cold, rainy

... and gorgeous.I took this photo yesterday after a run at Shollenberger -- finished four miles just as it started to drizzle....

the perks

So I was at the Wine Center today helping the executive chef rehearse the cooking demo he'll be doing on TV in a few weeks.Cooking...

dear santa

Forget what I was thinking about new running shoes or gift cards to Whole Foods or -- ahem -- the third Twilight book (I know, I...

four weeks later

I think I'm adjusting. No more meltdowns in spin class. No more parking in the wrong lot. No more failing to recognize my own desk.Granted,...

burgers, beer, blue chalk

I was all set with a great photo from my new restaurant discovery, but somehow the picture got corrupted, so instead, here is a piece...

cat envy

While I ran around doing laundry, packing for tomorrow and trying to make sure my brother's birthday card got mailed out in time...

adjustments

It's been one week. I've only gotten lost walking to my desk a few times. (The building is huge. All the cubicles are grey. My landmark...

onward

Friday was my last day. There was a nice lunch with awesome Mexican food (one of the vineyard guys has a catering business on the...

still working on it

The cleaning continues. And though it's not as physically taxing as this tank of Pinot was (I cleaned this thing out a few weeks...

cupcaking, cleaning

Spent yesterday with the apron on, baking up a batch of pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were absolutely delicious,...

the break

A big part of why I have been so vague lately is because I was interviewing and didn't want the whole world to know. But since I...

play hard

What to say about this weekend ...Friday night blended into Saturday morning because we were drinking Sauternes with lavender ice...

waiting

I really have to do something about this sleeping issue.Or maybe I should call it a not-sleeping issue, since it involves staying...

for the young'uns

So I am supposed to be working on a project about marketing wines to Millennials, all those young people who are 21 to 30. (Actually,...

to sum it up

October is off to a busy start. There was Pink Party this past Thursday (and the brutal -- and I mean excruciatingly so -- hangover...

el pollo loco

Normally, I dislike chicken. Really, really, really dislike it. In fact, I typically compare food I find extremely bland to chicken.But...

retreat

Went for a run near Laura's house after work today. She lives in a little cottage that's tucked away in a vineyard. It's unbelievably...

never say never

Tonight I had an awesome meal made with two ingredients I normally dislike: Chicken and iceberg lettuce....

that time of year

Harvest started a few weeks ago. It's a weird year -- major frost this spring all over California, not much rain, then a heatwave...

sometimes it feels like this

I promise I will write more soon....

monday

I fought with my mom. I had to take my car to the shop. I didn't have time to eat breakfast.But my co-worker brought in homemade...

going greek

I know, I know -- been missing in action. My excuses: Last week was our national sales meeting (remember the Tahoe scouting trip?),...

fulfilling

So we've lived here in Chickenland for more than a year now, and one tough thing about having left San Francisco is the fact that...

a matter of taste

A clip of Sunday's radio show is online now. (Just scroll down and click on "July 27.")Is there anyone in the world who actually...

we'll always have paris

So I'm not sure how many non-industry or non-winegeek folks out there know about the Judgment of Paris. This is the tasting that...

alien kitty

But we love her so much anyway....

in print, on water, on air

Lots of media action at work lately, which is a good thing (except for the fact that I don't blog as often as a result). I've been...

I scream because of ice cream

Today I stopped by Three Twins for a post-lunch treat. (This is my weekly ritual with Laura -- we go to Oxbow Public Market, where...

easily amused

Yes, that's a curtain rod....

hot dog

So.I was a pretty strict vegetarian in high school. (My diet drove my mother crazy, which I suspect I enjoyed.)And then I went to...

who knew

... that getting in and out of clothes could be so physically exhausting?...

you know you've got it good

... when you can compare the chef's tasting menu at Gary Danko to the one at Cyrus.We went to Gary Danko tonight to celebrate his...

was it the caterer?

Did another tasting yesterday evening. I don't really know what the verdict is on this one. When we left the tasting, we were ecstatic....

taste test

We've started tasting caterers' menus. We're interviewing four caterers (never hurts to be safe, right?), and we dropped by the first...

two wheels, too much fun

I am going to buy a bike.This is the conclusion I've arrived at after spending three days in Aspen for work (we sponsor the Aspen...

on the road again

In Tahoe for work. Spent the day investigating "activities" for our national sales meeting, which will be held here in August. Discoveries...

torment

Currently, the cats are being teased by a very fat bird that is hopping around just outside the sliding glass door....

bacon

Did you know there is bacon chocolate? Yes! Bacon chocolate! My friend got me a bar recently. Talk about perfect PMS food -- chocolatey,...

say it ain't so

My favorite cupcake blogger has ended her blog! I am trying not to panic. This woman was the source of so many fabulous recipes,...

haute dog

Short post tonight, just to catch up. Here's a photo from last Thursday's tasting in L.A. (Culver City, to be exact). They had awesome,...

homebody

So remember how my last work trip was supposed to be in March? Turns out I'm not done yet. I flew down to L.A. yesterday for Wine...

perfectionism or stupidity

I just spent my Friday night grating a pound of carrots by hand to make cupcakes because the recipe called for "finely grated" carrots...

I'm melting

It is 87 degrees in the house right now. Eighty-freaking-seven degrees. Indoors. And it's after 10 p.m. I am sitting here with an...

a good start

If being 30 means spending long, lazy weekends on the Mendocino Coast, soaking in your very own private hot tub every night after...

so lady-like

Mari's at it again -- leaving nothing to the imagination....

drinking, er, studying

So I signed up to take the introductory sommelier course in November.And upon confirmation of my registration, I received a 21-page...

bird-watching, calorie-burning

Had the day off in exchange for working Saturday. Did some chores around the house and then went for a run at Shollenberger.Which...

hooray for grown-up furniture

The best thing about finally setting up the kitchen, eating meals at home and living in a house that is actually large enough to...

an explanation

One morning the rain stopped just long enough for us to go hiking. The plants were very green. There were mushrooms growing on the...

under seige

We have swallows at the winery.A whole lot of swallows.And every year when they come back to nest, it's like a scene straight out...

ultra-premium cat food is not enough

Apparently, I am doing something horrible as a cat parent.Because Meep's latest favorite activity is opening the broiler and crawling...