October 16, 2011

A day full of sunshine, the outdoors, and beautiful weather is my idea of perfection.  Today was one of those days:  a hike through the Greenbelt, a patio brunch downtown, and some meandering on South Congress, all in great company.  All of it should speak for itself for one to be able to conclude this was one of those idyllic Sundays, right?  Unfortunately, I was visited upon by some unknown allergens in the air, leaving me sniffling, sneezing, and rubbing my eyes all day.  I so wish I had been able to focus on how fantastic the day was, rather than pulling strange faces to avoid yet another sneeze and its incidences.  My apologies to those in my company yesterday, I know it wasn't a pleasant sight.  Near the end of the day, I decided to reduce it all to a party of one with the task of choosing the correct medication to allow me to somehow breathe and sleep at the same time:  Vick's VapoRub to the rescue.  Again, apologies to Sunday & Co. for my pathetic appearance and my inability to full appreciate the day.

October 15, 2011

Another weekend of gorgeous, albeit rain-free, weather required another trip to a vineyard.  Today, we headed west on Highway 71 to the Stone House Vineyard for lunch, a wine tasting, and general relaxation.  Although I liked the tempranillo best on our last visit, my tastes seem to have shifted toward a preference for the Claros.  While the tempranillo was sharp, almost spicy, the Claros was smooth and understated.  After deciding to share a bottle, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing under the warmth of the sun, in the way of a perfectly cool breeze.  After the nearly nap-inducing drive back,  more relaxation commenced over perfectly warming coffee on Lake Austin at Mozart's.  Finally, and naturally, dinner was capped off with another glass or two of the Claros while playing a seriously addicting version of solitaire.  As if they weren't already, today simply proved yet again that Saturdays are my favorite days of any given week.

October 14, 2011

Hockey is an interesting sport.  About half a dozen huge men per team, with sharp blades strapped to their feet, wrapped in pads, and carrying a big stick, chase one another on a slab of ice after a disc they are also trying to slap into a net, which is guarded by a masked and heavily padded man.  These men also throw elbows and check one another into glass panels surrounding this slab of ice.  It's great fun, I presume.  Considering the cat-and-mouse nature of the game, coupled with the ice skating, one would think it would be fast paced and quickly finished.  Interestingly, however, each play lasts a handful of seconds due to penalties and random game stoppage, although this may be different in higher levels of the sport.  Thus, it seems there was a greater amount of standing around rather than actual game time.  Regardless, I got to see a good ole hockey fight, so the night was perfectly entertaining!