You still don't have your EVOLVE shirt? DUDE!

No worries, they are printing three new shirts this coming month. You'll get one of those. I wonder if N.L. wears his?

oh and more COWBELL!

For people who don't care for wines much there are two that I always recommend, and usually are a hit!

1. Tobin James Riesling  or any other Riesling you can get your hands on at Vons. But Tobin James is my personal favorite!

2. Arciero Winery Muscat Canneli  Or any Muscat you can get your hands on but Arciero Winery is my personal favorite.

Try a Pinot Grigio too. They are each white wines. And they are light and crisp in flavor!

A non-bitter wine I enjoy is Fetzer's Gewürztraminer.  Or Ledson Winery Pinot or Riesling, a little history ... Steve Ledson actually built one of my childhood homes for my father.  Oh and a really nice wine from Olive Garden is the Lambrusco Riunite (have yet to find it in stores - they tell me to keep checking World Market).  I don't like the bitter taste of wine myself, but these are some I enjoy.  Oh and Fox Brook - you know 2 buck chuck, they have a nice White Zin.  And a red wine I actually enjoy is "Earth, Zin, & Fire".

Twinkie, your day sounds fabulous!  Oh, and I would have been bitching about the extended shopping trip too.  I can only take so much, especially when hungry.

Now I want to go Wine Tasting!

Redaspen, that was very "I will not be ignored-ish" of you ladies... hahahahah STALKER! tee hee!

How fun!  I can't wait until my kids are older so I can do some stuff like that.  It seems like forever since I've seen you, I miss you girl!!

        & nbsp;       &n bsp;       &nb sp; SC

Well then lady, when you come for that glass of wine I've got that bottle and a bottle of 2004 Foxbrook ... oh yeah, two buck chuck!

Several years ago (wow, actually more like 6) we had a family reunion in Yosemite at the Wawona Lodge.  It was a strange get together, considering I hadn't seen my cousin in at least 9 or so years, and had become a bit estranged from my Uncle and Grandparents after my father left and my mom raised us with utter resentment toward them.

Anyway, my Uncle is a big shot in a little town (Ukiah, CA) ... also a millionaire (which leads to my mother's resentment, she claims some of that money should have been hers) which leads to a wine snob.  My cousin and her hubby also happened to work at Fetzer.  So one afternoon they'd set up a table full of bottles of wine in the common room.  My Nana had made cookies and put those out along with some nut mix. 

My cousin and I were sitting on a couch in front of the table, the rest of the family was on the veranda.  This man in bermuda shorts and an opened Hawaiian top meanders in, looks at us and asks "What is this room?"  My cousin tells him it's just a common room for families to meet, hang out, drink wine, whatever.  He kinda nods his head, looks around, then walks up to the table, grabs a plastic cup and pours a glass of one of my Uncle's vintage wines.  He then swirls it, sniffs it, drinks it, looks approvingly and wanders off.  I was cracking up inside, because the man looked like he was just trying to mimic what people do in movies to fit in ... also because I knew he thought the table of wine was left by the lodge.  My cousin was shocked.  She walked out to the veranda and in an amused, but also a "can you believe it!" voice told my Uncle what had just happened.

A short time went by when the man wandered back in - my Uncle was now sitting in a chair near the table.  The man walked up to the table, and began looking through the multitude of wine bottles.  I could tell from his expression, which would have been much like my own, that he had no idea what he was looking for ... but then he reached for the same bottle he'd poured earlier.  My Uncle in is diplomatic demeanor said "You'll enjoy that one, it's a blah blah blah reserve bottle from blah blah blah, add some old year in, blah blah, from my collection"

That's when the man suddenly realized he wasn't drinking complimentary wine.  I could see the blush start to rise from his shirt - but was very happy with my Uncle's quick response of "Enjoy another glass!  Help yourself, and try one of my mother's cookies!"  The red slightly drained from the man's face, he smiled and said he'd come for a glass for his wife.  My Uncle recommended another special bottle, poured a glass and the man left happy with a few chocolate chip cookies also in hand.

At that point I wasn't a wine drinker ... but it must run in my blood because I can pick a fine bottle of wine.