13 August, 2008
Sharing the addiction
I have recently introduced a friend to the chortle- and chuckle-inducing delights of Jasper Fforde novels. I can't be held responsible for the inevitable, incurable compulsive book-buying that will soon follow. If you have been brought up on classic English literature, and have a love of wordplay, books and have a solid sense of fun, you too should read Fforde's novels. But don't blame me.
09 August, 2008
It's official - CORK SUCKS
That's IT. I'm NEVER buying a bottle of wine with cork in it again. EVER.
OK, maybe that's a bit dramatic. I'd perhaps buy if it's a bottle going for a song that I will open that evening. Perhaps.
Just now, I needed some wine for cooking. Grabbed a 2002 Abbey Vale. The cork disintegrated as the corkscrew went through it. Cork crumbs went everywhere. I tried a different opener to no avail. As I attempted to extract the cork, more crumbs went everywhere, including into the wine. Then I cracked the royal shits and decided to push what remained of the cork into the wine. Meantime, the food is waiting on the stove. I tried to pour some of it through a stainer into a glass. It dribbled through for a few moments, then the cork moved and wine gushed out, going all over the kitchen bench and onto the floor. It is at times like this that I spit venom and wish hateful shit on inanimate objects.
The wine, in any case, was fine. It was just another dodgy cork. And by another, I mean it can join its mates that have caused the deaths of many, including a 1998 E&E Sparkling Shiraz and a 2003(?) Pirie sparkling. Leakage, oxidation, cork crumbs, cork taint....Enough. ENOUGH.
It's not my cellaring conditions. I opened a 2002 Abbey Vale shiraz two days ago and it was perfect. Plenty of bottles I open are perfect. I'm just sick to my back teeth of losing money and hopes, usually special bottles and usually with friends.
I'm very glad that my Petaluma rieslings are under stelvin, and my Seppelt sparkling reds are under old-fashioned crown seals. I must remember to hug them this evening.
One of my new favourite wineries,
Brown Hill Estate, uses screw caps. Bless them.
Cork taint is estimated to affect 6-8% of bottles. I think I'm running at more like 20%. This is madness! How can an industry run on this sort of loss, which can't be recognised until years after a purchase is made?
Cork sucks big hairy ones, and no longer has any place in my cellar.
OK, maybe that's a bit dramatic. I'd perhaps buy if it's a bottle going for a song that I will open that evening. Perhaps.
Just now, I needed some wine for cooking. Grabbed a 2002 Abbey Vale. The cork disintegrated as the corkscrew went through it. Cork crumbs went everywhere. I tried a different opener to no avail. As I attempted to extract the cork, more crumbs went everywhere, including into the wine. Then I cracked the royal shits and decided to push what remained of the cork into the wine. Meantime, the food is waiting on the stove. I tried to pour some of it through a stainer into a glass. It dribbled through for a few moments, then the cork moved and wine gushed out, going all over the kitchen bench and onto the floor. It is at times like this that I spit venom and wish hateful shit on inanimate objects.
The wine, in any case, was fine. It was just another dodgy cork. And by another, I mean it can join its mates that have caused the deaths of many, including a 1998 E&E Sparkling Shiraz and a 2003(?) Pirie sparkling. Leakage, oxidation, cork crumbs, cork taint....Enough. ENOUGH.
It's not my cellaring conditions. I opened a 2002 Abbey Vale shiraz two days ago and it was perfect. Plenty of bottles I open are perfect. I'm just sick to my back teeth of losing money and hopes, usually special bottles and usually with friends.
I'm very glad that my Petaluma rieslings are under stelvin, and my Seppelt sparkling reds are under old-fashioned crown seals. I must remember to hug them this evening.
One of my new favourite wineries,
Brown Hill Estate, uses screw caps. Bless them.
Cork taint is estimated to affect 6-8% of bottles. I think I'm running at more like 20%. This is madness! How can an industry run on this sort of loss, which can't be recognised until years after a purchase is made?
Cork sucks big hairy ones, and no longer has any place in my cellar.
07 August, 2008
Elk Accessories
I am obsessed with Elk accessories at the moment. Their products are lovely, well-priced, beautifully packaged and quickly shipped. Their "about us" page says, "wear only what you love," and that phrase is ringing around my head every time I open a drawer, flick through shirts in my wardrobe, or awkwardly adjust some piece of clothing that has ridden up, shimmied down, twisted up or is just uncomfortable.
I go through phases. I've had the Birkinstock phase, the Camper phase, and the eyeshadow phase (I currently have over 100 shades of brown, and am still looking for the perfect shade), which involved a significant mineral eyeshadow sub-phase. My mascara phase is low-frequency, but long-lived. My Morrison phase is sort of winding down. My abi and joseph phase has dramatic peaks and long lulls.
Elk will release their spring/summer collection on 1st September. I'm beside myself. It's worse that waiting for the rugby world cup to start, because I can't even occupy myself counting beers, or visiting websites anticipating the results.
I'm annoyed that I have 3 weeks to wait, but there's stuff from their autum/winter collection that I want now. If it had been, say, 6 weeks, I could justify ordering now and then doing another in September. But 3 weeks is just too short. And yet too long. Argh.
In the meantime, I just want to ditch almost everything in my wardrobe and start again. Maybe that will keep me occupied. It will certainly keep me cold.
I go through phases. I've had the Birkinstock phase, the Camper phase, and the eyeshadow phase (I currently have over 100 shades of brown, and am still looking for the perfect shade), which involved a significant mineral eyeshadow sub-phase. My mascara phase is low-frequency, but long-lived. My Morrison phase is sort of winding down. My abi and joseph phase has dramatic peaks and long lulls.
Elk will release their spring/summer collection on 1st September. I'm beside myself. It's worse that waiting for the rugby world cup to start, because I can't even occupy myself counting beers, or visiting websites anticipating the results.
I'm annoyed that I have 3 weeks to wait, but there's stuff from their autum/winter collection that I want now. If it had been, say, 6 weeks, I could justify ordering now and then doing another in September. But 3 weeks is just too short. And yet too long. Argh.
In the meantime, I just want to ditch almost everything in my wardrobe and start again. Maybe that will keep me occupied. It will certainly keep me cold.
06 August, 2008
Ad breaks that aren't
Is anyone else not completely bloody bewildered at the breaks in the ABC news?
"Coming up next, a chair-sniffer leaves his seat."
*Cue ABC blaring music and a squiggle shot*
(Cue first viewer WTF thought).
*Newsreader shuffles a paper while continuing to read from the autocue*
(Cue second viewer WTF).
"Today, Troy Bumsmell..."
(Cue third WTF within 30 seconds. Brain explodes).
A quiet reminder for Aunty, who must be getting senile in her old age, poor pet: YOU'RE A PUBLIC BROADCASTER (yes, she's deaf as well). YOU DON'T HAVE AD BREAKS.
"Coming up next, a chair-sniffer leaves his seat."
*Cue ABC blaring music and a squiggle shot*
(Cue first viewer WTF thought).
*Newsreader shuffles a paper while continuing to read from the autocue*
(Cue second viewer WTF).
"Today, Troy Bumsmell..."
(Cue third WTF within 30 seconds. Brain explodes).
A quiet reminder for Aunty, who must be getting senile in her old age, poor pet: YOU'RE A PUBLIC BROADCASTER (yes, she's deaf as well). YOU DON'T HAVE AD BREAKS.
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