TinyValentines
Today was no different than any other. I slept late by local standards, though it wouldn't be considered late if you're in Hawaii. I washed myself, dressed myself, fed myself. I studied, I drove myself to school, I negotiated. I'm really indifferent to Valentine's Day. I had a few conversations about it, read more than a few blogs about it, and saw all the fuss on TV. What I read and saw gives me the impression I should be extra sad (wistful much?) about being alone today, but I swear I'm not buying it. I don't feel relieved that I don't have to jump through hoops to get flowers and candy for someone. I guess I've just come to terms with it and I let it go. And I gave up pants for Lent, so there's that.I actually had a big feast on Saturday night courtesy of my parents, specifically my Dad. Mom & Pops belong to a wine club here in town, due to the fact that we used to own a couple of wine-grape vinyards here in Texas. Every couple of months the club gets together and has a big fancy dinner with different wines at each course. Dad came down sick Saturday morning, so I stepped in to be Mom's date. She loved showing me off to her snooty friends. I don't mind snooty friends, since I fit in just fine, but to be honest I don't really like wine. My palate is still evolving, so I'm just beginning to appreciate wines. Mom said I should come anyway because the food alone was worth the price of admission (which they were paying to begin with). The 6 course meal included oysters on the half shell, roasted salmon (which I prefer as sushi, but this was delish!), bacon-wrapped filet mignon, crab cakes, and chocolate mousse cake. The wines were pretty good to my novice palate: A sparkling brut rosé, a tangy Torrontes, a very woody Pinot Noir, a tough Cabernet Sauvignon (didn't care for), and a sugar-coma-sweet Muscat Canelli. The real treat was a 1977 Smith-Woodhouse Vintage Port served with the cake. Poured from magnums, this is a spectacular glass of wine- like liquid caramel, and I loves caramel. (It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.) With nearly twice the alcohol as a regular glass of wine, the infusion of sugar and caffeine from the cake, plus half a dozen other glasses of wine I got my buzz on proper. All for the low low price of letting myself be seen with my mother in public.
In other news, I reconnected with a girl I went to high school with. Nothing romantic either now or then, just a couple of emails so far with someone from a past I vaguely remember. (15 years and it's just gone from memory. Damn, I'm senile!) I'm contemplating inviting her into my bloggosphere, but it feels a little funny having someone I actually know, flesh and blood, here. I don't think there's anything particularly sensitive here, but it's still my fortress of solitude (with comments). We'll see.
posted by tinyhands @ 11:59 PM
14 Comments:
Your palate is still evolving? What does THAT mean? Wine = good. (Badaunt = peasant.)
Funny thing about taste: The Man doesn't drink. Well, can't. (The dreaded Asian curse.) But he has taste buds like nobody else I know, and one day a couple of his friends were arguing loudly over the relative merits of their favourite beers. They were full of the right vocabulary for talking about beers, and were arguing very knowledgably.
The Man said the beers were probably not much different, which annoyed them enormously, so he suggested a blind tasting session. They agreed to this. But it turned out The Man was the only one who could tell which beer was which.
His friends didn't think that was very funny, but I did.
is it wrong that as soon as i read the title of your post - i had a callback to a former entry of yours and started singing ... "Tinyhands in the wine...make me happy....make me feel fine"
Hehe. My palate is in training as well. Funny, since my aunt and uncle are total wine snobs - he's in the business, and puts out his own wine via a partnership with a vineyard in california. Me? i buy the $7 bottles in the grocery store. yay!
the port sounds amazing, though. maybe for a special occasion :)
Ten points to tiny for quoting my beloved Ferris!
For Valentine's Day, I went on a date with three girls. We saw an incredibly romantic movie that made me cry even though it was a comedy. Then, I talked to the love of my life on the phone for awhile. The only problem is he doesn't know we're meant for each other...yet. But he can only ignore the signs for so long, and then he'll have to see the light.
::sigh::
Haha...ESC's uncle puts out.
Theic- It means that until now my parents have pushed massive Cabernets down my throat so I've always assumed I don't like wine. I'm not ready for those, but I'm slowly discovering what I do like. I can't drink beer anymore. Gives me headaches, makes me sick to my stomach. Hard liquor is still my friend.
Al- It neva wrong if you be happy an' singin.
ESC- I've yet to buy a bottle of wine for myself. What's uncle's label?
Bonnie Heather- Thank you for getting that reference. Hang in there- He needs to figure out for himself what we all already know.
kTp- Yeah, and we all know what YOUR palate is used for. ;)
KtP - that's what your mom said, anyway.
TH - go to his website, if you can take the snobbery. The rest of my family is soooo not him. He's an uncle by marriage, and he turned my aunt into a snob.
Count your blessings on Valentine's Day. At least you don't have herpes.
That we know of.
:O
Maybe we should clear the air before your high school friend stops by.
ESC- Ooh, such snobbery indeed. Daddy like.
Z- And I haven't even had any offers as good as that.
SP- You're welcome to come investigate...
wine = good.
beer = good.
likker = good.
just bring it on.
and how much does my husband have me figured out when he calls after i have had a bad day and says, "hey babe, why dont you have a BOTTLE of wine"
not glass.
bottle.
me mucho gusto el vino!
how is the pants thing going for the lent thing? i gave up being nice to people i loathe most in life.
Now that is a dinner! That made me hungry. Maybe because I haven't eaten anything all day. As for your friend, you should invite her to a dinner like that!
Truly (on the Valentine's Day posts)! I had no idea so many people felt so strongly about it one way or another. Sheez!
Ummm, "wow" on your big feast. I took a sip of water before I read your post. After reading about your dinner, I swear the water swelled up and now I'm w-a-y full!
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