The Senakams | Corgi + 3

Wine Tasting with the Boys!

As promised in the last post, here's a recap of the fantastic wine tasting trip we went on with Brian, Rita, and the boys last weekend where we all had such a blast (and buzz).

Before making the 40-minute drive to the Livermore Valley wine country, the smaller and lesser-known little cousin to the famous Napa Valley 1.5 hr to the north, Rita hands out treats to Bryson and Picasso in exchange for good behavior when we get to the wineries (don't wanna ruin it for all the future canine visitors!). We're not huge wine snobs, just psyched that we can take these guys along to these dog-friendly wineries so close to home!

Livermore Valley Cellar was the first winery we hit. They're in a tiny little shack in the middle of a housing development, kinda a strange place for a winery. But they more than make up for it by making some damn good big-ass zin's. Check out their appropriately-named "Derriere Series" with names like "caboose" and "weigh behind". Cute. We also got their arcanum (a cab/merlot/syrah blend) and syrah, both are super yummy. Just thinking about them now make me crave a filet mignon or lamb chop, hmm... (*salivating*).

**At last check, LVC's website is loaded with viruses! Visitors beware**

Anyway, back to our wine-tasting day last weekend. It was a super hot day and LVC just wasn't big enough to accomodate all of us + Bryson and Picasso (all squeezed inside for the free A/C, of course), so we headed over to Tenuta Winery a few minutes away.

Brian and Rita told us the best thing about this winery (apart from being dog-friendly, as is LVC) is that they do barrel tasting. We've never done it before, and we're very happy to learn that this is how you get "first dips" at a good deal. Basically, you taste the wine when it's still in the barrels, then buy them as "futures" if you like them (i.e. paying a discounted price now and pick up when they're commercially released, usually a few months later).

And that's just what we did when we got there. We got to taste a really awesome primativo (essentially same thing as a zin, as I understand it), which we got for 30% (+ another 20% off since we got a case) off the final retail price. The down side of course is that we'll be thinking about it every day till we can actually get our hands on it when it's released this fall. *sigh*

 

The picture above on the left is the public tasting room, and the one to the right is our "private tour" to the barrel room in the back, which the boys enjoyed very much, being able to sniff out all the weird smells of fermenting grapes and wet oak barrels (they probably wonder why we like such foul-smelling stuff, just like we wonder why they like to roll in poop, ha ha).

And I have to say being taken "back stage" to the barrel room by the very patient and friendly Rich, seeing the inner workings of a small family-owned winery, tasting wines straight out of the barrel, and doing all that with our dogs by our side was a pretty unique experience. 

They've also invited us back during harvest season to process grapes with them- no stomping grapes I-Love-Lucy-style though (how disappointing!), but we'll be working the machines that pick grapes, and learn how they're pressed and processed. In turn we'll get a couple bottle of wines as our "wages" for the day. How fun is that?! (Fellow Bay Area residents- wanna bring your pooches and come join us? :>)

And below is Bryson before and after a nice glass of primativo. ("Nice buzz...")

Check out our Flickr album for more photos from this fantastic day!

And Then There was Sun

I came back from a short business trip to Phoenix yesterday (where it was a balmy 113 F), and found the much anticipated Flor sample box laying neatly at my door step...

I threw my luggage aside and ripped into the box with breath abated... And voila! The samples turn out to be the exact, vibrant-hued mini-suns that I sooooo hoped they would be! Yay!!

Aren't they gorgeous? Ooh, I'm in love.

I'm completely exhausted from my trip, but I have so much I want to write about besides these adorable little things...

Here's a short list, and I promise I'll fill these in once I dig myself out of this pile of work I'm buried in:

(1) Bye bye, Corgi Artist

Last week we said goodbye to one of the world's greatest children's book author, Tasha Tudor, who penned a series of the most beautiful and imagative illustrated stories about corgis (yes, corgis!), e.g. Corgiville Fair. You can read more about her story on this blog post by Cathy Santasiero, another most respected corgi illustrator/lover.

(2) Picasso and Bryson went "Sideways"

The duo went wine-tasting last weekend! No kidding! Brian and Rita (Picasso's people) found these 2 small wineries in Livermore, CA that has the greatest wines AND also allow dogs in their wineries. We had such a great time, more photos to come.

(3) I have a Genetic Match in... Singapore? 

I submitted my DNA to the National Geographic's Genographic Project just for fun, and I got some surprising results back- there is ONE perfect match- someone who resides in Singapore. They even sent me her name and e-mail. Apparently we are related through a common ancestor thousands of years ago. I have no idea who she is, but I'll write her and find out. More to follow. 

And if you don't know what the Genographic Project is, read about it from the link above. It's potentially one of the most significant piece of work being done with the human genome that'll hopefully answer once and for all the question where we all came from- and you can contribute by sending in your own DNA. Most fascinating stuff.

"Your Dog Terrifies Me"

I've just had one of the weirdest encounters with a neighbor about Bryson, I feel obliged to share.

This neighbor in question lives down the hall (a renter who moved in recently), who told us once to our face "your dog terrifies me".

We totally thought she was joking. I mean, FEROCIOUS Bryson? The Bryson's who's spooked by a falling piece of lettuce, and stays 1000 yards away from the barking chihuahua? Sure, he has his "ferocious" moments with food (just look at that scary, scary picture of him). We really thought she was joking.

So, we didn't think much of it until...

Today, being unusually hot, we left our door ajar, and Bryson slipped outside to sit in the hallway where it's cooler. We've always thought that's cool coz all our neighbors adore him and constantly want to pet and hug him...

Well, apparently, all except for one. And today, with the aid of the soaring temperatures, things got to a boiling point...

8 p.m. ("knock knock" on our front door)

Me: Coming! (thinking it was our other neighbor wanting to ask us for opinion on his remodeling job, a common and most welcomed occurence these days)

Terrified neighbor (clutching a shopping bag with white knuckles, shows up outside our door and appearing about to either cry or throw up or both): Excuse me, but I think it's WRONG that your dog is out here by itself when you're not here.

Me: Huh?! Come again? (OK, I didn't say come again even though I wanted to). But he wasn't doing anything! (pointing at Bryson, who's half asleep with one eye open, checking out to see what the commotion was about)

Terrified neighbor: I'm afraid your dog might jump me. You shouldn't leave your dog unsupervised, ever! (inching closer to her unit, still clutching bag with white knuckles)

Me: Er, but I just went in to get a glass of water (untrue, I was kicking my legs up watching "Who's Wedding is it Anyway?" on Tivo).

Terrified neighbor (desperately trying to get to her door while staying at least 15 feet from Bryson, who's lazily scratching his ear, which sends her flinching): No you're not, I've been standing out here for the last 5 minutes.

Me (trying very hard to stifle a giggle): What?.... why have you been standing...? Anyway, I'm sorry you're afraid..... Errr... (the nice part of me wanted to suggest she sees a shrink, while the evil part of me thought perhaps I should toss a treat her way, just to see what happens...)

Terrified neighbor (made a mad dash to her door, threw us one last furtive look and slammed the door shut)

OK, I guess she's not kidding when she said she was terrified of Bryson. And I get it, phobias are hard to overcome, and they're sometimes irrational and out of the person's control (I'm really trying to be kind here).

But all that aggressive energy thrown at us (on a particularly hot day, mind you) for nothing in particular that we have done is just a bit much.

So, when I see her next, should I (a) suggest group counseling with Bryson on her lap? (b) hide a treat in the hem of her pants?

"I didn't do it. I swear. Just look into my eyes."

FLOR & Alexander Girard

Buried deep in the massive pile of junk mail we got when we returned from Seattle was this little treasure that I almost tossed out- a catalog from FLOR.

I know, you're thinking, Gimme a break, just another FLOR catalog, geez... You've seen these ubiquitous removable carpet tiles a thousand times on just about every home improvement show, so What's the big deal, eh??

Well, this FLOR catalog immediately grabbed my eye, coz this time there's something new and noteworthy (not that the concept of removable carpet tile is old and stale, but their own designs are just a tad... well, for a lack of better word, suburban at times). 

But this time, they totally hit the mark- they've partnered with the iconic Alexander Girard, the legendary American textile designer that popularize that graphic/folk-art style that we've come to associate with the 50's and 60's.

And the result is just splendid. Just look at these fun and quirky La Fonda del Sol tiles, how can you not be happy staring at a floor like this? Even I who am not a huge mid-century mod fan have to give my nod of approval.

They're a bit pricey at $159.99 for 6 rugs (each is 19" x 19"), but with the intense color you probably want to use it as an area rug rather than covering an entire room anyway, and you can mix and match it with other solid colors for a more variegated look while staying cost efficient. I'm already thinking where these would go in our home... hmm....

And you know what's even better than these tiles? I found out that they sell mini versions (6" x 6") of these tiles as sample swatches, for a reasonable price of $6 for 6!

I immediately plunked down this whopping chunk of cyber cash and purchased myself a set of these lovely sun-faces. I hope to hang them as mini wall art to spruce up my home office that is screaming out for more life and vibrancy.

The online UPS tracker tells me my package is inching its way on Ground service all the way across the country from Georgia, and I should be expecting them in a week (I just checked and they're in Hodgkins, IL as of 5:50 a.m. today, woo hoo!).

I just hope they will be what I expect (a mini-sun vs a-quarter-of-a-sun...) and worth the wait. Will post them once I receive them in the mail. Keep you fingers crossed for me!

In Need of R&R

I've had such a hellacious week. Where should I begin...

Well, it all started last weekend in Seattle. At my friend's fantabulous big fat Vietnamese-Jewish wedding, after a few drinks (and maybe a few too many), I was encouraged to join the hora, which (to my horror), was a ghastly mistake. I came home and realized I had a twisted and swollen knee the following morning (I swear I wasn't that drunk).  

We got home to San Francisco OK (coz hubby was carrying every piece of luggage), but the following morning, I couldn't walk. If that's not bad enough, I have to cover a medical conference that starts at 7:30 that morning. Argghh... I hobbled all over the sprawling convention center all day- in crutches.

And later that afternoon, my throat started feeling scratchy. Uh oh. I knew it! I forgot my Airborne on the way back coz I was so preoccupied with my knee. And the one time I forget, I get slammed with a nasty cold (not that I necessarily believe in this stuff, maybe it's all in my head but somehow it does work).

All I can say is bummed knee + raging infection + over-air-conditioned conference hall = hell.

Somehow I managed to survive the week, and actually started feeling better on Friday. Which was important coz Bryson has a playdate with Wally today :) We hung out at Los Gatos (just south of San Jose), and spent a balmy afternoon having brunch, drinking coffee at a streetside cafe, sampling yummy sorbet/gelato, and visiting this gargatuan candy store (puts Willy Wonka to shame, you have to see it to believe it). 

Yes, in summary, we ate continuously, all afternoon. A perfect way to provide some R&R (recuperation and recovery) to my ailing body. I feel much better now :)

Oh, and I forgot to bring my camera's memory stick. Duh. Photos courtesy of mrjoro will follow shortly. (Thanks in advance!)

And since I am lame and don't have photos from today, I'll resort to cheating and post some old photos of Bryson and Picasso (figure this duo could never disappoint!).

The one above was when Picasso was staying with us last time. These two would not leave Jacques' side when he was cooking. The entire time he probably dropped one flake of onion skin and a piece of cilantro. But that was enough to get them back the next time.

Here's them in a rare tug-o-war (Bryson usually couldn't bother with games that don't involve food):

Added 6/18: Click on the photo below to see more pix by mrjoro on Flickr from our outing:

Make Your Own Book!

Hubby recently picked up a new magazine, called Everywhere.

On the surface, it looks like any good ol' travel magazine, with one notable exception- it doesn't have the traditional set of editors and contributors- everything is written by travelers (supposedly everyday janes and joes like you and me), who just happened to have written their own travelogue (or a blog), submitted them, and those that are accepted now have their stories printed on glossies and distributed around the world!

And while I was flipping through this issue, I secretly imagine snippets of our blog appearing somewhere on page 72... ("hmm, our little wine country trip with Bryson will fit right in here...") 

And people at Everywhere must have anticipated that- coz on the very next page, I found an ad for something that addresses precisely that little dream of mine- it's appropriately named Blurb, a web-based service that invite you to "be a part of the modern photoraphy book movement".

Yes! You can print your own coffee table book!

Imagine, just your own photos and musings (that you can arrange in a thousand different ways on its many templates), it can even transform your entire blog into a Blog Book, all printed on glossy paper in a hard-bound volume. Whoa...

And if you're already drooling (like me when I first read about it), think about this: it starts from $19.95/copy, even if you only print one for yourself (price goes up with fancier covers and increasing # of pages, of course). Just think about all the Christmas/birthday/annivesary presents potential here... Suh-weeeet.....

This is a screenshot of a "Travel Blog Book" idea I'm toying with.

Warning: this will suck away all your free time. 

(P.S. JuLo- now you can do your scrapbook AND a Blog Book! *evil chuckle* :D)

A Cherry Blossom Wedding in Seattle

Hello from Seattle!

Yep, we're in the Land of Perpetual Drizzle, my old stomping ground while attending college. We got here yesterday jetting through that familiar, grayish sky.

I don't know why, but the weather is invariably warm and sunny here whenever my Californian friends come up to visit, which of course never happens when a one-time native like myself is here. This has caused my friends to accuse me of  "always exaggerating about the foul weather here". Someone who lives in Seattle (uh hmm): please help me explain this conundrum!

Anyway, we're here to attend an old college friend's wedding in Bothell later on today (Sat), and since I've mentioned the Thank You cards I was letterpressing for this friend previously, thought I'd post some pictures of the finished product here.

By the way, these pristine cards travelled with me under my watchful eye all the way from San Francisco to Seattle (it just doesn't seem to make sense to mail them since I'll be flying up here, plus this way I can watch them like a hawk).

But of course, the perfect plan is never perfect. When we got to the security checkpoint at SFO, the X-ray lady had to practically pry them from my protective arms- and really, can you blame me, for the second she got it from me, she somehow felt the need to shake the darn box!

It wasn't until my husband stepped up to her, leaned slightly forward with that apologetic look, and whispered to her, "it's WEDDING stationary", with a sideway glance at his neurotic wife as if to say "if you don't give it back, she will explode into a tirade that will make us regret ever having this encounter", that the security person gave the slightest nod of understanding, and let my box go.

So, without further ado, here they are:

(1) Fresh off the letterpress. These are printed on the beautiful Italian pearlescent paper, Stardream, in opal. The raspberry color is chosen to compliment the red/gold theme in her invite, and to match the color of her gorgeous ao dai (Vietnamese gown) in the photo (see last photo).

 

(2) Putting all the elements together (note: the separate "thank you"s are also letterpressed, these on a matte paper, then torn into little pieces, then affixed to the letterpressed body with a gold acrylic medium).

(3) Ta da! All done! Oh by the way, the cherry blossom is my sketch, and the photo is adapted from an original by Mind Castle Studios. All copyrighted stuff, of course. Feel free to contact me if you'd like your own cherry-blossom themed wedding stationary!

OK, gotta go get ready now so we can actually attend this wedding. By the way, the sky's still gray. Oh well, ciao!

Sex and the City Movie- it's Here!

This past few weeks we've seen some historic moments- same-sex marriage is finally legal in California, the spacecraft Phoenix found ice on Mars, the Democratic party presidential candidate race is coming to an end, but...

Who on earth cares?! After a 4-year hiatus from the HBO show and months of anticipation, the Sex and the City Movie is finally here!!

I swear that the universe ground to a screeching halt this weekend, so me and my girlfriends (along with just about every woman who lives on this continent) could drop everything we were going, grab a cosmo, and head to the movie theater and indulge in a couple of hours of unadulterated SATC porn.

And boy, was it delicious. We laughed, we shrieked, we cried, and we shared napkins to dab away those tears that we knew we needn't feel embarrass about.

I know, those of you who aren't familiar with the show (i.e. men, the emotionally-challenged, or those who don't own a TV set) are probably thinking Gimme a break... 

What's the big deal, right? You know why it's a big deal? 

It's a big deal coz women of our generation "grew up" in our adulthood with this foursome. 

When the show first aired in 1998, I was in my twenties, and I have yet to meet my husband. Through the years, we've watched these 4 women experience lives in eerily familiar (well, and slightly exaggerated) ways mirror our own:

We watch each others fall in (and out of) love.

We talk about our men. And then we talk some more about men.

We spend inordinate amount of time and energy juggling career, family, friends, responsibilities- only to spend just as much time contemplating if we've done the right thing afterwards.

We go shopping for things we probably don't need, then complain our closets aren't big enough.

We debate which side of the bridge to live on (different bridge, same idea).

We have brunch on weekends and chat until the cows come home.

And, at a moment's notice, we will drop everything and go to a friend's rescue just so there's a shoulder to cry on.

Yep, that's about it. Oh, but also it doesn't hurt to live vicariously through others once in a while, watching Carrie and Co. wear thousand-dollar shoes, sip fancy cocktails and flirt with devlishly handsome men when you're home alone with a sea mud facial mask and curlers in your hair.

Oh, and this last photo is one of my favorite moments in the movie- any woman who can use a bouquet as a weapon while wearing a blue bird in her hair AND do so with such grace is my idol any day.