Twisted Pinot Grigio

Description on the bottle:

Here is a Limerick of a wine that is Twisted.

In a glass, it cannot be resisted.

Whether a Cab, Chard or Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Zin - all great to know.

Pour me another glass I insisted!

Twisted Pinot Grigio is an enchanting taste of summer - regardless of the season.  This crisp white wine sparkles with bright Meyer lemon drops, pear, yellow apple, and subtle hints of cinnamon spice.  Enjoy this delightful sipper with fish tacos, angel-hair pasta with bacon and fresh peas, peel and eat shrimp, or Cobb salad.

Sarah says:  I didn't drink this wine with any of the foods listed above, and it was still very enjoyable.  I had it on Christmas Eve with my in-laws as we ate ham and sat around talking.  I figured a pinot grigio was a safe bet for a group of people, and it worked out wonderfully.  We all ate, drank, and enjoyed the night.  The wine was delicious, and the company was comfortable.  I wished we could have spent more time together, but the kids had to get to bed so Santa could come!  I would certainly get this wine for a family function again.   

Overall rating:  Thumbs up

Sarah says:  The sticker on this bottle says it has won 18 gold medals, and 5 best buys since 2007.  While I believe the wine is worth all these awards, my cooking as I finished this bottle up last night, was not.  Without going into the details, we've decided that Liam is going gluten free.  We decided this a few weeks ago, and have been low gluten since, meaning I've been giving him special bread, pasta & cereal, but I haven't really been looking into much else.  But starting 1/1 - we're going all the way.  To prepare, over the past few weeks I've been reading and reading and reading all about this diet.  I think I have enough knowledge to jump in with my nose unplugged.  I've also learned over the past few weeks, that gluten free isn't cheap.  The frugal side of me, and the mom-that-wants-whats-best-for-her-kids side of me are having a huge conflict.  To attempt to settle the fight between them, I decided I'd try to cook some gluten free muffins.

So are so many things wrong with this plan that I don't even know where to begin.  The first being, I do not cook.  And even worse, I do not bake.  I can occasionally cook a semi-decent dinner, but baking, baking just never works out for me.  But, all this reading I've been doing - those stinking authors had me thinking it would be easy.  The second issue, my lack of cooking/baking has me with a lack of tools.  I pretty much have one mixing bowl, one spoon, a hand held mixer that was probably $5 on a black friday special, and a blender that is 10+ years old, with blades that are probably super worn down from making margaritas!  My kitchen is not adequately prepared for the cooking that this diet demands.  Third, I was going to bake with ingredients that I never heard of, could barely pronounce, and sounds like they are a little finicky to begin with.  This project was doomed from the start.

Either way - after putting the kids to bed, I poured myself a glass of wine, propped open my cook book, and got started.  First task was to make some rice milk - here's the thing, the recipe called for any type of milk - and we aren't going casein free (casein is basically the protein in dairy products, kind of like gluten is the protein in wheat), but from all that I've read, it sounds like it might be a good idea too.  While I'm only focused on gluten right now, I figured I might as well pull out the casein where I can.  So I made rice milk - which looks as gross as it sounds by the way.  Then, I put my yeast packet into my rice milk, which was supposed to bubble for 5 min, it did for about 4 seconds...  then I melted some butter, which resulted in a stick of butter exploding all over the inside of my microwave.  I'm trying to blame the end results on the fact that I only ended up with a half a stick of butter, since the rest was all over my walls, but I'm thinking that wasn't the problem.  Then, and here is another spot that I may have gone wrong - I decided not to just start with the normal, simple, gluten free muffins.  I figured if I was going to do this, I was going to DO THIS.  I live by the statement, anything worth doing is only worth doing if you give 110% into it.  I was not about to make regular muffins, I was going to make the super charged healthy muffins, where you sneak in purred veggies and applesauce without you kid even knowing.  So I threw some of that in there too.  Then I baked.  Here is what came out...

After 2 hours of mixing, measuring, swearing, and explosions, I got 12 of these babies.  Not bad looking, right?  I was actually pretty pleased with myself after cleaning up.  I put 6 in the freezer, and 6 in a Tupperware for the next day.  Liam and Mary saw them the next morning and couldn't wait to get their hands on them!  Mary called them cupcakes, Liam called them treats.  We were so excited, we didn't bother waiting for dinner (their original purpose - since they are more like rolls), we dug into them for breakfast.  Liam shoved a whole half into his mouth, and about 3 chews later starting dry heaving and gagging.  I tried to tell him to take a deep breath, chew slowly and swallow.  It didn't work.  I happened to be emptying the dishwasher at the time, so I had a sauce pan in my hand, which I threw in front of him and he threw up the entire thing.  I tried to convince him he took too big of a bite and to try again, taking smaller bites... he refused.  Mary took one small bite - her excitement quickly drained from her face and she pushed her plate away and walked away from the table in complete silence, but turned back to give me a glance of ultimate disappointment.  How dare I give her such awful food?  I figured they were just being difficult, how bad could they be?!  Bad... trust me.... so so bad.  I popped a piece into my mouth.  At first, I thought, "this isn't the best thing I've ever eaten, but it's ok"... a few chews later, I thought, "oh god... this is bad, chew slowly, breath, swallow... swallow... darn it sarah, swallow!" A few seconds later... I spat it out in the sink.  

My poor children!  I tried to kill them with these awful healthy muffins!  I seriously don't even know how to describe the taste - lets just say it's not something you want to eat.  They even smell bad!  I was going to just toss them out, but my frugal side smacked me upside the head and told me I spend $15 on all those ingredients, they were not going in the garbage.  So, for dinner, I heated them a bit, hoping that would make them better, and smothered them in ranch dressing, which kind of defeats the purpose of making them casein free, but whatever.  Mary still refused, but Liam ate it, which I guess is all that really matters.  I didn't personally taste it this way, I figured if they still wouldn't go for it... then I'd just take their word for it.  That's good parenting right there!  Maybe tomorrow I'll put BBQ sauce on them, BBQ sauce is good on anything.  Wait maybe I should look and see if BBQ sauce is gluten free first, shoot, I'm still new at this!

So anyways - my first adventure in gluten free baking didn't go so well.  Even with that disaster, tomorrow I'm going to try making bread!  I just can't force myself to keep spending $5 for 14 slices of bread when I used to spend $1 for 30!  Please wish me luck - any advice is welcomed! 

:-)

Red X Part II

Sarah says:

I mentioned here that I liked the taste of this wine.  Well, I've had a change of heart... tonight this glass is awful.  My new recommendation would be to only drink this wine if you plan on consuming the entire bottle, because after day 1 it's no longer good.  Ew.. I feel like it's giving me a headache, and I've only had a few sips.

Speaking of X's - I give myself one big parent fail for last weekend.  Even after all the snuggles and extra special time that was had just the weekend before, I found myself failing as a Mom just the next weekend.  It's so easy to react when tragedy strikes, but even easier to fall back into our simple routine just days later. 

It was the Saturday before Christmas, I generally get all my preparations done early, so I was good to go, but was avoiding leaving the house because I knew anywhere we went would be madness.  Jon was working, so it was just me and the munchkins.  We sat around, I let them watch TV, I stalked around on the internet, I let them run around outside, but I found myself saying the words "I'm bored" over and over again.  GASP!  Mom's are not allowed to be bored, we don't have time to be bored, we have bigger more important things to do, boredom isn't allowed.  Yet, I was, in fact, bored.  It was my sweet Mary that snapped me out of it.  The words that came out of her mouth were as follows:  Mom, play with me.  It wasn't a question or a request, it was a statement... as in... YOU WILL BE PLAYING WITH ME NOW.

What's wrong with me?!  I was so caught up the previous week in being busy, that when I was finally done being busy, I forgot what it was my real job in life is... to play with my kids!  So playing we did.  Of course, by this time, it was 4:00 so the day was mostly over, so I tried my best to make it up to them.  We pulled all the train stuff out of Liam's room and set it all up in the living room.  We made the biggest track our new home has ever seen, there wasn't a single piece of track that wasn't utilized.  The kids... they loved it.  I wouldn't say it was my most favorite activity, but I certainly wasn't bored.  

Why is it so easy to forget to be grateful for what we have?  The whole time I was bored, I kept trying to think of something amazing to do, when really, the most amazing thing to my kids was right there in front of them.  When do we reach the age where we are no longer fascinated with the simple things, such as setting up trains with Mom, and instead need more and more entertainment?  And, even worse, when are my kids going to stop wanting to play with me?  

I haven't officially declared my New Year's resolutions yet, but I'm going to try to get something worked into them about spending more quality time with the kids, or living in the moment more.... something like that.

I'm thankful for my kids, who usually get me out of a down state pretty quickly.  What do you do to appreciate life?  

Red X

Description on the bottle:  California Red Wine.  

Bad at rules.  Good at wine.

Always wear pajamas when sleeping an strange beds.

Never lick a steak knife.

Never give yourself a haircut after three glasses of wine.

X Winery's Reed Renaudin is as fed up with rules as you are.  He explores possibilities more traditional winemakers never consider because the only rule he does follow is making wines people love to drink.  Curious?

Red X is a harmonious blend of several sumptuous wine varietals that perform like musicians in a great band, each bringing their own talents to the show.  After you taste this blend, we're sure you'll have your lighters raised high pleasing for an encore.

Sarah says:  I didn't want to like this wine.  Usually I would find the humor on the description of this bottle entertaining, but tonight I just wasn't in the mood.  My mood is down, sad, angry, confused.  The bragging about breaking the rules just made me want to smack this guy.  Rules are supposed to be followed!  They are there for a reason.  With that being said, I like the taste of this wine.  It's got that smokey thing that I generally don't like, but it's so subtle that I can handle it.  It's not sweet, which is great.  It's a nice, easy going, red wine.

Overall rating:  Thumbs most of the way up.

Sarah says:  Like most of the world, I'm still in shock over the events that took place on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  My initial reactions were full of anger.  I wanted to scream at this guy -  what is wrong with you?!  Kids... you shot and killed kids, 20 of them!!  Plus their teachers!  What is happening to our world?!   I couldn't wrap my head around it, and still can't.  Then the parent in me kicked in, and I just cried.  I listened to the President's speech over and over, and cried.  I hugged my kids, and cried.  I felt this overwhelming emotion and sadness for these children that I never knew, for their parents, for the survivors that had to witness such violence at such a young age.  These 1st graders have seen more violence first hand than I have now in my life.  I feel fortunate, but sad by the unfairness of it all.  I feel helpless, there is nothing that I can do to help these people.  I feel almost guilty that I was able to go home and kiss and hold my kids, something these parents will never be able to do again.  

Then there's the confusion.  I want an answer, and the reality that I may never get this answer is making me crazy.  I have been glued to the news stories, frantically reading articles after my own babies have gone to sleep the past 3 nights, hoping to find out the reason that this happened.  And yet, no reason can be found.  And that just makes me feel confused and sick.  Are our kids safe anywhere?  Not at school, not at movie theaters, not in our own homes, not even in churches anymore.  I just don't understand it all.  Why would someone kill so violently like that?  They say that every single victim had multiple bullet wounds - between 3 and 11.  Really?  I've never shot a gun - so I don't get the thrill - but just shooting a bunch of innocent kids wasn't enough, you had to shoot them over and over again...?!  I just cannot understand it.  Ugh.

I wish I had some great insight to say - but I don't.  I take comfort in believing in God, and I do believe that these children are in a better place now.  One that doesn't know the violence they endured.  Unfortunately, as a parent, I don't know how I'd feel if someone told me that after my own child was murdered.  So, although those words comfort me, I don't know how well they work on anyone else.

Because my own words fail me tonight, I'll repeat some words that I found meaningful over the past two days:

Someone on Facebook named Matthew Nicholas wrote these words:

Hey kids. You. The Ones that left us today. The ones who experienced the worst that humanity can do. You little angels who closed your eyes in a living Hell this morning. I'm so, so very sorry that this world didn't give you a chance.

I'm a nobody guy from a small town in Michigan. You would've never known me. But in all of this overwhelming sadness of today, I just want to let you all know that you matter.

Even though you didn't even have a chance to realize how big the world is, today, the sad end of your lives affected MILLIONS of people. It's probably little comfort for you at all, but tonight in America, in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, Australia....everywhere.... mommies are holding their kids a little tighter and a little longer. Daddies are listening to their kids and showing them more love.

You twenty little souls were set free this morning and there is nothing good that could be said about that. But because you left, and the way you were taken, millions of kids still here on Earth tonight will be shown more love than any other ordinary Friday.

Your short and precious lives had a value and a purpose.

Godspeed.

And he's right - All weekend long, I showed my kids more love than normal.  I hugged them more, I played with them more, I made our time a little more special, I told them repeatedly that I loved them.  I think as parents - that's all we can do.

I let my kids make and drink chocolate milk, right before bed... just because we could... and in the words of Liam "It was the best night ever!"  Words that will forever warm my heart.  Who needs wine when I've got these two?  :-)

Leelanau Cellars Winter White

Description on the bottle:  A celebration of Northern Michigan.  Winter White is lightly fruity and semi-sweet, this wine is perfect for light afternoon luncheons or fruit, cheese and sausage trays, or an as aperitif.

Northern Michigan enjoys four distinctly beautiful seasons, and it is in celebration of these seasons that Leelanau Wine Cellars offers our specially blended premium wines, each as unique as the season it represents.  The label of each wine is designed to capture the feeling of the season, while the wine itself emphasizes the fruitiness of the grape.  It is properly balanced and is complementary to most foods served in your favorite restaurant or prepared at home.  

Sarah says:  I think the more wine I drink, the more I realize what I like and don't like.  I already knew sweet wine is out, but I'm beginning to think that even semi-sweet it too much for me.  As much as I used to deny it, I like dry wines.  This wine was good, but still a little on the sweet side.  I wouldn't buy it again, but I could see someone who liked sweet wine really enjoying it.  It has a nice fruity taste that is easy to drink, but it's just not for me.  I didn't realize they had a wine for each season, I am intrigued and looking forward to trying the others.  I think I will like summer and fall!

Overall rating:  Thumbs half way up - a good wine if you like 'em sweet!

Now that it's winter, we have been spending a lot more time indoors.  To keep my kids entertained while trapped inside, we've been doing a lot of puzzles.  Mary has always enjoyed puzzles, but she is suddenly really good at them.  She completes two puzzles in the time that Liam does 1 (that isn't intended to be a harsh statement about Liam - everyone has different talents... Mary's includes puzzles, Liam's doesn't).  Mary has completed several 60 pieces, I think she's ready for the 100's! 

Mary gets it from me.  I love LOVE love puzzles.  Always have, always will.  It's been years since I've done them - I just don't have the time or the space for them.  I met one of my best friends through a love of puzzles, and that love entertained us for many years.  For some awesome reason, in the basement of the house I grew up in, we had an extra really big table.  Amanda and I spent countless hours hunched over that table doing puzzles, probably ruining our backs and our eyes from the dim basement light.  But we loved it, we even glued some of the best ones together afterwards and hung them on the wall.  Amanda, remember the Wizard of Oz one?!  That reminds me... I wonder what happened to those when my Dad moved out of that house? Hmmmm.... 

Anyways, I love the time spent doing a puzzle.  I usually put on some good music and just zone out for however many hours it takes.  Time seems to fly by when I'm doing a puzzle.  I love that there is a start and a finish.  There is a right or a wrong piece.  Everyone has a different approach, some people start with the edges, some sort everything by colors, others by shape - but at the end of the day, we all end up in the same spot.  Sometimes in life you can't tell if you've made any progress on something at all, or if you are even headed in the right direction.  With a puzzle, you can look and see exactly how much is done and what is left.  That is refreshing.  On the other hand, there isn't anything quite as unsettling as almost finishing a puzzle only to discover there is one piece missing.  That sense of working hard on something and not being able to finish is disturbing.  But overall, puzzles for me are relaxing and fun.

Here is a puzzle I did last weekend.  I like bigger puzzles, bigger challenge = bigger reward at the end.  But again, lack of space and time restricted me to a smaller one.  Still - I'm pleased with the results.  Might sound strange - but puzzles are a little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.  I'm already like the biggest dork ever, so admitting I like to spend my spare time doing a puzzle doesn't really help my reputation.  I used to try to hide this love of mine and only do it in secret, but it's time I open up about who I really am... I'm a puzzle loving freak.  There you have it.

What do you do that gives you nerd status?

St. Julian Riesling

Sarah says: 

Today is a special day.  You may remember this post where I blogged about St. Julian's Riesling.  This is the first time I've repeated a bottle.  I specifically choose this bottle to repeat because, well, it's my favorite.  Yup - you officially read it first here.  St. Julian Riesling is my favorite.  I love love love it.  I'm pondering buying a whole case next time just so I always have some on hand.

Speaking of things I love, and I probably should have included this item on this list of things I'm thankful for, is our freezer with an ice machine.  This is the first refrigerator we've had with one of these amazing little machines, and I honestly don't know how I lived without it in the past.  I drink glass upon glass upon big giant bottle of ice water everyday.  I used to pop the big cubes out and refill my ice trays daily.  I feel like I save at least 5 minutes a day now that I have the amazing freezer ice machine, and as any busy working mom wife knows, an extra 5 minutes a day is a wonderful thing.  I know that I will never be able to survive again without one of these things.

I know - you are probably thinking that I'm the lamest person ever, getting this excited about an ice maker.  You have to understand, that Jon and I don't really focus on things all that much.  We both still have flip phones, we don't have a flat screen TV, we have one really old really slow computer - no laptops or fancy ipads.  We buy used clothes and grocery shop at Aldi.  Having a fancy refrigerator just never occured to us - until now.  My world has been blown and I'm thrilled about it.

Domaine Berrien Cellars Grandma's Red

Description on the bottle: Grandma's Red is made from the same full-flavored, deep red blend of grapes as our Wolf's Prairie Red, but in a sweet style.  "What big taste your sweet red wine has, Grandma!" exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood.  "All the better to eat you with my dear," answered the Wolf (in Grandma's clothing).

Sarah says:  Wow, that is the funniest bottle description I've had so far.  Awesome.  I know we picked up this bottle on our winery trip in September, but I can't for the life of me remember the winery.  I'm assuming Jon liked this wine better than me.  Although I will drink it, it's not my favorite red wine.  It's a bit sweet, but not horribly so.  I don't have anything specific to say about it, but I did drink two glasses, so it must have been good!

Overall rating:  Thumbs half-way up, it's good but not memorable.

Sarah says:  Speaking of Grandma - we took this bottle of wine to my Mom's for Thanksgiving.  The title felt fitting.  Since it's Thanksgiving season, I thought I'd write about a few of the things I'm thankful for.  None of this is shocking, but it's nice to list it all out every once in awhile.  As Eeyore would say, having a lot to be thankful for, is in itself, something to be thankful for.

Coffee

A car that starts each day

Mittens for my hands

My MP3 player

Sunny days

Computers

Ice Cream

My husband & kids

My Mom & Dad

My whole family, on all sides

Books

Weekends

Cozy blankets

My church family

Lip balm and lotion

Education

Reliable co-workers

My microwave

Glasses

Wine

Money in my checking account

Heat and air conditioning

Havanah

Flowers

Naps

Puzzles

Peanut butter and chicken nuggets

Best friends

Laughter

Doctors

Google

Quiet dinners

Pizza dinners

Candles

Washing Machines and Dryers

Pictures

My health

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  What are you thankful for?

Rheingau Pinot Noir

Jon poured those giant glasses!

Description on the bottle: Medium-dry, full bodied Pinot Noir with ruby red color, characterized by well-balanced oak flavors, earthy and delicate tones.  A wine which matches grilled beef, pasta dishes, wild poultry and strong cheeses perfectly.

Sarah says:  I like it!  I received this bottle from a co-worker on my last day working at Plante Moran (thanks Monika!).  Back in July I wasn't sure about my red-wine abilities, so I've been saving it until I could handle it.  Apparently that time is now!  This wine is flavorful but not so overbearing that it's undrinkable.  It had a lovely combination of  rich but light tastes.  To be honest, I drank it while sneaking Twizzlers from my kids Halloween buckets, so I detected a little strawberry flavor that probably wasn't actually there.  I loved every sip.

Overall rating:  Thumbs up!

Sarah says:  Speaking of P&M - I miss it a little.  Have you ever been on a path that made so much sense, and as soon as you veered off that path, you felt like you were stumbling all over the place?  That's pretty much been my life for the past 4 months.  I spent 7.5 years working at P&M, and although it had it's ups and downs, for the most part, I loved it.  I knew what to expect there.  And, even though I spent the past 3 years at Detroit, and all the craziness that was there, I felt like I had figured out how to make it work.  At my new job, random stuff comes up everyday, and it's never the same thing twice.  I appreciate the excitement, and how fast the days go by, and I like being challenged, but I generally feel like the newbie idiot most of the time.  I look forward to finally knowing what I'm talking about again. 

Here is a copy of the green memo I wrote to say goodbye to my P&M family - I'm not dwelling, I'm just remembering!  *names have been hidden

After a whole lot of thinking and talking with my family, I have decided to leave Plante & Moran after 7 fantastic years.  I lived in Canton back in 2004 & 2005 and I have been anxious to move back ever since leaving.  I’m finally getting the opportunity to go back, as I have accepted a position within the Canton Township finance department.

I truly believe P&M is the BEST place to start an accounting career.  I am so grateful for the time I’ve had here, and wouldn’t change a thing about the experiences I’ve had.  There are so many people to thank, it’s nearly impossible to list everyone.  SO, thank you to everyone that I worked with, you all made my time here memorable, challenging, and fun. 

LP* – You were my first team partner, you took a girl scared out of college and introduced me to the world of public accounting.  You ensured I got on a variety of clients so I could really experience it all.  Thank you for the opportunities to work with you, and for making me laugh all the time.  Time spent with you was always enjoyable!

BR* – How I ended up on your team still baffles me since you and I had never met, however, I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with you.  The first client we worked on together was the Airport – neither of us had ever worked on this type of client.  Watching you figure it all out was an amazing learning experience for me, thank you for being patient with me as we discovered the good and the not so good ways to audit them.  Also, thanks for sticking with me through the “suck it up” years.  I appreciate the time you spent encouraging me (ie. listening to me complain), and ultimately helping me figure out where I’d be happiest.  PMGAP was your idea, and what a great idea it was!

CJ* – Thanks for letting me into the group!  You had also never met me and were really just trusting when everyone said I was worth it.  Despite my leaving now, I hope I was worth it.  You must have had some faith to put me, a newbie to the team, out at the City of Detroit.  I know Detroit has a pretty bad reputation, but I’ve honestly enjoyed my time there.  I’ve learned more there in the 3 years I spent there than I could have possibly imagined.   Thank you for that chance.

MP* – You’ve been my best P&M friend!  I’m going to miss car-pooling to training and getting all the latest gossip in the auditing world.  I appreciate you never judging me for asking all my “I know I should know the answer to this, but….” type questions.  Thanks for being such a good friend.

MF* – My one and only buddy!  I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through my first few months at P&M without all your help.  You baby stepped me through a ridiculous amount of things that probably should have been a lot easier, but things somehow end up more complicated when I’m around.  You are super smart and so level headed.  Thanks for staying calm when I’m freaking out.  Have fun at Detroit, I cannot picture a better person for the job!

JK* – Grandpa, what can I say that hasn’t already been said?  Although I was too young to work for the firm when you were a partner, I’ve felt like I’ve always been on your team.  You’ve provided me more guidance and support than anyone, words cannot express my gratitude.  I remember being 6 years old, sitting in the back seat of your car, driving along the freeway, being fascinated by that big blue building that Grandpa worked at.  I’m so glad I got the opportunity to experience the inside of that building for myself.  Thank you for introducing me to P&M and yet being supportive of my decision to leave. 

To everyone in PMGAP and the SOUT 3^rd West Impact group and – thank you everyone that taught me anything, which is pretty much everyone.  You are the greatest, friendliest, smartest group of people.  I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent with everyone.

My last day with the firm is July 18. 

Sniff, sniff - oh the memories!  One day I'll be able to post similar things to my Canton co-workers, right?

Wild Turkey American Honey

Description on the bottle:  The makers of Wild Turkey Bourbon present American Honey.  A true bourbon based liqueur made with real American Honey for an exceptionally smooth sweet taste.

Sarah says:  *Sputter, gasp, cough...* No, this isn't wine. *Cough*  It's whiskey.  *Head shutter*  As I've discussed here and probably other places throughout this blog, I dislike wasting.  So, this bottle has been sitting in my home for well over a year, and there is no end in sight.  So, tonight, I wasn't in the mood to open a whole new bottle of wine, so I thought I'd take a little stab at getting this bottle out of here.  Let's just say, I'm not a whiskey drinker.  While I can appreciate the sweetness of this - it's still whiskey, which means it's awful.  There is nothing smooth about it.  I don't know how people drink this stuff without their eyes tearing up, coughing, and getting the shivers!  I don't think my one itty bitty sip made much of a dent in the bottle.

Overall rating: Thumbs down.

Sarah says:   Speaking of waste - my kids have a serious problem wasting electricity.  I cannot seem to get them to remember to turn off the lights in their rooms.  I think it's probably always been like this, but in our old house their bedrooms were upstairs, so I never really saw it.  In our new home, we are all on the same level, making it much easier for me to monitor.  Plus, if I'm standing in the kitchen, I can see the light reflecting down the hall from their rooms, making it possible to see if their lights are on or off with no effort at all.  So, I'm constantly telling them to switch them off.  I've tried explaining to them that electricity costs money, or that it hurts the environment, but that doesn't seem to impact them.  So, the past 3 weeks, I filled up a jar with quarters - see pic above - and told them there was enough money in there to go out to ice cream in one week, but every time I had to remind them to turn off their lights I'd take a quarter out.  At the end of the week we'd see how much we had left, if they turned off their lights on their own, we'd have enough to go out to ice cream.  We have not yet been able to go out for ice cream (which is disappointing since I've really been wanting some ice cream!).  I've pondered making them a chart that they get a mark on every time they do remember to turn off the light, and after so many marks they get a prize - but so often they exit their rooms without me seeing it, I'm afraid I'd miss them actually turning off the lights and they would never get the marks.

What can I do to get these kids to turn off their lights?!  I figured if I reminded them enough times it would eventually sink in, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  I'm so so frustrated - any suggestions? 

Sleeping Bear It's 5 o'clock Somewhere

Description on the bottle:  This easy drinking red is the perfect starter for a night out.  It goes well with tomato dishes as well as a romantic evening!

Sarah says:  Easy drinking red is a pretty accurate statement.  I like both the flavor of this wine, and the name!  We purchased this around 11 on Sunday morning of our winery trip - It's 5 o'clock Somewhere made it feel ok.  I wasn't that impressed by the winery itself - the employees weren't all the helpful - but the wine was delicious, and that's really all that matters!

Jon says:  (ok, Sarah says:  Jon and I enjoyed a glass of this wine together last night, but he's not here tonight to type up his thoughts with me.  He basically said:  "It's not bad!"  To which I responded "Of course it's not bad, we only bought the ones we liked!"

Sarah says:  Oh how I wish I was sleeping like a bear right now.  But I won't be going to sleep for awhile... I'm curious who is winning the election!  That's right - tonight is the presidential election.  Here's the thing (and I know some of you are going to get all mad at me right now), but I don't vote.  I never have.  I know, I know... it's my right, blah, blah, blah... I've heard it all... I'm a horrible person.  I just don't have the time or interest in listening to politics, I find it boring and annoying.  So, I bury my head in the sand and ignore it.  I also don't complain about it!  I have a hard time seeing how decisions a bunch of people in politics make effects my life - I tend to believe my life is the way it is because of my own personal decisions.  But, just because I don't vote - doesn't mean I'm not curious who the president will be for the next 4 years.  I'm neutral either way - I just like to know which name to tell my kids when they ask who the president is. 

Who is going to be the president?  It'll probably be several more hours before I have that answer - what shall I do to pass the time?  Drink more wine!

Weekend Red Part II

Sarah says:  I feel like I don't have any time to write anymore.  When we moved in August we finally entered the DVR world.  The first few months didn't change much for us - we DVR'ed some kids shows - it was just handy to have them available in time of need.  But it wasn't until recently that I started utilizing the DVR for myself.  I suddenly have hours of TV to watch every night.  I just can't keep up!  Although I'm more entertained now, I was probably better off before.  Since it's the weekend, I was able to catch up a little, so tonight I'm able to take a TV break.  Plus - there are four kids sleeping on my living room floor right now - making it a little hard to watch TV!

Aren't cousin sleepovers the best?!

Here's some of the things on my DVR lately; Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Modern Family, Ellen, and Live with Kelly and Michael.  I got into watching Ellen and Live when I was on my maternity leaves - so it's nice to be able to watch them again.  I was a bit annoyed with Kelly on her last episode though.  She had Jennifer Carpenter (Debra from Dexter) on, which was totally awesome!  Kelly's first question to her was "So, do you know that Dexter is a serial killer?"  Uhhh... clearly, Kelly doesn't watch Dexter.... but someone could have given her a little background!  Jennifer handled it gracefully and responded with something like "Well, watching him plunge a knife into a person gave me a pretty good clue".  

Jennifer also talked about how she was planning on running the upcoming NY Marathon (taping must have taken place before they cancelled it).  She's run 3 marathons, with her fastest time being 3:34!! Seriously?!  I suddenly want to go for a run.  That's fast!  All I've done lately is eat Halloween candy and sit around.  All my will power and motivation has recently disappeared.  I'm hoping to get it back before the holidays really kick in, otherwise I'll be in a world of trouble!

Anyways -Speaking of the marathon - I'm torn about how I feel about them canceling it.  As a runner, my heart goes out to the people that spent months, literally hundreds of hours, training and preparing for it.  I can't imagine preparing for all of that - only to have it cancelled just a few days before, especially for anyone who was running for the first time.  My heart also goes out to the people all along the west coast.  I feel bad for all of them!  As much as us Michiganders might complain about the weather, we really have it good here.  There are very few natural disasters that hit Michigan.  Other than seeing the pictures, I have no idea what it is possibly like to live through something that terrifying and devastating.  I understand that efforts need to be focused on re-building the city - but wouldn't the millions of dollars that the marathon brings in help that?  The news mentions the use of police officers - last year they had 1,000 police officers working the marathon.  Doesn't New York have something like 30,000 police?  Will taking 1,000 of them for 6 hours or so really impact the re-building process that much?  And the generators that were going to be used for the clocks and other electronics - it's not like they took those away from someone without power, or since canceling have put them to use somewhere else - it just doesn't seem like a valid argument.  Like I said, I really have no idea what it's like to be in the middle of that kind of destruction, but I would think bringing something positive like the marathon could be good for the city right now.

It's going to take months to get everything back to "normal", right?  So, how long is the right amount of time to wait before doing things again?

Round Barn Weekend Red

Description on the bottle:  This wine will appeal to people o fall tastes with plenty of fruit character and just a hint of sweetness.  Serve at room temperature to bring forward the tannis or chill it to make the fruit more expressive.  Make every day the weekend.

Sarah says:  This was our second to last winery that we visited on our winery trip.  It was the best!  Since the winery was closing in about 15 min, the server was pretty generous with the size of her tastes.  Plus - at most of our tastings, Jon and I shared a glass (because we aren't rich, those tastings get expensive!), but since we had a coupon we each got our own tastings here.  It was so great to actually be able to taste 5 wines that I picked all on my own!  Not I pick 2, Jon picks 2, and we try to agree on the last one.  I got to try 5 amazing wines!  This was one of them.  Chilled red wine - what's not to love?!  It's sweet, it's dry, it's not spicy, it's totally drinkable and awesome!  This wine makes me believe there is hope out there for me falling in love with red wine.

Overall rating:  Thumbs up!

Sarah says:  It's the weekend!  I don't know why I'm so excited about it - weekends are more busy than weekdays most of the time.  But, at least I get to spend a little more time with my kiddos than normal.  We take it easy in the mornings and stay up just a tad later in the evenings and that makes all the craziness during the day worth it.

I'll tell you what isn't fun - working 5 days a week.  At my old job, I only worked 4 days a week - and it was freaking awesome!  I spent my 5th day doing all my errands and chores so that my weekend could be spent doing weekend stuff.  I generally tried to make the weekends all about spending family time together and making the time that we actually were a family of 4 together count.  Now that I don't have that extra day, I'm still trying to figure out how to get my balance back.  Don't get me wrong - I'm completely happy with the job change.  When I analyzed the pros and cons of the change, this was a con - but overall the change has been for the best, and totally worth it!  But, what is the secret to work-life balance when you work 5 days a week?  Mon-Friday I wake up, work, come home, cook dinner, put the kids to bed, MAYBE do one chore, then fall asleep myself.... repeat.  So, on Saturdays - we usually have swim lessons, we try to do something family'ish for an hour or two, then I spend the remainder of the day catching up on the chores and cleaning that I didn't get to during the week.  On Sunday, we spend the morning at church, then do the grocery shopping, then spend the rest of the day planning and organizing for the upcoming week.  The weekend is gone before I know it!

Does anyone have any great secrets to making the weekends count?  I'm definitely spending less quality time with my kids and it's starting to make everyone sad.  Usually at the end of each day Liam tells me I did good and gives me a sticker.  Today he told me I get an X and I should try harder tomorrow.  Maybe another glass of wine will make it better!

Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails Merlot Blackberry

Description on the bottle (err.. package):  Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails are an entirely new way to enjoy great tasting wine with a splash of fruit - just freeze, squeeze and enjoy.  No mixing of ingredients, ice or blender required.  The delicious blend of full bodied Merlot wine and natural blackberry flavors make a perfect frozen cocktail for you next get-together, celebration, or evening with friends and family.

Directions:  Freeze for about 5 hours - Gently massage and squeeze to pour - Enjoy in a glass.

Sarah says:  There is something about a frozen cocktail that just sounds appealing on a Friday night after a long week.  It took a tad more work than my normal pop the cork and pour, but it's worth it.  (It also has more calories than a normal glass of wine; 280 vs 100!)  This drink it totally tasty!  It pretty much tastes like a Slurpee.  It's one of those things you could drink several glasses of and not realize you are drinking at all!  I'm a little discouraged that the package doesn't say anything about drinking it while enjoying the quiet of your house after the kids are asleep.  Oh well!  Cheers anyway!

The super cool wine glass in this picture was a gift from a co-worker for bosses day (which was totally unexpected and unnecessary, by the way!).  It says Vino Vixen and is super cute.  Apparently in the 2 months I've been working in Canton I've made quite the impression regarding my interest in wine.

Overall rating:  Frozen thumbs up!

Sarah says:  Speaking of things being more work, but being worth it in the end - chores.  Liam has had a new chore list for 3 weeks now.  He's had "chores" for about a year and a half now - but they weren't really real - the were more like things I expect him to do everyday.  Things like brush your teeth, clean up your toys, no hitting your sister, take your dishes to the sink, etc. Now he has REAL chores.  He has 6 days of chores - 2 days a week he does dishes, 2 days a week he does laundry, 1 day he dusts, and 1 day he feeds Havanah.  I realize feeding the cat is kind of a lame chore - but it's on the day that he has karate - and as previously discussed, there just isn't time or energy for anything else!  He gets to rest on the 7th day.

In typical kid fashion, Liam is super excited to be helping me!  He just loves every second of it.  He's also awful at all of it!  Which means him doing chores is basically creating more work for me.  I have to help him a lot, so each task takes twice as long as if I had done it myself.  In typical Mom fashion, I'm generally trying to get stuff done in the most efficient way possible.  Having Liam help is not efficient.  But it will eventually pay off.... right?  To make it even better - now Mary wants to help too!  And she doesn't want my lame "not really chores, chores".  She wants to do the dishes - and she needs even more help!  Anyone have any chore suggestions for them that won't drive me crazy?

I do pay Liam for his services - since he is 5 years old - assuming he does all his chores, he gets 5 quarters a week for his work.  If he misses a day (which he hasn't done yet) he only gets 4.  I make him put one quarter in his piggy bank, and one goes to church - so the kid is really only getting 75 cents a week.  For those of you doing the math - Liam gets $39 a year to spend.  For a 5 year old who pretty much gets everything his heart could desire for either Christmas or his Birthday - that's enough.  That gives him money to buy a couple of mid size toys a year.  I actually have to give him some credit - he's saving right now for a kickstand for his bike.  Really - what 5 year old would rather have a kickstand than a toy?  Apparently my kid who rides around every possible second.  He'll have enough for the kickstand tomorrow after I pay his allowance - so we'll see if that's what he actually goes for when we get into the store. 

How come I don't have that much fun doing the dishes?

The real question here is:  where can I find a good chore chart?  I've tried so many different things - and I don't love anything enough to keep it around for more than a few weeks.  I've printed some online - but I didn't like having to print it all the time.  I tried creating my own - but it looked like a 10 year old made it - I'm just not creative!  I've seen some nice wood ones in the store, but they are like $25 and I'm not about to spend that much!  I want something under $10 - any suggestions?  Right now I just have a hand written list that I put a sticker on next time he does the chore - but I dislike having to write out the list each week.  Maybe I'm just lazy - but not only does doing the chores cause me more time spent, but now I have to spend time making the list too?!  I'd rather spend the little bit of time I get with them reading books, talking, playing games - things that we all enjoy! 

I know the importance of teaching my kids to help out and that they have to work to earn a living - which is why we're doing chores in the first place.  I'm also teaching Liam that he can skip a day, but then he has to do two tomorrow or the opposite; two chores today means you get tomorrow off.  I think this teaches him a lot about making decisions and living with the consequences as well the whole concept mentioned above - a little extra effort now will pay off in the end.

Any thoughts on how I get through the extra effort now without loosing my mind?  That's right - wine.

Simply Pink Part III

Sarah says:  A good wine for a good cause - that's extra yummy!

Lately I've been struggling between letting Liam be the kid he's going to be - kind of nerdy, weak, quiet and timid.  Versus being a MAN!  I tell him all the time to man it up, and that he needs to be stronger.  I don't intend to be that Mom - I'd like to think I'm the Mom that just encourages him to be himself - but then I find myself saying these comments about what boys are and are not allowed to like - and as much as I hate the words coming out of my mouth - I can't seem to stop them!  

The color pink is one of those ever popular struggles.  If I'm handing out candy, or stickers, or straws, or anything where I let the kids pick their color - I have a hard time when Liam chooses pink or purple.  I don't think Liam has picked a favorite color yet - he chooses different anytime I ask him.  So, it's not like he favors the "girly" colors - but occasionally he'll be into them.  Again, I don't want to be like this, but I'll find myself saying "No, you don't want that pink one, you want blue" right after Liam clearly told me he wanted the pink one.  I realize that I'm doing more harm than good.  Sure every Mom wants their boy to be a BOY - but by discouraging him against the pink sticker I'm not turning him into a boy, what I'm really saying is: what you want doesn't matter, your opinion doesn't count, only mine does, I win.  I hate that.  I hate that I'm being this awful, stereotypical, negative Mom - but seriously, I just can't seem to help it!

In all fairness - Liam loves boy stuff!  He loves superheros, G.I. Joes, fighting, vehicles, etc.  He also enjoys a good tea party, dressing up, and things that sparkle.  How do you just let your kids be... when you want them to be something else??

Simply Pink Part II

Sarah says:

The wine is just as good the second night - glad I purchased this bottle.  Good for both my research as well as the Breast Cancer Foundation.  That is a win win!

I usually try to somehow incorporate the wine name into my thoughts for the day - but today there is something on my mind and I just have to vent about it!  It has nothing to do with Simple or Pink.

It has to do with email.  Our world has pretty much allowed email to replace other forms of communication - which is fine by me.  I've never been a fan of the phone.  I will generally email unless it's a total emergency.  The question I have is: is there a timeline for the appropriate amount of time allowed to respond to an email?  I generally go with the 1 business day rule.  You have 1 business day to either respond with an answer or respond with an "I don't know the answer, but I'm looking into it".  And honestly - in today's world where we are all mostly attached to a computer or phone with email - I think 1 business day is being pretty generous... since you probably received my email right after I sent it.  It's not like it was 10 years ago when people might not have checked their email but once a day or so.

So, I've sent a few emails recently that have gone unanswered.  First, let me explain, that both of these people have said before "Please feel free to email me if you have any questions".  Ok, don't say that unless you are actually going to respond to the email of questions!  

I sent my realtor an email 2 1/2 days ago - it was fairly important.  I attached a document, then asked several questions about that document.  I'd love to know that he got the document - and more importantly - the answers to my questions!

The other situation that is bothering me right now - I emailed someone (I'll allow her to remain anonymous for now) about a month ago.  I asked one main question - but then said, oh and by the way - one more question.  I never got a response.  The first main question sort of resolved itself, so I'm not that worried about it.  And the second question was really just sort of a "since I have your attention - how about this?" not quite as important question.  Still - I would have expected a response to 1) ensure that question one really was resolved, and 2) to answer my second less important question!  Now - here it is a month later - and I have another question for said individual.  I emailed her around 10 am today, and I haven't heard back yet.  It's 8:30 pm now, so technically, she hasn't gone over my 24 hour rule - but I'm already annoyed by the lack of response the first time - so I'm really annoyed that she hasn't responded yet this time.

So, what is the appropriate response time?  Am I expecting too much?  Furthermore - what is the appropriate amount of time to wait for the follow up "Hello?  Did you get my email, email?!"  Depending on the urgency - I've been known to wait anywhere from 3-4 days to weeks.  No matter what - I'm annoyed that the follow up email is even necessary.

I used to work with someone who sent  an email response to every single email I sent him.  No matter what I put in the email or who the email was addressed to (he was often just cc'ed), he ALWAYS responded with "Sarah, thank you".  This annoyed me sometimes because it just filled up my inbox, or I'd get excited about getting an email, but it was just him.  But at the same time - it was awesome!  I always knew if and when he received the email!  Maybe we all need to start responding to every single email - regardless of if a response is needed - maybe it will clear up some communication issues that plague us sometimes.  

Maybe I need to go have another glass of wine to relax!

St. Julian Simply Pink

It looks less red and more pink in real life.

Description on the bottle:  This delicious, semi-dry blush wine is made to enjoy on a warm summer evening, or next to the fire on a cold winter night.  Serve slightly shilled to experience an explosion of summer fruit and berry aromas and flavors.  We are proud sponsors of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  The entire St. Julian Family is committed to helping women and their families in the fight to cure Breast Cancer.  Dedicated to the memory of Julia Meconi Braganini (1926-1971).

Sarah says:  Ever since drinking St. Julian's Riesling I was really interested in going to the St. Julian winery to try some more of their delicious wines.  And delicious they were.  St. Julian also had some pretty tasty vodka made from grapes that they mixed with some juice and gave us a little cocktail.  So yummy!  

Although the Simply Pink is quite tasty - it's light, fruity, easy to drink, everything I love about a blush wine, I bought the bottle for another reason.  For every bottle of Simply Pink sold, St. Julian makes a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  The breast cancer statistics are mind boggling.  According to breastcancer.org 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.  I don't support breast cancer research because I have personally dealt with it - I support it because I haven't personally dealt with it and I'd like to keep it that way.  

Yes, I've known people that have been through (and survived!) it.  Co-workers, friends of friends, church family - but no one in at least 3 generations of my family.  Between the moms, grandma's, aunts, sisters, cousins, and daughters in both my immediate and my married family - No one has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  There are definitely more than 8 women there - we are pushing the odds - and for that I'm ridiculously grateful.  I've pondered doing the 3-day walk.  I know most people do that in honor or memory of someone - I'd do it just to raise my money to fund the research.  Breastcancer.org also says that the death rates have been decreasing since 1990, mostly the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.  I support breast cancer research to continue that trend. 

I don't know what it's like to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and I hope it's not something I'll ever experience.  To all the women out there that have received that horrible news:  I admire you.  I admire your courage, your fight, your determination, your persistence, your acceptance, and your strength.  You provide hope and give me someone to look up to.  To anyone currently fighting:  Keep up the battle, you are not alone, you are a strong, amazing, woman - of all the things in the world, cancer won't be the thing to bring you down.  To anyone who lost someone to breast cancer - I'm so sorry for your loss, please accept my sympathy.  

I wish there was more that I could do to stop such a horrible disease.  For now I'll just keep supporting the research in any way that I can, and tonight that support is through this bottle of wine.  St. Julian Simply Pink rocks!

Overall rating:  Thumbs and toes up!

Ninja Red Part II

Sarah says:

Speaking of Ninja's - Liam is taking Karate.  This is actually the second time he's taken karate - he really likes it and it was his idea to take it again.  I really like the class he's in this time - sure they are teaching them karate moves - but they are really stressing that they aren't supposed to use these moves unless someone is attacking them first.  They are really focused on self defense - and the appropriate actions to take to prevent needing to use karate (ie. walk away).  Love it.

There is just one small problem.  We signed up for the class in the summer, before kindergarten started.  At the time I didn't know that all day school was going to take a toll on him and that he'd be exhausted at the end of each day.  I signed him up for a 6:00 - 7:00 class - back when he went to bed at 8:30, I thought that'd be no problem at all.  The thing is - he is usually asking me if he can go to bed by 6:45, and he's sound asleep snoring by 7:00.  Kindergarten has been quite the adjustment for him, and he's dead tired by the end of each day.  So on the nights that he has karate, he just struggles to get through it.  The last 20 min or so he mostly just stands there with a dazed look on his face.

I'm torn about what to do.  We could quit the class - but I've never been a quitter, and I don't want to raise my kids to be quitters either.  When we commit to something - we finish it, even if it means sucking-it-up for a while, we always finish.  But, he's not getting much out of it, the teachers are getting frustrated and are wasting their time, and he's not loving karate the way he used to.  I'm afraid that by forcing him to stick through this class, he's going to stop loving karate all together.  Is quitting because you're too tired a legitimate reason?  I'm not sure - I've been pretty exhausted before, and I don't let myself give up, I just drink some extra coffee and keep going.  But - he's 5, and I'm the one that choose the class time, it's not his fault - plus it was a decision we made before school started - circumstances have changed.

I think Liam will take Karate again - for a low-key quiet kid such as himself - it's the perfect sport.  It teaches him self defense skills - allows him to work at his own pace - teaches him respect for himself and others.  Liam doesn't love group activities - Karate is very much about Liam learning his body, and his surroundings - yes there are other kids there, but he's learning to do the moves his way in his own time.  I think maybe we both love it!  So, by letting him quit this time around - will I be teaching himself to respect himself enough to know his own limits and not to be pushed into doing things he doesn't want to do?  Or will I be teaching him that it's ok to quit?  

What would you do?

Cherry Creek - Ninja Red

Description on the bottle:  None.

Sarah says:  Stopping at this winery was a last minute decision on our way home.  We had already left the B&B and our friends and were about 1 1/2 hours into our drive home when we saw both this winery and one other at the same exit.  We thought it was appropriate to stop.  So at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon we tasted 14 more wines! (7 at each location)  Regardless of the cool name - the wine tastes pretty good.  It's a red wine, but it specifically says it's chillable on the bottle.  I think that is my problem with red wine - it's usually served room temperature, and I'm not really into that.  I'm not really sure what other characteristics this wine has that makes me like it.  It's just tasty and easy to drink.  It's not dry which is usually my biggest red wine complaint.  I guess it's a little fruity, but I'm not sure if that's true or if I just think that because it has the name Cherry Creek.  This is going to sound weird, but it feels creamy.  I know - wine isn't creamy, but that is the feel I get from it.  Why don't we hear what Jon has to say!  GASP!  Yup - Jon is back in blogging action!

jon's description for the bottle: surprisingly sweet for a red wine, like dexter sneaking up on a victim and plunging a needle in to they neck, SUPRISE! full of flavor like a season of dexter is full of drama and anticipation. the empty bottom of the glass will surprise you like waking up on a table completely naked and plasticed wrapped to it.

jon says: as those who follow dexter, this past weekend was the first episode of the season. to celebrate sarah and i selected a wine that seemed to be appropriate for dexter. our first thought was something red, we then started to go through our red wines and ran across "Ninja Red". ninjas are sneaky just like dexter and use bladed weapons, perfect choice or at least i thought so. anyways i liked it. it was sweet and delicious.

Sarah says:  Speaking of Dexter (SPOILER ALERT!!!  DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 7!!) I normally am a huge fan of Dexter, and while I still am, I was more critical of this episode that I have previously been.  Maybe it was the Ninja in me, but I just wasn't buying some of it.  Debra's willingness to cover up the dead body - Debra!  Miss buy the books officer - always does what is right - that quickly is convinced to just set the church on fire?  Seems unlikely.  Second, that dang blood slide - first of all, doesn't Dexter usually put it right in his pocked after he does it?  Why was it still sitting on the death table at all?  Second - what would make LaGuerta look down there, and how did she even see it?  Third, it was pretty convenient that it was just sitting on the top of all of the evidence when she was talking with Masuka.  I hate that slide.  THEN - in the airport when Dexter was killing Mike's killer, there was conveniently a wheel chair, conveniently a bathroom closed sign, and conveniently the unclaimed luggage area was right there and unlocked.  Really?  It all just seems too staged.  Maybe it's always been that way, but it really seemed obvious in this episode.

With all of that being said - I love Dexter and I'm so excited for this season!!!!  I can't wait to hear the rest of the conversation between Dex and Deb.  "Are you a serial killer?"  "Yes" !!!!!!!  It's so tense!  What is going to happen to him?!  We're sorta thinking that Debra will start to see the good in what Dexter does and start using him to help her out.  But, the show never goes how I think it will - so who knows?!  Can't wait for next week!

jon says: holy crap i can't wait to see what happens next. what will debra do? what is going to happen to louis, is dexter going to find out that louis is total f'ing with him or is louis going to step things up and become even more of a threat. dexter has unknowingly started some serious sh!t with a international crime organization that ray stevenson is the head of. i really hope there will be a fight between dexter and stevenson, even if stevenson is twice his size i think it would be awesome! only 12 or 13 more episodes this season. can't wait!

Overall rating:  Hi-yeeeaaahhh!  Ninja's know how to drink, thumbs up.