Barbados

Barbados....or anywhere tropical and warm at this point sounds nice. At least that was what I thought when I received one of my weekly travel deal alerts from Delta yesterday. It was 17 degrees when I woke up this morning; and my cold is in full swing, and there's still ice and snow. You can drive now, but all I wanted to do was either stay in bed or (wishful thinking) drag myself on to a beach where there is warm sunshine, salty air and a tropical drink in my hand.

Not quite Barbados but it still meets all the criteria from above......

Daydreams aside and back to reality.

Iced In. Cabin Fever.

The second snow of the season, and we're not even 1-month into Winter! But this one was a doozy compared to our White Christmas.

Approximately 6 inches of snow (for the south that counts as a blizzard) followed by ice, ice and more ice that has imprisoned us to our house and neighborhood.

However, we have awesome neighbors. So what do you? Grab the best cold weather gear you can find for southern dwellers, round-up the neighborhood dog pack and find the house with the biggest hill and start sledding.

But now that we're three days in, still with icy roads, working from home, fridge still fairly well stocked and a dog whose whining literally on the other side of the couch behind my head...

We have the official case of Cabin Fever. However, sore throats I don't believe are supposed to be included. Oh well. Good timing if you can call it that, such that I happened to become sick while we're forced to work from home.

Well here's to winter...just hope the heating bill isn't too bad.

One more for the road. Mother Nature's all-organic snow cone....

Wine Review: Shenandoah Vineyards 2008 Zinfandel Special Reserve

Sobon Family Wines.

Tonight was a rainy Wednesday that called for a glass of wine. So I picked a bottle and poured a little taste. Smelling the glass now reminds me of the overwhelming fragrance when you enter Napa Valley. A sweet velvety mulch, juicy ripe grapes, and an earthy goodness that's almost out of this world. It's only been 2 months since my first visit to Napa, but I'm already itching to go back. Until then....

Until then, I must enjoy what we brought back from the wine country and what we encounter back home. Tonight, it was Shenandoah Vineyards 2008 Zinfandel Special Reserve. I'm not an expert, but my theory is: If you like it, and it tastes good to you, then it's a good wine for you. And this one tastes good to me. For me, fruity with a slight cherry after taste and a light spiciness. Dry but not tannic (in other words, or so I've been told...it didn't dry the mouth too much.) And apparently very affordable. We received as a gift, but internet research has show prices between $9.99 and $11.99.

But, in case you want to know what the wine experts are saying:

88 Points!

"A good, rich Zin that shows load of character at a great price. Full-bodied and bone dry, it bursts with blacberry, tobacco, dark chocolate and pepper flavors."

-Wine Enthusiast, May 2010

87 Points!

"A nicely ripened, straight-foward zinfandel...delivers a fine measure of slight juicy, well-defined fruit...a supple, easy to drink wine." -Connoissuer's Guide, May 2010

Shenandoah Vineyards was started in 1977 by the Sobon family, which prides themselves on using estate grown grapes from their sustainably-farmed vineyards. For more information on Shenandoah Vineyards and wines, visit: www.shenandoahvineyards.com

glee

Tonight was glee night. I'm not a devout watcher, but every time I do, it provides a good laugh. But tonight, it sparked two questions:

First. Do you think high school glee clubs or chorus memberships have spiked since the debut and increased popularity of the show?

Second. Who actually sings those songs? This answer was a little easier to determine. Yes. Apparently they do. All the actors pre-record their songs, and lip sync during filming. Interesting.

On a side note, we uncovered that glee is set in Lima, OH. Lima (pronounced like Lima Bean) happens to be one of my husband's travel destination highlights. Or not. The city is home to just over 40,000 residents according to the last census. It also happens to be 65 miles from Hicksville. I kid you not. I'm sure it's a quaint little town. It just produced a gleeful smile across my face.

Ok. Enough cheese for the evening.

Tuckered Out

First day back at work and everyone's tuckered out again. Even Juno. What did she do today? Went on a walk and played with her new favorite toy the Paw-zzle ball. Life is hard sometimes.

At least I didn't have to make dinner. The hubby made Shrimp Maque Choux - a sinfully delicious cajun dish. Cream and butter included. I'm definitely running tomorrow. Good night all.

A Little Jog and a Deep Fryer

I suppose the second day of the new year signals the holidays are over. Time to get back into the routine; take down all the sparkling lights and festive holiday decorations; and figure out what to do with all the left over goodies. These latter two items are still on my to do list. The routine will officially start tomorrow back in the office. However, today, our family did set off on a little run to try and work off some of the holiday goodness, including Juno, who I believe enjoyed it way more than I did. I didn't pass out. Success #1. Next goal. Actually run the entire time. There are 363 more days in this year to work on that, which I will need to do, since my husband bought a mini-deep fryer today. Hmm....he says it will be great. He's planning on making shrimp tempura and hot sushi rolls. I will let you know how this goes.

In the meantime, a testament to the holiday decorations and goodies still in tact, and the new fryer, which Juno is ready to be a tester if no one else.

New Years Resolutions or something like that...

Just got back from hanging out with friends we hadn't seen in way too long. And, as we embark on the second day of 2011, it got me thinking about a few things I will try to keep in mind:

1. Be true to one's self.

2. Family and Friends are important and worth it. For me, it is my core.

3. Be honest. Even if it hurts. But always be tactful.

4. Listen to your heart. (It says a lot)

5. Nourish and Take care. For the body - food and drink in moderation (the belly and thighs will appreciate it), along with exercise (as much as one can); For the soul - indulge.

-Mo