Travel with a Happy Camper

Attitude is everything. Solo time and open space help keep our attitude right. Even when the rest of the world seems to be trying to dampen the mood it is important to control our attitude. I find without the right attitude life seems much harder. Thus I checked out for a while to sharpen the "tude".

Travelling is my refuge, so recently I dropped everything and hit the road. Out among the world I was able to free myself from my stresses. That's where I was able to rediscover me inner peace and joy. To see me now you'd like say, "no there's a "Happy Camper".

Alone with my thoughts divine wisdom suddenly struck me as quickly as openinga bottle (A screw top that is)... "Approach life happily and you'll be a Happy Camper."

A simple thought, almost nonsense, but of course that's what a nay saying unhappy person would say. Life is beautiful. All one need do is look around to see that, you're bound to find something to find happiness in.

Try a bottle of Happy Camper wine for example. Worth the price and tasty. Beauty, simplicity in the bottle and a great way to adjust the "tude". One sip after work and I become another Happy Camper.

From Sour Grapes - Wonderous Wine

...Obama makes a speech that turned the sour grapes of the moment into a wonderous wine.

Easy Being Green - Benton Lane Pinot Gris

Glass in hand I watched the news headlines. "Obama's ex-pastor hates america... Barack Obama is half black and may be muslim... Bla Bla, bogie bogie!!... to sum it all up he is different. Which even has half looped as I was from my wine I realized. So I thought it interesting that on the day we celebrate the original hated immigrant, (Happy St. Patrick's Day) Barack Obama had to announce he would be giving a big speech on race in America tomorrow.

Throughly enjoying my wine now, I can't wait to hear what Obama will have to say. It's sad that what little steps we make in this country. It's even more sad that when we do make progress we forgot what brought us here and why it was important. Instead we settle for drinking beer. It's all clear to me as I enjoy one more sip of Benton Lane Pinot Gris... more people should enjoy wine.

Another Reason to Enjoy Wine - Water

In ancient times when societies couldn't trust their water supplies they relied on alcoholic to purify beverages. The low cost and less nuanced beverage, beer became the drink of the working class masses. Those with more elite tastes and the means to procure the fruits an artisans labor, wine was the beverage of choice. In fact, wine was so cherished that it transcended the status of a simple beverage, rising up to become a holy sacrament. Across cultures and throughout the ages, wine has held an important role in society.

As the world became more modernized, mankind's attachment to the mystical powers of wine has diminished. We no longer relied on it to purify our water, lowering back to the status of a beverage for elitists. Water, safe and pure is so abundant that it flows freely from the tap. Even more specialized waters can be bought that fulfill any need or desire. All the body needs in the brave new world is water. Thanks to human ingenuity reliable drink water is everywhere... or so we thought.

Not to be an alarmist, for the water you drink today will likely not kill you tomorrow. No, with such trace amounts of pharmaceuticals it will take time to built up to a danger point in the system. We likely won't need to lose sleep about polluted water, rather we can once again pass this dilemma on to the next generation.

However, for those that live their life on the safe side; now you have a good excuse to drink in the beauty of healthy living. For get water, enjoy wine.

Menage A Trois - Makes For a Happy Valentine

There is something to be said for the right wine. Because the right wine at the right time makes the day so memorable. Many times have I experienced the magical effect that wine can have on a special moment. On this day it was Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red 2006 that will linger on my mental palate for years to come.

Life has kept me busy lately. I've been reading and I've been working but it feels like forever since I've been writing (Except the occasional letter). But one must remember that life is meant to be lived not just remembered. Better said, sometimes we need to remember to take time for love. Things we love to do,... Loves we like to be with,... to be apart of the world that is love. Even if it takes a label like Valentine's Day. Love is important.

Thus I write. Wisdom like this comes to you in a flash when you are experiencing the pleasure of Menage a Trois. A delightful blend based on three grape varietals. This rich, red, ripe and relaxed wine remain remarkably complex. A bottle can age well over the next seven years but not all of us can wait. Taken now, a glass of Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red 2006 is a delight to enjoy again and again and yet again. It is said it takes two to tango but when there is three,... now that is making love.

If Your Collecting That, I'll Need To Finish My Glass.

People collect all manner of things; some good, some bad and some indescribably weird. What possibly would one do with some of these odd collection. Yet, we all have our quirks and one person's junk is another's others choice of strange fascination. Mine of course is wine. Which I was forced to tap into last evening as I endured one final state of the union address from the boy who who'd be king, aka W. It took a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1999 to stomach the President's lies. (Nothing like a good "freedom wine" to dull one's pain.)

But all that politics and lies aside, it wasn't the speech that bothered me it was is actions afterward that had me scratching me head. What was with the signing of autographs? Why is a statesman, the so called leader of the free world, signing autographs? In a room of his peers, following a an address to the entire nation regarding its health and future. Why, following such an important speech does our current President chose to parade around like he's a ballplayer or a starlet. What happened to the days of the regal statesmen? Besides doesn't he have important work to attend to like a looming recession, growing unemployment, a war?

More over who are the fools that want to collect his autograph. A President's signature seems like a silly collectible. Not to mention a signature of the worst President ever. But then again maybe in the future people will want to remember the first man that was not elected (in 2000 Bush lost Florida) but rather appointed to the Presidency by the supreme court.

Like I said, "...one person's junk is another's others choice of strange fascination." I'd rather stick with a collectible that I believe in the value. It might be pricey but just taste Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 1999 once and you'll understand the fascination.

12 bottles of Bookwalter Lot 21 - A Exceptional Case

A fortune I received recently promised a prosperous new year. Since I've always been a betting man I figured, now is a good time to bet on myself. Having recently earned some extra cash thanks to my performance in fantasy football I decided to double down (so to speak). Thus I grabbed a bottle of Bookwalter Lot 21 for inspiration, plopped down in front of the computer and went to work.

I've always thought that the key to placing a quality bet is as simple as understanding the numbers. Take for example the NFL game that I settle on for action, Washington Redskins at the Seattle Seahawks. As I worked on deciding my bet began in a traditional manner, breaking down records, stats and player match-ups. Then factoring in weather, location, momentum and experience; I soon realized that on paper this looks to be a very close match-up. Hence, a 3 point spread divides the teams in the bookies minds. Knowing I'd need to look deeper to find an advantage, I poured myself another glass in an effort of limbering up my thoughts. It was then that the numbers came alive to tell me the outcome of the game. It is as simple as 12 vs 21, 21 being the refection of 12 and the power of the sum of each pair of digits which is of course the power of 3, the trilogy.

At this point you might think you need a glass of Bookwalter Lot 21 to understand my thinking. (Of course it wouldn't hurt to enjoy the sweet, almost caramel like palate that transitions seamlessly into a voluminous flavors of all spice, black berries and cherries followed by long silky finish of lush tannins.) But really my thinking on this matter is quiet clear. For tomorrow this game is larger than the normal 11 on 11 expected in most football games, nope this game is about the extra player booth teams draw power from.

Bet the over.