Mental Tennis

I feel like this is what goes on in my brain. B and I talked today about some financial matters. I think in our relationship, finances are a huge source of issues. B is a financial adviser. I’m dangerous with $5 and a credit card is bad, bad, bad thing to give me. We don’t communicate so well (and are seeing a therapist to work on these issues), so finances are just a bad area for us. Anyways, B brought up something today that I don’t think I’ve heard him say or ever thought he would. He talked, explained his reasoning, and surprisingly I just agreed. We don’t agree when it comes to money because I find him very conservative. At the same time, I’m ridiculously scared. It’s actually very easy to put everything in his hands and let him lead me blindly, which I realize isn’t the best way to do it, but it works. This time, it means I play a part. I don’t feel very comfortable giving much more detail than this.

So for now, I’m just batting my thoughts around in my head like a tennis ball.

Wine Review: Cameron Hughes Lot 86 2006 Zinfandel

I was at Costco (a large warehouse store similar to Sam’s Club or BJ’s for those of you who aren’t in the know) and there was a nice lady who was representing some wines. A few days before, I had read a blog post about Costco’s selection of wine. I cannot for the life of me remember whose blog it was but if I remember, I’ll link to it. Anyways, the post talked about how Costco’s selection was not only great but well priced. The only caveat that was brought up was that being a warehouse store, the temperature couldn’t be controlled especially in areas of high heat. This is Arizona, ummm high heat is a guarantee.

I decided to take my chances and picked up a bottle of Zinfandel. It retails for $10.99. A little internet research led me to find out that Cameron Hughes is not a vineyard, but a winery that purchases wines from other vineyards and makes their own wine from those. The wines are mainly found at warehouse stores, meaning Sam’s Club members should be able to find this wine too.

I’m not going to post info about the wine. This wine is actually pretty popular and there are numerous reviews as well as info available on it.

So here’s my review: Well, I don’t have one. Seriously. I opened the bottle and poured a glass. Nice ruby garnet color. Nose was primarily blackberry and blackberry jam. Not the same thing, I assure you! I have picked blackberries before. There is a smell when they come fresh picked off the vine; a dirt smell mixed with a vague berry fruit. The blackberry jam smell is more sweet and fruity. I got both on the nose. As for taste, well I realized that after my third glass I hadn’t even given it a thought. That’s not a bad thing. It was so easy to drink and good that I just keep filling up. Eek! After giving it some thought, well I couldn’t characterize it. I was so far into the bottle and enjoying it that I just decided to go with it. This is definitely a bottle I’d buy again. It’s a great wine to bring to a party, give as a hostess gift, or even use to help someone become familiar to wine. It’s ridiculously easy drinking.

Wine Review: Hilltown Vineyards Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc 2007

After drinking the High Note Malbec, I wanted to go in the opposite direction and drink something light and refreshing. It is after all, over 100 degrees each day here.

We have a chain of stores called Fresh and Easy  that are owned by the British chain, Tesco. F&E stocks a decent selection of wines, with the majority of them being under $15. Several are exclusive to F&E like this Sauvignon Blanc. My experiences have been mixed, some are great, some are drinkable, and others are abominable. But, with the price points being so low, I don’t feel bad if I have to chuck a bottle after a sip.

According to F&E, this wine took home the Gold Medal in the San Fransisco Chronicle Wine Competition. A little research showed me that it was in the bargain wine category.

Here’s what the label says: “…Brilliant fruity flavors of fig, guava and pineapple. Heightened floral aromas are complimented by a crisp, citrus finish…”

Here’s what I say:

The color is of course that pale straw you expect from sauvignon blanc. At first smell, the nose was distinctly tropical. I tend to drink many more New Zealand sauvignon blancs and the nose is generally grassy and citrusy. I picked up papaya, which is different from the fig, guava, and pineapple the label mentions. Other than that, it really had a smell of tropical fruit salad. I couldn’t distinguish any one scent other than it being fruity. When I tasted, I first tasted papaya (again) and then a hint of guava. The flavors weren’t very developed. The finish did have a citrus taste, and but it dissipated quickly.

For the price point, this is definitely a wine that I’d pick up for weekly drinking. It’s nothing special, but it would work well when I just wanted something to drink and not really have to think about.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

I have joined the Twitterverse. http://twitter.com/azmeg

It’s mostly inane bits from my life. I’m pretty sure you’re all thrilled. Hopefully I’ll end up with some interesting when I start traveling more.

Second thing is that I was recently chosen to write for the Phoenix Examiner in the Airports and Airlines section. I’ll post links to my articles (should be about 4 a week). Like the name implies, it’s Airports and Airlines with a Phoenix slant. I do love to travel. I love airports, I love take-offs, I love landings. I like it when I get to sit by or near interesting people (not jackass salesmen who want to talk about selling tape). I like exploring new destinations, planning trips, and the travel/airline industry. So I think this will be a good fit, and I hope that people will be interested.

Just spreading my love around!

Wine Review: High Note Elevated Malbec

First a word on how I came to wine.

Like so many people in the 18-21 age range, I loved to drink. But there came a time when I was sick of puking from cheap vodka and realized that drinking glorified rubbing alcohol was sort of nasty. I think it’s pretty easy to get acquainted with “hard” liquor. I prefer vodka and gin based drinks. I very rarely drink tequila, rum, whisky, or scotch. I have certain flavors that appeal to me. It’s easy to develop a more sophisticated palate with liquor as the flavor profile of liquor is much more straightforward. I don’t mean that they lack depth or difference, but a gin is always going to have juniper notes combined with it’s own subtle intricacies.

I drank wine as a kid because my parents did. The only alcohol I only really ever saw them drinking as a child was wine and as I became a teenager, they indulged me in a small glass. I liked it. So when I became an adult, I started drinking it again. This time, I started trying to tease out what I liked in wine.

I’m an amateur, a newbie. I’m really learning more about wine, winemaking, wine apprecation, etc. as much as I can. I keep a book of my tasting notes.

So far, this is what I’ve determined:

1. My first rule is to drink what you enjoy. I prefer bold reds and dry whites. I will try others, but I generally reach for those. I’m okay with that because even if the wine lacks depth and interest, it’s probably drinkable to me.
2. I tend to gravitate to lesser known growing regions. This is sort of problematic because there isn’t always a depth in flavor developed yet. I think you get more misses than hits. Right now, I like to pick things from South America, New Zealand, South Africa.
3. I tend to buy $20 and under. Again, more misses than hits but it’s all about experience.

So on to the wine.

I picked up a bottle of High Note Elevated Malbec at my local grocery store. Like I said, I tend to gravitate towards big reds and newer growing areas. High Note is produced in the Uco Valley in the Mendoza region of Argentina. According to Wine.com it is a blend of “83% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot”.

I uncorked and poured a glass. Typical garnet red color that Malbecs have. I let the wine aerate for about 5 minutes. The nose was…well I don’t know if it’s me or the wine but I wasn’t picking up anything. About 5 minutes later, I gave it another sniff and had a vague fruity nose. Nothing I could put my finger on.

Taste was again fairly indistinct. I could taste dark fruits (cherries, maybe blackberries) but nothing was really bursting out at me. It tasted like…wine. Malbec. The Wine.com profile states this: “Deep violet color, with intense, sweet spice on the palate balanced by notes of plum, cassis, blackberries, and black cherries. Creamy, smooth, and ripe in the mouth with soft, round tannins and a long silky finish.” They’ve rated the wine at 89 points and Wine Enthusiast gave it a 88. Personally, this was more of an 85 pointer to me. I’m actually thinking of buying a bottle and keeping it for a year. I’d like to see how the flavors develop.

So that’s my review. Take it or leave it.

Wine.com Profile

Crafty lady

I have a history at being really, really uncrafty. I love the idea of being crafty. To have a house that is tastefully decorated in things that I made is my dream. The really unfortunate part is that I suck. I suck hard at being crafty. I tried cross-stitch, but I forgot to count. I tried embroidery but it looked horrendous. I would love to paint or draw, but I know my limits. I am honestly and truly surprised I knit, and that I’m any good at it. That right there should tell me to stop while I’m ahead.

So I’ve mentioned before that we repainted our house. I’m finally getting around to picking out things to hang on my walls. One of the more important rooms (to me at least) is my home office. I want it to be a functional space. I desperately need to get some of the clutter off my desk, and my idea is to have a message board system. Cork board to tack things onto, white board to leave myself notes or to-do lists. I also love the functional beauty of French message boards.

I had a hell of a time finding one at a store, so of course my lame brain thought “JUST MAKE ONE!” So I googled, and found instructions. Easy enough.

I know you know where this is going.

So I went out and bought the following:

1. 2′ x 2′ piece of board (don’t ask what kind. It’s made of wood. I think.)
2. package of batting (again, I don’t know this stuff.
3. one yard of fabric
4. one spool of ribbon
5. one set of 5 pearly gray buttons
6. glue gun and glue sticks.
7. 1 picture hanging kits (hangs 6  fucking French message boards)

Total cost: $27. I probably could have spent less if I just bought one yard of batting instead of the package, I actually owned a glue gun, and realized we own enough things in the house to hang pictures with. Oh well. Live and learn! I do actually own a staple gun. Took me 20 minutes of rummaging through the garage to find it.

Here is everything:

Here is one of my dogs giving me the side eye.

So I stretched the batting over the board. Then I tried to staple it down. Failed miserably. See this:

Yeah, that’s like 8 staples for one side. I eventually took the hammer and hammered down the ones that stuck out just a little bit, and pulled the staples that didn’t even go in. Do not buy a cheap stapler gun.

Okay, batting is down and then I did the same for the fabric.

By this time I was seriously regretting the project. I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel, but I knew if I did my husband would give his disapproving face and be like “you spent $27 just to throw it away.” I wanted to succeed, but holy hell if this wasn’t making my life miserable. I had also bought a bottle of wine and I’m really glad that I did. Add that to your supply list.

By this time, the dog had given up on the side eye and just moved far away into her safe place.

Next was the ribbon. I had previously marked were the middle of each side was (you know 12 inches from each edge). Good call on my part. Pat on the back Meg, pat on the back. I just stapled the ribbon down. Or tried. I was very thankful for my hot glue gun at this point because this shit was not even stapling to the board. Not even a little. So I just hot glue gunned the crap out of the ribbon and then hammered some half in staples to the board. I also stapled on the front where the ribbons crossed. Those surprisingly went in easier than the staples on the back. No one told me that wood had a front and a back. After that, I hot glue gunned some buttons to where the ribbons crossed. That classed it up a whole bunch.

Done.

In my office.

 

I’ll be honest, I’m pleasantly surprised with my efforts. It doesn’t look half bad. I’m pretty sure I need a show on HGTV now.

I suck.

Let’s be honest, I’m a shitty blogger. I don’t write great posts, and the ones that are good are few and far between. Add in the fact that I’m blogging like once a month and you’ve got a recipe for blandness. I just don’t lead an interesting life. The parts that are interesting are the parts I’m reticent to talk about because I don’t want to be too personal.

So here’s the deal, I have three options:

1. Give up.

2. Go in a different direction.

3. Keep doing what I’m doing.

I’m choosing 2. And as a result, you’ll hear whatever I wordvomit out. ENJOY!

OMFG. Someone beat me to it.

Flights from Hell

Reading over the stories, I thought to myself  “yep, done that, seen that, been there.” I was shocked at times. Flights from Hell is HILARIOUS. But better than that, it gives a real sneak peak of what traveling on a day to day basis is really like. You think it’s bad going to the airport at the start or end of a vacation? Well, times that by 5. You’ve got my week. I love my job, I just wish there was a screening system for the people they let on planes.

I think I have a sickness

This week was absolutely horrible for travel. I braved a blizzard, injury, and fatigue to get where I needed to go and then get home. I came home on Friday night and passed out by 9:30 pm. Did I mention I’m 25 and not 75?

I actually don’t mind the travel a good deal of the time. I get the opportunity to meet some interesting people and commiserate. Being a road warrior means joining an informal club of people who know how to get past security in record time, the best places to eat in certain airports, what to pack in your bag for just about any situation, and how to manage a cocktail with a laptop and stack of file folders on a tray table. I choose this job, I knew what it meant and what it entails. If I hate it, the burden is on me to find something new. That said, I still love to travel.

Really. I love it. There is something fun about sitting in a Beechcraft 1900 watching the pilots go through their pre-flight checklists and motoring down the runway. I love watching the aircraft get de-iced or pull in and out of gates. The turbulence is nothing more than an unexpected rollercoaster ride. I think it has something to do with my dad being a pilot. It’s in my blood and I’ve been around it for so long. It also soothes my wanderlust.

The absolute best part of traveling so much are the perks. I have a ton of airline miles. A bajillion hotel points. And of course, I have the best stories to tell friends. Right now, B and I are booking an annual vacation. Total cost for everything: projected to be around $800. This includes food, transportation, hotel, etc. for a week in Mexico. Traveling so much makes me look forward to traveling even more. Funny how that works.

Bad Luck Jacket

I’m not superstitious (just crazy). The weekend before last, B and I undertook one of many huge home remodeling projects. As a homeowner, I think you always have the best of intentions but money and real life get the best of you. We decided to first start by retexturing our walls, fixing imperfections, and painting. Pictures to come and I have to say, I am thrilled with the end results. And pretty much in awe of B, his BIL, and his BIL’s BIL. They have truly mastered the manly arts.

So what does this have to do with a jacket? Well, despite my best efforts I was getting requests left and right from work to travel here, there, and everywhere. I really wanted to be home to help pack, move things, and be helpful (more my uselessness erm helpfulness to come). As a result, much of the “packing” was done by B while I was gone. By packing I mean, thrown into a box/suitcase/empty Rubbermaid container with disregard to the item and if someone would need to access it later on. On Saturday night I realized that I could not get to any of my work clothes (although thankfully I could get to my underwear) and that I was going to have to find something at a store to wear. Not wanting to spend much money I checked out Target while I was out getting some essentials for the house. Side note: isn’t everything at Target an “essential” for your house?

I ended up picking out a tweedy, 3/4 length sleeve jacket, a coral tee, and paired it with a pair of black trousers and some black patent leather pumps. Looking in the mirror Monday morning, I thought “hot damn, this is the best $66 dollar outfit EVER”. Little did I know, that white jacket would be plotting my demise.

I ended up running late on Monday, couldn’t print my boarding pass at the hotel. I fell down a flight of stairs scraping myself up, and then barely making my flight. I got home to find a grumpy B. The next time I wore the jacket, I encountered delayed flights, horrible turbulence (enough to scare this air travel veteran), and a skin rash. I swear to all that is holy, this jacket is cursed. Extremist, probably. But then again, you aren’t the one looking cute and suffering.

::sigh:: That’s what I get for $8.