drinking

Weekend w/ Mommy part two

~ thedailydish ~ 10 Comments

It’s hard to top the March Madness that was Weekend w/ Mommy (part one), but we were willing to try. That’s right everyone, my Mommy is HERE.  IN PHILLY. RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE!!! take THAT, Atlanta.

Saturday night. The Borgata. After the buffet, a decent $5 chardonnay and 2 cloyingly sweet but free white wines, here were the totals.  Me $161.50. NOT TOO SHABBY. John $69. WOOHOO.  My mom: HAD FUN ANYWAY.  And we’ll leave it at that.

Sunday. Peddler’s Village. Brunch @ the Cock n’ Bull. The corn pudding was excellent and the petit fours a dream.  Post meal roundup: Me, Mommy, Maddie & Georgia, ALL OKAY.  John: NOT.  B/c John got food poisoning and spent the car ride home vomiting into a shopping bag.

Afterward, John & I went to the Eagles game. YES MY HUSBAND IS A TROOPER.  And thank Goodness.  B/c the game was AMAZING. Except that this was my view.

And this was John’s.

Yes, that is a security guard sitting on my husband’s lap.

Although my husband put a brave face on things, by the end of the game it had gotten OLD.  When we complained, we were cursed out by the higher-up security guards on the field – the one even threatened to beat the hell out of John.

On a good note, I was not sat upon. And after the game, David Akers threw his wristband to ME! And I also caught Deshawn Jackson’s sweaty towel.  Both of which I immediately put on.  ANd even though everyone around me said EWWWwWWwWwW.   I said AHHHhhHHHHHHhHHHH.

The Joy of Camping.

~ thedailydish ~ 15 Comments

This past weekend we went camping with friends in Lenhartsville, PA, close to Hawk Mountain. We’d been planning the trip all last week, and everyone was EXCITED!! Though I haven’t done a whole lot of it, I actually enjoy camping. The fresh air, the dirt, the marshmallows. And even though it POURED Friday night, by Saturday everything was just fine. Or so we thought. Unfortunately we had not been briefed that *FAMILY CAMPGROUND* is really code language for WE HOUSE DERELICTS WHO LOVE TO PAR-TAY. Don’t get me wrong. We like drinking too. Of course we like drinking. It’s the only thing that makes camping tolerable.  When the pluses of doing something include: 1) having an excuse not to brush your teeth, 2) getting to pee in the bushes, and 3) wondering who’s going to fall into the firepit, well – drinking is simply par for the course.

But let’s be reasonable. Quiet Hours were posted as 11 PM – 8 AM. I didn’t have a watch to check and being in the middle of the forest, didn’t have a clock to reference either. BUT I think we pretty much stuck to that. All of us – our good friends P & E, and S. We all have kids. We put our kids to sleep – well, except for GEORGIA, but that’s another story altogether. Yes, we were drinking. But we were not making this camping trip into the bacchanalian orgy that our neighbors so clearly took it to be.

I will be honest. The folks renting the campsite on the far side of us were simply ANIMALS. And they should have been rounded up at 3 am and sent to the stockyard. But as I am not yet in charge of the universe, they continued on ALL NIGHT LONG.  AT one point I woke up and it sounded as though they were actually attacking a woman.  I could not deduce from the screaming whether or not she was enjoying it. And I couldn’t have helped her even if I wanted to.

You see, I was pinioned between my younger daughter and a tent wall for most of these NOT-SO-QUIET-HOURS.  B/c Georgia would not go to sleep.  Oh no.  At some point in the evening she spotted an insect in the kids tent, and refused to go inside.  I don’t think the bug was even in the tent – just sandwiched between the top of the tent and the fly – but how do you reason THAT to a 4 year old?  Needless to say, Georgia was bunking w/ us for the evening.

Unfortunately I am claustrophobic.  ACUTELY CLAUSTROPHOBIC.  As my husband and I were sharing a tent which comfortably sleeps 1, you can imagine how cozy it was w/ 3 of us.  In order to get Georgia to sleep, I finally had to ZIP HER INTO MY SLEEPING BAG beside me.  Rendering it more of a cocoon. I spent most of the night unable to move, smashed up against the side of the tent w/ the roof just inches from my face.  It was like being trapped inside an MRI machine, except the noise of the hammers was replaced with drunken revelry from the campsite 2 down.

Nearing daybreak I Couldn’t take ANYMORE.  I woke my husband long enough to unzip me from my iron maiden and I hightailed it to the spacious kids tent next door.  There I spent the next 2 hours, sleeping intermittently, trying my best to squash my tall frame into a toddler’s size sleeping bag. Even w/ four feet in my face, compared to my previous accommodation, it was HEAVEN.

Lest you think the trip was sheer torture, the art reception we’d attended the night before – w/ its scrumptious catered food and WINE BAR – was simply wonderful.  As was seeing the Blue Rocks Boulder Field, a glacial river of rock, parked literally beside our campsite.  Being w/ our beloved friends, whose company makes any situation bearable, was marvelous.  AND for the sheer fact that it didn’t RAIN, I will be eternally grateful. But being trapped next to prison escapees, NOT SO HOT. I may never do it again. At least until the memory fades. Which given the way I drink, could be as soon as next week.

CLICK HERE for all the fun in photos.

Wine Challenge: Second Quarter Summary

~ thedailydish ~ 4 Comments

HELLO WORLD!!! Time once again for………. WINE WINE GLORIOUS WINE!
I know I haven’t been bragging blogging about my drinking lately, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been keeping my liver on HIGH ALERT, Oh no! It’s soooooooo hard to believe another 3 months has passed Oh So Quickly, but here we are – July. WOW. How’s things w/ you? Yep, me too. So now that’s out of the way, let’s talk turkey. Or in this case, WINE. B/c THAT’s what I like drinking when I am not drinking water, seltzer, the occasional pepsi, beer (of course), and sometimes tea. YEP. WINE. It’s what’s for dinner.

3 months ago, I gave you a glimpse into my newfound calling as wino extraordinaire (a la my 2008 Wine Challenge: First Quarter Summary). That FIRST summary featured some of the best and brightest wines I’d encountered since the first of the year. NOW. I am pleased to share w/ you all (YOU LUCKY PEOPLE!!) the most scrumptiously deliciously delectable wines I have been enjoying all SPRING. YAY!

Last quarter I sampled 34 new wines. During this second quarter, I sampled yet another 34. I AM SO GREAT!

21 rated A or B. A or B = STAMP OF APPROVAL.

13 rated C or lower. C or lower means YOU DRINKIN HOOCH. Sucka.

As a review, all WINE for my 2008 challenge was selected strictly on the basis of PRICE. B/c I am poor discriminating, $10 or less per bottle. This quarter I sampled wines from around the globe: Italy, France, Spain, the US, Argentina, Australia, Chile… and I just have to say. ITALY KNOWS WINE. By far, the Italian reds & whites I have sampled have been the most consistently superior in both taste & value. A good thing to remember when you are scanning unfamiliar labels at the liquor store. BUY THE BOOT!

2nd QUARTER RECOMMENDATIONS (in no particular order):

CORVO
Vendemmia 2006
ITALY
11.5 % alc/vol, 750 mL

Very pale white wine w/ faint bouquet.
Crisp, clean, light. UNBELIEVABLY easy to drink; goes down like water.
A- / B+

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MONTECILLO
2005 Rioja
SPAIN
12.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Clear golden color, subtle aroma.
Crisp clean taste of fruit – tart apple, pear notes.
Low acidity, very little aftertaste. YUM.
SERVE COLD.
A- / B+

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GABBIANO
2006 Chianti
ITALY
12.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Deep purplish-red color, strong cherry nose and distinctly cherry flavor.
VERY DELICIOUS.
Slightly dry, full bodied, well-balanced.
Would definitely drink again.
A- / B+

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FRESCOBALDI
Remole Toscana Rosso 2006
ITALY
12.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Mix of Sangiovese (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%).
Deep garnet color, no noticeable bouquet.
Very pleasant fruit flavor, bright ripe cherry, faint hint of plum.
Well-balanced, slightly dry. A very yummy, easy-drinking wine.
A- / B+

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JUMILLA
2005 Mad Dogs & Englishmen
SPAIN
14% alc/vol, 750 mL

50% Monastrell / 30% Cabernet / 20% Shiraz
Darkest red color – almost tinged w/ black.
Cherry bouquet.
Fruit flavors: ripe berries, cherries w/ a hint of spice.
Dry & DELICIOUS. This wine left my lips tingling.
Highly recommended.
A-

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SMOKING LOON
2006 Pinot Noir
CALIFORNIA
13.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Ripe berry/cherry flavor – YUMMY!
Ever-so-slightly sweet and dry w/ very little acidity.
I sampled two other wines from SMOKING LOON: 2006 Chardonnay and 2006 Merlot.
SKIP THE CHARDONNAY & MERLOT.
GO FOR THE PINOT.
A- / B+

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FAT CAT
2007 Pinot Noir
CALIFORNIA
12.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Dark garnet color.
Pronounced cherry flavor. Slight dryness/acidity.
A really nice wine – especially for the price. Fun, fruity & delicious!
A-

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JACOB’S CREEK
2006 Shiraz
AUSTRALIA
13.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Deepest darkest garnet color.
Forward fruit flavors – ripe cherry, plum, hint of pepper.
Low acidity. Soft, lingering finish.
A medium-bodied, young, energetic wine! Yummy & zippy.
Recommended.
A- / B+

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BANFI
Col di Sasso 2006
ITALY
13% alc/vol, 750 mL

Combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.
Darkest cherry color.
DELICIOUS! fruit flavors of ripe berries & cherries.
Tingly on the tongue – feels almost effervescent.
Good body. Soft finish w/ no aftertaste.
Excellent wine.
A- / B+

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CAVIT Collection
Pinot Grigio 2007
ITALY
12% alc/vol, 750 mL

Palest gold color.
Light & DELICIOUS!
Flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, peach. MMMmmmm.
Very low acidity & aftertaste.
A fabulous wine at a fabulous price.
RECOMMENDED.
A-

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CECCHI
2006 Bonizio
Sangiovese de Maremma
ITALY
12.5% alc/vol, 750 mL

Deliciously light, especially for a red wine.
Dark color, good body & very little acidity.
A lovely, slightly dry red. RECOMMENDED.
A- / B+