2006 summer picks

Summer has been nice but wet here in Western Canada. Not just wet because of the weather but also because we have managed to sample 18 whites and 3 reds. France once again dominates our sampling with 9, then Australia with 4, 2 for the US, New Zealand and Chile followed by a single bottle from both Germany and Italy.

"Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room. Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys. This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment to yourself. A moment without the madness. The dishes can wait. Dinner be damned. Mad Housewife Wine."

In Spring I promised to search out some good Aussie wines and I am glad to say one has made my list. Here are the top 5 for summer.

1. La Rouviere, Chateau de Lancyre, Coteau de Languedoc, 2004 - Languedoc, France (18/20)$20
"dry, beautiful, aromatic, understated, lemon tones"

2. Bogle, Merlot 2003 - California, US (16/20) $25
"plum, blackcurrant, soft and flavoursome"

3. Mount Langhi Ghiran, Riesling 2004 - Australia (16/20) $19
"nice dry, citrus on the nose, clear white colour, lemon and lime, strong minerality" (for a full review read here)

4. Collalto, Prosecco Di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene - Suseganna, Italy (16/20) $25
"just the way I like my sparking wine, not too dry"

5. Pfaffenheim, Gewurtztraminer, Vin D'Alsace, 2004 - Alsace, France (16/20)$15
"sweet but not sticky, a great sweet wine"

I expect the fall will see us return to trying more reds and I intend to continue looking for good wines from outside Europe. Keep an eye out for a post on how I rate the wines from different countries.

For more information ...
La Rouviere
Bogle Merlot
Mount Langhi Ghiran(poor site)
Collato
Pfaffenheim (good site and in French)
mad housewife

not so constant gardener

I find gardening both relaxing and challenging. Relaxing because it gets my mind off work and other nonsense, challenging because of its unpredictable nature.

One can design a bathroom and due to its static nature you can define what you want and then work to get it. You can design a garden too but dynamic and unpredictable variables like weather and plants make it more difficult to get what you want but in many ways more rewarding.

Our garden is pretty simple and not too impressive, occasionally however we have a dramatic success. Two years ago it was our delicious tomatoes, last year it was the potatoes, this year it is the Asiatic lilies. Any fool could grow these, they take little care and just need to be planted in full or semi-shaded area.

So, overall I would not describe myself as a constant gardener. My neighbours on the other hand, that is another matter for another post.





For more information ...
lilies
the constant gardener

a day in the life

Last week I decided to capture the mundane and banal from a typical work day.

I have never developed a strong liking for coffee, but, ahh! a nice cup of tea, is how I start my day ...

... I have been getting up early and writing for one hour before beginning my 40 minute commute ...

... first the bus ...

... at this spot the c-train door will open and I will get on, mine are not the pink toenails ...

... here is PetroCanada Tower, Calgary's #1 terrorist target, I work on the 38th & 39th floors ...

... spot the ubiquitous Starbucks in the foyer, been a tea drinker I never stop there ...

... I just take the elevator and look at the TV to get 'in depth' 20 word headlines...

... stop! you cannot come in unless you say the magic word ...

... go and work hard young man ...

... I walk down the hall to my office ...

... I'm thankful that I have an office even if it is next door to the notorious B.I.G. who adorned my name plate with this cartoon ...

.. of course to IT, I am just a number 'jtb86118' not a name ...

... I try to keep my desk tidy but it gets messy with word docs, excel spreadsheets and visio charts, may be the cartoon is closer the mark than I would care to admit ...

... my phone is invariably flashing messages when I come in, such is life when you work with people around the planet ...

... but I usually take a moment to enjoy the view, the buildings are not pleasant but in the distance I can usually see the snow capped Rockies ...

... why not cut out the 'middle man' and dump the paper straight in the recycling bin ...

... my office is on the 39th floor but I am typically up and down to the 38th floor 5-10 times a day ...

... looking down 39 floors can make me feel dizzy ...

... as can these diagrams, spot the Greek reference? ....

... so now it's time for lunch, today, sushi, tuna, salmon, prawn and California outside roll, all for $6! (4Euros, UKP3, $AUS7) ...

... if I'm stressed I will go and walk a labyrinth in a nearby church, this is a great way to relax, I try to do it slowly, typically it takes me 30 minutes to get to the inside ...


... at then home at the end of the day.


For more information ...
labyrinth

listening

A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

- Edward Hersey Richards


Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.

- Epictetus


Good listening involves being in the moment and tuning into someone else. I think too much about the future and too much about myself therefore I struggle with listening.

Although flawed, I am reasonably self-aware and have worked at listening. At work during meetings, I play this game where I try to be the last person to speak. In this way I can sit silently and listen. It kills me and yet shows me the idleness of chatter! I also ask myself if what I am about to say will make a difference, most times it will not, so I don't bother saying anything. More and more, I find this to be true.


I would not want to leave you with the impression that I am quiet. I am not and would say I am one of the more vocal in most work groups. I am working at listening and choosing a few key words that express something of import. I find my writing style is far more minimal than my verbal style and conveys better what I mean.

Do you hear me?

half way

So how long will I live? The following is certainly not scientific but it is amusing.

The life expectancy in Ireland is 77.73 years and I lived there for my first 21 years. In the UK it is 78.54 and I spent 8 years in that country. I am glad I spent 7 years in Canada as the life expectancy there is 80.22 years. Finally the life expectancy in the US is 77.85 and I spent 2 years stateside.

Calculating my life expectancy from the average life expectancy for each country and weighting it by the time spent in each country, I come up with the following.

((77.73*21)+(78.54*8)+(80.22*7)+(77.85*2))/38 = 78.36 years

So I will live to 78, which means that I will meet the grim reaper sometime in 2046. If I go all 'Cardinal Ussher' and calculate exactly how many days .36 of 78.36 translates to, the grim reaper will sharpen his scythe on Friday May 11th at 9.36 in the morning, just after my final breakfast.

(source: www.firstworldwar.com)

By then my son will be 42 and if he had a child at the same age I did, that child would be 6. So I will see my son mature to the age of 42 and my grandson to the age of 6, if I and they are lucky. This is certainly not scientific and it is quickly losing its humor. When put like this, 78 does not seem long enough.

Today I am 38, almost halfway there.

For more information ...
life expectancy
rank order life expectancy
first world war sketches
cardinal ussher