8:52 p.m.

Friday, Apr. 07, 2006

Wine Tasty

The evening plans were to attend a wine tasting, this particular night being my second wine tasting. This time I would be ready, and unlike the previous wine tasting I was not sick. Illness with about 15 quarter glasses of wine adds up to an incapacitation that lasts all the next day but shows my strange will power to still attend classes. This previous experience was worthwhile, though, because it prepared me for sip session two: syrah/shiraz. Some say their the same wine, some say they are different grapes, and I know that enough of either gets you loaded.

My evening started off with an afternoon trip to the store to purchase my contributed bottle of shiraz or syrah and also take care of my weekly shopping for bananas, bread, and other food staples. I had been running late to class, drinking coffee at leisure and reading internet comics at home, so I drove to school, making me a couple miles closer to the store anyway. During a brief walk to my car after my only class for the Thursday I recieved a (phone typed message) asking that everyone bring a cheap snack along with bottle of wine. Immediatly I knew to bring bread because I like bread, and bread goes with wine. After a walk that is about the same distance I would pater along to the bus stop, yet with fewer people to come into contact, I arrived at my car. There, entering my car, turning over the engine, and placing appropriate music on, the transition from school to weekend began.

Five minutes of driving later I pull into the annoyingly small parking lot, making for poor driving to stand out ever more, and search for the first space to give my car a short rest. Quickly executing the parking, with the stylish care of having a small old car, I nearly skip to the entrance most likely humming a made up tune to myself. The words to the tune are formed by my surrounding of the parking lot and people around me with a chorus based on my reason for shopping: wine and bread. "Buying wine and bread, I'm-a buying wine and bread..." the tune went as I walked inside and grabbed a hand basket.

First thing: bananas. Little bit green, but ready to eat. Done. Move on to sliced bread. Standard whole wheat is grabbed and in basket. While in the bread section I spied a nice loaf of asiago cheese and garlic bread, waiting to be oven warmed and spread into many stomachs. "You look fine," I whispered, "I could not ask for more, but I shall wait and ponder." Next, concentrate OJ, a yogurt cup or two, then make for the sample station for bite sized food and small cup coffee before rolling right over to the wine aisles. Sipping hot coffee while perusing red wines is quite the experience.

At first, I was having trouble finding a bottle of shiraz or syrah, I was only seeing mixes with cabernet or prices that had me denying the existence of said high priced bottles. '$9.99? Ah, I see there are none here.' Expanding my search area I was able to find a nice bottom row of choices that offered kind and price: shiraz/syrah and below $5.99. There was a moment of internal debate over two bottles, me trying to remember what year a friend recommended to me (2001 or 2002?). Going for locality, a Napa Valley winery, and price, $2.99 (I think), the choice was made. Before tossing money over for my soon to be purchases I trekked back to the baked goods area for that loaf of asiago and garlic. Another smooth run for my small pocketbook: $1.99. Delighting in the loaf for a moment before wisking it away in my basket, and soon a bag, I bound away to the checkstands for purchase, my car for travel, and home for lunch. I was quite hungry and had only teased my tummy with some in store samples.

The time for arrival at the hosting house was 8pm. I promptly left my apartment 25 minutes prior to this time, delayed by my watching the VH1 documentary "30 years of Hip Hop" to see the Beastie Boys segment, and walked to the end of my block. On my mp3 player I had various Sage Francis songs cued up to satisfy my rhyme style urges, desire delievered from the documentary.

[I'm finally starting this 3-part entry, but just a start for now. I'll finish later. Bets are open on how long or if I will actually finish]

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