Mood:  suave

In this week's class, we moved out of Italy and into France. Although I've taken this class once before, French wine is something I know very little about. My teacher gave us a handout, "The Concept of Terroir," already something I have never heard of. 

So I did a little research.

Terroir: (noun). The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.

According to the article, wine has changed over time and has become more popular because of technological advances used in the wine making process. The quality of wine has improved, which wine makers appreciate, however they don't want to ignore the original flavor of the grape—which represents the region it was grown in.

"There is a fine line between making necessary refinements to a fundamental process and turning priorities on end. There is little mystery to the crafting of fine wine."

The article names the vineyard as the proper start to great wine, following these two rules: 1. 90% of the ultimate wine is created in the vineyard, and 2. the role of the winemaker is to let the wine make itself.

It refers to the holy trinity of terroir: soil, climate, and grape variety. These elements make each wine unique; the winemaker is present to ensure the wine is its most clear in order to represent is geographical region.

I take it this is wine many French wines are known for their "earthy" flavor—perhaps its winemaker was sure to only enhance the natural qualities of that grape.

I really enjoyed the first wine of the evening, a white, the Domaine du Bagnol. It is a blend of Marsanne, Clairette, and Ugni. This results in a very light, clean flavor—everything I look for in a white wine!

The second wine of the night was a pretty rose, the Domaine du Gour de Chaule. In making this wine, a small amount of the press juice is added back to the skins, which gives it the rose color. It is composed of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvedre. It's a sweet, yet refreshing summer wine. 

My favorite red of the class was the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape. It is made up of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvedre. Portions of it matures in barrels for 18 months.  

The other wines we tasted this week include the Domaine de Monpertuis, the 2006 Dom. Massiac Minervois, the 2005 Jaboulet Gigondas 'Pierre Aiguille', the 2007 Cotes dy Rhone Rouge, and the 2005 Les Clo de Paulilles.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 10:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  down

For starters, let's partake in a moment of silence to acknowledge next week's episode of The Hills, as it is, the Final. Episode. Ever. 

...............

Alright, Holly, Lo, and Stephanie are having breakfast when Holly mentions that her mom, ole Darlene will be in town soon. She is curious to see if they will be able to get ahold of Heidi and if so, what will happen? Oh, the drama. Lo wants to know about the Costa Rica trip, which is then that I realize she wasn't there—why the hell not? They give her the scoop, particularly the drama that happened between Brody and KCal. On a lighter not, Lo says her one-year anniversary with Scott is coming up... 

Brody and the guys are at the speed shop, you know, raging. They too are discussing the trip and Brody still seems pretty upset that KCal was with another guy, even though he tried to play it off like he wasn't. Sigh—men. Frankie tells Brody he should just get another girl, when Brody says, "Maybe I already have another girl." HMMMM could it be...AVRIL LAVIGNE? Perhaps? Then they all ride off on bikes into the sun, channeling Justin Bobby. 

Darlene hops off the plane at L-A-X, with her dream, her cardigan; welcome to the land of fame/excess, is she gonna fit in? Holly is there to pick her up and Darlene is all—"this is all so crazy! Everybody seems so famous!" Actually, Holly tells her that she's been trying to get ahold of Heidi, but with no luck. Darlene makes it clear that she doesn't want the girls to write Heidi off, because she knows she will come around, it just has to be in her own time. And it's a party in the USA. 

Stacie and KCal are out for the night and they see Brody on the other side of the club, however he basically ignores them for the entire night. Scott and Lo arrive, along with Stephanie, who is immediately attracted to Brody's friend Josh. Josh introduces himself and asks Stephanie if she is dating anyone (of course she isn't, because she effed it up with Max—call me). Later, he walks her out to her car and gets her number. Brody leaves, walking by KCal without saying a word.  

The next day, KCal and Stacie are out, discussing last night's events. KCal says Brody texted her, saying he wanted to come over and talk. Stacie tells KCal she needs to use this time to put everything out there and see what happens. 

Later, Stephanie and Josh are out on their lil date, and he immediately catches on that she didn't order a drink. He confesses that he has to pick and choose because of his career of racing motorcycles. Josh also tells her he was a little nervous about the date because of some of the things Brody told him about her, like all of the drama with Spencer and the DUI. However, they seem to be getting off to a good start...for Stephanie. 

Lo and Scott are out for their one-year anniversary, and to be honest, it's pretty effing cheesy and makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. She tells him it's been one of the best years of her life, all because of him, and he agrees. He hints at moving in together, but she brushes it off and says she needs "the next step" before that can happen. However, she still tells him she feels like the luckiest girl in the world. 

Brody arrives at KCals and they share some wine. She says she feels like things are weird between them and he says he agrees things are different. KCal puts it out there that she wants to give things another shot with him and she wants a boyfriend. Brody says she's putting herself out there now, but he wants to know why she was playing all of the games before...he seems really frustrated and tells her it's too late. And then he says it—the reason he's been distant lately is because he's been hanging out with someone else and wants to see where it goes (heard that before girlfriend!). Then, he leaves...and I actually feel pretty bad for ole KCal. The old whore just don't have it anymore.  

At yoga class, Lo and Stephanie are discussing the date with Josh. It's agreed that they both like him and they move on to talk about Lo's night with Scott. She tells Stephanie that she wants to move in, but she has a rule that she has to be engaged first. Stephanie thinks Lo should move in without the ring, because Scott isn't like any other guy...well, Stephanie also thought it was a good idea to drink and drive, so...Just saying!

Darlene and Holly are at lunch, still trying to get ahold of Heidi...but of course, they fail. Darlene says she thinks Heidi feels like she's had to choose between her family and Spencer. Because of this, Darlene says she has been mourning the loss of a child and she has been taking sleeping pills just to go to bed at night. Frankly, this pisses me off. I know Heidi is a complete fucktard, but I don't understand the point of Darlene being in this episode and why it's necessary for her to blab about her newfound drug problem to us. Get ahold of yourself Darlene!

KCal meets up with Lo for lunch and spills the beans about Brody's random girlfriend that no one knew about. KCal doesn't know what to do now that she's put herself out there and gotten rejected. Lo reminds KCal that she is the girl that guys crawl after. However, KCal just keeps saying that the guys she loves, doesn't love her (been there, done that, hated it). Lo suggests that maybe that isn't the case and it's simply bad timing, but KCAL insists that it's done. 

ON THE FINAL EPISODE: Audrina gets a beach house, Lo gets engaged, KCal talks to Brody and it ends in a sad goodbye!  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 11:08 AM CDT

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Mood:  lazy

Over the long weekend (thank you), I had a chance to finish a book I've been reading for months—Life's A Beach, by Claire Cook. No, it was not a difficult read and it was only 250 pages, but yes, it took me way too long to read it. 

As I've mentioned before, I haven't spent much time reading lately. In fact, now that I'm single, I spend more time with people than I do being alone—oddly, when I was in a relationship, I was alone more than ever. But that is neither here nor there—I've been spending my time with friends, a new guy, and well, out at the bars instead of curling up alone on a Saturday night.

And to top it off, this book is fiction, and I usually have a tough time getting into fiction novels. Don't you ever notice the characters are a little too put together? Their conversations are a little too...well written? It gets on my nerves. But nonetheless, I wanted to read more fiction this summer, figuring it was something light I could get into while relaxing by the pool.

Life's A Beach is supposed to be a story about sisters—one, Ginger, isn't quite where she wants to be in life. She still lives at home with her parents and her cat; she isn't established in her career of jewelry-making, and she is chasing after a guy who puts nearly everything else before her and doesn't want to commit (been there, done that, check please). Ginger's sister, however, seems like she's got it all—her job is at its peak, she is married with children, living in a home of her own. Life is so unfair!

Instead of focusing on the relationship between these two sisters at odds, I found this book meandering through Ginger's life—which is boring as hell. She ends up spending her summer playing mommy to her sister's kids, while she still tries to chase after this tool bag boyfriend wannabe of hers.

About 150 pages in, the sisterly bond comes up and makes the book a little more interesting. But what will happen with Ginger's jewelry-making dreams? And the man in her life? Will she finally give him an ultimatum and get on with her life, or is she doomed to be a cat lady forever?

I was kind of shocked I didn't enjoy this book more—Claire Cook is about to release her seventh novel, the others being: The Wildwater Walking Club, Summer Blowout, Ready to Fall, Must Love Dogs, and Multiple Choice. 

Most of the praise for Life's A Beach said the book was funny and witty...that might be true, if I was 45 (no offense). The main character is 41, so the things she does are a little funny, for her. At 25, I'm pretty damn funny, and sarcasm isn't anything new. I hope I don't lose my wit in 15 years.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 10:26 AM CDT

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Mood:  lucky

Since I went from 19 to 20, I haven't been a huge fan of my birthday. Growing up, I never thought I would be one of those women who complained about her age, or getter older in general, but I do. 

I don't know exactly what it is that makes me shy from the birthday celebration—a friend pointed out that since my day falls near the fourth of July, maybe I'm used to people being gone for the long weekend and I'm not used to the attention.

Could be.

I think it's simply the pressure. It's right there in your face—BAM! Another year gone, another year older, more things I haven't accomplished, less of an excuse to act-a-fool...you get the picture.

From the looks of last year's birthday blog entry, I was pretty down about the fact that I was single when many of my friends were not. Truth be told, I wasn't single last year. I was seeing someone who treated me like shit, as he ignored my birthday entirely. The year before that, I went to dinner with a cocaine addict, who was twitching at the table. No wonder I've hated my birthday—it's become a battle, much like Valentine's Day for me. 

This entire week, I've thought about my life. It's certainly not where I wanted to live at 25. It's not where I wanted to be in my career and it's not where I wanted to be in love. But this is what the cards have in store for me, and I'm going to try my best to seize the opportunity.

Already, this birthday has been different. I enjoyed a lovely dinner at The Melting Pot with my girlfriend Nicole last night and walked into work this morning to find gifts on my desk from my coworkers—a Starbucks coffee, a pack of Silly Bands, suckers, and a wine journal! I have lunch plans with my friend Leslie, and although I am officially single, I have a dinner date this evening with a sweet guy—what a change!

I am hoping this is a good sign for my 25th year—so here's to a jump start on getting where I want to go. Because hey, even though I'm currently suffering from a back injury and frequent charlie horses, I'm too young to be feeling this old (as Drake says). Thank you all for a great day!

Me and my buddy OJ, getting ready for the day: 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 10:11 AM CDT

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Mood:  energetic

For our last class in Italy (we move to France next week), we enjoyed wines from northeast Italy, a region that includes Venice, Padua, and Trieste. 

One of the wine regions in that area is the Trentino-Alto Adige, which was once part of Austria-Hungary. In this region, bread and wine are thought to be fundamental sources of nourishment and growth—hells yeah!

One of my favorite whites of the evening was the Pinot Bianco Alto Adige DOC 2009 from Tiefenbrunner. This wine is from the Trentino-Alto Adige region, with the winery located near Entiklar—right in the heart of the Italian Alps. The wine is made from 100% Pinot Bianco, which creates a medium-bodied dry white wine. 

The best red of the night was the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Capestrano, in the Abruzzi region. This wine is one of only four wines produced in that area. In an article on intowines.com, it says this:

The Montepulciano grape is quite prolific. The Montepulciano grape grows easily in Abruzzo. It is plump with high amounts of juice. In an area this poor, this has been a boon to farmers wishing to take advantage of high yields. Unlike most other varietals, this grape makes nice wine even when produced in large quantities. The grape has a deep purple and ruby color to its juice. It has lower acidity (especially for an Italian varietal) and mild sweeter tannins...Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can age brilliantly especially in the hands of the right producers.  

According to TLC, the Abruzzo region has the most national parks and forests of any Italian region. But because of the high altitudes, the temperature can change greatly between night and day.  

The other wines we tasted include the 2006 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT Le Rosse, the 2006 Brentino IGT Veneto, the 2007 Cormi Merlot Corvina IGT, the 2008 Valpolicella DOC by Allegrini, the 2006 Palazzo della Torre IGT Veronese by Allegrini, the 2005 Amarone della Volpolicella Classico DOC by Allegrini, and the Prosecco Brut Conegliano DOC. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 2:56 PM CDT

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Mood:  lucky

The gang lands in Costa Rica and Stephanie is freaking out over getting attacked by a gorilla. But she soon switches gears when she tells Audrina she thinks the trip is kind of romantic. However, she is worried Audrina will fall for Justin Bobby's ways around all of the seductive scenery. 

Later, Stacie and KCal are talking and they agree every girl has that one guy they just cant get over....but who is KCal's guy? Brody?

Everyone is hanging out at the bar doing shots and they are trying to figure out what to do in the morning. Then, KCal starts hitting on the bartender and brody starts being a dickhead—or says KCal. However, Brody tells the guys he doesnt give two shits about the girls because that's just how excited he is to be there. Whatever, douche. 

Justin Bobby is laying it on thick for Audrina; flirting with her left and right. KCal is all worked up in the pool over Brody calling her his sister. She says it's over and in her small little head she believed one day they would get back together. Although I realize her actions showed this, I was really shocked to hear it—I thought KCal fell for no man!

At the club, more shots are being taken as a storm rolls in. KCal's new man gets the wise idea to dance in the rain and Brody is extremely jelly!

Stephanie wakes up the next morning and says she feels like shes on survivor, because their are so many obstacles to go places...right. Audrina doesn't understand why Justin Bobby is acting weird and she tells the girls he grabbed her ass (she acts mad about it, but I think she was pretty pumped over it). 

The girl group takes off on a few dune buggies and the guys are on the beach talking about Audrina. Justin Bobby says she has baggage and he doesn't want to deal with it, while the other guys think he should snuggle up to her. Brody says he doesn't know if KCal really likes the bartender or if she is just trying to get a rise out of him. Either way, it seems to be working. 

The girls find a beach and do some surfing and of course they talk about how mean Brody was the night before. Because of this, KCal decides she will just hang out with Stacie all night. 

The bartender joins the group for dinner, while Justin Bobby is prodding Audrina to drink and he tells her she is in a situation that he doesnt want to be involved in. She denies having any baggage and they seem to move on. 

Brody confronts KCal and tells her he doesn't want to see her get screwed over by some guy in Costa Rica and makes a toast about her being the sister that he's had sex with...so she promptly takes the bartender to the beach for a little make out session. Get it girl! 

The next morning, all of the girls tell KCal they love the bartender and KCal is excited that she is the only one getting any on vacation. Yeah, that sure is something to be proud of! For their last day, the group hikes to a waterfall.

On their way back, KCal says she would live in Costa Rica and she wants to come back and visit the bartender. Brody tries to act all cool, but KCal points out that he is just jealous. Audrina and Justin Bobby are talking and he asks her if she would come back to Costa Rica and she tells him "not with you."—finally! Audrina says a little something that makes sense!

NEXT WEEK: Brody introduces a new friend to the group and the guy asks for Stephanie's number. Meanwhile, Heidi's mom makes an appearance and KCal tells Brody she wants a boyfriend, only to be rejected! 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 3:48 PM CDT

Updated: Wednesday, July 7, 2010 3:28 PM CDT

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Mood:  accident prone

Last night, I got the opportunity to spend some time with the LSU cycling club. To say they are an interesting bunch would be a severe understatement—I might even say they are just a little bad ass. 

In May, a member of the club was involved in a hit-and-run accident on a road designated for bike training. The member, and LSU graduate student, was hit during his morning ride, and thrown into a ditch, where he was left for fellow cyclists to find him minutes later.

As a team, the members sat with his family in the hospital, awaiting answers—he suffered life-threatening injuries and needed blood. But he lived. Something the club didn't think would happen.

Days after the accident, local police found the vehicle they were looking for. However, the owner of the vehicle wasn't driving his car that morning. Thankfully, the guilty party surrendered—the manager of a popular restaurant right off campus.

In the meantime, the cycling club threw together a benefit and a blood drive for their friend, resulting in $5600 toward his medical bills and 125 units of blood in his name—an amount the local blood center had never seen from one group.

While the team has gone through its ups and downs in terms of membership, they are on a high right now with 35 members, 15 of which are active competitors.

Although the club members are certainly a jovial bunch, it seems they are always warding off a stigma. They are pushing for people to know that they simply love riding bikes. They don't compete all the time, they are in the club mainly for social reasons, and they will follow the rules of the road as long as motorists do, too.

When we met last night for our photo shoot, I was surprised to see just how close all of them are. And they are a diverse group at that; breaking the cyclist stereotype left and right.

For the shoot, the photographer and I designed a route that would be the most scenic—around the lakes, through campus, and back to the road where the accident occurred. With the photographer in the back of my car, I had 10 cyclists following me at 10 miles an hour. From the outside, I'm sure it looked silly, but what came of it was amazing—photos that capture a team who loves to ride, while being among friends.

It's been awhile since I've written a feature for LSU, and I'm glad I could come out of the gate with one about a dynamic group of students.

To the LSU cyclists, thank you for reminding me why I love to write. I promise to always leave you three feet of space on the road.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Friday, July 2, 2010 10:37 AM CDT

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Mood:  bright

I'm really up on my blogs these days, and i hope you all can keep up with me! I discovered a new blog by recommendation of one of my FAVORITE blogs (http://www.2birds1blog.com). 

Meet "I Hate My 9 to 5" {http://ihatemy9to5.com/} 

This is an anonymous collection of horror stories from the workplace. Think of it as sort of an, eff my life—work edition. And boy, is it hilarious.

Let me give you an example.

June 23, 2010:

Today my boss called me to go over and pick apart a simple spreadsheet I had created line by line just to make me feel stupid. She asked me questions that she knew I knew the answers to. I hate her.

And another.

June 11, 2010:

Email from our unpaid intern...

"Hey man to be honest with you I partied too much this weekend and I got sick. I'm feeling like shit. I don't think I'll make it in tomorrow, but I should definitely be feeling better by Thursday. Hope all is well"

And one more, just for good measure.

April 2, 2010:

Exactly at 2pm, I place one hand on my keyboard, on hand on the mouse, skillfully position my head and take a nice hour nap in my cubicle. Most days, I wake up and my screen saver is on...I'm sure some passing by has witnessed this very natural activity.

Do you love it, or do you love it? What are your work horror stories? 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 9:10 AM CDT

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Mood:  crushed out

Recently, I stumbled across a blog that really tickles my fancy. It's created by Wordpress and titled "Here's the Problem." The blog was created by two ladies, Lisa and Kara, two 20-somethings who work in Los Angeles' entertainment industry. 

Each entry is short, but very funny. The entries follow the same format—they name a problem, usually something pop culture-related, and then list the "actual" problem.

Par example. Yesterday's entry:

"Here's the problem: Vienna and Jake broke up (I know people, I was shocked too). And Vienna has not wasted any of her precious time telling her story to the media. She even managed to call Jake a 'fame whore.' Classy.

Actual problem: Jakey boy may be a fame whore but you, Vienna are justa plain ole' whore."

This touches my heart.

The ladies do their fair share of blogging about Jersey Shore, Lindsey Lohan, and they even have a few entries on The Hills. 

Check it out at: http://herestheproblem.wordpress.com/ 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 9:33 AM CDT

Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010 9:41 AM CDT

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Mood:  amorous

My wine class is still stuck in Italy—I know I sound silly complaining about it, but I am realizing just how little I like Italian wine. Don't get me wrong, I'm not picky about my grapes, but I do know what I like and the wines we've been tasting just aren't my thing. 

As much as I hate to admit it, my teacher says I have a palette for California wines—the bigger reds, stronger tannins, and the fruit forward flavors. I do hope one day I can learn to appreciate the dry, aged wines of Italy.

But that day is not today.

By far, my favorite wine of the evening was the Dolci di Dogliani from San Luigi in the Piedmont region.  

The Piedmont wine region is located in northwest Italy, sitting at the base of the Alps and Apennines. There are white grapes that grow here, but red is the pride and joy of this area (hallelujah!).

Piedmont reds include Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Dolcetto—the one I really liked. Dolcetto is distinctly dry (I'm so proud of myself for liking a dry wine) and light bodied. It is known for its easy drinking ability, but has more tannin (aha).

According to an article I found from TLC, "How the Piedmont Wine Region Works," Piedmont has the most DOC and DOCG wines of any region in Italy. It is also the place where the "slow food" movement began, an idea which focuses on preserving agriculture and maintaining local traditions.  

Because of its proximity to the mountains, Piedmont grapes grow in cold, snowy winters and dry, hot summers. Vineyards are usually planted only on hills, which is one of the reasons for such a small wine production—there aren't enough grapes growing to make it an area of mass production.

Since Italians serve Dolcetto (meaning "little sweet one") as the first wine of the evening, it pairs well with a number of foods. It fits well with game meats and pork, prosciutto and salami. It also is nice served with roasted game hen, pasta with red sauce, asparagus, mushrooms, blue cheese, and pears. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 4:24 PM CDT

Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010 9:12 AM CDT

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