Turning a page in my life

Rancho Zabaco Sanoma Heritage vines, red zin 2006. About $12.00 Doesn't really matter how it tastes. I have a 17 year old daughter and one turning 3 in a month. My beautiful 17 year old obsessed with clothes, friends, gauging her ears, getting piercings behind my back and starting 12th grade. Her last year of high school. A senior.

My almost 3 year old obsessed with pre-school. Her first year. It starts next week. She will go twice a week. She has been talking about it all day everyday for over a month. I thought it would wear off, the excitement. It hasn't. "Oh, my friends, mommy? I'm going to meet them? when I go to schoul?" (she says school in the cutest way ever, like ghoul except with sc, and I have to giggle every time she says it). "in 2 minutes, mommy? Is that when I am going? And my teacher? Will I meet my new teacher?" This is over and over again, every hour or two. And I helped fuel it. I told her that I will drop her off in the morning and leave her there while I go home and clean the house, then I will come back and pick her up. So she recites that over and over again. It is adorable, yet annoying at the same time. So I pour another glass of zin. Ah, calming.

Then I gave her more fuel. I told her that Sunday we will go to the schoul and have a picnic. We will all go, me, her big brother, her daddy and her of course where we will meet some of her new friends and her new teacher. She can't get over what a wonderful idea that is. "all of us? Nolie too? and Kita?" No, not Nikita, she has work and her own friends. She is a senior now. But the rest of us will be there and it will be fun.

As my oldest moves on and my youngest gets started, I just can't help wonder if they will find it as wonderful as they have been anticipating. As much as the 3 year old is awaiting her first day meeting new friends and my 17 year old has been awaiting her senior year for well, 12 years now. I hope they are not let down and they both make the best of it. While they move on to a new chapter, so do I...again.

Love and The Little Penguin

Since no one has posted in a while, J-Dog will. He is enjoying The Little Penguin Cabernet, in the big bottle for $9.99. The website has a dating section:I suppose this is a place for singles who have an affinity for The Little Penguin wine. I know that has been the problem with my love life; I haven't met anyone who shares my passion for The Little Penguin wine. What kind of person drinks The Little Penguin? I hope only the best, most attractive people.

All of the copy on the site is credited to The Little Penguin. Who knew there were talented penguins in advertising? How do they type?

On to the wine. The site says it has an awesome ruby red color and the scent of fresh berries. I would say more of a deep garnet. The scent is slightly berry-ish. "The palette jumps with sweet Australian Cabernet fruit, soft background tannins and a great taste that lingers. My palette didn't jump, but maybe penguins are more sensitive. I do agree on the soft background tannins. The taste does linger, and I had it with pasta, so can vouch for that. The body is a little thin, but that isn't always bad. I do think that, for the money, this is a nice table wine. I wouldn't pull it out to impress a date, unless it was one from the penguin dating site. Come to think of it, a woman who is devoted to The Little Penguin label probably isn't much for expensive diamonds or that sort of thing. Excuse me, I have to go create my profile...

Time Flies.

I'm back. It's time to get going on this again. For those who are wondering where I went, in 2007 I was pregnant with Nicolette. She was born September 20, 2007. Four weeks early and a whopping 5 Lbs even.
I wasn't drinking wine and really didn't have time for writing either. Now she is an entire year old. They grow up so fast. I have been really busy with new baby, driving teenage girls everywhere and Bob still working up in North Dakota the majority of the time. Here is Nicolette now, just a little over a year later. She is helping her Uncle Jeff play the guitar. Good Job baby girl!

Now for the good news. The Bob part of me managed to get a job working for the same company, right here in Denver. So, after November of this year, he will be home every night and weekends too! This will free me up from chauffeuring everyone around so much giving me more time to start drinking and writing about wine and life in the KimBob household once again. With the elections right around the corner and wine to relax me, don't be too surprised if I inject my opinion into some of my posts. Don't worry though, I am always right. ;o)
I have three bottles waiting for me, so rest assured I will be back this week.

I drink white, I drink white, I drink white

So I was at Kim and Bob's and in front of me was a TV tray holding a blue-colored glass of white wine (Woodbridge Chardonnay by Robert Mondavi). A fish tank the size of a front door was located to the right of me. The tank's occupants stared with glassy eyes and I tried not to stare back. This was an important night. I was trying to figure out how to taste wine properly.
Kim was trying to teach me.
The first thing I tried to do was to taste Granny Smith apples in the wine. We didn't put apples in the glass, that's just what you're suppose to taste, but since I'm used to slugging it down while my toddler drives me mad, Kim had to spell it out for me.
"It's crispy, refreshing and light. And a little sour. Like Granny Smith apples," she said. Kim doesn't normally drink white wine, so she was doing me a favor. It was a fairly big favor, too, but I think that's just her way. (After all, she's letting a wine guzzling hack like me write on her blog. And, I should add, a wine-guzzling hack who is allergic to red wine. I like it, but the first glass makes my ears Itch, while the second makes my head ache. If I go for a third, I can count on all of that going on for at least two days.)
Back to the white. Yeah, I thought. It's a little sour. Like green apples. I could taste apples and that's saying something because I've been drinking this very wine for six years without thinking too much about the taste. It's the one my husband always buys because I like dry white wine and I'm too chicken to try something else.
Even trying to drink slow, I finished up the first glass while Kim and Bob mulled over their first. I think Bob had left his glass on the fish tank. He'd played Hotel California on his guitar, Kim and I had just finished pretending we could sing it, and he took a short break to drink. He added, "I tasted pears."
"Oh," I said, sipping (why lie, gulping) a little of my second glass. "Does wine change after you drink it a while? Because this one tastes fruitier to me as I go along."
Bob and Kim agreed that it might and said something about what happens to red wine when its opened, but I wasn't paying attention because it occurred to me that I'd never really paid attention to this wine tasting different the longer you drank it and I was rather proud that I noticed something, on my own, about the wine.
I finished the bottle a few nights later and noticed another thing. I had a little smoky taste in my mouth when I ran to answer the door. My husband, George had come home with dinner from Anthony's. I wasn't smoking, so that wasn't it. Could it be the wine? I think so. So, there you have it. Crisp and refreshing. Applie, pearie, and a fruitie-smoky after taste.
I recommend it with ice on a really hot day. I don't need to tell you I've eaten it with everything from quiche to Cheetos, but the bottle recommends you try roasted chicken, grilled fish, fresh salad and creamy cheese. The cost for 1.5 liters is under $10 and it keeps well in the refrigerator if you can't finish it off.

Why drink when you have a toddler?

Because drinking with a toddler frees you up to make sock puppets, or to indulge in staring out the window at the fat idiots taking their fat dogs on ten minute walks for exercise, while you, who never exercise, finish dinner with your fingers.
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One day when my husband was going to be late from work, I found myself and my 2-year-old minus clean underwear, without any scrap of floor in the room to stand on that didn’t contain a toy, and pretty much fed up with each other.
This, I said aloud to myself, because I was that desperate for adult conversation, is a perfect day to take up drinking.
Now before I go further, I should point out that many people would say that drinking is exactly what you shouldn’t do when caring for your children. I would say that you sound very much like me before my daughter was born. That is, a child-rearing expert. Having expertise in child-rearing is one of those backward things. When you actually have children you lose your expert status because the children you’ve been disciplining have always been other people’s children. Everybody knows the last person who knows anything about their own child is their own parent. They don’t tell you this in the hospital, or in the hip bar where you did most of your child rearing before you had your own.
Me (four years before my daughter): “That mother should just tell her winy kid ‘no’ to ice cream. I would never give my child ice cream.”
My husband: “I wonder why that kid’s mom is drinking so much.”
Once you have kids, the childless couples won’t want to talk to you about their discipline ideas. That’s because they are saving their fantastic bits of wisdom for each other and other childless couples.
Woman who is part of a childless couple: “So you’re having some problems getting your daughter to behave in church?”
Me: “Yes. You should have seen her Easter Sunday.”
Woman who is part of a childless couple: (Raises eye brows. Appears to be deep in thought.)
Me: “What? Why are you doing that with your face?
Woman who is part of a childless couple: “I gotta go talk to my husband about something.”
It’s a shame, really, that the experts won’t talk, because drinking while caring for a toddler makes a parent really want to discuss such matters (and why they are the other parent’s fault), and, of course, anything else that comes to mind.
The first time I drank with my toddler I tried to hide it from her, but she knew something was up when I started to laugh too long at her jokes and have way more fun with her rolly-poppy toy that she had ever had. Being a toddler she said, “That’s mine!” and tried to clobber me with Barbie, but Barbie’s a wimp. Absolutely no muscle tone.
Pretty soon it was all out in the open. I even bought some plastic wine glasses so she could join me, (she drank water, of course, what do you take me for?). It was great mother-daughter bonding time, putting our feet on the table, making up toasts. “To Barbie, may your feet always be pointed like you’re wearing high heels! To Oink-Oink, may he always be pink!”
My best friend, Susan, is amazed that I can pull off drunkenness in front of my toddler. She drinks, but she can’t imagine trying one on in front of her children (at least when they were younger). A few days ago she called me, stressed out because her son had poured sand in her hairbrush collection.
“I’m going to kill him,” she snarled. “I’ve had those hairbrushes since I was born.”
“Don’t do that,” I advised wisely. “Just drink.”
“Drink what?” she said. “I’m not thirsty. Just feeling murderous.”
“Alcohol,” I said. “Finish off that bottle of red from last night.”
She was silent for a moment. She was thinking about it, I could tell. “But wouldn’t that be irresponsible? My husband’s not even home, yet.”
“Nooo, it’s the right thing to do,” I said. “It took you way too long to grow that kid.”
Again, she lapsed into silence. Like a good friend I added, “If you have to kill somebody, make it your husband.”
After successfully reducing stress every time I drank I can honestly say that the only difference between me and Susan is experience. When she gets frustrated she thinks about killing her children. I just peacefully reach for my corkscrew and a glass. Make love, not war.
I’ve taught a lot of other stay-at-home mothers how to do the same. Here are some tips from some drinking mommas on not only how to endure, but to embrace drinking with your toddler.
Sally Isalittle Sloshed.

Tip 1: Be safe. Remove all knives and corkscrews from your toddler’s reach. Drink responsibly. Lock yourself in a toddler-proof room with your toddler and bottle. Yours AND hers/his. Make sure they have plenty to play with, but also take care to have a soft bed with pillows and blankets nearby just in case you pass out. Leave the key somewhere where your husband can find it.
Best reason to drink with a toddler: She/he has just learned the appropriate use of the word ‘shut up’ and is using it.
Patty Isalittle Plastered
Tip 2: Drink slowly to ease yourself into a good mood. There’s no bigger buzz kill when drinking with a toddler than to feel like puking right when you might have to change a diaper.
Best reason to drink with a toddler: You’ve waited so long to have a child and you suck as a mother.
Annie Isalittle Annihilated


Tip 3: If you’re drinking because your bundle of joy won’t pick up his/her toys don’t pick up the toys for them. Don’t forget, a drinking parent is still a parent. Instead, search the real estate section for a new home in which to live. Sometimes a snap decision to move out of the squalor the child has created is the right choice.
Best reason to drink with a toddler: Some people drive better when they are drunk. It’s entirely possible that you mother better, drunk.
Polly Isalittle Polluted
Tip 4: Have an adventurous attitude. Drink thinking that you’ll have a good time, not a bad time. You’re toddler wants to see you having fun, right? It’s what life is all about and she/he wants you to show her/him life. Plus, it can give him/her a sense of family history. After, Uncle Paul Polluted and Uncle Peter Plastered (husband of Patty) died of the drink. It’s good to remember and honor the dead.
Best reason to drink with a toddler: That huge bottle of wine is taking up way too much room in the refrigerator.
Betty Isalittle Blasted

Tip 5:
You haven’t laughed all day because all the songs to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast keep going through your head. Drinking, even just one glass of wine, resets the musical in your head.
Best reason to drink with a toddler: Ability to teach drinking in the safety of your own home. This valuable lesson will serve your child well when they get their driver’s license.

Qualifiers:

If you are, or suspect you might be an alcoholic, don’t do any of this. If you are a lonely, stay-at-home mother, and a light drinker, it’s O.K. Also, you must be a person, like my big sister, who takes herself way too seriously and who has been saying ever since she was a kid “I don’t like drugs or drinking because I don’t like to get out of control.” Only then are you allowed to take any of this seriously. But not too seriously. Because I don’t really think anybody should get drunk, drunk with a toddler, just a little drunk. Especially my big sister, but not with my toddler, with her own toddler which she could have one if she didn’t get her tubes tied way too young, when she was in her 30s after her son was born because she couldn’t stand the idea of having another child because she didn’t like to get out of control. You see what I’m saying. Only my big sister should take this seriously.

Hot Summer

It's been a little toasty around here. I'm sitting in the living room with our portable swamp cooler aimed directly on me. Life saving device, add ice and water and it's just like AC, except not as cold. The Bob part of me is up North, yes, gone for our anniversary again. Jessica is at cheer camp and Nikita and Nolan are at their dad's house for 10 more days. I have been keeping busy by mowing the lawn, walking dogs, and "baby-sitting" J-Dogs new pup while he relaxes in Wisconsin. In between all of this excitement, I've been watching a Sci-Fi all day marathon of a series called "Dead Like Me". It's been on since early this morning. Interesting series about a group of people who were chosen to work for the Grim Reaper. It's addictive.

So, I'm almost into the 3rd trimester with the baby. There's a party in my belly. All kinds of action in there. We think it's a girl from the ultra sound. Poor Nolan, he really wants a brother. Too many sisters already. If the doctor is right, we'll have to try again for a boy. I'll do an update after the next ultra sound. I'm going to add a contributor to this blog. For obvious reasons, I'm not drinking much wine (it gives me heartburn) so, I haven't posted much. Sometimes your past comes back. Mine has a few times now. Bob and I were invited to a graduation party several weeks ago and I saw someone there who I knew from about 12 years previously. Well, actually, I didn't know her too well, I knew her husband from a telemarketing job I had while going to school. So I said, "aren't you George's wife?" She said she was. So I jogged her memory on who I was, I met her maybe two times before. We got to talking and she mentioned they just bought a house...on the next block from us! Long story short, she used to be a reporter and can write. Right now she is taking a break to raise her little girl and write a book, but I'll let her share all of that if she chooses. So I will add Mechelle (no, that's not a typo) to the blog and you all will get more variety from the KimBob Wine Blog.

Tonight I'm sipping a French wine. Christian Moueix, it's a 2003 Bordeaux, $12.99 Thanks to my papa for this bottle. Unfortunately, I don't like it. It's very earthy. Tastes like dirt. It's also very sour, not smooth and mellow as promised on the bottle. It's made from Merlot grapes, seems they were crushed by people who didn't wash their feet. Save your money, pass this one up.

Bigger Is Better

It's the Italian way. The Bob part of me wanted a big family. He had 2 kids of his own, married me and got 2 more. Against J-dog's beliefs (he doesn't think "older" women can have kids??), we are having another. It was my 40th birthday present. (haha). We thought we would see how many more we can have before our time runs out. I am due October 18th, but I'm predicting the first week in October. Bets are on if anyone wants to join in.
That being said, my wine blogging is going to be limited to tasting. You may have noticed that I've been away for a while. I am feeling better now and up to the task of tasting wines for everyone else's enjoyment again, aren't you all lucky? In the meantime, J-dog said he would be back to contribute so look for his posts too.
I'll start with this one. Rioja Cortijo III 2005. Tempranillo. Italian. Very good. Very smooth. Ripe fruit, nice finish. Full bodied and well worth the $10. I recommend it!

Club Soccer = Big Smile

During the winter, Nikita stays in soccer shape for the real season by playing indoor club soccer. The teams are set up by age group, 12-13 year olds, 14-15 and 16-17. She plays with the 12-13 year old's team called U13. Middle school girls. Last night, they went up against the undefeated U17 team...or should I say previously undefeated team and WON. Nobody expected them to win. We all thought, "if they just hang in there and try not to lose by too much, that would be great". Just peachy. They were up against 16 and 17 year old girls who currently play varsity for their high schools. I have never seen little girls play so hard and with so much tenacity. They stood their ground and they completed carefully planned passes. They controled the ball. They were pushed, tripped and mowed over by girls twice their size. But the smiles on their faces as they walked off the field with a 2-1 win proved it was worth the punishment they withstood. And the parents were happy too. :o)

So, in honor of tough little girls with a drive to win, I drink, appropriately;
Big Smile Red. California Red Wine by Tortoise Creek Winery.$8.99 Alcohol, 13.5%. A blended wine with a bold smooth taste. Soft tannis, nice fruity berry flavor. Great everyday wine. I am really enjoying this one. Screw cap, easy access. I love the lable.

Nikita's Choice

Good pick from my intellectually superior little girl. She has the answer for everything, just ask her. Most 13 year olds do. Flash-back to my childhood. Could she be my clone, only with a different face? I would like to take this moment to tell my own parents, mom, dad, I am sorry. I didn't mean to be so stubborn and strong-willed. You said revenge would come naturally, by way of your grandchildren. I should have listened.

Canine gone feral (kind of like a teenager) Don't let this junk yard dog scare you, it's good.
Yard Dog 2005, Australian. This blend of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet is a great value at $8.99. Big, bold, spicy yet smooth. Big fruit. Goes well with lasagna, goes especially well with kids bedtime. Oh yeah, screw cap to open. Easy access.

Uno Attack 100 Times- Vacation Hell

So, the Bob part of me left the day after Christmas to go back up to the big north. He miscalculated a little. For some reason he thought he would be home until after the Albuquerque trip. What fun we would have driving down for a day or two to visit his sister Cherie and favorite brother Pete. Yes-sir-ee! Unfortunately, he went back to work, and we already had plans, so I loaded up the kids and both dogs and off we went.
It was all figured out. Nolan and I would get a "pet friendly room" (Cherie's new apartment is not wheelchair accessible) and the girls would stay with Aunt Cherie, Uncle Pete and the 3 cousins, not to mention Mario and his sweetheart, Rana (also down for a quick overnighter). Where should I start? So many bad things happened. Ok, the first night was GREAT! We all got together, went bowling, made the Masitti Family pizza, played games, sang songs (Cherie can sing by the way, we thought it was just Pete). The dogs got to run almost free on a few acres, the loved it except for the cactus in their paws. This is where the fun ends. We all call it a night. Mario, Pete, Rana, Nikita, Jessica, Tyler, Nastyia, Masha and Cherie go back to her apartment for the night, Nolan and I back to the "pet friendly" hotel. Nolan snores. We slept poorly. Cherie's apartment ceiling started leaking from a previous snow, now melting on a flat Adobe style roof, so they were up at 3am finding buckets. They slept poorly. Mario, Pete and Rana had the right idea. Get out. Fast. They all left that morning. Pete back to Florida and Mario and Rana back to Denver. We had different plans. We didn't drive all the way down to turn around the next day. We were going to stay one more day. Besides, I wanted to spend some time with Cherie and get to know my new sister-in-law better.
That very same day a blizzard blows through Denver, dumping another foot or so on top of the 2 feet we already got. Then it hits Albuquerque. It doesn't happen much there, so the city pretty much shut down. A whole foot in a town used to a few flurries. Mario just made it back home when the interstate (I-25) closed. Santa Fe to Pueblo and a few stretches north of Pueblo in Colorado. We weren't going anywhere. So, Cherie, her kids, my kids, Nikita and Jessica were at her place and I had Nolan and Cherie's youngest, Nastyia. We couldn't go to her house and she couldn't get to me. Nolan, Nastyia and I played 47 games of Uno Attack, with and without the motorized case, a few games of Life Simpsons style and watched Cars, Nacho Libre, and Kindergarten Cop.
On Saturday, we met a nice couple at breakfast from Louisville, north of Denver, with 2 kids, also stranded. We offered to play games with their kids that day. Yes, more Uno Attack. Their daughter was 11 going on 15 and their son 8, well, going on 8. Boys are strange, I have decided. Sunday Cherie was finally able to make it to our hotel and we exchanged kids, I got my 2 back and she got Nastyia back. That day my kids and the Louisville kids, Ruby and Coleman hooked up for games and swimming. I stayed at the pool with them for 3 hours. Don't kids ever get tired of having fun? Which reminds me, did you all click on that hotel link in the beginning of this blog? It is not as it appears. It looks nice, eh? Don't be fooled. The pool was a health inspectors greatest conquest. They would have a hay-day. I have never seen so much mold in on place before. Lawsuits just waiting to happen. It was thick. The table games they are so proud of are water-logged. Yep, they are in the poorly ventilated pool area. The ping-pong table was so warped, the ball would go different directions on every hit. The air hockey table was on 3 legs and looked like a electrical shock hazard and the Foosball was too warped by moisture to play but looked the best from a distance.
The highlight of our trip was Sunday night, New Years Eve. I took the kids up to the High Finance restaurant 10,000 feet up in the mountains. You had to ride a cable car to the top (the longest cable car in the world) and of course back down. The food wasn't that good and it was over-priced, but the view was amazing. There was some fog in the city so the city lights made it look mystic and surreal. The kids even liked it. That night the highway opened back up. We didn't waste any time, Monday I got up at dawn and got the kids and dogs out as quickly as possible.
Oh, I forget to mention Sunday night the hotel threatened to evict us because while we were at dinner our dogs barked? So much for pet friendly. I do have to give them credit for a pretty good free breakfast.

Arrogant Frog- Ribet Red. 2004. $10.00 Cab-Merlot blend. French. Smooth, Dry, subtle texture, a little smoky. Much needed after the New Mexico trip. I suppose I would like anything. It's good, very good and a great value. Oh, yeah, just screw it open too! Easy access.

A Special Night

Christmas Eve 2006.
Yes, we survived the big snowstorm of 06' . Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive, we weren't even stuck indoors. The day of the storm we shopped until the stores closed, then we went to a bar until it closed. Everything closed early. The next day, while most of the city was stuck indoors, after we shoveled out ourselves and our next door neighbors, we went and picked up Jeff from his house and went out for breakfast. Pete's University Cafe. They were actually open. Unbelievable!
It's hard to believe it's been 2 full years since we started this wine blog. There's always a new wine to taste too. The Bob part of me is home but looks like he will have to leave Christmas Day to go back up north. He is packing his car, I'm blogging and we are both sipping a red zin.
Tonight we will go to midnight Mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is my favorite part of Christmas. I love the music. I love the mood it puts me in. I love the rituals.
Tomorrow, the kids will be in a present opening frenzy. This part of Christmas is fun too. There will be paper everywhere and I'll be doing my best to clean as they go.
Renwood 2003 Red Zinfandel. Sierra Series. Alcohol 13.5% Price; $9.99. The Bob part of me says, "eh, it's alright, I'm not really in a wine mood tonight". I like it. It's dry. It's spicy. It's earthy.
****UPDATE**** The Bob part of me changed his mind, he says the wine is ok, he likes it. I guess his mood changed. He's so moody.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.

The Night Before Thanksgiving

Ah yeah. Baking pumpkin pie. Jessica helped, good thing too. I had her mix up the second batch and she noticed it looked thinner than the first pie. Forgot the milk. We saved it so no worries. Could have been bad though. It's almost midnight. The first pie is almost finished.
The Bob part of me is up north digging for oil. He should be home for the next holiday. I'm sipping a little chardonnay. Mmm. Can't wait for tomorrow.
This is my favorite holiday. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, gravy, more gravy, something green perhaps and wine and PIE! Oh yeah, and lemon bars and chocolate layer cake that my daughter made. Going to have a few relatives over tomorrow. My brother, our four kids, Bob's sister and her new squeeze (ha! going to do the interrogation thing, make sure he checks out). Tried to get my dad to come out, but he would rather shoot cute little animals with antlers. Hunting season doesn't make sense to me. Shouldn't it be right before Thanksgiving so that the man of the house can provide the brood with a fresh kill of sorts? Seems silly to go buy the turkey when a burley guy can go out and shoot one, clean it, wax and boil the feathers off so the wife can cook it. But no, they go shoot deer ON Thanksgiving so that they can eat sausage all year long. No, that's not why. So they can see who can get the biggest rack. Maybe. It's all so confusing for a women. I guess they do it because they don't need to do it anymore. Testosterone? Yeah, that's it.
Beringer Founders' Estate Chardonnay 2001. $10 bucks (not the kind my dad is hunting) Very good. Dry, rich, velvety, fruity, crisp and oaky. Too good.
Happy Thanksgiving. Don't eat too much.

Honor Your Dollar

Prosperity Merlot. Apparently the year is not what's important here. $6.79, this is important. 13.5% alcohol. This is a Central Coast wine out of Los Olivos, CA. One man's attempt to help the recession of the 1990's, (some Clinton fans may disagree) Brooks Firstone, the creator of this pretty darn good wine says ‚"“Our philosophy has always been to offer people delicious, unpretentious wines at a friendly price,” these wines are crafted with a passion for quality and uniqueness."”
Well Brooks, that it is. A very tasty, drinkable, full flavored wine. It's a spicy cherry over oak that goes down smooth and warm. The label reminds me of old WWII photos promoting work. Kind of like the famous advertisement for women working on planes while their husbands were serving in the military. You know, the one with the woman showing off her muscles wearing a hankerchief on her head. Just click that link if you are too young to remember, or too old to remember for that matter. Seems like there was more unity and support for America back then. Less haters. Prosperity Merlot. It's good. Have to try the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay next, I'll keep you posted.

Fat Bastard

Relax mom and dad, it's just the name of the wine. Is that a hippo? When I opened the bottle, my first thought was it smells like prunes. Not the dried up like raisins prunes, the canned ones they served when I was in grade school. I'm pretty sure I was the only kid who actually ate them. I'm having a glass on it's own with no food to support it's flavor. I think it may have to sit and breathe for a while. It's fruity and pleasant tasting at first, but the sourness overpowers and I get that squinty eye thing going. I'm going to let it sit for a spell and come back to try again. Ok, I went back, still sour and not very pleasant to drink so I'm hangin' it up. Fat Bastard. Merlot. $7.99. According to their website, they outsource their grapes, or should I say it gets outsourced to them. That's right, this French winery doesn't even grow their own! Remember, just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't.

Jessica Talks Too Much Blog

"You're soooooo mean", says Jessica. "Are you seriously doing that?" asked Jessica. "Blogging about me?"
Jessica is the daughter of the Bob part of me. She talks a lot. My kids don't talk much. They are very, very , very quiet. Jessica talks in the morning. Jessica talks at night. Jessica talks any chance she gets. She is also loud. She is chatty. I'm used to quiet. She says I can't type either. I can't. I was born in the 60's. I was required to take typing in 6th grade. It was a fail/pass class. It was on an old fashioned typewriter, not like the kids use these days. Jessica called me stupid as I accidentally deleted everything I just wrote and she brought it back. Thanks goodness for kids and technology. Ok, so she talks too much but she has proven herself useful. I guess I'll keep her around for a while. Even though she cost us a fortune tonight. Homecoming is next week. Oh my goodness, do the stores capitalize on that. They even have a special section for homecoming "overpriced"dresses. We did find a beautiful one, and shoes to match. She will be the star of the show next week. Jessica speaking "First of all my dress is sooo adorable. And Kim really can't type. But I do feel honored because she decided to write a blog about me. I decided to invade because I can type way faster than her and yes that is a fact. And you know what? Kim does talk a lot too it's not only me she makes me sound like I'm the only one that ever talks in this family. Alright that's all I have to say. :]"
Well, she is the only one who talks. Nikita talks when her socks need to be washed. Nolan talks when he wants a drink or lunch. Jessica talks...and talks...and talks.

Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc 2003 $9.39 (White, wussy wine only a mere 14.9%) I had a salmon Salad for dinner and thought white would be best. I'm on my Mom's weight watchers diet. She thought a diet buddy would be a good thing. They use the point system. I'm not sure how many points my dinner added up to but I think the entire bottle of wine was about 10. So maybe 16, 17, 18 including dinner. You're allowed 20 for the day and an extra "free" 35 over the whole week. Hopefully I am a good source of encouragement. I think I used my extra points tonght, as Jessica sucks on a popsicle after downing a big bowl of Chocolate Chip Mint ice cream by Dreyers. I am holding strong, and not caving to the temptation of popsicle or ice cream. I am weight watchers!
I like the Casa. It went well with the salmon. It was light and dry just a little tart. Good. I recommend it with salmon.

Ever Feel SCREWED?

Yeah. Me too.

If you know anything about the Saab, you would know that it has a metal, motor driven power antenna that goes up and down when the radio or CD player is turned on. There is no "play" in the antenna, it's rigid. It's tall. A few years ago I forgot to lower the antenna when I was going through a carwash. It broke. $140.00 to replace. It took me forever to talk Bob into letting me blow money on an antenna. Not one month later, Bob and I were going out for the evening. The Bob part of me didn't want to drive, or I was in "Control Freak Driving Mood," so I was driving or else. We got into the "Saab Story", which was parked in the garage. I was in the car waiting. Bob came out a minute later and hit the garage door opener on the wall from inside the garage. The door was opening. Out of habit and maybe dulled senses from the pre-going out vino, I hit the garage door opener from inside the car. The garage door was now closing, much to my dismay, as I was backing out. The first sign of disaster was the snapping sound of the newly replaced antenna. I stopped, hit the button to open the garage, but it was too late, the damage was done. Of course it was his fault. We don't fight much, but we fought about that. If only he would have left the door alone...blah, blah, blah. I drove it as it was and after a while the real antenna finally snapped all the way off so I gerry-rigged a coat hanger in it's place that way I could hear my AM talk show favorites like Laura Ingraham. It was "Ghetto" for lack of a better description. After a full year the coat hanger was starting to rust, so I finally convinced the Bob part of me to let me spend the $160 (the price went up again) needed to get it fixed. I promised I would be careful. I promised I would be responsible. I promised I would never break another Saab antenna again. Well, you probably know where this is going. Yep. I broke it. Again. Tonight. A few minutes ago. I'm sorry, I really am. I guess you might say I'm SCREWED. I promised and swore on my uncle's father's little brother's pet rabbit's grave that I would not lose another antenna unless it was a freak of nature or God Himself. The Bob part of me does not know. Yet. He is up in North Dakota, working his A** off for the betterment of our family and I have ruined EVERYTHING! I'm sure the new replacement cost is $175. Perhaps I should just get a car with a more stable antenna? I could run out while he is away and buy a new car. I could tell him I won it. Yeah, that's it. There was a drawing and I won a brand spanking new Mercedes. He might buy it. For about a half a second. MAybe I should just admit...
Screwed. 2004 McClaren Vale. Red Wine. Australia.$8.99 alchohol 14%. Mmm. Good. A little sweeter with big, crisp, fruity flavors. In this case, un-screwed. No cork screw needed. Just twist open for a little relaxation. Hints of Vanilla. Smooth finish. Great bottle.AAARGH! No picture. I was trying to find a pic of the lable. It's pretty cool. It's has all these sayings on it..like the one I'm going to use when the Bob part of me comes home, "It wasn't my fault". I found one! Now I can go to bed. Buy this one, don't screw up!

Sterling and 120

Sterling Vinyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. 13.9% alcohol. WAY OVER OUR PRICE RANGE $22.99 I'm going to cut right to the chase here. This is good vino. We really enjoyed it. My wonderful brother-in-law, Pete, gave this to KimBob for their 2nd anniversary. As you can see, this wine was completely out of our budget and with one kid in college, one in elementary school and 2 girls in parochial school, you would NOT find us in the over $10 section. We can only hope for vouchers soon. Sterling wine was smooth, bold rich, a little oaky. A long tasty finish that I wish I could experience again...sigh.

Double whammy here.

120 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. From Chile. Alcohol 13.5%. Price $6.99. Good wine, but compared to Sterling...not in the same game. It was a good buy. A little tart, dry, earthy as in mineral over tones, oaky with a hint of...vanilla. (had to go back in for another taste).

Advice of the day, because I have nothing else to say right now, and homework to help kids with...

If you are thinking of refinancing your home, 1st or 2nd, be sure to tell the loan officer that you do not want them to include your phone number with the credit inquiry. If you don't, in the subsequent days, you will receive a mind boggling number of computer generated calls to your cell phone from other loan agencies.

It's Not Easy Being GREEN

This is for my faithful followers. I agree, I have let you all down. All I can say is that I am very sorry. My last post was June 25. That was almost two months ago. Please, let me explain. GLOBAL WARMING. It's been hot here. At times, near 100 degrees. We have no air conditioner. No swamp cooler. We think we are melting.


Thanks to Al Gore, we were recently alerted to the fact that the temperature has been on average one full degree hotter than normal. When we found out, we thought it was our duty to do something good for the environment. We discussed it and decided the best thing we could do while trying to stay cool, was drink lots of beer straight from the bottle, then recycle! We now consider ourselves Greenies. We pat ourselves on the backs for helping to save our planet one beer, or case if it's especially hot, at a time. Yes, the Bob part of me still works for the "evil oil empire" but recycling trumps fossil fuel emissions and we harbor no guilt.

So hang in there and hopefully it will cool off this fall and we can pop open a bottle of wine. Then recycle it!

Is it just me, or Does Mr. Gore look extremely scary?

***UPDATE: IS GORE A SCARY HYPOCRITE????

He's A Manley Rooster, Chicks Dig Him!

Rex Goliath the 47 Pound Rooster, Monterey County California Merlot. He is also "free range" so he can have as many chicks as he wants. Together, their eggs are organic. Alcohol 13.9 Price, a mere $9.99.
This will be a short and to the point post. Just go buy a bottle. Trust me. It's a very bold, big wine. (Like Rex) It's fills your mouth with flavor.

The Bob part of me even had something to say about this one. Bob said "sweet, heady". I said, "what?" Bob said, "you know, dreamy" and I said "Oooh, because I didn't make you any dinner, are you a light-headed? Hahaha". No dinner for the Bob part of me, I'm on a diet.
Enjoy!
Click here to read the history about Rex Goliath, very interesting.

KimBob Shish-Ka-Bobs By Bob

Do these look a little over done to you? Yes, me too. We thought it was time to break out the grill and try chicken/veggie Ka-Bobs. Unfortunately, we were plum out of wine so we settled for Blue Moon. Normally I would not blog beer, but under the circumstances, and to keep my fans happy (I haven't blogged anything lately) I will. Now that summer is here and the kids are out of school, we are very busy.
If you have never tried Blue Moon beer, you must. A Belgium beer, it's slightly sweet with a hint of orange flavor. In fact, here in Colorado, if you order it in a bar, they put a slice of orange right in the glass. If you aren't a fan of the traditional bitter beers, this is a great choice. My only issue with it is that it fills you up fast and I'm sure it has more than the 3 grams of carbs that Miller Lite has.
Back to the ka-bobs. They were good, a bit crispy. The Bob part of me loves his Weber grill. We have the big one of course and we still gril the old fashioned way, with charcoal. J-Dog came over and devoured at least four ka-bobs, so they couldn't have been too bad, I guess. While we were eating we watched the movie, Just Like Heaven. What a cute, funny romantic comedy. We recommend that too.
After the movie we relaxed and Arty did a cool cucumber face mask. I'll tell you, it really gave his eyes the lift they needed. So, until next time...drink wine, watch a good movie and relax.

Movies and Wine

Since the Bob part of me came home for Mother's Day weekend we decided to go see United Flight 93 tonight. Although my daughter is old enough for this movie, I don't think my son is, so we sent them off to see Ice Age 2. If anyone reading this hasn't already gone to see Flight 93, we highly recommend it. What an amazing movie. Even after seeing it, I still can't even begin to image what those brave souls went through and what fear they must have endured. It was like open season on America that day. Prior to this attack we all thought we were safe, untouchable if you will. So safe in fact, that air traffic control kept doubting there were really some hijackings going on while it was happening. I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Go see this movie, you won' t regret it.
Fazi Battaglia Marche Sangiovese, 2004. $8.99 Alcohol 12%. This is a very good red wine. It's dry and light tasting yet smooth and peppery. Good enough to take as offerings to friends. Peace offerings maybe. I think that's why J-dog bought it. He gave it in advance of an argument he started with me. Of course I was right and he wasn't, but lets not hold on to ill thoughts. The Bob part of me even agreed I was right. So there you have it. But like I said, lets just let it go. No sense dwelling on something for too long you know. I'm sure everyone else I know would agree I was right as well. Just because J-Dog runs an advice website doesn't mean his advice is always the best. Oh, there I go again. I should just let by-gones be by-gones.
Ok, it comes in this strangely shaped bottle that looks a lot like a CocaCola bottle and they give you a free pair of chopsticks. Goes well with seafood it says. I've been drinking it without anything. It goes well that way too.

I'm A Happy Camper

For so many reasons.
Me, and the Bob part of me sold our little piece of the "American Pie". No more shoe repair and retail business. We are no longer small business owners. No more Monday through Saturday 8-6 or 7 or 8 and paper work on Sunday. No more employees, vendors and crabby customers. We are finally free. Hooray!
(Disclosure: not all of our customers are crabby, we even like some of them).
The Bob part of me is keeping busy working for the "Evil" oil empire. Some of the rigs he works at have Haliburton trailers on them. Ooooh Noooo! And I am back to residential real estate full time. I even have clients. And, I actually have time to going trail running again. With Bob. Sometimes in North Dakota or Montana or where ever he is working. Life is good.

So what a better way to celebrate than with Happy Camper 2004 Cabernet, California. 13.0% alcohol. $7.99 (on sale). Screw off cap means easy access and great to take camping with you. I love the label, although when we were kids we pitched tents, pee'd in the woods and drank water from the river. (ok, maybe not from the river). I'm going to give this wine two thumbs up. Its full bodied, very flavorful, rich, smooth with a nice finish. Very drinkable. So go drink some now. I command you.
Many thanks to Princess Leah for rewarding me with this fine wine. You are a good friend my friend.

A little Triva...From Daddy O'

Consider this:

WATER.......
It has been scientifically proven that if we drink 1 liter of water each
day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed More than 1 kilo of
Escherichia coli bacteria found in feces, in other words, we are
consuming 1 kilo of Doo Doo.

Wine.............
However, we do not run that risk when drinking wine (or rum, whiskey,
Beer or other liquors) because alcohol has to go through a distillation
process of boiling, filtering and fermenting.

WATER = Doo Doo

WINE = HEALTH

Free yourself of Doo Doo, drink WINE!!! It is better to drink wine and
talk Doo Doo than to drink water and be full of Doo Doo.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information, I Am doing
it as a public service.

Courtesy of: Larry J. Winkelhake, CLU, ChFC (Better known as Dad)

Contemplation and Napa Valley

After a very stressfull day, felt like I needed to stop off on my way home for some vino. I am much more relaxed now. The good thing that happened today is that I had 4 different "regular" customers come in all at the same time. Some of the nice ones. The customers who have been coming in for years who didn't huff and puff becuause there were 3 others before them. When did people become so impatient? Why can't they see if there is only one person working, that the customer in front of them deserves to have me spend as much time with them as it takes? After all, they wouldn't want me to rush them. Nothing worse than having someone glare at you with their foot tapping and the "why is it taking so long sigh" while you are trying to help someone else. Grrrrr. So now I am trying to decide what to do for the weekend. Kids are with their Papa.

Turns out the Bob part of me, currently in Montana, is off for the weekend too. He suggested we meet half way in Gillette, WY. and hang out for a few days. I have sooo much to do here. I decided to give our kitchen an overhaul. Yep, all new paint. Guess it will have to wait until I get back. Kids are home for spring break next week...what fun we are going to have.

The Bob part of me hates to make the arrangements and asks me to call the hotels and see who has the best deal. I went to Orbitz who said the best hotel in Gillette was the Clarion. I called the Clarion hotel and they told me their rate was $84 a night, however some irresponsible person broke glass in the pool so it was being drained and wouldn't be usable until Monday, after we already checked out. So, I called the Holiday Inn who informed me thier rates were $101 a night with a functional pool. I personally could not see spending an extra $30 for the weekend just to get wet so I suggested we just stay at the Clarion. So, I called the Clarion back to make resevations. I let them know we might have our dogs with us if I couldn't find someone to puppy sit for the weekend. They said that was fine, however, we would not be allowed to reserve a non-smoking room if we had a pet. I could not believe it! I told the young man my dogs did not smell bad, cigarettes do. He said some poeple have allergies so that was just their policy. I told them "I" had alleries, to cigarette smoke. He said, "thats our policy". Does that make sense???? Me being the good ex-smoker I am...I can't stand the smell. If I go to a bar, I take a shower when I get home to get the smoke smell out. Not much else I could do, I informed him due to their "policy" we would be staying somewhere else. I called the Holiday Inn and asked what their policy was. They didn't have a problem giving us a non-smoking room with the dogs. We booked it. Since then, I convinced my daughter to come by and tend to the dogs. So sorry Clarion, no pets, and no business.
NAPA VALLEY VINEYARDS Reserve Merlot, 2003....Delicious. Delicious. Delicious. So good I went back to the store to get more. Only $9.99 a bottle. While I was there they were playing a song my husband dedicated to me at our wedding and his brother, Pete sang along with his nephew and my step-son, Mario playing the guitar , although I knew the song, I couldn't quit figure out where I heard it before. It was Edwin Mc Cain, "I'll Be". What a beautiful song. The version the radio played was a little different. I've only heard the acoustic version, twice. Also, Iv'e never heard it on the radio before. Weird. Nice. Here are the lyrics, I made fun of the Bob part of me because of the verse that says "I'll hang on your lips", but I didn't really mean it.

The strands in your eyes
That color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains
Thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth

Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows
Of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival
You're my living proof
My love is alive and not dead

Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows
Of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

I've dropped out
Burned up
Fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in
Turned on
Remembered the things you said

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of you life

From the man who means the absolute most to me. I love you Bob.
Get the Napa Valley.

One Of Maddona's Favorites?

Virgin Vines 2004 Chardonnay California. $8.49. Screw cap...easy access, although you do have to take the wrapping off first so it's a little harder to open than others we've tried. It's very soft on the pallate, velvity in your mouth...yet not a very smooth finish. The flavor is delightful. It's light and fruity. The bottle is pretty. If it would go down without the bite, I would say it was very good. But since it doesn't, it's not worth buying. It's too rough. I can't drink it.
I guess the record label, airlines, everything else they do wasn't enough...they grow grapes too. Their slogan for this brand is "un-screw it, let's do it" meaning, hurry up and open this so we can drink it. It seems they are aiming for the younger age groups. Doesn't suprise me, someone with no wine experience would have no problem gulping this down. But for the rest of us, we can find better.
This should explain everything. Now I know why I shouldn't have bought it in the first place. I'm just too old.

Wine Maker For A Day

Click here to enter a contest to be a "Wine Maker For A Day". I did. I hope I win! What fun that would be. I could put all of the other wineries out of business. Ok, maybe not, but it sounded good.

Check out the new poll and please vote!

How do you herd a cat? With a dog? Maybe.

Been a while since I posted anything. Every once in a while the Bob part of me comes home. When that happens, we not only drink wine, but get really busy trying to catch up on things that otherwise have to wait until he is home to do. So many things this week. For one, it's tax time. Personal and business. We have an accountant for our business, but Bob prefers to do our personal taxes himself. We use Turbo Tax. My part in this tax mess is to gather up all the important papers and look up the ones I can't find in any relevant internet accounts. The Bob part of me has the easy part, entering the info I have so meticulously set aside, into the program and answering the questions. Good news, looks like we might get money back this year. Ha! Just in time to pay our property taxes.

Break for some wine. Herding Cats. Merlot/Pinotage. 2004. $8.99. Wine of South Africa. Alcohol 13.0%. Nikita picked this one out. It has the back end of a cheetah running through the label. It's a full flavored red. Somewhat tart. Drinkable. Not a bad wine especially if you're going to serve it at a party. Click this link to see how cats are really herded, this is hilarious.

The other business at hand was moving the bedrooms around. Yes, again. We have been in this house for a little over 3 years and have changed rooms around at least 4 times. It's mostly my fault. I had to promise Bob this would be it for a while. During the last change, we moved our room upstairs because the girls wanted the BIG downstairs bedroom, so we moved them downstairs, just to find out that unless they were both here at the same time, they were scared to sleep down there. So, we moved us back down and the girls back up and they are sharing a room again. We gave them each their own rooms during one of the 4 moves, but it seems like they end up sleeping in the same room together when they are here at the same time anyway, so less mess for me if they are just together.


And... we have 4 birthdays all within about a week. First is Bob's sister, Cherie, then me followed by Mario on March 6th and Nolan on the 7th. Cherie is in Albuquerque, so we only have to send a card. With the Bob part of me being gone so often we thought we would take advantage of his presence by having one big get together for all 3 of us. (also because he didn't make it back in time for mine). I think it turned out ok. The kids were happy and so was J-Dog.






Then there were the haircuts. Can you say High and tight?? Can you give me a WHOOHA? Since he couldn't "re-up", it's his way of supporting our troops? Or perhaps it's so he doesn't have to go for haircuts as often. Nolan went too, but he didn't get the boot camp cut, he opted for the officer do.



Finally, one more bottle of wine. Masi Modello Delle Venezie. 2002. $10.99. Bottled by Masi Agricola, Italia. Aclohol, not enough. 12%. We bought this because our last name is Masitti. Masi. Masitti. get it? Ok, don't get the wine. How many different ways can you say "bad"? abominable, amiss, atrocious, awful, bad news, beastly, blah, bottom out, bummer, cheap, cheesy, crappy, cruddy, crummy, defective, deficient, diddly, dissatisfactory, downer,dreadful, erroneous, fallacious, faulty, garbage, god-awful, gross, grungy, icky, imperfect, inadequate, incorrect, inferior, junky, lousy, not good, off, poor, raunchy, rough, sad, scuzzy, sleazeball, sleazy, slipshod, stinking, substandard, synthetic, the pits, unacceptable, unsatisfactory.
Yep, that about sums it up.

Steamboat Springs; Seeing White

It has been so brown in Denver, I forgot how beautiful the snow is. My Dad took a trip to Steamboat from Wisconsin with a bunch of his buddies. I crashed their party last week. I made the 3 hour trek up right after closing our shop. The drive was amazing. He says the skiing is better in Colorado. What? Little Switzerland is not challenging enough for you??!! Come on Dad, they have 5 ski lifts and night skiing! .
I bet Don wouldn't have broke his knee, the first day out, if
you would have just stayed back east. How disappointing. You pay for a week of skiing plus airfare just to end up having surgery on your second day, then stuck in the lodge while your friends are out enjoying themselves. Not to mention the out-of-town Co-pays. On the bright side, Don's surgeon just came back from competing in Turin and he was given a BIG bottle of oxycodone. (Don, not the doctor). On the down side, no wine for Don.

Now, let me just set something straight right now. I DON'T SKI. You could break a knee. Although the Bob part of me loves to snowboard. While he's out ravishing the slopes I wait in the bar and test wine. I got up to Steamboat about 10 pm. They were staying at the Steamboat Grand with a condo looking over the ski runs. Big Daddy'O made a wonderful dinner of baked salmon, fresh sauteed veggies and salad. Jim picked the wine. Turns out he and his wife are fanatics like Bob and I. Since they are older, and probably retired, they actually go around touring vineyards. During dinner, Dad told a few of his short stories made long, thank goodness for the vino. How does he do that?? Maybe if the stories weren't embarrassing stories which included me, I wouldn't care as much. There was the one about J-Dog and KimBob (both parts of us) polishing off an entire case of his wine at new years eve a couple of years ago. He didn't tell us he was saving it for a special occasion. He didn't tell us it couldn't be replaced. He could have stopped us. Maybe. Picture above, here is Dad (in the purple coat) and Jim (blue coat) on the slope...at least I think it's Jim. I guess it could be Don before the tragic accident.

Five Rivers Chardonnay. Monterey County. 2004. "they say she has a thirst for adventure" From Five Rivers Winery.$9.99. Here's something I learned from Jim. Chardonnay is only good for about three years. I thought the longer you let it sit, the better. Yeah, if you like vinegar he said. I don't drink much white wine, so I had no idea. I did really like this one. It was a little sweet, a little dry it was velvety, fruity and had a smooth finish. It went well with the salmon. I would buy some more.
Dad said, "I like it." (the same guy who tells really long stories).
Jim says, "I taste forward fruit behind my teeth at top of the gumline".

We also tried a bottle of Meridian Chardonnay 2004. $8.99. We all decided it probably would have been better if it would have proceeded the Five Rivers rather than follow it. I thought it tasted oaky and bitter. Jim suggested it was a "musty" taste. After trying again, I agree. Dad thought it was rather bitter too. We all came to the same conclusion. We will need to try it again on it's own. It didn't stop us from finishing the bottle though.

The Bob part of me was in Montana. Sorry Baby, you could have gone snowboarding if you were home!
One more thing, before you go. We need some help. Bob's brother Pete Masitti, Produced and Co-wrote a song being played on XM. But, they really need people to go in a request their song. So please help. Click this link and request " Without you" by Sean Ensign.

Thanks so much! Also, tell your friends!

Angry Pooches With Men Who Speak English

The Bob part of me came home...for 39 hours. He's gone again. He just called me from the road and told me he picked up a hitchhiker. I guess he missed the movie.You know, then one where some guy hitchhikes and kills EVERY ONE WHO PICKS HIM UP. I am very understandably upset about this. Shortly after dropping off the hitchhiker who didn't butcher him, thank goodness, and leave him on the side of the road, in pieces, the Bob part of me got pulled over for speeding. That's right, not only does he pick up riders, he breaks the law. To top this off, he blows me off as if my concerns of possible death or bodily harm were completely unwarranted. (We came very close to being in a fight over this flippant attitude he displayed over my concern) The Bob part of me was talking to me on the phone during this time so I heard the officer negotiate his ticket with him. The officer said he was doing 76MPH in a 65MPH zone, there was no argument from Bob. The officer was nice enough to drop it to a mere 75 in a 65 and save the Bob part of me $20.00. Of course, he has to pay cash, right now, no checks. Now the Bob part of me is broke since he only keeps $20.00 in his pocket. He thanked the officer for taking his money. Sigh. The Kim part of Bob would have put up a little fight, even if she was wrong. In addition, she would never pick up a hitchhiker.
On a lighter note, we drank a great bottle of wine the other night.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen. Shiraz Cabernet Monastrell. 2003. Alcohol 13.5%. $9.99. It was absolutely delicious. Smooth, velvety, dry, not sweet, but not tart either, full bodied, pleasant on the palate. Completely worth the 10 bucks. In fact, I'm going to go buy some more. If you don't buy any other wine this entire year, at least get this one. It will make your mouth happy. The dog to the left is mad because he didn't get any. The dog below is mad ..well, just because she can be.

Menage a' What?!?!

ME'NAGE A' TROIS. In this case, they are referring to the grapes. Thank goodness. You know these kinds of things never really work out with human beings. Oh sure, it sounds ideal in the beginning, to the men maybe, but deep down, they know it even bothers them. Ah, but with grapes, there is nothing sweeter.

My "bestest" friend, (I love saying that, it's so juvenile) we call her Princess Leah, invited me over for soup, bread and wine the other day. The Bob part of me is always gone now, so getting together with my friends is no problem anymore. What kind of soup? Clam chowder she says. Hmm. I despise clam chowder soup almost as much as mushroom soup and dirty socks, but she throws in the wine so I'm there. This particular wine is out of my price range...normally $14.99, she found it for a mere $10.99 on sale. Score! Free wine with the girl I love best. (but not that much, if you know what I mean). So I get there and see what we're drinking and am just elated because I've wanted to try this wine, but it was always outside of the "budget". The Bob part of me is very strict with the budget.

So she starts us off with the opening of the bottle while we wait for her other friend, Shanna to get there. That's right, it's a threesome. (but not that kind of threesome) I'm anticipating. Watching her every move. As my mouth hangs open, drool runs down one side of my lip, and toward my chin, and without even thinking I catch it with my sleeve. Princess breaks the cork...in half. No problem to a real wine drinker, you just open it twice and pick the cork out of the first couple of glasses. The oils from your fingers add texture and the wine just slides right down. Next, she breaks out the crackers and cheese. Oh yeah, heaven to a cheddar-head. It was aged white cheddar on deli-rye triscuits. Very good.

After the snacks comes the main course. The table is beautiful. (Leah should be an interior designer). The bread is delicious. Italian, with whole chunks of garlic inside. It's a good thing the Bob part of me is out of town. The next day garlic will be emanating from my pores. Gross. The soup was, um...Princess? Are you going to be reading this? Well, I just don't like clam chowder, but I ate it out of appreciation and respect. Sometimes you sacrifice your taste buds for good friends, wine and bread! And wine, did I mention wine?

Menage A Trois 2004 Red table wine. This is a blend of red zin, cab and merlot, hence the name. Made by Folie A Duex. Smooth with a long finish. Very delightful with an intense black cherry flavor. I would do it again. And again. And again.