2006 Four Vines "Heretic" Paso Robles Petite Sirah

Wow--we tried this wine at a local wine store wine tasting, bought a couple bottles and discovered that it is fabulous from the bottle during an evening with friends and food.

The wine has a superior nose and is extremely smooth on the palette with berry flavors and some black pepper. There is a complexity to the wine which makes it very enjoyable. Not over powering, but pleasingly complex with berries and some black pepper which gives the wine some zing. And then it lingers for a while so that the full flavor comes out.

This is no ordinary wine. I believe it would be excellent with a meaty, spicy meal like ribs--and it would hold its own.

As good as the wine is straight from the bottle--it gets even better when decanted.

Recommendation: A bit pricey at about $35 per bottle--but so pleasing to taste and enjoy. A great bottle of wine for that special celebration.

Pool Closing

Well--it's done. The pool is closed for another season. It all went by so quickly it seems. The summer is gone and now the final vestige of the summer past is closed--the Doan family pool. Scene of frolic and fun. Of learning to swim and friends gathered for wine and social fun.

It was a great summer. And the pool being closed really put the reality of autumn into my mind. I can see the colors coming in the leaves and the crispness in the air means we will be soon raking the leaves and greeting the little goblins and ghouls on the doorstep as October changes into November.

Ah the great memories. The clear blue water and the warm summer sun of 2008. Next time I peer into the water under the pool cover, it will be 2009--with another summer of fun ahead of us and memories to be made.

Debates? I Think Not!

I watched the Vice Presidential Candidate Debate last night. Ugh. I had also watched the first Presidential Debate last Friday as well.

OK--did you notice something. They are not debates. There is no debate going on, just a rehash of agendas and campaign promises. Everyone is sidestepping the concept of really debating and laying out objectives and policies.

The campaign strategies are clear (and if you loo at it are reversed between the Presidential and Vice Presidential strategies)

Obama is trying to make McCain look like he's old school and part of the problem.

McCain is trying to make us believe that Obama is inexperienced and doesn't have a clue.

Palin is trying to make it seem that Biden is looking to the past and is the problem

Biden is trying to make Palin appear like a country bumpkin from Alaska without a clue.

Ugh! Talk to the issues! I don't care about past voting records. Disjointed voting records and facts don't sell me, action does.

And here is the interesting part, thinking of action--the only one of the four who has actually governed anything and shown the ability to work within the boundaries of the governmental process is Palin--and people are afraid she won't be a good President? One of the best Presidents we've ever had was an actor who served as governor. In fact--as a whole I think former governors make probably the best Presidents because they have actually has experience working with legislatures and governing. Some of the great presidents: Jefferson, Monroe, Polk, Wilson, McKinley, Teddy, FDR, Reagan--all governors! (OK there were some slugs too like Andrew Johnson and Grover Cleveland). All in all, there are 16 Presidents who were governors, I'll let you find the rest and I figure you'll probably be able to name at least two (like the current and former Presidents).

I want to know--in detailed fashion, how the next administration is going to restore the U.S to preeminence in the Foreign Policy arena, successfully transition Iraq to a self-governing, self protecting country, fix the domestic economic crisis without raising my taxes, and clean up the mess in Afghanistan--for starters.

I want specifics to which the candidates can be held accountable.

Oh, yeah guess there is a wild card here--Congress. They have really made a mess of things lately. Did you see the PORK being added to the bailout plan?

But back to the debates. The moderators are asking good questions, but the candidates are so concerned about losing that they are not playing to win! Answer the questions with specifics and let me decide. I'm tired of lofty platitudes about change (BTW--both side are speaking Change as their mantra) couples with the appearances of plans which upon digging deeper really aren't plans and don't have a chance of passing in Congress.

The debates--they are not even good entertainment. Sadly, we are going to be electing a new President in 32 days and no one yet has demonstrated that they have a clear idea on what to do. Telling me they're going to do it differently is nice--but HOW?

So let the debates begin for real and let's stop dancing around the issues.

Who has a plan? And what is it? Let me know. I'll keep watching and waiting to hear.

Reflections on a Birthday Weekend

Wow--and what a weekend it was. Chris planned a birthday celebration that spanned three days and left me absolutely amazed that so many people could enjoy a celebration like that and that my family could actually survive such a weekend.

So, in reverse chronological order, here are the salient events from the weekend.

Monday, my birthday gift from my loving wife arrived via FEDEX! She was crushed that it didn't arrive in time for my Sunday family celebration--but it's OK (and now I have some leeway if I screw up and miss her's some year).

The highlight was, of course, Sunday Football at the house (with new security system) and nearly everyone (except for Tina) in attendance! I wish it were warmer and we had been able to make it a pool party--but it is late September after all. It is always great when we all (the family) get together to celebrate an event and watch football. Ethan says it best when we get together--"my family is here!" I echo that remark to myself every time he says it. And somewhere in there I even got to eat birthday cake #2 Hawaiian Pineapple a la my childhood and enjoy some of the most creative birthday cards I have ever received.

Saturday was a prelude to the Sunday festivities--with Nicole, Mike, E, and Jax coming over for a celebration. Dinner was fantastic and the "boys" were great. We shared some fabulous wine and generally had a great time together. I also got to enjoy birthday cake #1 -- Pineapple Upside Down Cake. E had a problem understanding the "upside-down" part of the cake. But ate some of it anyway. I think even Jax got a taste to enjoy for himself (shhh, don't tell his Mom).


Of course, it wasn't all about Bob. Friday night I shared the spotlight with Fran and Sue as our Friday evening wine group went out for dinner and three birthdays to celebrate at a local restaurant: P F. Chang's China Bistro at the Columbia Mall. I may write a review of the restaurant later.

I also was able to chat with my parents on my actual birthday--and received their love filled rendition of "Happy Birthday"--which everyone in the family looks forward to receiving on their birthday every year! Awesome dudes! Thanks for starting a truly inspired tradition.

Gifts? They were all great. I'm officially armed and considered dangerous for Best Buy. I have expensive Tequila to drink. I received a really cool wine decanter, Riedel wine glasses, and a nice bottle of wine to enjoy. AND--on Monday, a Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Jersey to wear while watching the Pens play the season and hopefully win Lord Stanley's Cup next year. (I may have to sneak in a subscription to Center Ice somewhere, now that there is no Orioles Baseball to watch)

So--given the love of my family, my health and a lot of nice gifts--what more could any person want for their birthday. Actually? Nothing.

Wow--am I blessed or what? I pray your birthday is as celebratory and filled with love as mine was. And I say thanks to all of my family and friends who made it a birthday to remember.

Ugh, it makes transitioning into my mid-50's almost bearable!

Reflections on the Baseball Season

As the "Boy's of Summer" gradually fade away into the Autumn, I was reflecting upon the season and something pretty cool that I witnessed from the outside deck of the top level of Camden Yards last Tuesday as I was watching the O's self-destruct.

In between innings I was walking around the outside of the bowl and was treated to a magnificent sunset alive with color and fire over the city. One bright star was already shining--probably a planet, but I was grabbed by the deep orange and magenta colors that filled the evening sky.

Wow--they were really beautiful and reminded me that I need sometimes to stop and take a moment to appreciate all of the blessings I have received and all of the beauty in the world.

Yeah--the O's are terrible right now. And the economy sucks. And it seems as if we are never going to get out of Iraq or that once we do then we'll be in even deeper in Afghanistan. And I truly wonder if there are any intelligent lifeforms working in the U.S. Capitol Building.

But--look up to the stars and the sky. Look down at the flowers. Appreciate the small victories. Recognize that my needs are amply provided for. That there is beauty. That the eyes of my grandsons are full of wonder, excitement, and a little mischief. And they make me smile.

Just like the awesome sunset did.

Rocky is gone

It is with great sadness that I must report the probable demise of our small friend Rocky. Many of you got to know Rocky this summer as she mooched peanuts from our hands and lounged on the railing while watching us party and swim in the pool.

Rocky was a Gray Squirrel. Friendly and inquisitive. She has been gone now for over a month and probably will not be returning. We have no idea what may have happened to her. She is just, gone. Sadly, my April blog entry was probably truer than I had hoped it would be.

I'm writing this though to help remember Rocky and the joy we got from watching her mooch nuts by climbing the back screen or jumping against the door to get our attention. It made us smile and brought genuine happiness to us as we made repeated trips to open the door to give the intrepid squirrel more nuts.

She was special. Although I have to admit I was worried about the winter time and how we were going to keep her out of the house.

She had become part of the family during the early part of the year. So, this small tribute will serve to help us remember the squirrel which made so many of us smile with her outgoing personality and persistent attitude.

Vandals plus thiefs and burglers equal security system

I sat the other morning and realized something pretty scary. During the past 12 months (since early October 2007) it seems we have become targets. In that time three pretty significant things have occurred requiring contact with the local police department: my beloved truck was stolen (Oct 2007), our house was burglarized (Jun 2008) and Chris's car was vandalized (Sep 2008).

Chris's car was vandalized while I was in Australia--and so it was an especially stressful time for her and it happened right in our driveway at home. Overnight. Without provocation. And they got her IPod.

Many of you know that I am still coping with the fallout from having my truck stolen from a repair shop in Glen Burnie, MD and subsequently totaled in Georgia. The replacement truck has required an inordinate number of repairs--including a new engine, and requires more repairs for an emissions related air pump. Yeah--the insurance gave me money for my old truck--but the repairs--out of pocket! And most all of the repairs are related to the care of the truck, that I could not know, prior to when I bought it.

And the house. One stormy day in June--the house was burgled and a number of items were stolen--mostly watches (including my Orioles game day watch), my laptop, my compound mitre saw, about $250 in small change, my underwater camera, and of course--we were rewarded with holes in the bedroom wall where the burglars tried to relieve us of our flat panel TV (say yes for security on the wall mount).

So--as I was thinking of all these travesties, I realized (along with a not so subtle hint from the wife) that we needed to do something--fast.

Welcome to the world of security lighting, security cameras, and a comprehensive whole house security system with monitoring from Vintage. OK--so we are going to be living in Fort Knox. I guess because we have the best in the world location: the pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow, a little rain must fall at some time. But we are taking action to protect ourselves and to hopefully preclude recurrence by ensuring adequate notification and documentation of any future travesties.

So be warned: when you are visiting, you are being monitored (and protected).

I know the police said a security system wouldn't deter pros--but what if they happen to decide to "hit" us again while Chris is "home alone?" I want her to be able to get the alarm out fast and not have to ask someone what the number for 9-1-1 is.

We've lived in our current house almost eight years, and in the not too recent past we didn't worry about even locking the doors. My how the devastating economic situation has changed things.

So to protect yourselves--what can you do?

Here is what the police have told us:

For Autos:

- hide valuables out of sight or better yet, do not keep them in the vehicle.

- park in well lit areas (like our driveway (yeah but that's secluded))

For Homes:

- Use the deadbolt--EVERY TIME!

- Ensure all doors and windows are locked.

- Make the home look alive

- Write down the serial numbers of everything you own--yes everything (watches, computers, electronics, tools. even the dog). Who knew that my DeWalt 10 inch compound mitre saw was a high theft item? Do not store the numbers on a laptop (duh!)


Security is not fun, it is becoming a necessity. Whatever the reason, right now we are clearly targets. And I know a lot about targets and don't like being one myself. Hopefully, these actions will stem the tide--which by the way is a concern because (unlike lightning) we have been told that they'll be back in six months for a return visit since the bad guys figure we'll replace what was taken by then. And insurance, while nice, does not begin to cover the true cost of being a target.

Hopefully--next year I will be able to report that Oct 2008-Sep 2009 was as quiet and boring as Mar 2001-Sep 2007 was. The difference being--I will be activating my security system every time I leave the house as well as ensuring every door and window is locked down tighter than a bank.

It is a price to pay.

Death of Summer

I'm standing on the back patio, under the deck, grilling a couple of awesome steaks and I look up into the towering trees to see the advancing storm begin to dance in the leaves. A couple of my evening friends, bats, are dancing in the air looking for a meal and reminding me that although the calendar says that autumn has arrived--my now old friend summer hasn't really fully departed yet.

The loss of summer, much like the loss of youth, makes me sad. Perhaps that's why I keep playing racquetball--to hold onto something which is on the verge of passing away.

The evening sky is dark--but the trees remain in full foliage. Thankfully. There is no color in their leaves yet.

The pool, while open is too cold to swim in and with the skyrocketing price of propane we've decided not to heat it for one last early autumn fling this year.

The nights are colder and it is clear that autumn is close at hand. The leaves should begin to clothe themselves in their royal colors soon. So many people love the colors of autumn--I unfortunately always see it as a prelude to the gray blandness that is winter.

But the bats remain this evening and the geese have not yet begun to gather and honk their way to warmer climates. But the other birds are beginning to gather into endless flocks ready to move south and escape the clutches of the coming darkness of winter.

You would think that I am an autumn person--my birthday is mere days after the autumnal equinox. But I'm not. I remember fondly the first 90 degree day of the year when people were saying--it's hot and I said: "bring it on!" And now I long for those hot, steamy days.

If it would only stay. But the days march on and it is for us to enjoy the blessings given to us for each day of our lives and to enjoy the seasons and the individual daily pleasures they bring.

The hibiscus we keep in pots near the pool are in full bloom and with healthy, dark foliage. Splendor. Soon they will be screaming for light and warmth as we bring them in to survive yet another winter and to remind us that there will be another summer. They look forward to summer as much as I do.

It all goes so fast. Too fast. Fast like my last glass of wine even though I was sipping it to make it last. It ended and I was left with a beautiful memory.

I hear the rain beginning to build in the approaching storm. Like the storm in my soul which would have the world be in summer all day and every day. But that would be boring some tell me--I'd like to try it sometime anyway.

What a great evening though. The steaks are done and it's time to eat and enjoy a glass of wine and some great conversation with Chris. And remember the joy of the summer past while looking ahead to the seasons to come.

Orioles Lay Down and Lose 2

Well, I attended my last major league baseball games of the season last night. I was accompanied by Jeremy and while we had a great father-son outing, the baseball being played by the O's at Camden Yards left something to be desired.

Now everyone knows that I am a relatively rabid O's fan. I admit, I love baseball more than football--which is good because there are about 146 more games per season for each team.

I did get to shake the hand of the Orioles Bird and, from the extremely low attendance, I bet the Bird could have shaken everyone's hand in the stadium during one inning. BTW--the official attendance at the first game was 0. (check it out if you don't believe me)

It was a doubleheader--now I've had a really bad experience with doubleheaders--having the fortune of witnessing last year's Texas Rangers MLB record setting 30-3 killing of Baltimore's beloved Birds. That to be followed by another ugly loss.

Last night--I witnessed another twin loss in both games. The team looked flat. They looked as if they are playing out the string of the season and tickets to warmer beach locations are waiting on their desks for the last pitch. The highlight was a great performance by a new pitcher: Alfredo Simon who pitched 8.2 innings of really great baseball and departed with a 5-3 lead and the bases empty. He was immediately replaced by Jamie Walker who promptly pursued changing the 2 run lead into a deficit. When the ugly 8th inning was finally over, the Rays had scored 6 runs and had a 7-5 lead--which was the final score. Another great starting pitching performance squandered by a bullpen which has not had any spark since Matt Albers went down earlier in the season.

I could question why Manager Dave Trembly went with Walker (I knew had the lead doomed as soon as he stepped onto the field) instead of the closer George Sherrill (who actually did pitch a solid ninth inning). But--another loss was the ultimate outcome and with the time approaching 11PM, after the top of the 8th inning--we departed. All this after watching the O's self-destruct during the first game of the doubleheader.

I love Camden Yards--and it makes me sad when the season comes to an end. It makes me even sadder to see a very exciting baseball team (the O's) have to listen to about 50 Tampa Bay Ray's fans cheer and outshout the Orioles faithful at the yard. I remember earlier in the season when I looked forward to singing Orioles Magic after another comeback win with the most exciting team in baseball--but

there's always next year!

And all we need is a shortstop, a third baseman, a catcher, a first baseman, a starting pitching rotation and a complete new bullpen (except for Sherrill who should be the set-up man for Chris Ray).

This is Birdland

The Griffin Hotel, Canberra

This is an interesting hotel actually located in Kingston, ACT. The Griffin Hotel is a very nice place to stay. The rooms are suites and are very upscale. The inclusion of a kitchen allows for ease of preparing breakfasts or other meals--and there is a grocery store right across the street which enhances the whole food preparation aspect of the hotel.

The hotel is located in a residential area which has nice trees and is very quiet. It is a short ride to the capital area of Canberra, like about 7 minutes--so it is very convenient. When finding the hotel on Googlemaps--there is a street view but it is hard to distinguish the hotel as it blends well into the surrounding area.

The suite consists of a living room, dining area, kitchen, bed room (some suites have multiple bedrooms), and large bathroom. The digital TVs are a very nice touch and add to the experience. The suites generally have a nice balcony to overlook the surrounding region and there is a laundry facility and parking garage attached to the hotel.

The front desk is not staffed 24 hours and this is not a full service hotel--although the desk personnel were very efficient in calling for taxis and providing information on the area. There is a restaurant associated with the hotel (Vie) but given the number of other choices in the immediate area I did not sample the menu at Vie. It looked very upscale--and I was interested in sampling the great Australian Pub in the shopping plaza across the street and also the Thai restaurant.

The bed was soft and probably one of the nicest I have every stayed in. The suite was large and had everything expected--including ironing board and iron. It was comfortable.

The one negative: Internet service is expensive and the 50MB download limit is a joke. After 50 MB the internet provided charges $.10 AUD per MB but the provider severely limits the upload which makes video conferencing almost impossible.

Recommendation: This is a great place to stay. /there are a large number of restaurants and pubs within a very short walk--like across the street. The neighborhood is quiet and very pleasant. If you don't want that "hotel in the middle of the action" feel and really want a place to become a base for exploring and doing business in Canberra--I highly recommend the Griffin Hotel.