An interesting (at least to me) conclusion

Posted on December 30, 2023 by profkf

So, we have now been here in SC for a little over two years. I’m sure, if you’ve read some of the prior stream of consciousness exercises you are aware that both Sue and I have mixed feelings about our move. There are many good things (weather, less congested, easier pace etc), but there is one thing that is still nagging at me…these damn “developed” communities.

To go back to the “beginning”…I was raised living in apartments in the Bronx, all walk ups, all with minimal fuses so there was no air conditioning as the electrical circuits would not allow it, and frequently the fuses would blow if two or more appliances were used at the same time requiring a trip to the basement to replace said blown fuse. That was just one of the issues…the central controlled heat (controlled by the building superintendent, who was being told what to do by the owners of the buildings) would, during the coldest days, create quite the symphony of residents banging on the pipes to let the super know that it was not warm enough and more heat was required. While we had a washing machine in the house there was no dryer (again, that pesky electric issue) and the laundry had to be hung on a line extending from the window making it quite the event in the wind and in the winter as well as needing to be very conscious about quick changes bringing rain. The noise of someone walking above you (unless you were on the top floor which created it’s own walk up issues), or being told to be mindful of those living below you all contributing to “apartment living”.

Then, beginning in 1989, I was lucky enough to own my own home in CT for the first time (well “own” meaning the bank and I were in partnership), but what it meant was space, and not having to experience any of the associated “apartment life” issues. I had a yard, both front and back, (and yes, that brought on a different set of issues….mowing, landscaping, maintenance etc) but it was MINE, and if I wanted to blast Mountain playing the live version of Nantucket Sleighride, Mississippi Queen or the like I was free to do so without any issue. No one was looking in the windows, we were set back from the road and had trees around home blocking any view that the shutters or drapes did not cover. This was the case until 2021 when we moved to Bluffton, and the “planned community”….Believe me I had no real handle on the fact that unless you have a LOT of money (remember, two retired teachers so we don’t) and you don’t want to live in the sticks (which we didn’t), there is NO shot at having a home with somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/2 to 2 acres around you.

It’s not just the proximity, it’s the HOA shite, you own the home but you have covenants and restrictions, and opinions and boards, and on and on and on…example: you want to put up a fence so your kids or your dogs are not endangered by the resident gators in the ponds, you can’t just do it, you have to pay a fee to have the request evaluated and approved…so in many ways it’s back to the “apartment life” in terms of not really feeling eased. Lest you think that it’s just us “middle folks” in these planned communities, we are directly adjacent to Palmetto Bluff, where the “smallest starter” is in excess of 1.5 million with annual “dues” in excess of 20K and yet, with very, very few exceptions and not in the 1.5-2.5 million sections, they are as close to each other as we are and as are all the other little box communities.

I don’t know if we would have still made the move to this particular area if we had had the luxury of the time to look around, we knew we liked the area from vacations but those were never longer than a week, we still might have as I don’t think you can fully appreciate the annoyance of HOA living (made even more annoying by being the third house occupied in an ongoing construction community) until you are immersed in it if you’ve never had the “pleasure” before. Regardless, my conclusion is that if I ever do leave here for whatever reason, it will never again be in a planned community with an HOA…in closing I’d like to leave you with the lyrics from the song Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds, it really does describe what it’s like in about two and a half minutes…(many of you may be familiar with it as the theme song from Weeds) if so, sing along!!!

Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes all the same

There’s a pink one and a green one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

And the people in the houses
All went to the university
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same

And there’s doctors and lawyers
And business executives
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school

And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

There’s a pink one and a green one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

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Seven becomes Eight

Posted on December 27, 2023 by profkf

So in the land of “having way too much time on my hands” I decided to add up the digits of this year and the year to come and ended up with the title…then I looked up the significance of those numbers and this immediately came up “Both Sevens and Eights are extremely strong willed and independent and so both resist being controlled by the other” (it’s as if some A.I. algorithm put in Sue and I when I searched that significance if you add up the digits of our birth years, both end up in the digit 7)

Honestly it means nothing since I’m no more a believer in numerology than I am in catholicism (though the latter has given me far more scars than the former) but it was just something I was trying to get to spur some creative words. I’ve had many fragmented thoughts over the past few weeks but have almost felt blocked for something worth putting out. (That said, it’s not as if there are legions of readers hanging on my every effort or waiting for the next “edition” as they would be for the next Donna Tart book)

More often than not, these expositions are just ways to ramble on and to converse with the universe, and I suspect, as I am currently engaged in true stream of consciousness (eternal thanks to Bob Baisley in 10th grade for introducing that phrase to me), that this will end up that way when I hit the publish button, but here goes.

I feel like it’s necessary to spend some time at almost year end thinking back on what has gone one this year and what upcoming looks like. Perhaps it’s my way of asking the train headed to the station “When all is said and done” to slow down and maybe even take an extended refueling break on the way, maybe it’s just self important silliness. It’s been both a relaxing (how can retirement not be you ask…) and fun filled year. We spent time with friends and family last year, drinking, dining, laughing etc, I got to spend a few days with my son, daughter in law, and grand daughters at their home doing all kinds of fun (if incredibly frenetic) activities) and also being able to spend some time with my daughter, son in law and fourth granddaughter. An epic trip to Paso Robles with some of those same friends ending in Carmel By The Sea and then just recently two days at the Biltmore in Ashville. Our community pool finally opened and both Sue and I returned to lap swimming which we both loved, I managed 37 days in a row and only missed 3 days total before it ended up closing down (it’s unheated) for the season (the last week or so it was incredibly cold but kinda fun). Sue has managed to keep up a few days a week in the town pool, I’ve not felt the pull to drive to swim when I was so used to simply strolling down to do my laps.

Lately, the leg I hurt playing golf almost two years ago when I slipped and slammed it into the side of the cart while getting in started to hurt. I saw an orthopedist yesterday who said there was no residual damage, but the bad news was the arthritis that caused my hip replacements back in ’09, ’10 has now taken hold of my feet (part of that is the genetic “blessing” of having flat feet). Unlike the hips which were surgically reparable, not so much with the feet, however the “good news” such that it is, is that custom orthotic inserts should ameliorate much of it.

That brings me back to the “train” and it’s forward motion…the good news is that if that is the worst of the news then I need to just smile and laugh about it, the bad news is the psychological jolts of what “getting old” means and while I still see 19 in the mirrror, the harsh reality is that I have trouble opening jars, driving in the dusk (even with the improved eyes from the almost two year old cataract surgery), and yes the continuing progression of the arthritis.

Tonight I will raise a glass (or two or three) to all the loved ones lost recently and those who have been gone a while, this season always brings back wonderful memories and also I find myself frequently saying “Wow, _____(fill in the blank) would have loved this”

Well…I guess I’ve waded in this particular “stream” long enough for now..time to take a stroll with Abbey THE dog.

We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

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Sometimes the Dreamscape has twists and turns

Posted on November 21, 2023 by profkf

For the longest time I had a long game vision, I’d work hard, I’d do my best to be as good a father as I could be, years would pass, I’d retire and then have the luxury of time and the freedom to escape the increasingly hated winters and spend time in the sunshine for a few months of the year and then spring and summers and maybe early fall back home. I’d have the best of both worlds, and would not have to give up family, friends, great food, laughs, connections.

Let’s look at where that vision has gone.

The good news: I did fulfill the dream to escape the winters and snow and ice and cleanup. I do have the luxury of time (well, in the sense that I don’t owe anyone a piece of my time anymore…the other part of time…I’ve written about that before and that was never something I could control).

The mediocre news: We didn’t end up in a situation where we have the luxury of being in both places, the summers here are humidity laden and really oppressive (but only mediocre in the sense that I would not trade that for the 3-4 months of snow/ice/cold).

The not so good news: Family, Friends and connections are far away, I know both of us never thought we’d make the same friends and connections here that we have developed over decades back home, however, I also know that neither of us ever thought it would be as difficult as it is starting from scratch here. Many folks are nice, most in fact, but there is simply something missing in terms of connections.

I guess the thought is a combination of “be careful what you wish for” and “the grass is always greener” along with a healthy mixture of “when you make plans, make sure your plans are well laid out” and “men plan, god laughs” (keeping in mind my agnostic take on the universe).

If YOU have the luxury of being around friends and family for the holidays, unlike us, enjoy the hell out of it.

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Down the Road…

Posted on November 6, 2023 by profkf

When you are young you are (at least in your own mind) immortal. Then you end up “adulting” you have responsibilities, work, bills, kids, and you end up in the middle of the sandwich of life, you’re not young, certainly not immortal, but you still have folks ahead of you moving along down the road.

Then, time continues to move along, thief that it is, and over time you are no longer in the middle of the sandwich, you somehow, rise to the forefront. I know, it’s odd to be lamenting this when the alternative to changing places in that sandwich is even more daunting, however, the time comes when reality really smacks you in the face like a well placed cast iron pan after you ask your wife “since you only have two feet, exactly how many pairs of shoes DO you need?”

It seems that every day there is another notice of someone close lost to the ether, and you (well at least I), start to dwell on the unknowable, that being how much longer the ride lasts, and more, how much of that remaining ride will be enjoyable in terms of activity and health. Each and every little tweak, stretch, step, motion that does not go unnoticed becomes cause for doubt. “Am I just tired, or is my balance not what it once was?” “Did I sleep awkwardly, or is something starting to go”, “Have my wonderful replaced hips started to actually wear out?” When will the day come that the simple tasks are no longer simple? When does “age” really begin to catch up to the point where you actually ”see” the difference? Many of the sports and music people I’ve followed are not reaching that point, where somewhere around 80 (it seems) speech, activity and motion do seem to change noticeably…that, dear readers, is less than a decade away for me (it’s around 8.6 years but who’s counting?)

On the one hand, I can still easily swim a mile (not at breakneck pace, but without any issue and without and stopping during the laps), I can’t seem to jog painlessly or effortlessly as I was able to do just a couple of years ago, and I do dwell on that setback, more than enjoy the ability to swim that distance (and I have done more than a mile when I’m in the mood).

I appreciate any and all who actually read these words, it simply allows me to wonder and worry without involving anyone else. I’ll end this with a couple of lines from a Jimmy Buffet widely overlooked song “He Went To Paris” however, this tome currently and thankfully would replace “had” with HAVE

“…,some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic
But I had a good life all the way”

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The “fountain” of youth

Posted on September 23, 2023 by profkf

Well, there’s a reason the title is in quotes…it’s not really about a fountain, but it does certainly concern water so read on……..

The day we got back from our trip to Paso and Carmel, the community pool finally opened. I had pretty much lost all hope of it happening this year, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I went in that very first day and swam one celebratory lap with the hope of starting up again (until it closes down for the season, this year, at the end of October as it’s not heated). I started the next day and did 20 laps, and the plan was to add two a day till I reached 72 which is a little bit over a mile (it’s a 25 yd. pool). I even bought a brand new set of bone conduction earphones as simply swimming laps is really really boring. The H2O audio TRI Multi-sport. https://h2oaudio.com/products/h2o-audio-tri-waterproof-open-ear-headphones-for-triathlon are all that I hoped for. I can drag and drop audio files from my Mac, but more importantly I can connect them via bluetooth to my phone and simply add the music from there. Long story short, they are so much more comfortable than my old SwimP3 set that had to hook up to the strap on the goggles and had very difficult to work buttons.

Well…with the music it didn’t take long to reach 50, then 60 laps and finally after less than a month (mostly swimming 5-6 days a week) I hit the “magic” 72. Just the other day I even added to that and hit first 80, then 82 laps (here’s the breakdown). It certainly is not going to scare Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps (even if one day they subscribe to my blog), but it’s not too shabby for a septuagenarian.

That brings me back to the point of the title. When I was running on a regular basis there were always days where I really didn’t want to lace up and go, even if I ended up doing it, it was a struggle some days. There is never a day where I am not excited to walk down to the pool and get in the water, fire up the tunes and start swimming. I thought about that the other day while swimming (as was the case with running, I do my best thinking while exercising), and it hit me…There are so many incredibly good memories associated with swimming for me. My dad, Uncle Dom, Far Rockaway, the HS swim team (I was on it, but not very competitive). When I was the size of a small planet, it was still something I could do easily (in fact, it’s more work now as “fat floats” and having lost significant weight I have to work harder at staying flat on the water). There is so much peace to simply hearing your breathing along with the music and gliding gracefully through the water (and believe me, moving gracefully on land is not my strong point). Having cracked the “miracle mile” I now simply swim till I don’t want to or until a prescribed playlist ends, or until I get tired. Regardless of the “timing” (most days, if you’re interested that lands somewhere between 48 and 80 laps depending upon the music) it feels as if I’m again 17 years old with a long stretch of track in front of me, I don’t feel any pain from the work in the pool, in fact, 3 or 4 days a week it’s coupled with a 1.25-1.5 walk with Abbey THE dog and once a week with the mowing of the lawn and yet, there is no “dread” only excitement at the anticipation and joy in the outcome.

Who would have thought that a simple 25 yard long “cement pond” would, in truth, really be the fountain of youth, both present and future!

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Carmel-By-The-Sea (A Paso Postscript)

Posted on August 29, 2023 by profkf

Sue had a wonderful idea when we were planning the Paso trip…since my birthday was the day after we were checking out of the Paso home, and since we were flying out of Monterey she thought it would be nice to spend a couple of days in Carmel. As luck would have it, Laura and Tracy were also able to spend the two nights and Tori and Paul one night. After looking at various places to stay, and having one oddly cancel about a month before the actual trip, we picked Villa Mara (https://villamaracarmel.com/). What a remarkable place. It was steps from Carmel beach, our room looked across the bay to Pebble Beach golf course and it was simply amazing.

We arrived fairly early, and I asked George for some place we could go for lunch in town, he made a great recommendation, so we parked and took an Uber in with Tori and Paul and had a great lunch at a local brew pub. Upon returning, we were met with welcome drinks (fully stocked bar, and some great wine selections), we checked in and off we went to relax before continuing the day. While we were checking in, I had asked George if there was any place I could get Pliny the Elder, the beer I was chasing, so far unsuccessfully, as I really just wanted to try it to compare to Heady Topper (my favorite VT Dipa). He said he’d check around, that he had seen it and he’d let me know.

We went up to a very comfortable room complete with….are you ready…a full Toto toilet with its own remote control (IYKYK). After a quick wake up shower, we headed down to start polishing off the remainder of the wines we had brought along with us from Paso, (the whites, graciously kept chilled by Rocky and Robert and George). After many more laughs, the six of us headed to dinner (again via Uber, it was so nice to have it easily available) at La Bicyclette (http://www.labicycletterestaurant.com/). Very quaint, great service. Sue and I shared the steak au poivre for our main course, it was nicely done though I would have preferred a more robust and plentiful au poivre sauce. The company was, of course, stellar. Upon Ubering back we sat outside by the fire pit (it was so nice to be slightly chilled and not living has we had been for the past two months, on the surface of the sun), and as I started to sip, Sue came down from the room with a picture she said I had to see…George, Rocky and Robert conspired to go and get some Pliny the Elder and there, in the room, on ice, was three bottles…talk about extraordinary service…

La Bicyclette

Waiting for me in the room after dinner!!

Tori and Paul were leaving the next morning so we said our goodbyes (after a lot more wine) and headed up for a great sleep.

The next morning, my birthday, we headed down to a terrific breakfast and then took a walk along Carmel Beach (remember my cut toe from the first night? well off into the ocean it went as salt water cures everything…and it did), came back up and took a walk into town…a long, uphill, hot walk that seemed like a good idea while planning it…We had a nice, non-de script lunch in town and then got an Uber for the trip back…

Dinner that evening was at Grasing’s (https://grasings.com/) and it was early due to the fact that the next morning we had a 5:15 AM flight out of Monterey airport…while it was close, it was still early and Sue still had a bag to check.

Sue had made all the arrangements for the dinners in Carmel, so to my surprise when we arrived there was a birthday card for me from the chef…Dinner was terrific, we all shared some Waygu that was done to perfection, some great wine, and simply had a fabulous time recapping the trip and spending time with folks we won’t see again for a little while.

Uber back to the Villa, and after packing and loading the big bag into the car to avoid having to do it a 3:30 am, we spent our last few hours finishing off our last Paso wine with Laura and Tracy.

Since we were leaving well before breakfast, Rocky had made arrangements to have a take away bag and fresh coffee for us to pick up as we were leaving….the perfect end to a perfect stay.

The flights home were smooth, the layover in Dallas made easier by the Amex lounge. The only hiccup was that just as we landed in Savannah, there was a typical southern summer storm that we were told would prevent them from unloading the luggage for an unspecified amount of time. The benefit of living only 20 miles from the airport was that we simply went home and then picked it up a day later!

And that…is the rest of the story….

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Paso part 3:

Posted on August 25, 2023 by profkf

Thursday Aug 10th: When we started planning this trip one of the things on everyones “must” list was dinner at Justin ( https://www.justinwine.com/visit) along with a tasting. Having received a Michelin star it has become quite the hot ticket. I originally contacted them months out and was told that they only take reservations 60 days out. So I set my calendar and at the exact 60 day mark from when we wanted to go (this very day), I both logged on and called at the “opening bell” Well….no such luck as they were instantly out of anything before 8:15 pm (now that may not seem bad to many of you, but it’s a 3.5 hour dinner and 45 minutes from the house we were in). So I had myself added to their waiting list with really no hope, and had heard nothing from them prior to the trip. Well…..remember we were headed to the house from Hearst Castle after the small stop for lunch? (if not go read part 1 again), my phone rings and it’s Justin Restaurant saying yes, they have space for the 6 of us at 6:30 if we are still interested. I almost drove off the road! Long story short, I said yes, I was sent a link to confirm, that I did when we arrived at the house and we were booked for their tasting menu (the only kind of meal they serve). We also decided that this would require transportation since no one wanted to drive the 45 minutes back after such a long dinner and wine pairing, so I set aside time to find and book that as well.

We did have one tasting set up prior to that, at Turley (https://www.turleywinecellars.com/ ) so off we went at midday. It was a very nice set up, the wines were very tasty, heavy on the Zin’s (which we all like) so much so that, while I didn’t join the club, I did buy two bottles that, as I write this, are on their way to SC. After that we headed to a butcher and fish market to gather things for the dinner we were going to cook at the house on Saturday when Sue’s brother David and sister-in-law Sandy were going to join us from San Fran. Steak, shrimp, scallops, salad, made up the bulk of the dinner menu with a cheese board to start, so with bags packed off we went to the house to swim a bit prior to getting ready for dinner.

At 5:45 the transportation arrived and off we went. We arrived at Justin and were met, as you would expect, with smiles and a glass of welcome wine. We were seated promptly at 6:30 and the epicurean journey began. The service was spectacular, (if you’ve seen the movie The Menu, it was everything but the opening “clap” and we all made it out alive and well). While it was listed as a “4 course” menu, between the opening amuse and the various “extras” it was much more than just 4 things. The wine was, of course, paired perfectly, and unlike other similar experiences a renewed “splash” was always given, after the first course, without even mentioning it. There were some clear winners and some that seemed to not float everyone’s boat, but overall it was exactly the experience we had hoped for. Each one of us was given a small bag with water, a special salt and a copy of the menu to take along and off we went (thankfully transported by someone else) back to the house.

Justin: The Restaurant is at the left, overlooking the vineyards

Friday Aug 11th: A full but very fun day. We started our tasting with a private, hilltop tasting at Adelaida (https://www.adelaida.com/) . The setting and the views were stunning and the wines, hands down, the best we had while in Paso (yes I joined that club as did a few other folks, it was that good). After that we headed a very short way down the road to another fabulous setting Daou (https://daouvineyards.com/). It was very different from the first tasting that day. Adelaida was laid back, and while busy, very relaxed. Daou was over the top hustling, bustling and busy. It gave me the feeling that if EPCOT had a wine tasting room Daou would be it. That did not detract from their wines which were very nice, and their signature Soul of a Lion stands with the best cab in Paso and equal to a great Napa/Sonoma cab. Sue’s brother David and sister in law Sandy met us there (they are members which is how we even found out about it) and at the end of the tasting, gifted me a bottle of Soul (which made the trip home to SC safely and is now residing in our wine fridge for some upcoming special occasion).

Laura and Tracy left about midway through the Daou tasting as another “expansion” of the circle was about to happen…Laura’s niece Ellen, who she had not seen in a few years and who was living in the LA area was coming to visit along with her boyfriend Simon, and they went to meet them. We gathered back together for a wonderful dinner at In Bloom (https://www.inbloompasorobles.com/) in downtown Paso. As was the case with Ella and Paulie, Ellen and Simon were sparks of energy and just wonderful to get to know and spend time with.

Adeladia Hilltop Tasting

Daou with Dave and Sandy (Laura and Tracy had left to meet Laura’s niece)

Saturday Aug 12th: Our last full day in Paso….We headed to a cave tour and wine tasting at Eberle https://www.eberlewinery.com/). Gary Eberle is touted as one of the founding fathers of Paso Wines. Laura/Tracy/Ellen/Simon went to another winery due to the fact that when Dave and Sandy were added on the cave tasting could only accommodate 8 and it would have left Ellen and Simon hung out to dry as there was no other space (we found out when we got there how busy it was). The tour was nice, but after the other places we had been it was simply ok…It was another busy place where they were moving folks in and out quickly. Our cave tour was unhurried and our tour guide really nice but it would not be one I’d recommend for a shorter stay in Paso. After that, we headed back to the house, all together again, and there was pool time, laughs and the “last supper in Paso”…grilled steaks, scallops, shrimp, salad and a LOT of wine of all kinds…suffice it to say that everyone had a great time and it was the perfect way to cap off the week.

Sunday Aug 13th: A very relaxed morning, breakfast, coffee, packing, saying goodbye to Ellen and Simon, one final look around and this spectacular week in Paso came to a very nice conclusion. BUT…the six of us where headed to Carmel By The Sea for another small coda to the trip…but that’s a story for another day…

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Paso part 2 of 3:

Posted on August 22, 2023 by profkf

Monday 8/7: After a leisurely breakfast and relaxed conversation we headed out on the first wine stop of the trip. Niner Winery https://www.ninerwine.com/. The setting was great, we were overlooking “Heart Hill” and the wines were great. One of the lessons we learned on our multiple Napa and Sonoma trips was to make sure we had nibbles along with the tastings (and to limit the tastings to no more than 2 per day) so we had a charcuterie board along with the wines. All of it was a great kickoff to the week. Niner was one of my favorites of the trip, though I did not join their club as they are one of the few from Paso that we can reliably get here in SC. We were planning on a second that day, Broken Earth, but when I asked our “tasting guide” about his thoughts he said they were “unique” in that they specialized in sweeter wines, no one in the group enjoys that so we decided to simply scuttle it. Another thing he did tell us about was a great butcher and fish market (that will come into play later in the trip), so off we went to go back to the house with a detour to Albertson’s to stock up for the week (Tori had made a quick stop on her way in on Sunday just enough for the one morning), very convenient that CA stores sell wine, beer and booze alongside the groceries, truly one stop shopping. Upon arriving back at the house, Paul’s son (also Paul…henceforth referred to as Paulie) and his niece Ariella (Ella) had arrived to stay for a couple of days, so after unloading and putting away we all headed down to the pool to continue sipping and getting to know the “new kids on the block”. What a fabulous addition, they were so much fun to have, I’m sorry they didn’t stay longer! After having no dinner plans, Paul and Tori found a local family run Italian restaurant that was willing to take a party of 8 last minute. On the menu they had a mussels and clam dish and I asked if they would simply make a mussels fra diavolo. The chef said “sure” and what I had may very well have been the best tasting food I had in Paso, it was up there with my grandfather’s and my ex mother in law’s..it was so freaking good that while I finished the mussels, I kept the “juice”, brought it home and used it to make with my eggs each of the next three mornings…I can still taste it as I write. Some more sipping and then off to the land of nod….

Niner Wine Estate: Heart Hill

Tuesday 8/8: Just one scheduled tasting today (there originally were two….but Justin was taken off the list for today, more about that on Thursday…Today was Tablas Creek ( https://tablascreek.com/ ) A really nice, low key, tasting with a lot of interesting wines. I did join that club since they are not available here and I liked the variety of lighter reds (they, like many in Paso, do a GSM mix that is very interesting). While we were out tasting, Paulie and Ella had decided they were going to do a full on family meal at the house that evening and they went shopping…when we arrived home they were in full prep mode. Their menu was an incredible variety of antipasto, salads, and the shining star..a bunch of different pizzas that they were preparing and would cook in the wood fired pizza oven down by the pool. Everyone was helping, sipping, laughing and just having a great time. Getting the pizza oven up to temp was quite the adventure as the wood we had been left was not well seasoned and it became very difficult to get up to temp. Regardless, after much effort on many parts, the pizzas were made and enjoyed by everyone. (The interesting part is that the oven held the temp for another day and a half once it was finally fully fired). The postscript: the leftover pizza provided the base for more spectacular breakfasts (along with my mussel “juice”).

Wednesday 8/9: Sadly, Paulie and Ella were leaving today, they were so much fun to have join in, and frankly, they are such interesting, eloquent, funny, bright younger folks that it really does give one hope in this tumultuous time we live in. We all said our goodbyes as they were packing as we were leaving for our “two a day” trip…First up was Bianchi (https://www.bianchiwine.com/ ) chosen originally as it was pretty close to the house. We arrived just as they opened, and after spending a lot of time at the Koi pond (with Sue delighting in feeding the fish as they gave fish food prior to the tasting) we were pleasantly surprised at the wines, nothing spectacular but all tasty (and the pours were beyond “ample”). Again we made the correct choice to have some charcuterie and cheese to ward off the generous “revisits”. From there, just down the road, to Tobin James (https://www.tobinjames.com/ ) the only standing tasting we had all week…it was an atmosphere modeled on the wild west. The tastings were fun, the wine good. We did pick up some at each place as we constantly needed to restock the homestead. Then there was dinner….The Hatch was highly recommended so we had made a reservation there prior to the actual trip. To say it was a disappointment would be saying far too little. It was terrible. The service was great, but the food was less than mediocre. Tasteless apps, tasteless (highly touted main courses) we simply could not get out of there fast enough. Still don’t know who was writing the reviews. The ONLY upnote…I had a glass of Pappy Van Winkle 15 (they are a Bourbon focused place)

Bianchi

Tobin James

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Paso part 1:

Posted on August 19, 2023 by profkf

Ten days, three locations, nine wineries. So much to say that I decided to write this in parts..

This trip was over a year in discussion and almost a year in the planning stage. We started as a group of 8 and due to some unexpected changes (you know the old phrase: “men make plans, god laughs”) ended up with a core group of 6 (which expanded and contracted during the actual trip). The three core couples: Sue and I, Laura and Tracy, and Tori and Paul, all left at different times on different days from different airports and yet, it all went fine. This is mostly about the path Sue and I took, though it will be intertwined with tales of the entire group (and the extended group as well), so buckle up and enjoy the ride:

Saturday 8/5: Sue and I head to Savannah Airport for a 6AM flight to Monterey, CA by way of Dallas. We managed to time it pretty well (even with insisting the dreaded “bag checking”). Both legs were smooth and both departed and landed early. The layover in Dallas allowed us to spend a bit of time in the Amex lounge where the food and the drinks were excellent and we were away from the madding crowd. As an aside, we were both impressed with DFW airport. The layout was very easy to navigate in spite of its size and while clearly busy and crowded, it flowed very nicely and there was a lot of space. We landed in Monterey and very quickly were in the rental car, and off to location #1: The BLu Pacific Hotel (that’s the way it’s spelled) I chose it just as a place to spend the night and rest up for the remainder of the trip, the reviews were solid….not quite sure who wrote the largely favorable reviews…The desk folks were very nice (we got there early, but they had the room ready right after we went for lunch). The room…oy…small, tired, noisier than my old bronx apartment, a bathroom door so warped that anyone using it in the middle of the night faced the quandary: Do you leave it open or do you try to close it and have it screech like a treed bobcat. The kicker was at 12:40 am, a car alarm in the parking lot went off and it took a good 10 minutes for the owner to figure out how to stop it. So, after being up since 3AM east coast time we didn’t get the sleep we were hoping for.

Sunday 8/6: Up earlier than we’d hoped, we did find a fabulous local place for breakfast (yup, eggs benedict for both of us), we showered and could not get out of there fast enough. Off we were to Paso Robles but, since we couldn’t get into the house we had all rented till 4 pm, we decided to head to San Simeon and go to Hearst Castle. It was on both our lists of things to do since we had seen MANK, and Citizen Hearst (a great PBS two parter) as well as Citizen Kane. Coincidentally Laura and Tracy (who also flew in a day earlier) were doing the same thing so we met them there. It is impossible to accurately portray the scope of the estate in words, I will leave it at the fact that it was everything we thought it would be and sooo very much more. After the tour the four of us stopped for a small bite and a small libation in a town on the way to Paso and a sign on the wall sparked my continued quest for Pliny The Elder (it’s a rare west coast beer), which will make a return appearance much later in this blog. In the meantime, Tori and Paul had landed in San Fran and were on their way to Paso as well. The timing worked out perfectly and we all met at the very large home we had rented for the week. [4 king bedrooms all en suite, remember there were originally 4 couples in the group, 2 more bedrooms with a connecting bathroom and an additional “apartment” with it’s own bath, and a loft up a spiral staircase that would have slept an additional 4 if needed]. A pool, wood fired grill, a wood fired pizza oven (all these will factor in later), large kitchen, living area, deck, dining room, billiard room more outdoor space..all in all, more space than we needed but managed to use most all of it. Dinner that evening was at BL Brasserie (http://bistrolaurent.com) and was both relaxed and delicious.

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Music

Posted on July 11, 2023 by profkf

Etymology

Middle English musik, from Anglo-French musike, from Latin musica, from Greek mousikē any art presided over by the Muses, especially music, from feminine of mousikos of the Muses, from Mousa Muse

This blog thought started today while I was driving around and listening to the Beach Boys channel on SiriusXM in the car. One of my very favorite songs of theirs (and that’s a very tough choice) is “Add Some Music” from seriously overlooked Sunflower album. It says a lot about how ever present music is. One of my favorite parts about 2/3 of the way in:

“Music….When you’re alone….is like a companion….For your lonely soul “

As I was driving around doing some errands I started to think if there was ever a time where I could not relate some moment of my life to music and the answer was a resounding NO.

As a very young boy, with the TV being the babysitter of choice, I would watch “Your Hit Parade” (google it kids) with incredible fascination. There was music everywhere. My mom’s dad was a big opera fan and would, after an appropriate amount of wine, break into song. He and my grandmother lived in the Belmont area of the Bronx and we spent just about every Sunday with them the sound of Doo-Wop was everywhere back then.

Jump to the 60’s…Dick Clark, Hullabaloo, Where The Action Is, Ed Sullivan, Hollywood Palace, Sing along with Mitch, and on and on, never mind the jingles, On the radio it was the WMCA Good Guys, and WA(Beetle)C on the AM side and eventually WNEW-FM.

Vinyl gave way to 8 track tapes, which gave way to cassettes which were replaced by CDs and now it’s simply electronic streaming.

Music was going to change the world in the late 60’s and early 70’s, Disco, Heavy Metal, Grunge, Hip-Hop, et al as the decades moved on.

One of the songs that came on as I was driving was “Heroes and Villains” and that took me directly back to a time sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch in Far Rockaway when it was released with great fanfare. I can smell the salt water and feel the ocean breeze coming down the street as I type this.

I can’t imagine a day without music, let alone a life without music. I would love to have the talent to be able to play or at least the talent to be able to write a song (at least the lyrics). Sadly I have neither of those talents, but that doesn’t make me appreciate it any less.

As Brian Wilson, Joe Knott and Mike Love so eloquently put it:

The world could come together as one
If everybody under the sun
Add some music to your day

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