Safely In Dallas

So yesterday, (man it feels like 4 days ago) we had a Zinfandel, (personal favorite of mine) tasting at the store, I made myself run through the wines, forced myself to update my palate on wines that I have been avoiding for years, the result….might be a few years before I do that again. There was a couple I found pleasant, wines that reminded me of Spanish country wines but for the most part, I just don’t get it. As I made my way through the lineup the wines just got bigger, thicker and less appealing. Once I hit the Dover Canyon Cujo Zinfandel my palate was getting pissed. Oh and one word to Rombauer, why not just call it Port?! Ick, that wine almost made me toss in the towel, or my lunch whichever came first, but I pressed on and made my way through. Bennett said something that was very reassuring, “Sam, I don’t think you would like Zinfandel even if they grew it in France” I think he’s right.

Once the tasting was over I dashed home, tossed too many clothes in a suitcase, had a quick cocktail and gathered my sad little buddy Amy and her doped up kitty and we headed to the airport. The mood was thick in the car, palpable sadness just hanging in the air….Amy’s last day, “living” in California for a few years. We tried our best to find something to laugh about not the least of which was her stoned kitty, poor old kitty…he is not a fan of being restrained so we had to drug his cranky ass to get him on the flight. So there he was loopy as hell, zipped into his cushy little travel case, this puffy, collapsible travel case that we planned on shoving under the seat, yeah that’s when Amy said it, “Do you smell that?” dammit kitty. He was stoned, it happens but damn, what a stank.



We checked our bags, Amy tried to soak some of the pee outta kitty’s travel case and we had just enough time to have a cocktail and some nachos before our flight. My poor friend was just heartbroken…worst feeling in the world when someone you love is hurting and there is jack shit you can do to make it better. I tried to make her laugh, we made fun of kitty in his pee soaked case, made fun of myself and her, anything to make her smile. It worked a little and we got on the plane just in time for kitty’s meds to wear off, awesome. I’m sitting there watching this stinky, puffy case wiggle and tip from side to side while Amy tried her best to shove another pill down kitty’s throat…ever tried to give a freaked out cat a pill? Let’s just say, comedy is sure to ensue.

Two Bloody Marys and two hours later and we were in Dallas where Sexy Bitch was waiting with hugs for us both and a trash bag to place under kitty’s stanky travel case, the case that was made even stankier by pill number two….thank gawd there were only like 12 people on the plane. It was past midnight, raining, slightly solemn, but slightly sweet in the car on the ride home, no one happy about being here but happy to be together. We walked into the temporary housing where my pals will be staying until they find a place and were greeted by the puppies…my heart melted when I saw them, couldn’t even tell I was in Texas anymore, that “Home is where the heart is” thing, very true. Dropped off the bags and had a seat at the dining room table where we shared a bottle of NV Agrapart 7 Crus, a wine I have had thousands of times…literally, but somehow last night….best bottle ever. Been one hell of a week for me and my tiny muse, lots of love, bunches of tears and promises of trips to come, ending it here in Dallas over a bottle of Agrapart…perfect.



Amy went to bed after we finished the bottle and Sexy Bitch and I stayed up until 4:00 am, talking and killing a bottle of Seagram’s Sweet Tea Vodka, yes…yes we did. I woke up at 11:00 am, (unheard of I assure you) to find that kitty was de-toxing in my room, covered in bite marks and scratches, fucking cat. Made my way to the coffee pot, had a few cups and here I sit, 1:30 on a Sunday afternoon, in my jammies, coffee and Bloody Mary by my side, Sexy Bitch watching football, puppies by my feet and my little buddy sleeping off a week of tears and the very real feeling of being truly adored and the sadness that comes with hopping a plane and leaving that all behind.



I’m here for the next couple days, gonna be a Texas sized good time I am sure and tomorrow we are hitting up the wine shops and wine bars here in Dallas, should be really interesting to see what wines they have here but for now I’m off to take a soak in the massive ass tub, soak the airplane, the kitty saliva, the Sweet Tea Vodka, the Romabuer Zin and the long ass day off me.

Signing off from deep in the heart of Texas y’all.