washi madness

A short while back I mentioned that I would like to own some washi tape. I even helpfully supplied a website where said tape could be purchased for a reasonable price plus shipping and handling. Lucky for me, my sister and my mother both read my blog.  And super dog lucky for me, neither one of them consulted with the other before buying me some tape for my birthday.  So, I got a double-shot of washi love.

I'm gonna make it rain washi up in here, bitches!

I immediately stuck tape on everything.  It was awesome (yeah, I gotta get out more).  I used it to prettify my day planner and to decorate my mother’s birthday present.  I also used it to wrap my husband’s birthday present.

Actually, I mummified his present.

Then, things got kind of weird. 

I ripped off little pieces of tape and stuck them to a big sheet of paper. The placement wasn’t random, but I didn’t yet know exactly what the configuration meant.  I can only describe it as a Richard Dreyfuss moment from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I ripped and stuck and ripped and stuck and eventually the image before me made sense.  When I was done, instead of a miniature Devil’s Tower, I had this:

It’s a washi zombie. What else did you expect from me?

Yes, I am aware that I might have a problem.

i say it’s my birthday

So, I was born 37 years ago today at about five in the morning if I remember my birth certificate correctly (my birth was the first and last time I voluntarily roused myself before dawn). 

Thirty seven years. 
Crap.
I gotta stop screwing around and get myself rich and famous while I still got the mental and physical stamina to appreciate it. 

However, even with spine issues and my organs turning on me, I don’t feel like I’m on the near side of 40.  I definitely don’t act my age and I hope I don’t look it, either. 

That’s me over there up on the right.  It’s a fairly accurate representation of what I look like at the moment (that is if I had a magic force-field constantly surrounding me that automatically color-corrected and brightness-enhanced my features. Screw Photoshop, when are they going to invent Realityshop?).   

After almost four years of blogging, I’ve decided to stop being so anonymous and post pictures of myself.  Why not?  A lot of my friends, my sister and even my mom reads my blog, so it’s not like I have anything to hide (except that one thing, but the judge assured me those records are sealed).  So, if you’ve ever wanted a face to go with the snarky commentary, there you go.  And if you didn’t, then too bad ’cause I also changed my avatar picture so those of you with your own blogs will see me in your comments as well.

So, don’t get excited thinking you have a new visitor to your blog.  It’s just me.  Sorry. 

Well, I’m off to go have as much fun on my birthday as a person can have when it’s on a Wednesday and they have to go to work.  A margarita at lunch might be in order, though.  That’s right, drinkin’ on the job.  Screw you, adulthood!  Can’t keep this party girl down! 
So, I may have to take a nap later, but after that, it’s ON! 
Yeah! 
I gotta work in the morning, though, so not too late, okay?
Whoo, hoo!
Woo.
Sigh.

wine on wednesdays

Yesterday was my sister’s birthday, however we celebrated it on Saturday cause I can’t drink three bottles of wine on a Tuesday and be a productive member of society the next day.  Lucky for us, our favorite place on earth, Frogtown Winery, was having their Harvest Dinner.

We arrived in Dahlonega, GA around 3:00 and checked into our room at the Park Place Hotel.  After a brief, but intense, monsoon which conveniently waited to fall just as we were getting our bags out of my car, we unpacked and enjoyed the complementary bottle of Oak Leaf Cabernet the hotel graciously offered.  This fine wine can be procured from your local Wal-Mart for around $4.00 a bottle.  Never ones to turn our noses up at free wine, we drank every drop.

After the cheap bottle, we were ready for the good stuff, so we made our way to Frogtown.

That's us in the mirror. I'm the one in the yellow cause having a loud voice just isn't enough, I suppose.

We found a table and were soon joined by Ron and Deborah.  You couldn’t ask for two nicer, funner people to share a good dinner with.  They were awesome and made the whole experience even more enjoyable.  Really, if I didn’t already have parents I would ask them to adopt me (I gave them my web address and told them to tune in today, if you couldn’t tell.  Hi, Deborah and Ron!  You rock!).

Anyway, we were served a four course dinner with wine to complement each course.  Here’s the menu:

House Smoked Salmon with Spicy Creme Fraiche and Crostini paired with Frogtown Rose 2008.  The Rose was dry and not too sweet and was excellent with the spicy creme fraiche.  

Baby Arugula Salad with Scallops and Grain Mustard served with Frogtown Vineaux Blanc 2008.  Those scallops were perfection and even though I’m not big on white wine, I enjoyed this pairing.

Medallions of Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms with Kritzer Family Reserve Merlot 2006.  You can never go wrong with pork and Merlot.  Or just Merlot, for that matter.  Especially this Merlot.

Lamb Chops over Currant Minted Couscous and Grilled Asparagus served with Frogtown Tannat 2006.  The Tannat is big and bold and was excellent with the lamb.

For dessert they had a buffet of half a dozen different pies, tortes and cakes.  I managed to sample three of them, but by then I feared for the button on my pants. 

There is no better way to experience how a wine can complement a dish than attending a dinner such as this.  I know that I don’t ever take the time to pick out just the right wine to go with my spaghetti and meatballs at home and I probably never will.  However, I do appreciate the art of wine and food pairings and really enjoy when I can let the experts make those decisions. 

I mean, would you trust any decisions made by these two?

The one on the left, maybe.  But, definitely not the other one.