Alessandr Gallici Pinot Grigio

Description on the bottle:  The vineyards of the veneto have long been a source of inspiration for me and pinot grigio from this region achieves and elegance and concentration rarely found elsewhere.  2011 saw near-perfect vintage conditions and the grapes, sourced from low-yielding vines, displayed an intensity of fruit and a firm structure which I knew would combine perfectly.

The result is a wine to which I'm proud to give my name.  Fresh, elegant and mouthwateringly long, this pinot grigio displays crisp apple and citrus characters given added complexity by a fine minerality.  I suggest you enjoy served as an aperitivo or with lighter dishes such as roasted vegetables, fresh seafood and grilled chicken.

Sarah says:  I think several months ago I would have really enjoyed this wine, but now that my world has been opened up to reds, I think this is just ok.  It's a pretty standard pinot grigio, it's got that citrusy, almost tangy flavor.  It's good, but it's not mind blowing good.

Overall rating:  Thumbs mostly up

Sarah says:  Thank goodness it's Friday night!  I don't know why, but this week just crept by.  I think it's that I was all go go go the past several weeks with the audit, and now that the auditors are gone, I'm crashing into a stop.  It's almost as if I don't know what to do with myself, I can't remember what my work days were filled with before the audit took over.  For those of you who don't know what an audit is like... here's a little run down:

2 weeks before audit:  We're fine.  I'm working on stuff, but it's coming along nicely.

1 week before audit:  There's ALOT to do, but we'll get it done

2 days before audit:  THE AUDITORS ARE COMING!!  Why isn't this done?  Didn't I look at this a month ago and it was fine, now it's wrong, all wrong!  Why are you just now asking this question?  What do you mean you didn't start the workpaper yet?  I'm not ready.  The auditors are coming!!

audit day 1:  I got this, bring it on.  Your questions, I have answers.  Ya know those college all nighters, I pulled an all weekender.

audit day 3:  Where are they?  I'm not paying them $700 per hour to sit down there and do nothing.  Why aren't they asking me questions yet!

audit day 7:  They are driving me crazy!! I can't get any of my regular work done because every 5 min one of them comes in here and interrupts me.  I can't even research their questions because before I can finish one task, I'm being given another one!

audit day 9:  Sleep, what's sleep?  I live on coffee and week old bagles.

audit day 11:  What is this, accounting 101?  Their questions are so stupid, and annoying.  And what the heck, all the auditors look like they are 19!  Is this an intern audit?  If I just talk fast enough and they believe me, that part is pretty awesome.

audit day 13:  Why are you asking me about cash?  Didn't I answer all cash questions 2 weeks ago, I don't remember what we talked about.

audit day 15:  Ok, you guys aren't so bad afterall.  Let's have a pizza party.

1 day after audit:  Ahhh... it's so quiet, I can finally relax and get some stuff done

3 days after audit:  What is this 5 page typed document of more questions?!!?  Arg.

1 week after audit:  That was the best audit ever!!

Doohickey

Description on the bottle:  What exactly is a doohickey?  It's sort of like a Thing-a-mabob or a Whosey-whats-it.  But better.  And it's a perfect word to describe this California red, a proprietary blend that will keep you guessing about what grapes are inside.  Look for flavors and aromas of black currant, blackberry and vanilla, with some soft spicy and floral notes and smooth, silky tannins on the palate.  Can you guess what grapes are in the bottle of Doohickey?  The only way to find out is to try it for yourself!

Sarah says:  First of all, let me just say that I love the description, that's the kind of fun stuff I like to see on my bottles of wine.  It's so fun and intriguing that I just can't help but want to try the wine!  The wine is pretty good, definitely smooth, easy to drink.  I love the blackberry feel to it.  And, as it turns out, it's a great bottle to have on hand if you happen to have a last minute wine & Phase 10 party!  I think everyone that tried it, liked it!

Overall rating: Thumbs up!

Sarah says:  While I'm loving the Doohickey, the font on the bottle is a little funny, and when I first picked it up, I said out loud "Doochery?"  And it stuck.  Now, I realize that Doochery isn't a word, and if it was, it wouldn't be spelled like that.  But none the less, Doochery is what came out of my mouth, and Doochery is what I continued to call it the rest of the night.  Perfect timing, because I had the most Doochery experience today.  It got me fuming and I just can't seem to stop thinking about it.  I even took the kids to Baskin Robbins (It's scoop fest night, I can't resist an ice cream sale!) and enjoyed a double scoop (Pistachio Almond and Jamoca Almond Fudge, don't knock it until you've tried it).  But, even emotional eating didn't calm me down, I'm still stewing about this.  So I turned to the next best thing... Wine and vent about it in a blog!

I'm going to attempt to express to vent my frustration without giving out too many details or boring you with my accounting stuff, but it's totally something that happened at work.  LLLOOOONNNGGGG story short... I've been trying to reconcile something (or fix a likely error) for a few days, except I only have half the information, so I'm basing my reconciliations on assumptions and good educated guesses.  The person who has been hired to maintain and record all of the transactions (lets call him guy) told me some info that I wasn't 100% sure was correct, so questioned it a bit, and tried figuring it out on my own.  I emailed guy during the day and said that I wasn't comfortable with his conclusion on how the error needed to be corrected.  I proceeded to email guy several other times throughout the day with other thoughts and suggestions as I continued to think about the issue and look at it, but since I was basing these thoughts and suggestions on my half bits of info, I was looking for guy's agreement or further thoughts on the error.  At the very end of the day, I received a ONE LINE email from guy, saying that he was going to record it the way he originally told me he was going to record it.  Um.... excuse me?!  Guy just entered the Doochery zone.

1)  What happened to proper email etiquette?  Call me old fashioned, but what happened to the greeting, the signature, and the pleasant "If you would like to discuss further please feel free to contact me"

2)  I am your client.  You are hired and paid by me (ok, not me me, but my Township, close enough).  We pay you to be thorough, detailed, smart, accurate, kind, well thought out, and to follow accounting rules.  You are not getting paid to do things wrong, and completely dismiss my concerns about this item being recorded improperly.

3) And even if you still think the way you are recording it is correct, you need to tell me why!  Convince me that my thoughts aren't taking into account the complete picture, but your's are.  I've said over and over to him, that I know he has the details, so it's possible that I'm missing something, acknowledge that.  Clearly, I've spent a lot of hours looking into this issue, and you spent... what? 20 seconds?  That's just disrespectful.

4)  At the end of the day, the financial statements are mine.  I literally consider the CAFR my 3rd child (actually this is my 4th kid... Detroit's was my 3rd, but since I put Detroit up for adoption, I'm back to 3).  I need to be comfortable with these numbers, I'm the one that is held accountable for them.  I tell you how to record it, guy.  Do not get confused into thinking that you are telling me what to do here.  If I think the numbers are wrong, we will continue to look at it until I feel otherwise.  You cannot push me off with a one line email that tries to tell me how it's going to be.

Oh guy, I almost feel bad for you... because now that I've laid out my frustration in this blog, I pretty much have a script to read for when I call you tomorrow, to tell you that you will continue to look into this with me until I'm satisfied.  And because you've now left a bad taste in my mouth, you're probably going to have to work a little harder to earn that satisfaction.

On a good note - this wine has left a great taste in my mouth, and I'm going to go enjoy some more and ready myself for tomorrow!

Ticker Tape Chardonnay

Description on the bottle:  None  :-(

Sarah says:  I gave this bottle as a birthday gift because I thought the name Ticker Tape sounded sort of accountant-ish, and we're both accountants.  Well, Deb, I'm so sorry, this just isn't very good.  I'll owe you a better bottle!  It lacks much flavor and leaves a dry blah taste in my mouth.  I think I've officially made the switch to preferring reds.

Overall rating:  Thumbs down

Sarah says:  Speaking of things Tickers, my heart has been heavy for several days.  The tragedy surrounding us these days is overwhelming.  The two really impacting me lately:  the South Korea ferry disaster, and the 2nd grader hit by a car in a Canton Public School parking lot... I'm assuming these both hit closer to my heart since they involve kids.  

The ferry boat is just a nightmare, 300 kids killed in one night.  I can't even imagine the terror those kids experienced in their final moments.  Alone, away from family, thinking they were doing the right thing by doing as they were told, they totally trusted those adult crew members, and they were completely let down.  And for those parents, the horror knowing your child is among those that will likely die, but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.  It's not just boys and girls, it's daughters and sons.  I go back and forth between sad for the kids, mad, and sad again for the parents.  It makes me want to hold my kids and never let them go anywhere again.  

And Emily, a 9 year old, hit by a car in a school parking lot.  A complete and horrible accident, with her own Mom behind the wheel.  I literally cannot express how sad that is.  I cry thinking about it.  The grief that the Mom must be experiencing, I'm devastated by it, I cannot comprehend what she must be going through.  I seriously cannot think of anything worse as a parent, I'm sure she wants more than anything to switch places with her daughter.  I feel so fortunate that even after hectic frustrating mornings with my kids, I always get that chance in the evenings to recover from it.  To never have that opportunity again would be life changing.  I hope that family finds a way to find happiness again, it will be hard, I hope they are strong enough for it.

Stories like this make me love my kids a little harder.  It's sad that it takes another's tragedy to remind me how good I have it.  We all have it good, even when it doesn't seem that way, just imagine what these families are going through, and it's a sad reminder that you'd probably much rather be sucking it up through your troubles than theirs right now.  So tonight, once again, I squeeze my kids a little tighter, I spend a little extra time reading and chatting with them, I pay more attention to them, I turn off the TV, Kindle, phone and computer, I give them the extra scoop of ice cream, I become a better Mom.  I hope these parents know, that all over the world, people are thinking of them, loving them, hoping to take their pain away.  And hopefully, one day, they'll be able to do the same thing for another again.

Palacio Del Conde Part II

Sarah says:  The more I drink this wine, the more I like it.  It's just a good old red wine, nothing fancy about it, but it's tasty.  It seems the more time I spend with it, the better it gets!

Speaking of things that get better with time... running!  The body really is an amazing thing.  Feed it right, move it right, and it will do great things for you.  I am by no means winning marathons here, but my latest 5K went quite well.

I had set an goal of completing in under 29 minutes, which would put me at a pace of 9:20 (my best record was 29:30 total, 9:30 pace).  My initial results were disappointing... 30:45 total.  But, after hearing some grumbling that the course was actually longer than a 5K, I mapped the run and discovered it was 3.5 miles, almost a half mile too long!  (Total side rant here, as much as I want Detroit to survive, if they can't even properly map out 3.1 miles, that's pretty sad.  I don't mind that it was 3.5 miles, I just wish they would publish the results as if it was that distance!).  Anyways, get out the calculator folks, 3.5 miles in 30:45 min equals a pace of 8:47.  That pace in a 5K would have put my total time at 27:14!  That means I didn't just beat my goal, I blew it out of the water!  Yay me!  I'm happy that all that practicing wasn't for nothing.

But, the numbers chick in me wants to see the official results published with my success.  The way it currently stands, my pace is just under 10 minutes, yuck.  So, although unplanned, I'm going to run another race in a few months.  This one will be at the Canton Liberty Fest... here's the great thing about this run: The start and finish lines are less than a mile from my house.  The course goes along a trail that I run weekly in the summer.   I know every little bump and turn along this run.  I am soooo going to personal record this race!  I'm totally pumped about it, I took a week off to rest, but just wrote up my plan, full of intervals, cross-training, and running the actual course.  I can't wait to get started on it!

Tonight I lift my glass to running, to things getting better with time, and to hard work paying off.

What have you gotten better at lately?

Palacio Del Conde

Description on the bottle:  We produce Palacio Del Conde in the charming village of La Font De La Figuera in the gentle hills inland from Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast.  Here, the hot summer, wet winters and rich soils combine to produce ideal growing conditions for the noble tempranillo grapes in our wine.  Three years aging in American oak barrels add a vanillin flavor to the beautiful ripe fruit in this structured wine.  I recommend you open the bottle and hour before serving and drink with red meat dishes and strong cheeses.  I am proud to present my beautiful gran reserva; please find a special moment in which to enjoy it.

Sarah says:  The wine IS beautiful, unfortunately, the bottle is not.  The description on the back is impossible to read.  One, the font is itty bitty tiny... I'm guessing is a size 5 font or lower.  Two, it's a brown font against a black background.   I literally had to shine a flashlight on it to read it.  It's disappointing, because the words there are quite lovely, and I totally missed the part about opening the bottle an hour early and serving with red meat.  I ate with ham and opened and drank immediately.

Overall rating:  Thumbs down for poor information.

Sarah says:  If you were thinking that this bottle isn't something that I would have chosen for myself, you would be thinking correct.  90% of why I purchase a bottle of wine is because the label intrigued me.  If I can't read it, I'm not intrigued.  This came from the wine club.  Apparently, I didn't cancel it when I meant to a few months ago... I just delayed my next shipment.  I have officially cancelled it now.  The surprise case of wine that showed up Saturday was both good a bad.  A case of wine on a Saturday can't really be frowned upon, but I wasn't really planning on spending $100+ on wine this weekend.  At this point, I have no choice but to make the best of it, and drink up!

Canceling the wine club is harder than I thought, other things I'm having a hard time with lately... letting my Liam grow up.  Liam is my first born, my baby, my little man, my... kid?  Both of my children have had their own set of struggles, Mary's have been more physical (ie, with her vision and small size), Liam's have been more developmental (ie. poor speech and social skills).  This might sound horrible to admit, but I sort of wrote off Liam of having close friendships because of his social awkwardness.  I've never been more happy to be wrong, Liam is making friends like the best of them!  I've discovered that when I try to force Liam into a friendship it just fails miserably, but when I'm not there to "help" him, he somehow manages just fine on his own.  Just this weekend, Jon and I were watching him at the park, he was playing with 3 other boys around his age.  Jon and I observed that Liam was the "leader" of the group, the other kids followed him around and did whatever he said.  That was unexpected.  It literally puts a lump in my throat watching him "be normal".  He's turning into a completely regular kid, I love and hate it!!

Liam has recently made friends with a couple of boys that live within our apartment complex, but not in our building.  Throughout our 20 months living here, Liam's radius of acceptable outdoor playing space has grown, from the just courtyard in front of our apartment, to the "other" side of our building so he could do a complete circle with his bike, now two buildings over to play with his new friends.  Here's the terrifying part... I can't see him when he's outside in front of the other building.  Up until this point, I've been able to see him from the window, or call his name and have him appear within 10 seconds.  Now... I have to walk, out my door, past the neighbors door, past a cluster of 4 garages, past another cluster of 4 garages, and past 2 doors, there I usually find him in that area.  It's terrifying.  I know that the other parents can see him, but still, it's not like he's playing at their house, they are playing outside, in a very open public space.  It's hard letting your kid grow up.  I told him tonight that I'm getting him a watch, with an alarm, and I'm going to set it for 15 minute intervals, and I expect him to come check in with me every time it goes off.

Is that too much?  What would you do?  How do you let your kids grow up a little, but not too much at one time?  I'm seriously at a loss here.  I want him to play and have friends, I'm overjoyed that he communicates with these kids, and I don't want to ruin it by being overprotective, but I still need to protect him.  By the way... for the majority of adults out there that Liam won't speak to, don't take it personally, he definitely communicates better with 6 year old boys than he does me.

How do you let your baby boys turn into kids?  With a bottle of wine at hand!

High Note Malbec

Description on the bottle:  Front: Altitude is essential in providing our vineyards with intense sunlight and cool temperatures.  This perfect paradox allows us to craft a Malbec with a deep violet hue, smooth velvety texture and vibrant fruit aromas.  Back: The velvety texture and deep flavor of the small juicy berries of the Malbec grapes are distinctively influenced by the environment in which they are grown.  Our Uco Valley vineyards, high in the Andes foothills of Mendoza, enjoy the perfect combination of elements for growing this unique varietal.  Intense sunlight, cool temperatures and dry conditions allow the fruit to slowly mature until handpicked for optimal flavor.  The result is High Note's brilliant violet color accompanied by rich blackberry and black cherry aromas and tastes.  

Sarah says:  This is the best smelling wine I've ever experienced.  Every time I tried to set my glass down, the delicious smell pulled me back in.  I ended up drinking this wine super fast simply because it smelled so delicious.  Don't get me wrong, the taste was pretty great too, but it was the smell that really won me over. 

Overall rating:  Thumbs mostly up!

Sarah says:  So, wow, I've been distant.  There are a couple things causing this.  

1) It's audit time, the time of the year that I work crazy hours.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  The former auditor in me enjoys the audit, because I understand it.  I LOVE preparing the financial statements, it's my favorite task, and I only get to do it this time of year.  It gives me purpose, my ho hum daily routine sometimes feels very meaningless, but not during audit time, during the audit I'm super important!  BUT - it takes me away from my home.  I work more, sleep less, am stressed and a little up tight towards everyone.  I can't wait for it to be over.

2) I'm trying to be healthy.  With a 5K coming up in 5 days, I need to be on my best behavior.  Wine each night isn't the best strategy to improving your time (trust me, I've tried in the past and failed!).  I have a goal to beat my previous personal record (which was in 2010, what in the world have I been doing the past few years?!).  I'm pretty sure I can do it, but it will require a decent amount of effort.

3) My budget is a little tighter.  Without getting into the gory details, all of our house drama over the past 2 years has caused our tax return to be much lower than we are used to.  That entire impact was felt in my wine fund.... I'll be taking donations for awhile until we fully bounce back from that (reason #1083 not to buy a house!)

BUT - something happened that I just couldn't resist telling you about!!  Something so awesome, that we just had to celebrate.  Liam got student of the month!!!!

I mean, seriously, I'm just so freaking proud.  This happened last week, I couldn't even find the words to write about it.  Mostly, there is a giant smile, and tears... good tears.

1 year ago... Liam couldn't count past 12, he couldn't blend two letters together (ie. th, br, etc), he wouldn't make eye contact, he "escaped" to the bathroom 10+ times a day, he couldn't complete a task without 1-on-1 assistance.  1 year ago we were having a conversation about holding him back.  We choose to push him forward.  Today, he counts well into the 100's, is reading at his grade level, holds conversations, sits through class, and works independently.  I give A LOT of credit to his 1st grade teacher, she has been so wonderful to Liam, and patient with us and we played with various treatment plans to find the right one for him.  She just stays positive for him and lifts him up when he needs it.  She is the best thing that could have happened to him.  It was the reading specialist that nominated him (as a part of Liam's IEP he gets to meet with the reading specialist 3x a week), and she is the 2nd greatest person in his life.  She appropriately encourages and challenges Liam.  He started 1st grade at a "below Kindergarten" reading level, and now, they just bumped him up the final bump to be officially caught up, he's right where they want 1st graders to be 2 months before the end of the school year. Whoo to the freaking whoo!

I know he's not the only kid that deserves student of the month, I know loads of kids work their butts off, I'm not trying to discount any of the work that they did.  But, Liam, has worked especially hard this year.  He has pretty much had to learn 2 years worth of info in 1 year, since Kindergarten was pretty much a bust for him.  That kid gives every single ounce of effort that he has in that little growing boy body of his.  I get tired just watching him, I can almost hear his brain working watching him trying to figure out a math problem, or sounding out a word.  It takes him about 2 - 3 times a longer to complete the same work that it takes others, but he doesn't give up.  He constantly says "don't tell me!", he wants to figure it out.  His patience and dedication to figuring it out is amazing, and inspiring, and awesome.  

I hope his desire to learn stays with him.  I hope he continues to have teachers that encourage him, and see the wonder that he is.  I hope people don't get frustrated just it takes him longer.  I hope that he continues to be rewarded for his effort and positive energy towards school.  

Item two above, we left our house to get into a better school district.  Even though that has been a struggle for us, I'm totally confident that we made the right decision for our kids education.  Liam being nominated for Student of the Month has definitely my High Note of the year so far... what's yours?