Rynn: Workness
Workness
What is the definition of this definition. For me, and since it’s my word, workness is when work as a condition surpasses work and ventures in to the realm of sadism. Today was a workness day. So bad not even drink could cure it. But I rejoice! For I have now seen that it is now Saturday and that horrible miser of a work day has now been murdered by time!!! MWAHHAHAHA!!! Such joy! Such elation! That horrible lil’ bugger is dead….and there is a man in a colonial costume playing the ukelele and singing about beer to my right…
And that is a most welcome thing indeed. Makes me glad that tomorrow is another day and sometimes that tomorrow brings you ukelele playing colonial costumed men.
Weirdness…. I LOVE IT!
RYNN: Absinthe!!!
I’s a-gots my St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte!!! Woo-woo! A venerable product of the good USA and even better, the Bay Area, I am quite happy to have this lovely bottle in my greedy green fairy digits. The label sports a grinning monkey holding what appears to be a femur bone and a cow bell; his mouth is wide-open as if some fast moving artist captured the little beast in the middle of shouting, “you know what this song needs? MORE COWBELL!”
Kudos and a happy hour helping of Ernest Hemingway’s “Death in the Afternoon” to all the staff at St. George Spirits- especially to Lance Winters, the master distiller who tinkered and toiled for 11 years to perfect his absinthe verte. Note: Absinthe was illegal to produce in the US until this past year. That means that for eleven long years Mr. Winters experimented and each of those experiments, no matter how superb or sloppy, had to be dumped down the commode in order to comply with the US federales. Damn. That’s a lot of wasted absinthe!
Fun Fact: When St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte went on sale on Dec. 21, 2007, they became the only American company since 1912 to sell absinthe in the United States.
Jenn: So much more than a grape…
I have found that over the years my interest or dare say “passion” for wine has grown and thus many of the activities I enjoy tend to be centered around the crushed grape. From taking classes, going to tastings, throwing parties and now, co-initiating a wine and food blog, I can even further project the intimate relationship I have with said beverage.
I used to be almost ashamed of my love for wine thinking I could be viewed as an alcoholic…(especially since in my own life I am quite healthy and active.) To be frank, I am actually not a big “drinker”; in fact, I have been termed the “one-drink wonder” as my tolerance for alcohol is almost laughable.
However, it is not just the consumption of wine that has me so entranced, but rather all that comes with being ‘involved’ with vino. From the terrior to the vine; the vine to the grape; the grape to the barrel; the barrel to the bottle; the bottle to the glass…and for that moment in the glass as you swirl and waft the aromas that permeate with each breath of air, that moment, that time, is perfect. There are no hidden agendas, no anxieties, no right or wrong answers…it is a moment wholly unto itself that is meant to be shared with just one…you.
But it is also just not about the solo experience. With wine, comes good food and good friends. For me, wine can make any dinner a special occasion and thread together all elements of a social setting to make it unforgettable. Watching your guests sip on what you have poured, questioning their own palates, seeking out the perfect descriptors for what they had experienced. That is what wine ultimately is for me…an experience.
Finally, the beauty from which wine is grown is enough to inspire one into a place of serenity and peace. Moments in wine country are therapeutic solely for the aesthetics and ambiance that is found in every corner. Each vine helps to create a haven for families, friends, lovers and even inspires the individual soul to reflect and take note of the wonder that surrounds them.
So I can only hope that all you wine enthusiasts and foodies, young and old, new or proficient, can find some joy out of this blog as I have out of the whole wine experience.
