers and the cold. Ethan too, was already bored with the idea of hours of shopping ahead of us. I soon forgot about the boy and his dog--except--
I wished that it was me playing in the corner of a store window uncaring of the world around me and lost in my own imagination. And you know what? I remember doing almost that exact same thing in a downtown Ithaca, NY shoe store when I was four (without the dog). And for a moment, I could even smell again the strong odor of the stains used to color shoes coming from the back room of the store.
The building was old, painted white with green shutters and some gardens in front of it and so I was able to watch his antics from a short distance away. I surmised that his parent--probably mother, was inside shopping and he, like me, was bored with the entire shopping experience. I have no idea how long he had been shopping, but I had been on the expedition for only about 15 minutes and we were fortifying ourselves with coffee, but the entirety of the shopping "event" was yet in front of me.
I was with two of my grandsons, Ethan and Jax, but I could relate to the young boy in the window who was amusing himself lost in his own world of imagination oblivious to the passers-by who noticed him.
I was standing in a garden drinking my too-hot coffee while the rest of the group finished up inside. I was thinking I was gonna need a restroom in a couple minutes if I really drank all of the coffee. It was early autumn and the air was brisk, but not yet cold. The roses in the garden retained their full bloom--reds and yellows graced the walk in front of the buildings cast off to the side of the parking lot.
Then the boy saw me watching him. He hid his face, playfully and then peaked back to see if I was still observing his antics.
I stared unabashedly at him and smiled allowing him to see that I was not being judgemental nor disapproving of his activity. Recognizing this, he resumed his play and ignored me. Which was fine. I was losing myself in my own thoughts and he was the catalyst transporting my mind to another place and time.
Ethan strolled out of the coffee shop right at that moment and we began conversing about the day and the flowers and the cold. Ethan too, was already bored with the idea of hours of shopping ahead of us. I soon forgot about the boy and his dog--except--
I wished that it was me playing in the corner of a store window uncaring of the world around me and lost in my own imagination. And you know what? I remember doing almost that exact same thing in a downtown Ithaca, NY shoe store when I was four (without the dog). And for a moment, I could even smell again the strong odor of the stains used to color shoes coming from the back room of the store.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Flowers of Christmas
Technically, I guess it isn't a flowering plant at all--but we all consider the poinsettia to be one of those Christmas icons that homes are just not complete without.
This year we ran across an especially beautiful one and just has to have it. It has a variegated pink bracts.
And it is beautiful sitting on the table. It compliments our large traditional red poinsettia very well.
They are both beautiful, but like roses there is a small problem. Roses have thorns and I am allergic it seems to poinsettias. So I find out this year.
Too bad--I love the way they look and the color they add to the house during the bleak mid-winter is stunning. So I will suffer and remain drugged on antihistamines to function and enjoy the season. I'm also told that copious quantities of wine are good to make me forget my stuffy nose.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mid-Week Saturday
What a great idea it turned out to be.
Chris and I took Wednesday off to have a medical procedure done and were able to spend the entire day together--almost alone at home after about mid-morning.
We napped, baked cookies, bought gifts on E-bay and other internet sites and generally just chilled recovering from the activity of the morning.
A big thank-you to Patrick for taking such great care of his parents--including getting here before 6:30 AM to drive us to the Medical Center.
In the end, it was like having a Saturday in the middle of the week. I got to spend time with my dog, too.
Mid-week Saturdays break the week into smaller two-day sections and really help make it all palatable. It has been a welcome break amid a hectic season--even though it was a medical related break. Who says all medical stuff is bad.
OK--it usually is bad.
This time it worked out.
A mid-week break amid a season of intense activity. I highly recommend it.
Chris and I took Wednesday off to have a medical procedure done and were able to spend the entire day together--almost alone at home after about mid-morning.
We napped, baked cookies, bought gifts on E-bay and other internet sites and generally just chilled recovering from the activity of the morning.
A big thank-you to Patrick for taking such great care of his parents--including getting here before 6:30 AM to drive us to the Medical Center.
In the end, it was like having a Saturday in the middle of the week. I got to spend time with my dog, too.
Mid-week Saturdays break the week into smaller two-day sections and really help make it all palatable. It has been a welcome break amid a hectic season--even though it was a medical related break. Who says all medical stuff is bad.
OK--it usually is bad.
This time it worked out.
A mid-week break amid a season of intense activity. I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Christmas Morning Memories
I had a funny thought yesterday morning as I was making the bed.
The memory of being a boy age 10 or so on Christmas morning flashed through my head.
Standing at the top of the stairs in such excitement and anticipation that I could hardly bear the wait. My brother and sisters there with me--OK, maybe my brother wasn't since he would have been only about 21 months old and I think he got to sleep in the warmer area of the house.
We had attended the candlelight service at church the night before and then dutifully left cookies, milk and an obligatory carrot for the reindeer on a plate beside the Christmas Tree.
I had barely slept. Visions of sugar plums were definitely dancing--but not in my head. They were in my room keeping me up all night. I was awake with exhaustion and high on the drug of excitement.
It was dark outside--I do not even recall the time, but I'm sure it was no later than 6AM because we had been furtively sending messages to each other for a while while hoping to innocuously wake the parents to allow the day to officially begin.
But the excitement and the anticipation of that time was incredible--knowing that in moments Mom and Dad would open the stairwell door and we would be blinded by the "brighter than the sun" movie light us as we ran, fell or otherwise made our way down the stairs and into the room with the tree and the assembled gifts.
Fast forward a few decades and I remember Christmas mornings with my kids--and seeing that same excitement in them. The joy, the excitement and the inappropriate actions of children who just do not know how to deal with these intense emotions.
Our family has grown from our core five, to now eleven. And the sounds of Christmas and the kids and the dogs fills the house with the sweet cacophony of family.
Christmas has changed for us, even with the increase in our family size. We now sleep in late on Christmas morning. We enjoy breakfast and mimosas. We stare at the gift adorned tree while waiting for everyone to arrive in an attempt to recreate those many Christmases past.
Christmas has changed for us, even with the increase in our family size. We now sleep in late on Christmas morning. We enjoy breakfast and mimosas. We stare at the gift adorned tree while waiting for everyone to arrive in an attempt to recreate those many Christmases past.
I love spending time with Chris on Christmas morning in the quiet of our house surrounded by Makayla, Louis, and Riordin giving her that special gift that I spent at least 15 minutes on the Internet picking out.
But remembering how it used to be--in that time long, long ago and in a place far, far away; warms my memories and makes my heart long for those Christmases past. I know now that they were tough times, but thanks to loving parents I was totally oblivious to how tough they were and the miracle of Christmas was alive in my heart and unencumbered with the myriad details that now are part of making the celebration a success.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Consensus Blending - Fun at the Winery
What great fun. A day at our favorite winery with new friends.
There is an annual event at Keswick Vineyards called Consensus Blending where we get to spend a day sampling a set of wines and then, as a group, by table, developing the best blend possible. You can read last year's account at Consensus.
The event is conducted in the Barrel Room of the winery, where it tends to be a bit cool, as one might expect. But it provides us a day to get back to the winery and sample wines and make our best blend of wine from the wines provided.
But in now the second year of our experience, we have met the greatest people and had an incredible amount of fun. Everyone is a lot of fun to be with and we all share a passion: wine.
As Stephen, the winemaker says, the trick is not to blend a wine that you will like--but it is to blend a wine that someone will want to buy.
This year we had four wines to consider for blending. A Cabernet-sauvignon, a touriga, a syrah, and a chambourcin. We were limited in that the final blend could not contain more than 25 percent of the touriga or the cabernet sauvignon. It could contain 25 percent of each--just not more than 25 percent of either. We could use as much of the chambourcin and the syrah as we felt necessary.
Something I have learned over the past two years--one percent makes a big difference. I never thought it would be like that, but looking at the standings board, the top two wines are very similar and tasted very different. The scores are along the side and our wine was wine J. The two on the bottom were both 100 percent chambourcin and the winemaker added them into the judging as control wines.
And so last year our wine came in second place. This year, I really wanted to win. I don't know why, but I just felt we had a good wine last year and I knew I had learned so much more about wine this past year. And our table did win. It was a great team effort in which everyone participated.
What do the winners get? Our wine will be bottled and sold by the winery as the 2009 Consensus Blend.
And I will buy a few cases of it because I know it is good.
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| The Barrel Room and the Consensus Blending |
What great fun. A day at our favorite winery with new friends.
There is an annual event at Keswick Vineyards called Consensus Blending where we get to spend a day sampling a set of wines and then, as a group, by table, developing the best blend possible. You can read last year's account at Consensus.
The event is conducted in the Barrel Room of the winery, where it tends to be a bit cool, as one might expect. But it provides us a day to get back to the winery and sample wines and make our best blend of wine from the wines provided.
But in now the second year of our experience, we have met the greatest people and had an incredible amount of fun. Everyone is a lot of fun to be with and we all share a passion: wine.
 |
| Assessing the Blend |
This year we had four wines to consider for blending. A Cabernet-sauvignon, a touriga, a syrah, and a chambourcin. We were limited in that the final blend could not contain more than 25 percent of the touriga or the cabernet sauvignon. It could contain 25 percent of each--just not more than 25 percent of either. We could use as much of the chambourcin and the syrah as we felt necessary.
 |
| We Realized We Won |
The first task was to assess the four wines. That is always the greatest fun because as soon as you taste one varietal I begin to think about what it would need to be a spectacular wine. And this is the chance I get to actually do this in practice.
Additionally, it is critical to assess the palette of the other people at the table. By their comments on the varietals, you can begin to determine whose palette is most like the majority of people and so that person becomes weather vane for the blends. I know that I am not a good person to build a wine to because I like a specific group red wines, but I think I can assess a wine that others will like. It is always good though to have a couple other people to provide confirmation.
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| Standings Board |
Our table was blessed with six people who knew wines and understood that we needed to develop a complete wine--a nice nose, a good finish, a deep rich dark color and a well balanced taste: not too tannin in nature but not a fruit bomb either.
I won't go into all of the details about how we did it--because fundamentally, we were really lucky because we decided on our basic blend after our second blend and then it was just tweaking the blend from there. We eliminated the syrah after the fourth blend because it just didn't add anything that improved the blend. We were quite happy to work with just the chambourcin, touriga, and cabernet sauvignon.
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| The Winners Chris & Shannon Andrews Barbara & Bob Gitschier, Chris & Bob Doan, and the winemaker Stephen Barnard |
And so last year our wine came in second place. This year, I really wanted to win. I don't know why, but I just felt we had a good wine last year and I knew I had learned so much more about wine this past year. And our table did win. It was a great team effort in which everyone participated.
What do the winners get? Our wine will be bottled and sold by the winery as the 2009 Consensus Blend.
And I will buy a few cases of it because I know it is good.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday Musings - December 6, 2010
1. Christmas shopping is an experience in controlled anarchy.
2. Are gift cards really gifts? Or are they just a cop-out because people really don't want to be bothered taking the time to shop for a meaningful, heartfelt gift?
3. Big football games bring communities together--too bad one team has to lose because the excitement leading up to the game is something to be savored. OK--so the Ravens lost to the Steelers, ugh!
4. Meeting new people, drinking wine, blending wine at the winery. Having the wine we blended with two other couples selected as the best was really cool and to have it be the three-day winner, even cooler. We are going to buy a couple cases when it is released next year.
5. Holiday weekends are busier than weekdays during the season.
6. During the Holiday Season, travel and frustration are synonyms.
7. The roads between Baltimore and Charlottesville are fairly empty on Sunday mornings. I guess everyone is sleeping off the night before or preparing to go to church.
8. Tina is a Craigslist warrior--she found a person selling off their Snow Village collection as really reasonable prices and we were able to get many great pieces for less than one new in the box piece. Oh, yeah, they were all in the box too, just not "new."
9. We have been watching Nicole's dogs over the weekend, and I have learned what a canine vacuum cleaner is. Jefferson, the beagle can suck down a bowl of food in the blink of an eye.
2. Are gift cards really gifts? Or are they just a cop-out because people really don't want to be bothered taking the time to shop for a meaningful, heartfelt gift?
3. Big football games bring communities together--too bad one team has to lose because the excitement leading up to the game is something to be savored. OK--so the Ravens lost to the Steelers, ugh!
4. Meeting new people, drinking wine, blending wine at the winery. Having the wine we blended with two other couples selected as the best was really cool and to have it be the three-day winner, even cooler. We are going to buy a couple cases when it is released next year.
5. Holiday weekends are busier than weekdays during the season.
6. During the Holiday Season, travel and frustration are synonyms.
7. The roads between Baltimore and Charlottesville are fairly empty on Sunday mornings. I guess everyone is sleeping off the night before or preparing to go to church.
8. Tina is a Craigslist warrior--she found a person selling off their Snow Village collection as really reasonable prices and we were able to get many great pieces for less than one new in the box piece. Oh, yeah, they were all in the box too, just not "new."
9. We have been watching Nicole's dogs over the weekend, and I have learned what a canine vacuum cleaner is. Jefferson, the beagle can suck down a bowl of food in the blink of an eye.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Playing Not to Lose
Ever watch a football team go into the prevent defense with 2 minutes left in the game clinging to a narrow lead--and lose?
All the time, right?
That is why it was so satisfying when the Ravens ran out the clock on Sunday and did not provide the Buccaneers the opportunity to test their offense against the Raven's prevent defense.
But even more--I am beginning to realize that in these situations something occurs in the mind. The team or player goes form being offensive and looking to score to being defensive and trying not to lose.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am playing some of the worst racquetball of my life right now. To say that I am frustrated by my play and some of the dumb things I do over and over again would be an understatement.
Understanding that racquetball games are to 15 points (unless it is a tiebreaker which is only to 11), I am struggling to figure out why I can be down in a game one day 4-14 and comeback to win 15-14; while on another day I can be ahead 10-4 and lose 12-15.
I am doing something, changing something, thinking differently, and playing differently. I only wish I knew what it was.
I think though (especially after blowing a lead Thursday morning) it has to do with a subtle shift in focus from playing to win to playing not to lose. I go defensive and I become so focused on not blowing the lead that I forget to focus on winning the point. And, like the NFL teams I have watched so many times, I blow the lead and lose.
At least that what I think is happening.
I have to be careful not to handle everything in my life using the playing not to lose thought process--or things will get really bad.
But on the other hand--I play racquetball for fitness and fun--so is it really all that bad? The sane side of me says, no. The competitor in me says yes--it really sucks.
Hey--today is a new day and who knows what fun I'm going to have in life today.
All the time, right?
That is why it was so satisfying when the Ravens ran out the clock on Sunday and did not provide the Buccaneers the opportunity to test their offense against the Raven's prevent defense.
But even more--I am beginning to realize that in these situations something occurs in the mind. The team or player goes form being offensive and looking to score to being defensive and trying not to lose.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am playing some of the worst racquetball of my life right now. To say that I am frustrated by my play and some of the dumb things I do over and over again would be an understatement.
Understanding that racquetball games are to 15 points (unless it is a tiebreaker which is only to 11), I am struggling to figure out why I can be down in a game one day 4-14 and comeback to win 15-14; while on another day I can be ahead 10-4 and lose 12-15.
I am doing something, changing something, thinking differently, and playing differently. I only wish I knew what it was.
I think though (especially after blowing a lead Thursday morning) it has to do with a subtle shift in focus from playing to win to playing not to lose. I go defensive and I become so focused on not blowing the lead that I forget to focus on winning the point. And, like the NFL teams I have watched so many times, I blow the lead and lose.
At least that what I think is happening.
I have to be careful not to handle everything in my life using the playing not to lose thought process--or things will get really bad.
But on the other hand--I play racquetball for fitness and fun--so is it really all that bad? The sane side of me says, no. The competitor in me says yes--it really sucks.
Hey--today is a new day and who knows what fun I'm going to have in life today.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Christmas Shopping
People who know me, understand how much I love to go shopping during the Christmas season.
There is nothing better in the world than waiting for what seems like hours to get into the parking lot and then dueling like knights of old encased in armor on their steeds for a parking spot. And an especially fun game is stalking the other shoppers as the make their way to their cars burdened with all of the items they just purchased. Just remember--extra points are awarded for nudging their knees with your bumper but not causing them to fall down.
Once my car is parked, I love playing dodge the distracted drivers as I make my way to the store doors by acting like a combat soldier under fire. You never know where the mini Cooper with your name in its bumper is going to come from.
Of course--once in the store the free for all mentality just adds to the ambiance of the season. Truly the slower and weaker shoppers are at a disadvantage. The battles occurring at the sale bins are truly epic. To the victor goes the sale items.
Long lines at the registers after fighting through the throngs of shoppers to exfiltrate my desired purchases provide a much needed opportunity to catch up on my email on my iPhone. I mean, it is not like I have anywhere else I'd rather be, right?
At the register, the weary eyes of the totally burned out cashier barely acknowledge my existence as he calls out my total amount due, which rivals the national debt. "Thank goodness for American Express," Chris said as she smiled at me indicating that I was paying for this trip to Toys R Us.
And then back out into the darkness of the over loaded parking lot to secure safe passage to the car. Again risking life and limb by dodging distracted, confused, and frankly upset drivers who, like me a few hours ago, could not find suitable parking for their too large SUV.
Safely back home with the gifts parked, I realize that this was only step one. Next--wrapping, then transporting and opening and clean up. but that is still a few days away.
I love Christmas shopping.
Please sir, can I have some more?
There is nothing better in the world than waiting for what seems like hours to get into the parking lot and then dueling like knights of old encased in armor on their steeds for a parking spot. And an especially fun game is stalking the other shoppers as the make their way to their cars burdened with all of the items they just purchased. Just remember--extra points are awarded for nudging their knees with your bumper but not causing them to fall down.
Once my car is parked, I love playing dodge the distracted drivers as I make my way to the store doors by acting like a combat soldier under fire. You never know where the mini Cooper with your name in its bumper is going to come from.
Of course--once in the store the free for all mentality just adds to the ambiance of the season. Truly the slower and weaker shoppers are at a disadvantage. The battles occurring at the sale bins are truly epic. To the victor goes the sale items.
Long lines at the registers after fighting through the throngs of shoppers to exfiltrate my desired purchases provide a much needed opportunity to catch up on my email on my iPhone. I mean, it is not like I have anywhere else I'd rather be, right?
At the register, the weary eyes of the totally burned out cashier barely acknowledge my existence as he calls out my total amount due, which rivals the national debt. "Thank goodness for American Express," Chris said as she smiled at me indicating that I was paying for this trip to Toys R Us.
And then back out into the darkness of the over loaded parking lot to secure safe passage to the car. Again risking life and limb by dodging distracted, confused, and frankly upset drivers who, like me a few hours ago, could not find suitable parking for their too large SUV.
Safely back home with the gifts parked, I realize that this was only step one. Next--wrapping, then transporting and opening and clean up. but that is still a few days away.
I love Christmas shopping.
Please sir, can I have some more?
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