Things Don't Change, We Do...

I had my annual physical check up yesterday. Let's see, so much has changed in a year. My job, insurance carrier, living arrangement, weight, diet, cholesterol level, p.o.t.u.s, heck, even my hair color changed!

I now work for the #1 lender, or so they claim, my insurance costs me twice as much now (thanks "O" mighty One), I apparently lost 3lbs since last year (I think the scale was tipped), I renewed my TB test so I can start chopping away at soup kitchens (hey, I have to start somewhere if I ever want to become the next Top Chef...ha ha...I kid...I kid... I love to eat so I'll leave the cooking to someone else) and my high blood pressure and cholesterol is now within tolerance. Meaning, I won't drop dead while walking down the street, which is such a big relief!

Why was I 3lbs heavier last year? Not that I'm obssessing about it, believe me after dating a personal trainer for 2 years, the last thing I want to think about now is my body mass index and how it all relates to my daily caloric intake! Ugh, talk about being hungry all the time :) So, I did a mental jog as to what I was doing last year and here's what I came up with...

A year ago, I was driving my little heiny to Napa Valley everyday to train the newly hired loan agents by my former company. I was wining and dining out for lunch and dinner everyday. Napa Valley is a dangerous place for a food lover such as myself. No, is not in my vocabulary when it comes to food with the exception of cilantro...yuck! There's a specific restaurant that is hands down, my bestest, favoritest (yes, I'm making up words now...follow along), greatest restaurant ever in my book. And it happens to be an organic/vegan, pure goodness and delight in your mouth, restaurant. They serve the kind of food that will leave you speechless because you'll be too busy eating and licking your fork long after you've polished off the last morsel of their out of this world beet salad and heavenly organic cheesecake served in an old fashion mason jar.

I know right! Let's see, wasn't I bagging on Cafe Gratitude just a few month's back?

You see, this restaurant is not like Cafe Gratitude, although I know deep down inside that CG will someday want to grow up to be just like Ubuntu but it will never happen. Cafe Gratitude will always be the red headed step child...ha ha ha! Cafe Gratitude is a pseudo, feel good about yourself because what you're eating is supposed to be good type of joint. Anyhow, we all know how I feel about their food so no need to elaborate (see: Live. Organic. Vegan.)

Ubuntu is a complete departure from Cafe Gratitude. First off, it has a Yoga studio on the second floor of the restaurant which you can actually see from the dining area below. Secondly, almost all of the furnitures came from salvaged materials, tastefully re-designed to create the eco- friendly, look and feel of the restaurant. My favorite piece is definitely the long community table. Their version is the kind that I someday want to be gracing my home, the long kind versus the circular one that Snowball and I sat on at CG.

So what? Big deal, it's a table!

Well, what makes this table so unique is that it's made out of 2 different types of trees - a redwood and a fir tree that were blown down by the wind back in 2002 in a little town in Occidental, CA. The artisan took these two windfallen trees and created a long table out of it. If that does not impress you then you're in the wrong blog page.

Who are you and what are you doing reading my blogs?

Aaaanyhow, it would have been easier to just purchase a long table at some Scandinavian design furniture store somewhere, but to actually take the time go out to nature to salvage these two fallen trees, milled it, and gave it a second chance in life to be enjoyed, and admired in a whole new way is pretty impressive, don't you think? Talk about the ultimate "want not, waste not"

So Ubuntu is this type of restaurant, you can't help but feel good about eating there. Not only are they environmentally conscious, the food is a complete feast for the senses. Not for one second did it ever crossed my mind that I was only eating a variety of amazing garden grown fruits and veggies. No meat or deep fried evil stuffings of some sort to be had. From the first day I was introduced to this place, I pretty much ate there every chance I got. Since then I have taken friends and told as many people as I can about the place because I love it so much, I don't ever want it to close down.

My last dining experience at Ubuntu was late last year. It was a great meal shared over a bottle of Merlot, if my memory serves me well. I drove up there with Tiesto's, Adagio for Strings playing in the background and my mind filled with excitement and anticipation to be able to share this gem of a restaurant with someone new. I just hope that he continues the cycle and keep sharing. Because you know what they say..."Sharing is Caring" Go Care Bears!

www.ubuntunapa.com

So I just remembered a story I have about the town of Occidental. I attended a wedding there last September at a family owned vineyard. The wedding was perfect, 75-80 attendees. Just enough people to have a rowdy, fun time but small enough that it still felt very intimate. I met the happy couple once before at a Rock Band party (geeky, I know). They are both SF lawyers. So my best guy friend who I refer to as George (as in George from My Best Friend's Wedding but he's the straight version) is best friend's with the groom and that's how I came in the picture. I was the Wedding Date (another movie reference, but no I didn't get paid. I should have asked for some kind of compensation though for being so patient when we got lost for over an hour driving by the same narrow street 4 times! It was like an episode from The Twilight Zone :) So the wedding was really nice and I was all caught up in fantasy land until I heard the groom talking to George which quickly brought me back to reality.


Groom: Thanks so much for coming and doing the reading.

George: No problem. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Glad to be here.

Groom: Yeah, I'm so tired. I was up until 2:00 in the morning finishing up on a deposition.


Stage left - that would be me with a giant screaming thought bubble!

"Wow, really?!?! I'd hate to be married to that one. How sad! Call me old fashion but the only thing I want to do on the night before my wedding day is sleep, or see my fiance or finish up on some last minute detail. Anything but work! Oh well, to each his own...

By the way, if you ever find yourself in the Occidental area, the town before it is Sebastopol which happens to be the location of this awesome bakery that makes the world's best sticky buns aka cinnamon rolls. We happened upon this place right before we went into our wild goose chase of finding the vineyard.

Check it out...

www.wildflourbread.com


Then last night, Marge and I went to go see the San Jose Sharks get their ass whooped by the Minnesota Wild. It was totally in the bag - Sharks had a 2-0 lead at the end of 1st period and then out of dumb luck or sleepiness of the goalie, by the end of the 2nd period they were tied by 3-3! The two points that were scored by Minnesota were rolling pucks! Aarrgghh! where's Nabokov when you need him! Third period ended with a tie so it went into overtime and that's when the crowd grew "Wild" in anger because the other team scored the first goal :( Oh well, another day in a life of a sports fan.

Half time show. Ridonculously Funny!





Jakey

An Open Ending

On Friday night, I had the chance to once again see and hear the beautiful violin virtuoso, Anne-Sophie Mutter. She was amazing. MTT conducted which was a double treat for me. Another added bonus to this concert was that the composer was also there to witness the premiere of her work for the first time in SF. So the geek in me was in classical heaven to have been there to experience a first! Picture this, MTT and Anne-Sophie, on stage and the composer, Sofia Gubaidulina, sitting in the box seat to my peripheral left. Wow!

MTT gave a commentary breakdown of the piece prior to playing. I like listening to him talk. He's so animated and captivating. I can seriously sit there and listen to him talk about music all day long. I probably won't even know half the stuff that he'll be saying but it wouldn't matter because I'll just feed off his energetic passion for classical music. He'll probably talk my ears off about Mahler, who he's obsessed with. Yes, I'm perfectly aware that he's a flamboyant diva but he's definitely on my top 5, lunch date, wish list :)

Time escapes me when I'm sitting in that reddish, velvety chair which by the way is not that comfortable either. I think they purposely designed it that way so that people won't inadvertently fall asleep. Although I love romantic pieces from Shostakovich or Rachmaninoff, they can definitely lull me into a deep, hypnotic slumber given the right medium such as a comfortable chair. So, hooray for semi-itchy, non-rocking, symphony seats.





The symphony offers me the escape from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. For the two hours that I'm there, I forget everything - worries, fears, egos, self-doubts, sometimes even the person next to me and all the nonsense that we can all get so caught up in defending. When the music starts, I am completely immersed in the sight and sound of each instrument collectively coming together to form a beautiful harmony. Nothing else can give me that experience. Hiking gives me peace and clarity while the symphony gives me the "nothing". The "nothingness" gives me everything I want - silence in thoughts which equates to being present in time. No clamoring thoughts of to-do lists or creating intricate web of future plans. With "nothingness" I get to experience the "now".

After the concert, I sauntered over to the store to see if they have any new classical giants bobble head but they didn't. I found these instead. Soooo CUTE! You HAVE to read the stories. It's HIGHLARIOUS!!!

I had to hold myself back from buying all of it. I have to save some excitement for the next concert which by the way is going to be really fun! After hours anyone?

Check it out...

http://sfsymphony.org/season/Event.aspx?eventid=26946

Then on Saturday, we had a going away party for Marge...sadness :(

I'll miss you Marge! As much as technology creates unnecessary distance, on the other hand it also ridicules the latitude and time zone separating us. What a paradox! I guess, Yahoo Instant Messenger will be my new best friend.

"There is a past, but not now. There is a future, but not now. I have to pee, right now... "

jakey

Tavalodet Mobarak Sahar!

Coldplay, Summer 2008

Happy Birthday Sahar! - in Farsi

Yes, bloggies it's Snowball's Birthday today :) Woo hoo! Partay!!!

I've only known Sahar a for a short while but from the very first time we met, we both knew that it was BFF's at first sight :) You couldn't shut us up! Mind you we met during a job interview which went something like this...

Me: So, who did you work for? And don't say #2 because I work for #2 (lol!)
Sahar: I used to work for "blah, blah", the coldest biatch in the world!
Me: OMG! I know her. Okay you are so in! So what are you doing this weekend?

That's the Cliff Notes version but you get the point :)

She's been a voice of reason for me on several occasions. She's not afraid to speak her truth and not sugar coat it either. I'm not made of eggshells, I can take it. That's just one of the ways why I truly value her.

Sahar is one of the kindest and most compassionate person I know. I never hear her say anything mean about anyone. And when she does share her opinion, she keeps it to a minimum. She's got a good head on her shoulder and I admire her determination in life. She's definitely a silent warrior.

We are kindred spirits. When we get together and start conversing, its hard to tell where my thoughts end and hers begin. Her unlimited capacity to listen, astounds me. Heaven knows I love to talk! If you think my blogs are long and winded at times, try sitting through a reading session of one of my personal journal entry. Talk about needing to have the patience of Mother Teresa!

She's always there for me when I need her the most. Like the time I had my foot surgery. She was the first one to visit. She brought along a video player and classic movies such as "Flashdance" and "So I Married An Axe Murderer" (hilarious!) She even got me flowers...aaawwww! Although I was doped up beyond belief I knew then that she's a keeper ;)



Snowball, thank you for all that you do. Its all the little things that matters to me the most. With you, I never have to worry about being judged. I know that I'm not always the most easy going person and that I can get really intense at times but I'm glad that you were able to see through the quirkiness and really see me. Thank you.

I thank God every chance I get that I'm constantly surrounded with amazing people. You inspire me in so many ways. You are beautiful both inside and out. You bring joy to those around you. We are all born as nameless stars. Here's to brightest one of all. Keep on shining Sahar!


No Jake, the tank top cost $5



I took her here, she had the live lasagna and she's still my friend...








Fall of 2008 when we both pseudo fell in love with Mr. A-Z







We went to Natural Bridges to see the butterflies at the sanctuary but we were 2 weeks early :(




So we had fish, chips and beer instead...yeay!





Our last hike of the season before my foot surgery. This is my favorite trail in Mt. Tamalpais - Dipsea Trail

This was the first time I found out that she's afraid of heights...sorry!





The birth of Snowshoe (me) and Snowball (Sahar). This picture was taken outside of Club Fugazi, home of Beach Blanket Babylon where our aliases came to life. The princess featured on the show was Snow White and they did some really funny variations of her name hence our pseudonyms.








Gelato at Naia...It's like a burst of Citrus Sunshine...Oh wait it is! the flavor that is :)




She looooves animals!

Khoda hafaz,

Jake

I Drove All Niiiiggghhhttt To Get To Yoooooo...

If the first thing that came to your mind after reading that was Celine Dion....

Ding...ding...ding!!!

You are correct!

Friday night's entertainment was provided by none other than the love song ballad queen, Celine Dion.

The dynamic duo that is Snowball and Snowshoe finally saw Celine in concert. The show was supposed to be back in November but the Diva, cancelled it last minute. So it's now 2009, all the major holiday's are over, the stars are aligned and the timing was right. I saw her 10 years ago at the same place. It's so weird to think about that - I was still in college at the time. She pretty much sang all the same songs on Friday as she did from 10 years ago with the exception of maybe 3-4 new songs. She's as good as ever!


Hit it...






I finally had the chance to see Slumdog Millionaire earlier today. WOW!!! I can't believe I waited this long to see it. If I had known how good this movie was and how much I would LOVE IT, I would have seen it on opening day. Go see it please, if you haven't yet. You will like it, love it, fall in love with the characters and come out of the movie feeling really hopeful and optimistic about life and renewed faith in the inherent goodness in all. At least that's my experience.

So a little bit of childhood history here. I grew up in a tough town in the Philippines. Whenever I get asked where I was born and raised by other Filipinos, I always get this look as if I just said the most ridiculous and appalling thing in the world. You see, where I grew up would be considered "THE" slums of the Philippines. If you don't believe me, Google - Tondo, Manila. Anyhow, I won't go into details as to why we were living in the slums but it had a lot to do with safety and the nature of my dad's line of work back then.

Seeing the movie brought back childhood memories. Don't get me wrong, I grew up in a very nice house with a maid service and a driver who took us around. I went to a very good school and my parents always made sure that my sisters and I were well cared for. The only thing that one would consider odd was that we lived in the outskirts of the slums. My sisters and I were considered the "rich" kids, but there was no way in hell that you would be able to tell. We didn't play with the other rich kids. There were none in our side of the town. We were it. Instead, we got to play with the street kids. I truly believe that a huge part of who I am today was a product my slum days :)

Anyhow, watching the movie earlier brought back memories of me playing outside, running around in bare foot because I couldn't use my flip-flops otherwise my mom would find out that I was out in the streets playing which was a big no-no! My sister, Joan and I used to get into so much trouble with my mom. Somehow she always knew when I was outside playing. I mean, I covered my tracks pretty well but it didn't dawn on me that my mom gave me baths every night which meant that she saw how grimy and muddy feet were and I probably stunk like hell too...ha ha ha!

Okay fine, for those of you that have seen the movie, my childhood was not even remotely close to the horror that Jamal went through but as a kid growing up in the area that I did, I saw poverty, crime, abuse and injustice right before my eyes although I was too young to comprehend it at the time. Life taught me early on of the lessons of compassion, tolerance, acceptance and complete gratitude for what I have in my life.

So this Opera going, Symphony loving, Wine drinking, Hula dancing girl that I am today once lived in the slums, played with dirty, stinky kids, loved every minute of it and will do it all over again :)

Each person has a story to tell. Some of the chapters are heroic. Some of them are about loss, some about fear, and some about achievement or joy just like my story. Be open to the stories of others without judgments. You never know what you will find out. Give yourself the chance to get to know others deeper and make the connection. I'm not suggesting to like everyone's personality or want to spend time with them. That's draining and counter intuitive to the goal. Instead, choose the people you enjoy. Don't short change yourself by throwing anyone out of your heart.

I'm so glad Slumdog won so many awards and most importantly the Best Picture of the year - very well deserved.



Speaking of going back to my roots...

peace out homies,

jakey

Back from Splitsville Resort

What is Splitsville Resort and where the heck is it?

According to Lonely Planet: (pop. 1)

Splitsville Resort is where people go to recover from unexpected break-ups. It is a place of catharsis. Kind of like an inside-out spa experience. It's a place where you can purge all the bad emotions and sadness. You come lonely but you leave happy. It's a place where you really only want to visit once and the shorter you stay the better, but everyone is different with their timing.

So, I checked in to Splitsville Resort a few weeks ago. Splitsville is not your typical get away resort. It doesn't offer any amenities. In fact, you don't even get to pack for this trip. You get sent there with only the clothes on your back and your wits if you were lucky enough to have brought it with you. Unfortunately for me, I only had my clothes. I remember waking up that fateful morning and did my usual hike/run. It was an unusually warm and sunny day. There was a skip to my step and a happy tune in my head. Little did I know that the next few days would be pretty gloomy.

You see, this is the first time I have ever been sent to Splitsville so I had no idea what to expect. I'm normally the one sending people there. But let me tell you, I will think THRICE before I send anyone there from this day forward. If I ever find myself visiting again in the future, I know that I will be better equipped to handle myself. I know what to expect and will most likely stay for a shorter period of time.

My first three days in Splitsville was the worst. The bed had nails on it so I didn't sleep. Food was repulsive, so I didn't eat. My heart was in a million little pieces scattered all about. To top it off, I had the Indy500 of question marks ????? doing laps in my head all day long! It has been estimated that an average person has sixty thousand separate thoughts each and every day. The problem was that I had the same sixty thousand questions and thoughts from the day before which carried on to the next day and the day after that. That's enough to drive one absolutely bizerk!

So being that Splitsville Resort is not your typical relaxing and convenient get away spot, you have to check out everyday for 8 hours or so to go back to Realityville aka Work. That was tough. It was emotionally, physically and mentally draining to carry around the baggage with you everywhere you go. I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to stay as stationary as possible but I had to suck it up. Another problem with leaving Splitsville is that you walk around with this ultra sensitive sprinkler system. Anything can trigger it - a sight, sound or smell can turn on the water works. It doesn't matter if you're sitting in front of your computer by yourself or in a roomful of people at a coffee shop, it will just set off on its own. Can you just imagine the sheer horror of the sprinkler going off every 5 minutes or so? My only saving grace after work was that I got to spend time with a fellow Splitsvillager who had been to the resort once. She offered words of comfort and encouragement to make my stay there as short as possible.

She did mention that everyone should visit Splitsville Resort at least once in their lifetime. That is the only way to really understand and fully appreciate what it's like to be on the other side. In return this will create more awareness, mindfulness and compassion. I couldn't agree more! As hard as it was for me to be there, I think we could all use a little bit more lesson in compassion. There's not enough of it but I can certainly start with myself.

This went on for a couple more days. By the end of my first week of stay, I noticed that sleep came and visited me for 3-4 hours in the evening and food was slowly starting to look palatable again. My jaundiced skin was starting to regain its color. Puke green never looks good on anyone :) I pretty much have gathered all the broken bits of my heart and it's well on its way to recovery. In fact, I was feeling somewhat social again that I managed to actually get somewhat dolled up and went to a beer-food tasting party (See Magnolia vs. Dogfish Head).

By the second week, I started to find activities that kept me away from Splitsville Resort longer. I was either at a dance studio practicing Hula, in the gym spending time with Precore or at a Wine Bar somewhere in Palo Alto which by the way deserves its own blog later on.

The evenings are tough because that's when I found myself checking back in to Splitsville. However, the time I spent there was actually getting better. The Indy500 has finally left town, my mind was quieting and I was finally able to start writing coherently again. I was able to enter the sixty thousand thoughts and find silence in between the gaps. In this sliver of silence, I was able to find a sense of peace. When I do find myself in the state of "in-between" that's when the confusion goes away, my mind listens to what's going on in my body and for a brief moment, I am at a place of well-being. In silence, I was able to face my fear and sit with it. Acknowledge that it's there and work my way through it.

I checked out of Splitsville Resort last night. I knew I had to go. I have used up my welcome card. I don't need to stay there any longer than I have already. My heart is back in one piece with some scar tissue but I know that someday soon it will be back doing it's hand-stands again. My mind is a power house of information, ready to sift through the events of the past few months and learn the lessons that had to be learned. I have come to a place of acceptance. Happiness is a state of mind. I choose to be deliriously happy. I choose to have a different experience. I choose to continue my path to learn, to grow and to become better than I once was. I choose to experience life to its fullest. I get one shot here so I want to make the best of it.

As for the person who gave me the roundtrip ticket to Splitsville Resort? He'll always have a soft spot in my heart. I'm beginning to understand why we had to meet but I will keep that privy to myself for now. I wish him the same things I wish for myself and others around me. To find peace, happiness and true love.

"The falls of our life provide us with the energy to propel ourselves to higher levels"
Dr. Wayne Dyer

Ready...Set...Go...

In Spirit,

Jake

What's the fuzz all about?

Yesterday was the annual Valentine's Day, Pillow Fight in SF. I heard about this a while ago and it sounded kind of cool - if I wanted to get my head smacked around with pillows by a bunch of strangers! I met up with a group of friends to what was supposed to be a pre-dinner drinks but when I got to their place, they thought it would be a good idea to cheer me up by bringing me to the giant pillow fight instead.

Me: Oh no, really?....crickets...thought bubble...I can just see it now, someone walking around with their pillow and a target drawing on it saying "Your Face Here".

So being a good sport, I sucked it up, wore a big grin and said "I'll watch you guys from the side and capture the moment with my camera. I promise to send you the pictures and the videos straight away!"

The countdown begins...

Justin Herman Plaza

Chaos began when the clock struck 6:00

45 minutes later...

Fuzzy-Wuzzy, I should have worn a Onesie!

The whole thing was still going when we left to get food which was over an hour from when it started. When I posted the question, "What's the fuzz all about?"...well the answer is "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FUZZ!!!". I'm still coughing up fuzz and feathers! Even standing on the side, I was covered with pseudo goose down feathers. My contact lens was a blur and my mind was spinning from the chaos :) It was fun!

Schroeder's German Restaurant

Went to the doctor's and he said that I definitely have "Carpal Tunnel".

Hmm...must have been from lifting this bad boy... (It's a 38 oz of Franziskaner)



The night was young and one of the girls received an invite to a Valentine's day party. The concept was cool.

- Come to our Valentine's Day Ninja Party. The guys will dress up as Ninjas and the girls in their hot Manga costumes and there will be a 30 seconds speed dating. Btw, there will be art work displayed as well for your viewing pleasure. -

Sounds promising right?

Well, we got to G3 Lounge in the Richmond and I swear you could hear crickets and pins dropping. There were a total of 15 of us which pretty much made up the party. The music was lame and the artwork on the wall looked like somebody just gave a very special kid a box of crayons, pencils and 30 seconds to make up the collection of stuff on the wall. Ha ha ha! it was hilarious.

Nobody was wearing a costume. I breathed out a big sigh of relief from foregoing on wearing my Yuna costume.

The organizers of the party were both wearing kimonos. Ahem, guys... Ninja's wear this...

Not this...Unless you work for Sushi Boat :)

We came dressed up as Damsels in Distress instead...

After G3, the gang went to The Orbit Room (yawn!). I've been up since 8:30 in the morning, went to 2 dance classes, hiked my patooties off afterwards and didn't get to take a nap. So needless to say, I was the party pooper and ended the night. The only orbiting I wanted to do at that point was the orbit around my bed to get closer to my heater :)

- Good times

- Goodnite,

jakey

Magnolia vs Dogfish Head

It's SF Beer Week!!! Aaaahhh! It's like Christmas + Birthday all week for me :) The whole thing kicked off on Friday at Monk's Kettle. Although I love beer and I absolutely fell in love with the place, it is too soon for me to go back there without having the water works turn on, so I opted to go Alembic yesterday instead. I had an amazing experience with food and beer pairings. Marge and I spent our Sunday afternoon-evening drinking, eating, socializing with fellow beer lovers and just had an overall good experience. Plus, I got to meet and photo opp with two of the coolest dudes in my book. Brewmasters Dave McLean of Magnolia Pub and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. Starstruck! First off, check out the food pairings with the beer....





Of course we all know that if I'm given choices, I will most likely pick all of it. And that's exactly what we did, we picked all 5 pairings. We had a total of 10 beers (5 each), plus a pint of the official SF Beerweek ale, skewered chicken hearts on a bed of indian spice aioli sauce and a to die for chocolate chip cookies with ginger/nutmeg flavored soymilk dessert for good measure. Yup, you can say that I was slightly inebriated by the time the 4th pairings came out.

My favorite pairing was definitely #3 the chicory stout braised pork cheeks. The pork was very tender, the flavor of vanilla and black miso was amazing and matched with the Stout, I was in beer-food heaven! I remember sitting quietly, chewing ever so slowly and savoring each flavor.

Marge took this picture after I had the 3rd pairing. Look of love? Nope, just slightly inebriated :)





So who won it for me?



Hands down...



No doubt about it...




The best beer-food pairings award goes to...





Drum roll please...

Dogfish Head, Delaware

They paired each food with similar brews of Dave and Sam's beer. The variation in taste was only slightly different but Sam's brew definitely had a rounder, longer lasting finish. The flavor in his beer, long after i've put my glass down still lingered on my lips. There's still that longing to have more of it. The sweetness was perfect, the bitter was just right and the spice was not over powering. I am a new fan!

I know someone who really likes Midas Touch which is coincidentally brewed by Dogfish. See pairing #2. I asked Sam about it (yes, we're on a first name basis now) and he said that to make Midas, he uses the same berries that are used to make Pinot Noir. Bingo...now I know why "he" likes it. Wish I can share that bit of factoid to him but I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually, if not already.


Brewmasters Dave McLean (left) of Magnolia Pub and Sam Calagione (right) of Dogfish Head.





Beer- helping ugly people get laid since 6000 BC

Here's the link to the photo gallery by some random girl walking around with her nice camera. Marge and I are in the pictures randomly but enough to show that we were there for a total of 5 hours! Man! no wonder I was so drunk by the time we left :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bittermelon/3270141714/in/set-72157613578543317/

Cheers,
jakey