Turkey Day

What a feast!

We had the pleasure of meeting some of Andrew & Kristi's friends.

We also had the pleasure of eating way too much really really good food. The Adams Chefs served several homemade dishes like a sausage and wild rice dressing, grilled broccoli with olive oil and garlic, mac 'n cheese made with monterey jack & cheddar cheeses, and a perfectly mesquite smoked turkey. Guest contributions to the menu were delicious, too, and included a fabulous ham, a pork loin, green bean casserole, and baked apples. That's certainly not a complete accounting of the extensive menu. Everything was soooooooo good.

Entertainment included Guitar Hero (GH). Hannah and I played the roles of spectators for some of the challenged GH performers. Later, we played a Wii trivia game.

Aside from awesome food and great company, the other highlight of the day was that we didnt' have to call the fire department. When finishing up the sweet potatoes, the marshmallows went up in flames. It was quite the bonfire.

Wine Country and Mud Pits and Andrew's New Girlfriend

Departure time: 11:15am

Finished getting lost with the help of sophisticated satellite GPS technology: 12:45pm

Understand this: residential location approximately 20 minutes to Firestone Vineyard.

California Wine Country Resident (CWCR) facilitated off-road scenic adventure today. California Tourist (CT) patiently trusted CWCR and Mr. Garmin (manufacturer of said sophisticated GPS device).

CWCR: There is more oil field than vineyard right now.

Mrs. CWCR: Didn't we pass that cow already?

CT's Daughter: I've gotta pee.

CWCR: Hold up. (Reprograms GPS then turns around...following new GPS directions.)

CT: Um. I don't think you're supposed to go up there.

CWCR: Damn GPS says to go there.

CT: Well...Um...I think the GPS is wrong. That's not a road. I'll bet if you get up close, the sign on that gate says, "Turn around or we will shoot you."

CWCR: Hmmm...Maybe I better go back.

The "ground" is awfully soft underneath the car. As CWCR backs up, there are noticeable ruts in the MUD. Wheels start to spin...ruts get deeper...back end is sliding.

CWCR: Engaging traction control.

We are lucky to have gotten out of there. We had no cell phone signals and were afraid some homesteaders might show up with their shotguns to run us off. Even if we had cell coverage, I'm not sure it would have really been helpful. If the GPS didn't know where we were then emergency personnel certainly wouldn't.

CWCR: This concludes the scenic drive portion of our day.

Great experience at Firestone Vineyard. Very personable wine-taster-hostess-person, so we had a really nice visit while learning about the wines we were tasting.

Beckmen Vineyard wine-taster-hostess-person wanted CWCR.

CWCR: Really? I seriously don't notice stuff like that.

CT's daughter: Um, yeah...she wouldn't really talk to us much, but as soon as you walked in she got sparkles in her eyes.

Mrs. CWCR: Yeah, I thought I was gonna have to jump over that counter and stab that tart. (Not the term originally used. Censored for delicate sensibilities.)

CWCR: She was just bein' friendly.

Mrs. CWCR: I will show her friendly.

After a visit to Solvang where we enjoyed some kettle corn and assorted chocolate delights, we headed to Nipomo for an awesome steak dinner at Jocko's.

It was a good day catching up on family news, lots of laughs, great scenery, good wine, and awesome food.

Adventures with Christine & Hannah

Day 1

1. No sleep. (Okay...I concede that perhaps I "napped" for an hour when I finally finished laundry & packing--the hour before having to get up at 4:30am.)

2. Fun at Starbucks in the Atlanta airport. (I swear it was like the old SNL Belushi & Aykroyd cheeseburger skit. That story can be a whole other post. Suffice to say we had a good laugh.)

3. Longest flight ever. (4+ hours)(Good thing I brought so much reading material with me. Okay, not really...I mean I had plenty of reading material, but I was too sleepy....and there was too much noise...but the time passing was made easier by numerous naps and satellite TV)(And, man were there a lot of kids on that flight.)(And, wow...I hope everyone's coughing and sneezing and hacking wasn't the contagious kind.)

4. Stupid Vegas airport. Had to change airlines here--yes, we knew in advance. The signage to our concourse was practically non-existent, airport security staff was not very helpful (though those other two people were very kind). Even after the train and figuring out where to go, it was a long walk and we had to go through security again. My travel partner was a little disgruntled and we all know how cheerful she normally is. She had to go potty, so was growing a little impatient waiting for the very very careful TSA folks to do their jobs.)(And, no, I didn't play the slots...gambling does not appeal me to at all...okay, except when the lottery jackpot is in the hundreds of millions, then I might buy a ticket...or when I'm contemplating another career change...or when Shalane proposes a bet about how low the Dow will go...or wants to wager on weight loss.)

5. Aaaah...the Santa Barbara airport (if you want to call it that) was a welcome anti-climax to the day. Big warm Andrew & Kristi hugs...so glad to finally wrap my arms these two after waiting so long to finally take this trip.

6. Fresh seafood dinner at Brophy Brothers in Santa Barbara Harbor. I had Seafood Portofino (shrimp & scallops in a creamy sauce served over a 23-person serving of pasta...it was a lot of pasta people...and no, I didn't eat it all). Hannah had Ahi tuna which was also delicious. We all shared a calimari appetizer--most tender calimari on the planet. Deeelish! Afterwards, a nice walk on the jetty (not to be confused with a pier...Andrew seized the teachable moment and explained that a jetty is more like a breakwall, but you can walk on it.).

The weather was drizzly and cloudy, but who noticed? I mean really. We were really just happy to be together.

Today, plans are to sample some wine making efforts in the area, visit Solvang, and then have dinner at Jocko's for steak. Might need rehab by the end of the day.

Bond. James Bond.

Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond: cold, edgy, steely, hot.

Normally, I am not the least bit attracted to a blue-eyed blonde-haired man. Daniel Craig has changed all of that for me. This man exudes I-Don't-Know-What on the big screen and I was more than happy to spend 1 hour and 48 minutes admiring his beauty.

At one point, after a long action sequence involving sweat and dirt and more dirt and sweat:

Shalane: He needs a shower.

OO7 Lover: No he doesn't.

There was a plot? Yes, there was a plot. It involved good triumphing over evil and some revenge accompanied by some dry humor and...did I mention the scenery wasn't so bad?

I will have to go see it again, though, because we saw this opening weekend and by the time we got to the theater the "I can see the screen fine from here" seats were mostly taken or saved (perhaps another rant for another time). So, we sat in the third row. It was a little hard to see everything on the screen and take it all in. Still, at such close range, it was easy to see those amazing icey blue eyes...the rock hard abs...and admire the confidence that is OO7.

Dinner wasn't so bad, either. I had prime rib with 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.

Just a Minute...

The holidays usually hold at least one constant for me: I get sick.

My being sick during the holidays holds a few constants: it is inconvenient and it is difficult to be seen by my own primary care doctor.

My current malady comes with no surprises in these respects. I have had a pain on the right side of my throat since Monday. It's not even a sore throat kind of sore...it has hurt and seems to be deep down inside my ear. My doctor is on medical leave which means I'd have to see another doctor in the group. This is not necessarily a problem--the problem would be in how soon I could have gotten an appointment, whether or not it was convenient for me, and whether or not they would again offer me an appointment with the incompetent nurse practitioner on staff who I refuse to see.

Being seen, diagnosed, treated, and cured must all take place before 7:30am Tuesday morning when our plane takes off. So, in the interest of catering to myself and making my healthcare convenient for me by our Tuesday departure, I decided to go to the CVS Minute Clinic. It's close by and the hours are convenient (open late and open on weekends).

I had a great experience! I was seen by a family nurse practitioner (FNP). Based on my previous experiences with FNPs (I have been misdiagnosed and even had something very serious overlooked.), I typically am not excited about seeing another one. This FNP was wonderful: he listened, he was thorough, he asked lots of questions, he listened some more, and he was not in a hurry. This was, perhaps, the most thorough screening for an ear infection I've ever had: he looked in my ears with the otoscope...he then used the otoscope with the air bulb to see how my ear drums reacted to the air pressure...he did look at my throat--not red at all...gave me a little hearing test...asked me to rate my pain...describe my pain & the pressure I felt in my ear...listened patiently as I repeatedly and in different ways explained my pain. He was very sympathetic to my impending air travel plight. (Would we call that a "flight plight?" Ha. I'm funny.) He finally concluded that, yes, I probably have an ear infection and prescribed an antiobiotic.

I am already feeling a little better. I hope I am significantly better in the morning. My plans for starting to pack (organize, do laundry, clean the house, etc.) have been waylayed with things like resting and napping. You just gotta give in to your body sometimes and let it heal.

I'm glad I tried the Minute Clinic. The quality of care I received today was very good. I'm glad I have a good and convenient alternative when it is difficult to get into my own doctor or whomever may be covering for him. (Plus! They will send a report of the visit to my doctor.)

I had a good customer service experience

So...I went online to schedule a Citi card payment the other day. First thing I noticed? My due date was 7 days earlier than it has been for the last few months.

Okay...my bad. I should have looked at the statement when I received it. I would have known.

But...how often does a credit card company just change your due date like that. My first thought was, "Hey! What a great way to ensure that I violate my terms so that you can raise my incredibly low interest rate."

Well...though I was hesitant, I called customer service. You see...the last time I called, I spent an inordinate amount of time on the call, because 1) my first customer service rep did not know the answer to my questions and he was not even understanding me and, of course, I was not understanding him. English clearly not his first language. Then, 2) after insisting that I speak with a manager, I spoke with a "Customer Account Manager." Not really a manager, but at least someone who took ownership...of course, the ownership she took was to such an extreme that she refused to transfer me to anyone else. She couldn't answer my question, either, except to read to me what I already knew. I have a Upromise card which pays me to use it and applies a percentage of every purchase to my SallieMae student loan. I received a letter saying that Upromise selected a different bank to be the "card" people. I had a few questions...nobody could answer them. 30 minutes on this call which was full of frustration, bad communication, and no satisfaction. My questions were never really answered.

Anyway...

I called customer service about the due date change. I expressed my concern that I would be penalized with not only a late fee, but an interest rate increase for being late with my payment.

Joe American very quickly and efficiently handled my concerns. He asked if I could hold a moment. I did. He returned and explained that since I'd been paying my account balance in full and early, that the system defaulted to a shorter grace period and an earlier due date. He went on to say that many customers doing the same thing have routinely asked that grace periods and due dates be changed in this way, so the Citi account system was programmed to "just change it" when certain account paying behavior is detected.

He also informed me that he suppressed the late fee, extended my grace period back to what it was, and adjusted my account to the former due date.

Very efficient. Very pleasant. Very friendly and kind this Joe American. Less than 5 minutes. That is good customer service.

What?

What? It's November 19...already??? And only 2 posts so far this month?

Many things are cooking in my head (as Hannah would say).

First...must report on the Quantum of Solace viewing. I think you know how I feel about Daniel Craig...Stay tuned for that report, because if you don't know or don't remember how I feel about Daniel Craig then this post will make it perfectly clear.

Second...must figure out how to do the mobile blogging thing from my BBerry. Hannah and I are headed west in 6 short days...I figure short blog posts along the way is a good way to document the ensuing fun!

Thanksgiving week will be spent in the Central Coast area of California. We are landing in Santa Barbara...staying in Santa Maria...visiting assorted locations. I wish time would allow for a full tour of the entire west coast as we've got peeps from San Diego to Seattle (about 1300 miles in between those places). Plus, I really would like to visit the Redwood Forest. I've sung about it so many times, I feel like I owe it to the forest to see it...meet it...become its friend. Alas and alack...it will not be possible. It's a big coast and time is short.

More to come, my friends.

Trusting the Vote

Even though I ranted, I am very cool with the outcome of this election.

I was surprised by the relief I felt when Obama won this election.

Maybe more later.

Happy Election Day!

Boy, if there isn't a whole lot o' projection goin' on.

I'm turning the TV off in favor of working for a while. I'll find out the results in the morning. Famous last words, I know.

Whatever the result, I'm okay with it.