Long Day Before A Short Trip To Texas

I woke at 5:30 yesterday morning feeling restless, antsy, anxious, like my mind was far more awake than my body was even close to being. I found myself laying in bed rubbing my feet back and forth atop one another, rubbing my eyes, trying to take deep sleep welcoming breaths…yeah, didn’t work. My mind was going a mile a minute, thinking about the tasting I was to do later in the afternoon, lost on some tiny piece of dream….a man walking on a porch, little bits of storm shrapnel crunching beneath his feet, hands shoved deep in his pockets, eyes locked on a bright shining moon, eyes full of hope, heart full of questions…I felt myself wondering if we had met, did I know him, should I know him…yeah this is the shit that comes racing to my feeble, damaged mind in the wee small hours, and you people wonder why I drink?!

I grew tired of waiting for a rest that was not going to come. Slithered out of the covers making sure not to wake my deep breathing, (that’s nice for snoring) husband, and made my way to the kitchen to the coffee pot. Hit the, “For The Love Of All That Is Holy Please Go” button and settled into my little, (well not that little) ass shaped spot on the couch. So here’s the thing…normal people are like sleeping at that ungodly hour, no new posts from fellow bloggers, a couple emailed photos from friends travelling through France, but for the most part…nada. Ended up watching American Justice and can I just give you dudes a tip, just leave your wives…don’t kill them, you are not going to get away with it, trust me…I watched like a giant chunk of this show…hours of it, and you aint getting away it, trust me. My hubby is a brilliant man but should he come at me with insurance papers, I am not only shooting him the hairy eyeball, I am misspelling my name.

Got into work and was inundated with wines sales reps. Corks popping, glug-glug-glug of a wine splashing in my glass, the somewhat soothing feeling of a pen in my hand….my script, my hand, my eyes closed trying to drown out their yammering….trying to picture myself on a porch, storm shrapnel crunching under my feet…silence, closed eyes full of hope, heart full of questions. My, “dream man” was with me as I scribbled my notes this afternoon, my unshakeable 5:30 vision was beside me, reminding me…”find hope. Find answers.” My sleep deprived melon was revived by the crunch of his feet, the longing in his eyes….tired or not, I was still going to focus, find, and seek. I tasted, laughed and blew off many a sales rep yesterday afternoon, but I found a few things. A wicked cool Anjou blanc, sexy as all get out, ripe pears, minerals and just a faint touch of Sherry…scintillating. A Hermitage, a 2000 Hermitage that was refined….pure, focused and set this girl back, reeling on her heels….coming soon.



Finished with my reps with just enough time to ready for my tasting. I was feeling good, so ready to turn some folks onto Camille Saves Champagne…was heartbroken to find that they really didn’t give a crap. I had some of my beloved regulars, people there to taste and really understand, but for the most part…these people were just there to taste wine and break my bawls. I had a guy, rather un-attractive in that….slim, balding-but-I’m-gonna-still-dye-it, wrinkled Target collared shirt and oddly fitting cargo pants, kinda way. He rolled in with three girls, big shot right…yeah, the girls. They were made up but, how do I say this…nature was not kind, they like fell out the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Hey, he was feeling all, “Heff” and who am I to burst his bubble? Truth be told I was kind of digging his swagger, he was feeling it, the girls were in, who the hell am I to yuck someone’s yum. That was until he started giving me crap about the size of my pours, dude. “How about you pour me a bigger one seeing as I am a big guy” said my wannabe, and I looked at his five foot nine frame, surrounded by those heavily perfumed one-offs…short skirts, stockings, that long sexy eyebrow running across their foreheads, “Sir, these glasses hold almost a bottle of wine each. It might look like a small pour but I assure you there is plenty of wine in there for you to smell and taste” He looked at me like I was speaking pig latin, “I don’t care about smelling it, I’m trying to get drunk” he responded, making sure to look at his homely harem while shaking his head. I caved, gave him just a splash more, (and he complained to his gaggle of ducklings, of the ugly variety) and felt myself snarling as he raised his glass, looked at my pour and herded his….sheep to the cheese table for dinner.

Half way into the tasting my jaw was tight, felt each and every little swipe from those that felt their $10.00 entrance fee entitled them to behave like pompous jackasses. “Give me more, I am a regular” comments just making me cringe, made me cringe as they are regular….regular cheese buyers. Oh don’t get me wrong, I love anyone that is willing to plunk down their cash in the store but…forgive me if I don’t pour unlimited amounts of eighty dollar Champagne when I know you are walking out with a bottle of six dollar Spanish wine and a chunk of cheese. Been at the shop too long, yes I know you are going to buy something but I can’t just keep pouring you more because, “These are too expensive for me to buy”….yes, what someone told me. Your tasting fee entitles you to one taste of each wine and unlimited amounts of cheese and bread….when I look at the wines we were tasting; four wines the least expensive was $57.00, it really is a wicked deal, no one was getting screwed, so why the unrelenting hammering on me for more?!

Finished the tasting, not sure we sold any wine…wait, I know by beloved Vicki bought a bottle but other than that, think it was a bust. Kills me, that just kills me, those are some of the most earth shattering wines I have ever had the pleasure of putting to my lips. Camille Saves, if you have not as of yet tasted these…seriously, get off yer rump. Each and every wine is enthralling, captivating, sexy as all get out. The Carte Blanche, ($56.99) showed the flashiest, tons of ripe, round fruit, studded with bits of raw dough and a sexy little snap on the back. The Carte d’Or, ($72.99) was my favorite of the day….very serious, minerals, dark red fruit, citrus and a thread of yeastiness that was relentless. The 2000 vintage, (sold out) was a crowd favorite, massive in the mouth, big fruit, big toast and yeast and big ass finish. Had one customer that I adore, that was kind of “Meh” about Champagne, change is mind once he tasted this wine…created a convert. The Rose, ($74.99) while popular was my least favorite of the day, showing a touch of stink on the nose, black cherries, tangerine and pie crust but…just seemed lacking in the depth and expansion that the other wines had.

Got home not feeling at all like making dinner, (leaving for Texas in the morning) and the rest of the evening went like this….

Marioitas, wicked strong...so good. What you see here is why we go to this old school joint, chips and salsa and delicious drinks. The food? Um...

Yeah, what's under all that goo? Have no idea but everything you order at Mario's looks like this and is at your table like five minutes after you order it.

Winding down.....

Is there a better way to end your day? Freaking un-tied...socks off, hot water, Dave Matthews, (Google Alert, C'mon Dave) and a glass of crisp white wine....

Popped a bottle of 2008 Roland Schmitt Pinot Blanc, ($15.99) a wine I happen to think is one of the best, most versatile food wines we carry but…I was so just looking for lightness, refreshment, pleasure…and it was so willing to give it to me. So clean and refreshing, bright exuberant fruit, kisses of spice and citrus and the perfectly balanced wine just seemed to shimmy on my palate, lift the snarl right off my mug leaving just a hint of peach and wet river stones….delightful.

Wandered off to bed, sleepy...mildly buzzy, thinking about seeing my Amy & Sexy Bitch the next day. As my mind began to shut down I thought of my, "dream man" once again, the way this person I had never met was able to stay with me all day, make me wonder, focus and keep cool under some rather trying situations. Don't know who he is but if I did...I'd be giving him the sweetest of kisses and offering him a glass of wine. Thanks dude, whoever you are...I owe you one.

Off to, "The Big D"....