Good friends gave us a bottle of white port for Christmas. This porto (which designates that it is from Portugal since the term port started being used by everyone) is made from all white grapes and is sweeter than most ports.
This is what I read about it on the Wine Lovers Page:
Barros Lágrima White Port - another fine example of how good white Port can be. Until now, I have only seen and tasted Lágrima in Portugal. The Portuguese seem to like this sweet style very much and it is widely available there, but not found easily elsewhere in the world. Oak aging is normally between 3 - 5 years, and the wine is produced utilizing free run juice from a variety of white grapes. This sweet style of white Port is very unique and can double as a dessert wine, as it pairs well with a variety of cheeses.
I've had a wonderful Christmas this year. This year was a good one for us what with moving into a new home. It was also a good year for us financially. Not having money worries during the holidays makes it much more fun. I know that many think it is way too commercialized, and I pretty much agree. However, when you have relatives that spend money on you, you are pretty much obligated to spend it on them too.
Anyway, we were able to spend as we wanted this year and I had a great time doing it.
My Beautiful Wife gave me two extraordinary bottles of Champagne for Christmas this year.
Winery: Moët & Chandon
Wine: 1995 Brut Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
Score: 92
Country: France
Region: Champagne
An intensely flavored Champagne, displaying tropical fruit, berry and citrus aromas and flavors enmeshed in finely woven texture, ending with an aftertaste of dried fruit. Good firm structure lends support. Drink now through 2010. 200,000 cases made.
-------------------------------------------------
Winery: Perrier-Jouët
Wine: 1996 Brut Champagne Fleur de Champagne Belle Epoque
Score: 90
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Lean and tightly wound at this stage, with lemon, orange and vanilla notes embedded in the structure. Fine clarity and balance, with the flavors persisting through the finish. Best from 2004 through 2010. 10,000 cases imported.
We got our electronics back yesterday that had been sent away for cleaning. Everything looked great and seems to be working well. We also got back all of our clothes which had been taken to be professionaly cleaned after the fire. It will be nice to have more than one towel per person and not have to do laundry as often. Now we just have to get it all in the closets, drawers, or off to Goodwill.
I just read an article on Yahoo. The representative from the Vatican said that he felt compassion for Saddam and that he felt like he was treated like a cow because of the video footage shot showing him getting a medical exam which consisted of the examiner checking his hair and scalp and then checking in his mouth shortly after his capture.
The man tortured and killed untold thousands and had no compassion for any of them and, from what I've read so far, is still trying to rationalize what he did. It isn't like the video showed him being tortured or abused in any way. Could they be any more out of touch with reality as to think that is abusive or that they should feel sorry for him?
How about they focus on the true victims of this man's regime and save their pious remorse for those who deserve it?
Beautiful Wife and I went over to Good Friend's house last night for dinner. We always have a good time and last night was no exception. The pepper encrusted pork tenderloin was incredible. I even had some cauliflower which I usually don't like. I think it was because he prepared it was lots of interesting herbs and spices instead of just steaming it.
Youngest Daughter had a band concert last night. She plays the flute and it is something she enjoys nearly as much as playing soccer.
Anyway, they "warmed" us up with a selection by one of the jazz bands. After that they did some shuffling around and then the 5th grade band played. They did three selections and then it was time for her band, the 6th grade band.
After she was done playing we did the walk of shame. The walk of shame is when you leave after your kid is done their part in the concert and head home. It isn't actually that noticeable since you have parents showing up late because their kids are older. I think there were 4-5 more bands to go and then the chorus had something too.
This time of year, which is pretty stressful, takes on another level with the activities that go on with the school. It is only rivaled by all the events they schedule for the end of the year.
We went to see the girl's varsity basketball game the other night because Oldest and Middle Daughters are both cheerleaders. We go to cheer on the cheerleaders as it were. They played another local team and I was really embarrassed for them. They played an excellent game but their parents and other fans behaved poorly. They booed the referees, yelled at the players, and pretty much made themselves unwelcome. At one point a couple of mothers turned around and told this one guy that we don't behave that way at games and that he was setting a terrible example. He started to sputter and say something back when Youngest Daughter turned around and said, "You need to deal with it" and then went back to watching the game. I'm guessing that and the look I gave him as he opened his mouth made him decide it was time to be quiet.
The insurance company has been in a sweat to know who the previous owners of our house are and where they live now. We know their names, but I have only the vaguest idea where they were moving after the sale of the house. To complicate things further, they were going to live in temporary housing while they had a house built.
Basically, they want to question the previous owners to find out who installed the gas heater, because it was installed improperly. If they follow true to form, they'll give them a blank look and say, "that's the way it was when we moved in" which was their standard answer for every question we asked them.
The repairs continue in the basement and things are looking great. I'm pretty sure the prior owners had done the work before and so things weren't all that good looking. It is being done by professionals now and our basement looks about a 100 times better than it did pre-fire. We'll be getting it carpeted after the turn of the year.
Mom's Boyfriend comes by today to measure so that we can have a forced hot water loop off of the furnance for the basement. I think it is pretty likely that we'll never have a gas heater, by choice, again.
I love it when it snows
I love it when its a lot
I love it when it snows
And a lot is what we got
I got a snow thrower on Friday night in anticipation of the big storm we got this weekend. You gotta love the no interest and no payment deals going on at Home Depot.
Anyway, I figured out that snow throwers are all about economy of scale. It really doesn't take any more effort to use it whether it is 2 inches or 12 so you're better off waiting until the snow is done if you can.
Even though I have five forward speeds and two reverse, it is still a lot of work directing the thrower up and down the driveway. The coolest part was making a path across the lawn for the kids to walk when they go out to the bus. The edges are so sharp and it was much easier to do than shoveling.
I love watching the Christmas cartoons of my youth on TV. After watching one on the television at my Sainted Mother's house we then watched some others on VHS tape and then on a DVD.
I told my kids about the olden days when we only had channels 4-9, 38, & 56. I don't know if there was public television back then so there might have been something on 2 or 11 but we never found it.
Back then, in the dark ages, you had to scan the TV Guide each weak to see when the Christmas shows would be on because you had on shot to see them and that was it until next year. It made each show an event, which I kind of miss.
I was over reading Good Friend's blog and I have to say I'm jealous of the time he has for recipes and trying wine. The plus side is that our tastes in wine are pretty similar so I get an idea of new things I might want to try without having to do all the tasting.
He barely looks like he's old enough to be buying all that wine never mind consuming it. His Wife is even younger looking so I don't know how they pull it off!
A pet peeve of mine...
Clerk: Paper or plastic...
Bob: Yes
Clerk: blank look
Bob: takes pity and picks one
The way it should be....
Clerk: Would you like paper or plastic?
Bob: I'd like plastic, please.
I've had three bottles of Georges Duboeuf's Beaujolais Nouveau. Though each one has that light, fruity flavor they've all been a little bit different in terms of taste. If you didn't like it the first time around, try another bottle.