Picture Challenge - January 19

This is a picture of Sara from 2008 on the first wine tour that we did together. That time we were in California and had started with a quick trip through Muir Woods and then on up to Sonoma, Russian River Valley, and Napa. This was at Hop Kiln Winery.

Later in the day, we ended up at a place catering to small, boutique wineries and Sam and Sara ended up really enjoying themselves with the wine pourer guy...Don't Worry, Be Happy....

We ended the touring at some other winery, Valley of the Moon, but by this time the moon was starting to appear in the later afternoon sky and somehow, so did Sara's... Okay, so she didn't actually moon us, but she was as happy as the Man in the Moon.

Today, the three of us, along with five other lovely ladies, are once again touring wineries. This time, though we are in the hill country of Texas...which should be a completely new experience!!

Dang You, Sam!!

I say that in all love, but Sam is the bane of my existence. She convinces me to do things that I KNOW I'm not going to enjoy and don't really want to do, but for some reason I end up being addicted to whatever it is. Here are some examples:

Hummus - I never tried it before until she took me to Medjools and I tried it. Yummy, especially with grilled flat bread.

Sparkling Wine - It isn't that I didn't like it, but I'd never really tried it before. Now I am completely hooked.

Kir Royales - See above regarding Sparkling Wine, because it is just an extension.

Guacamole - I never thought I really liked it, until she made some fresh with homemade chips. I only like hers so far and as long as I have it with homemade chips.

Grilled Vegetables - Well, vegetables in general. She has shown me the light regarding things like squash and peppers. Of course, the Queen's husband had a lot to do with introducing me the joy of grilled veggies!!

Walking the Dish - I hate doing this every time I start, but when I finish I feel the best ever!!

Calistoga, CA - The beauty of this place and the hot spring pools and the good food and the jewelry there. We are planning another trip up there in the Fall....can't wait!!

Pilate's - I finished my third session this morning and while it hurt like a bugger it was also wonderful. I went ahead and set up more sessions through the end of the month and am looking into some classes!!

Riding the BART - I did that for the first time all by myself today and that is definitely the way to go if I work in the city and also if I work across the bay in Oakland. "On the BART line" is one of those things that is now a prerequisite for any job I take.

While I'm certain that this isn't everything that Sam has introduced me and I'm certain that there are a number of other things that she'll will force on me in the future, but that is all another blog. For now.... Dang You, Sam!! Thanks for learning me how to survive in the big city!!

Six-Word Memoirs

My mom told me about an article that she and my dad read recently about a man who was gathering "stories" from people who could sum themselves up in six words. She also sent me the link to the site, which is very interesting and contains some of the memoirs of people (http://www.smithmag.net/).

I think Samantha and I would have to agree that after her Bar-B-Que on Saturday that our six-words would have to be: "Six bottles of champagne gone. Ouch!" You can probably figure out the meaning behind that all on your own.

Check out the link and see if you can come up with your own six-word memoir then let me know.

Country Mouse in the Big City

As promised, here is my follow-up regarding dinner Monday Night.

You will recall that I had a terrible day dealing with PG&E and my crying fit. Well, after they were all gone, I was feeling MUCH better and was bound and determined to enjoy my dinner at Sam's friend's, and now mine, Fabrice and Sophia's house in celebration of Fabrice's birthday. Sam and I decided that we would go in together and bring a nice bottle of wine, so she told me what kind to get and I went trekking through the 'hood to locate BevMo. It turns out BevMo is less than 2 miles from me, which I haven't decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I wander around BevMo with my note of the kind of French wine I am supposed to get, looking like a big dork, but not quite as crazy as the homeless guy getting the MadDog 20/20 who was the other customer at the time. I locate what I need, get a gift bag, pay, and head out for home.

After running home and changing into jeans and opting against the 4" killer boots for shoes that are slightly less dangerous, I played with my hair and all the various products that go in said hair (wax, paste, gunk, and clay). I then walked the short 5 blocks to Sam's house.

She and I determine that it is a lovely evening and that since Fabrice and Sophia are about 1.5 miles away, we'll just walk to there place. I mean, that is one of the benefits of living in the city, right? Neither of us considered the fact that we are living in a city of hills, and not your wimpy hillocks, HILLS. And, of course, our destination is at the top of one of these hills. About half-way through the walk Sam and I are kicking ourselves for not bringing along a cork screw because we were pretty certain that Fabrice really would understand if we cracked the bottle of wine before we actually go to their place....

Eventually we arrive at the summit. The other guests are arriving at about the same time, thank God they were all pretty much European and work on a different clock than my Midwestern upbringing which would have considered arriving for dinner at 8:30 as being very late and actually eating at 9:00 or later just crazy. There was wonderful jazz playing in the background and great wines being poured. Lot's of laughter and kisses and greetings, and all these people made me feel so very welcome in their world.

We sit down to dinner, which started with mussels and sausage, then moved to roasted lamb stuffed with goat cheese and basil (I think), and topped off with what I call a banana split birthday cake (banana cake, whipped cream, fresh strawberry all layered together). The wine continued to flow freely as did the conversation.

Most of the folks at the table are quite the world travelers, so they were all regaling one another with their experiences and mostly the funny trials and tribulations that happen with traveling abroad. It was a great evening, relaxed and friendly.

As things were wrapping up, around 11:30 on a school night, Sam and I determined that we were not looking forward to the walk home, even though it was going to be all downhill. Luckily, Sam had the brilliant thought of asking for a ride from one of the folks with a car. And even better, these nice gentlemen didn't give it a second thought to schlep us home.

All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful experience and this country mouse is truly enjoying all the aspects of San Francisco life!!

The Queen has Inspired Me....

The Queen B has always been somebody that I wish to emulate. First, she talked me into blogging. Then, she gave me my name, ABBA. Then she left and gave me her job (which I'm not so happy about but neither was she). And most recently, she has inspired me to work on a healthier lifestyle (Healthy Lifestyle Update).

So, with that in mind, I went and walked The Dish with Sam after work yesterday and we have made plans to do this again on Wednesday as well as make it a twice weekly practice. Sam has also given me the name of the Pilates studio and instructor that she works with and while I've been talking about doing something of this nature for a while now, this time I might actually break down and do it. Especially since Sam tells me that the studio is within walking distance of the new HOD.

Next thing...Farmer's Markets and I've getting very excited because I think some of my favorite fruits and veggies are coming into season.....

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted on MY healthier lifestyle. Keep your fingers crossed that I can actually stick to it.