Some More French White

Here's another bottle of French white wine we've tried recently. This one I got at Sherry-Lehmann's in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This store is great. The people are helpful, and they keep all of their bottles in a wine cellar, so you don't have to worry so much about getting a bad bottle. In fact, I've never gotten one there. This wine I grabbed as I was picking up some Champagne that I wanted to buy while it was on sale. This was something that was relatively inexpensive to drink with my dinner that night. It is the Louis Jadot Macon-Villages Chardonnay 2005. Overall, I remember citrus fruits and minerality. I liked it and would get it again. I keep trying to broaden my horizons on French wines.

In other drink-related news in my life, I had a scare when I thought my espresso machine bit the dust. I was decalcifying the thing when it suddenly stopped working. I thought I blew out the pump motor or something, but I guess it just overheated because after leaving it alone for a few hours it was working just fine again. I've gotten so used to having the thing, I wasn't looking forward to spending more money on a new one.

2 + 1 = 3

So... first James Brown died on Christmas Day and now Gerald Ford is gone. We all know celebrities die in threes. Who's next? Only time will tell.

Merry Christmas!

Well, half of this Christmas is over and we've had a really good time so far. Yesterday we went to my wife's family's homes and celebrated on Christmas Eve. In a little while we're going to celebrate at home with the baby (it is his first Christmas), and then we're off to my sister's for some holiday cheer.
I hope everyone who reads this has a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Merry F*&cking Christmas To You Too

Yesterday, my wife and I took her sister and her two children (along with our son) to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree. Her kids are 5 & 7 years old and had never seen the tree before. We thought this would be nice just before Christmas. They were really excited to go and loved seeing the tree. Besides for a sprinking of rain here and there, it was turning out to be a very nice day. After seeing the tree, we decided to go into Dean & Deluca to treat them all to some hot chocolate - I don't know if you've ever had the chance to have their hot cocoa... it's really really good, especially when mixed with seeing the Christmas Tree on a cool winter day. Anyway, we enjoyed our cocoa and snacks (I had a cupcake) and we decided to head back home. I was carrying the baby around in the Baby Bjorn (if you don't know what one of those is, check out the link) and got up to head out. As we were leaving the restaurant/cafe, this guy barged through the doorway past me and my baby pushing us both (he must have really wanted in). Well, I didn't take kindly to that, and I yelled at him. And you know what? Most people yelled back at me - like I was crazy to be mad that this dude (who was like a foot taller than me) pushed past me and my baby. The only people who agreed with me were the other people with kids. So, I fondly wished them all a Merry Christmas and went on my way. What I would have liked to have done was take a crap in their hot cocoa.
A nice Christmas message will probably be up tomorrow.

NP: Baby Santa's Music Box, Baby Einstein

Your Junk In A Box

The other night Justin Timberlake hosted Saturday Night Live. I actually didn't watch the episode, but I did see this clip online and I wanted to share it. I guess a censored version aired on TV, but this one is the original, uncensored version. Enjoy.

Franch Fries... Franch Dressing...

Over the past couple of weeks we've been delving into a lot of French White Wines. Astor Wines was having a sale on Loire Valley wines a month or so ago, so I went down to the Village and bought a couple different bottles of wine. Then, the other day, I stopped into Cellar 72 on the Upper East Side. They were having one of their many free tastings and I enjoyed the white they were showcasing. I bought a couple bottles of that for the company we were having over later that night.
The first of the three that we opened was Lucien Crochet Sancerre La Croix du Roy, France 2004. This bottle was listed as "textbook Sancerre" in Astor Wines. We had this one night when I decided it would be a good time to take a crack at preparing Skate at home. Overall, the meal was a success, and the wine went well with it. I remember it being very crisp with some limestone, citrus and grass. A nice bottle of Sancerre.
The second bottle we tried was the Philippe Raimbault Sancerre "Apud Sariacum" 2005. This bottle was opened up when a couple of our friends came by to visit our son and ended up staying for dinner. I really enjoyed this wine. In fact, I thought it was a better wine than the Lucien Crochet, which was a more expensive wine. This wine was very crisp, with lemon and lime on the initial tasting and finishing with a strong sense of tart apples.
The last bottle I'm going to talk about today is Vieux Clocher Vacqueyras Blanc 2004. This bottle I knew nothing about before entering the wine shop. I knew we were having people over for dinner and I wanted to grab a couple bottles of wine. I didn't know exactly what I was going to get , and after I tried this wine I thought it might be the one. The clincher was that it wasn't expensive, and that makes buying a couple of bottles much easier. I really don't remember too much about this one, except that I enjoyed it. It went down pretty easy, and went well with the variety of foods we had. I would get it again, and maybe the next time, I'll stay sober enough to remember more about it.

NP: Holiday In Cambodia, The Dead Kennedys

My Super Ex-Girlfriend Sucks Hard

Since there is now a pretty consistant lack of anything good to watch on television, we decided to rent a movie the other night. Unfortunately, we had the misfortune of picking My Super Ex-Girlfriend, starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. I cannot believe Luke Wilson agreed to be in this piece of crap. I hope he was doing it as a favor to someone. After watching (well, suffering) through Uma's other crap-fest, The Producers, I am not surprised to see her in this mess (she should stick to drama), but Luke? For shame!
This really was one of the worst films I've seen in a long time. I believe that the concept could work, but in this case it just didn't. I really don't remember laughing once during the entire film. It just succeeded in making me angry that we wasted our time watching this thing.

Another movie we watched recently was Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rocky Bobby. Firstly, this movie was not nearly as good as I had hoped it would be. Secondly, I laughed out loud many times, so it's all good. This movie is dumb and stupid, but it's also fun and I enjoyed watching it. Will Ferrell was his usual self, and his buddy (I forget his name) was pretty funny too. Also, the Borat-guy playing the Frenchman was pretty funny as well. All in all, a good movie to waste some time with.

NP: Visit, 311

Maybe I Shouldn't Care

Today I was shopping for some groceries with my wife in the local D'Agostino, and I saw this bottle of extra virgin olive oil by Rachel Ray called "EVOO." Rachel calls extra virgin olive oil on her show "e.v.o.o." It's one of her annoying quirks that makes me want to scream. I don't know if anyone out there reading this watches her show on the Food Network, but personally, I can't stand the lady. She's so freakin' annoying I want to reach through the screen and pull out her vocal chords so she'll shut the hell up. Also, if you watch her cook, she never washes off her meat when she takes it out of the package. I guess you don't really have to do this, but everyone I know does it. Why not Rachel Ray?
Anyway, I saw this bottle in the store, and I instantly felt annoyed that now, when I walk through my local grocery store, I have to deal with Rachel Ray staring at me from the aisles. Damn Rachel Ray...

NP: The Christmas Waltz, Frank Sinatra

Christmas Tree

Yesterday, we made our annual pilgrimage to the area in front of the Duane Reade, to buy our Christmas Tree. We've been buying trees from the same guys (who are from Canada) for the past 3 years. Unfortunately, every year, the price of trees has gone up. I remember when I first moved back to NYC, a tree was about $35.00. Now... well, let's just say it's a lot more than that. We actually had to get a slightly smaller tree this year to fit into our budget, and we still paid more than last year. Although, I did read in the paper that some trees in NYC were going for as much as $400.00! Crazy, eh?
We had decided that we would check out the real trees again this year, and if they were too much, we'd head over to Target and buy a fake one. This may have been the last year we could afford a real tree in NYC. Maybe the bubble will burst on tree prices next year.
We left the tree in the stand overnight and will decorate it tonight. You have to let the branches fully open up before you can start decorating. And we were really tired last night.
Hopefully everyone has a great Christmas this year (or whatever it is that you celebrate)!

Andy Pettite Redux

The Yankees have resigned Andy Pettite to a one year deal for $16 million (pending physical), with a player option for a second year. Overall, I'm very happy about this move. Sure, Andy's not the pitcher he used to be, and a lot of the concerns about his elbow have proven true, but I like him and am happy he's back on the team. I admit that some of my happiness is pure nostalgia for the years when the Yankees dominated baseball and Pettite was a big part of that. However, if he can be close to the pitcher he used to be, he'll be great for the Yanks. He's a lefty, which is important in Yankee stadium (and just about everywhere), and he's proven he can pitch in New York. I was one of the many who cried fowl when the Yankees basically let him walk out of New York three years ago. Let's hope he can bring some magic back to the Yanks. Now the starting rotation looks something like Wang, Mussina, Pettite, Johnson and Igawa (if they sign him). Personally, I hope they can somehow erase Johnson from the mix with either a trade/free agent signing/minor league promotion, but I doubt that'll happen unless his back prevents him from pitching.

NP: Phantom Of The Opera, Iron Maiden

Alternate Side Rules Are Not In Effect

Thank God for the Immaculate Conception. Today, I had planned on getting up and sitting in my car for 1 and 1/2 hours waiting for the NYC alternate side parking rules to pass. Basically, if you own a car in NYC and don't feel like throwing down another $400.00 a month for a parking space, you do what we do. If your car is in a spot with no parking from 9:00 am - 10:30 am on Tuesdays and Fridays, you can either go and look for a new spot or just sit in your car until 10:30. The spots are "No Parking" not "No Standing," so as long as you're in your car you won't get a ticket. The police may make you move - and you'll have to when the street cleaner comes by, but otherwise, it's an hour and a half of boredom to avoid a $150 parking ticket.
I used to grab some coffee and the paper and sit in my car listening to Howard Stern. However, since his jump to Sirius, I can't do that anymore. Now I'll either listen to whatever else is on the radio, read a book or bring my portable DVD player and watch a movie.
So, this morning, I got up, had my cup of coffee and was about to jump in the shower to get ready for a long morning in the car. Since I was at the computer, I thought I would check the alternate side parking calendar, just in case. And guess what? Today, alternate side rules are suspended because of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Nice!

In other news, I got my new Video iPod yesterday. My old iPod bit the dust (battery died) and luckily I had the 2-year Best Buy warranty. So, I upgraded to the Video iPod and just had to pay the difference in the cost. So far, I like it a lot. This is the second time I've had to use my additional warranty on an iPod. Of course I got it on this new one too (it's a 3-year one now - they don't offer a 2 anymore) just in case.

NP: Bonzo Goes to Bitburg, The Ramones

Movie Roundup (Typical Blog Title)

This weekend, we did what we seem to do all the time now, rent some movies. It was finally cold here in NYC, and we didn't want to bring the baby outside in all that. So, we picked up a couple of films. Over the past couple of days, we saw You, Me and Dupree, Scoop and Clerks II.
You, Me and Dupree is totally formulaic, but I enjoyed it. I still find Owen Wilson funny - I haven't gotten tired of his schtick yet. And Kate Hudson is nice to look at. All in all, a funny movie - especially towards the end. I think this one's great if it's on cable for free.
Scoop was a movie I really didn't expect to like. I think with Woody Allen flicks you can go either way - really funny, or a total piece of crap. I liked this one. I actually had a good time watching it, and I can't really remember thinking that about a movie in a while. The conversations are pretty funny, and the actors deliver them pretty well, with a little tongue-in-cheek. It's very easy to guess where the story is going, but I didn't seem to mind that.
I can't believe it's been over 10 years since the first Clerks came out. Getting old... Anyway, I wasn't really that excited to see this movie when it came out. Kevin Smith films have been on a steady decline over the years. However, I feel like he got some wind back in his sails with this one. It's totally crazy and gross, but that's what is so great about it. I laughed a lot with this one. And adding Rosario Dawson to the mix was a nice choice.
I would recommend all of these. They're all comedies, but all very different. Just make sure you're seeing the type of movie you want to.

NP: A Passage To Bankok, Rush

Meatballs and Chianti

Catching up a little with the wine selections. Last night we finished off a bottle of Il Poggio dei Vigneti Chianti, 2004 that we had opened a couple of days ago with another meal. Even after being opened for a bit, this wine retained its smooth texture without a hint of harshness. It has a dark, almost purple hue in the glass, and it has a nice amount of dark red fruit in it. I bought this bottle at Best Cellars for $8.00, and it's definately a steal.

Espresso

A couple of months back, I decided to splurge a little on myself and buy an espresso machine. I really wanted to get one of those ultra-modern-do-it-itself machines, but I don't have a couple of thousand dollars to spend on a coffee machine. So, I got the Breville 800ESXL. It normally goes for around $400.00 but I got in on EBay for $125.00 plus shipping (not bad, huh?). Anyway, this machine works great! I started to enjoy the occassional coffee in college, but have progressed over the years to the cup every morning type of person. Then, I progressed to loving really good coffee while I was in Italy. Stopping at a cafe and grabbing a shot of espresso.
At home, we had one of those older Krups machines that worked on steam pumping, but the espresso never came out the same. No crema on top. It basically sucked. Then I learned that you needed bar-pump pressure (at least 10 bars of pressure to make a nice crema). The search was on. I could never bring myself to spending the money on the dedicated espresso machine, but I couldn't hold back any longer. Now I've got my machine and I love it every day. It even takes espresso pods, which, although more expensive, make the whole latte making experience in the morning much easier when I'm sleepy. I like to get mine from Espresso Tiamo. I've tried a few brands so far, and right now, I still favor the Segafredo Zanetti brand - it never dissapoints. But a new one I've found is Lucaffe, which makes a great espresso as well. I tried the Illy brand too, finally throwing down the big bucks, but I wasn't thrilled with it. Ah well. To each his own, right?

Thanksgiving... Let The Holidays Begin

Yesterday I had a great day spending Thanksgiving with my family. We had good food and crappy wine. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I'm sick as a dog and I think I'm going to cough up a lung at some point. I've been filling myself with every cough medicine and homeopathic remedy I can get my hands on. I really don't want to get my son sick, so it's been a trying couple of days (I hear him crying now). Keep your fingers crossed for me.
Yesterday started the official "Holiday Season" kicked off by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (or at least that's what they want you to think). Too bad it was so nasty out in NYC yesterday. I felt bad for all the parade-goers.

On a completely different note, we finally got all caught up in Lost. We had never watched it before, and a couple of months ago, we decided to rent Season 1. We were hooked. We DVR'd this season and watched until we caught up. Well... we finally made it. Of course now we have to wait until February for more! Ah well... I'm going to go make some coffee.

VH Reunion?

I can't really explain why I even check on these things anymore, but I do... I looked at the Van Halen Newsdesk today, and all over it were rumors that there was going to be a Van Halen tour this summer with David Lee Roth as the singer of VH again. Is it going to really happen? Who knows? Are people going to go see it? Probably more than who went to see the last reunion tour with Sammy Hagar, but I don't expect it to be the blockbuster tour this would've been had it been done 10 years ago. Personally, I'm not going to go, but I'd be interested in hearing new material.
Also in the news is that Michael Anthony is out as the band's bassist, and Eddie's 15 year old son, Wolfgang is in. At first I felt bad for Mike about this, but then I read that he chose not to come back. The band gave him an ultimatum - either play with Sammy or with VH. He took Sammy. I guess he was finally fed up with the VH brothers crap. Anyway... that's it for now.

NP: Play With Me, Extreme

Lots of Catch Up

So... I've not posted in a while. Having a new baby and working a lot will do that to you. Anyway... here are some things I've been thinking about.

A little over a year ago, we went on a trip to Virginia. Sort of fake camping in a cabin we rented, where we barbecued, hiked in the Shenandoah National Park and went into the caves. One other thing we discovered in Virginia is that there are a bunch of wineries down there. We visited a few, and found a couple that we liked. We ended up buying a bottle of Viogner at the Rappahannock Cellars and bringing it back home with us. A pregnancy followed and the bottle stayed in my wine fridge until last week. It was Rappahannock Cellars Virginia Reserve Viogner, 2004. The thing is, I didn't really like this wine we we decided to buy it. My wife loved it and I just got it to make her happy. But, you know what? I really enjoyed it this time around. It was a really nice bottle of wine.

Another food-related item we tried over the past couple of days was ice cream from 5 Boroughs Ice Cream. This is a New York City based company, and I thought the flavors sounded really good. I got the Staten Island Landfill, which is vanilla ice cream with brownie chunks, chocolate fudge, chocolate crunchies, and cherries and the South Bronx Cha Cha Chocolate which is spicy hot chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips. I really wanted to like these to help support the NYC company, but I wasn't crazy about either. The Cha Cha Chocolate was way too spicy, making it too hot to enjoy. And the vanilla in the Landfill wasn't creamy enough. Maybe I'll try the other flavors, but it wasn't as good as Ciao Bella.

Finally, one last food item (well, drink item), is a bottle of Bordeaux that we bought this past spring while we were in Paris. Last night we made some nice steaks on the grill and wanted to have a nice red wine with the meat. At first we were surprised how harsh the wine was, but either we got used to it or it just needed to breath. In the end, it was really enjoyable. It was Reserve Nicolas Cotes De Bourg, 2004.

One last thing is that the Yankees finally traded Gary Sheffield today to the Detroit Tigers for 3 minor league pitchers. They Yanks got Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett from the Tigers. Personally, I've never heard of these guys, although their minor league stats aren't too bad. But, they are minor league stats. Who knows if they will ever translate into the Major Leagues. I think the Yankees should have held out for more, but I think they were worried that if they got stuck with Sheff he would have become a cancer in the clubhouse. Ah well... There are still too many other things to worry about before Spring Training.

NP: We Care A Lot, Faith No More

Got Crabs?

The other night, we made some Alaskan King Crab legs. Mmm... they were really good. We ordered them from FreshDirect, and they didn't disappoint us. This was the first order out of the past 4 that they didn't screw something up, so kudos to them for finally getting everything right!
Along with the crabs, we opened a bottle of Groth Savignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005. This is by far one of my favorite bottles of white. We first tried it about a year and a half ago in New Orleans eating dinner at August. Since then, I've had a few bottles (always the 2004 variety) leading up to the most recent time. The wine has a nice crisp melon-y taste to it, with some citrus and a bit of creaminess. Overall, we think it's great.

Salute!

The other evening a couple of our friends came over to our place to meet the new addition to our family. While here, we opened up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot NV Brut Yellow Label. Always a winner, it went well with the little celebration we had. It's a classically dry Champagne with tiny bubbles and a nice yellow color. We've gotten a few bottles of this as gifts over the past couple of years and need to break them out every once in a while to make sure they don't go bad. Always a great go-to-bottle of Champagne, at least in my opinion.

Gnocchi

Tonight, my wife and I made these gnocchi (little Italian potato dumpling pasta) for dinner. They were pretty awesome. They're also a lot cheaper than buying them fresh in the supermarket. To make the pasta, all you need to do is add some water, roll it out and cut the little pieces. It was much easier than we imagined. A great dinner. The Ecco La Pasta website is here.

NP: Bleed The Freak, Alice In Chains

BABY!

Whoo-hoo! 8lbs, 1oz.

There's Always Next Year

Sine the Yankees lost the ALDS, there have been a million stories in the paper about changes to come in Yankeeland. What changes? Who knows... here are my thoughts on the idea.
Manager: Everyone seems to be calling for Joe Torre's head. The Yankees haven't won a title since 2000! Is it the manager's fault? Honestly, I don't think so. I think this is what happens with the team the Yankees have assembled. Do I think it's time for Joe to go? Maybe... I would be very happy if they kept him on as manager, but would a new voice help shake things up? You bet.
Coaching Staff: Personally, I don't see any problems here, but if Joe goes, who knows what'll happen to these guys.
Pitching (starting): Ugh... don't excercise Mussina's option. Dump Randy Johnson. Maybe keep Corey Lidle or Jaret Wright depending on who else is out there. Wang is great. Maybe lift Philip Hughes to Triple A next year with eyes of a mid-season call-up. What they need to do is find young pitching. Maybe a trade of a certain 3rd baseman will help in that area. Also, Barry Zito is still out there.
Pitching (relief): Overall, the final bullpen wasn't that bad this year. Mariano is still great. Proctor did a great job and was a little overworked. Myers also did pretty well and if Villone can grab is early season form, I don't think we're in too bad of a situation there. However, I wouldn't be suprised if there were a lot of changes again.
Catcher: Personally, I think Posada is still one of the best offensive catchers out there. Yeah, his numbers have declined in recent years, but his defense is actually improving. Who's going to be an upgrade? Not many out there.
1B: It's time to give up on Giambi/Phillips - and don't even talk about Sheffield. They need a real first baseman who can play the field and hit.
2B: Cano is great. No needs there. He's one of the few guys on the team who has a smile on his face every game he plays.
3B: I think it's time for A-Rod to go. I know many will think I'm jumping on the band-wagon, but it's time. He's never going to be loved here, and that affects his game. It's time we took him while he's still worth a lot and ship him off somewhere we can get pitching in return. Of course, he's got a no-trade clause, so... we'll probably be seeing E-Rod play 3rd base again next year.
SS: Jeter has the job. No needs there either.
Outfielders: An outfield of Damon, Abreu, Cabrera seems about right to me. Keep Bernie as your backup outfielder (who did a fine job in that role this year). Sheffield needs to go. Where's he gonna play? First-base? Also, you're wondering what about Matsui? Cabrera is a better fielder and the Yanks need his youthful optimism in the lineup every day. Make Hideki the DH and occassional outfielder.
DH: Matsui.

Well.. those are my thoughts going into the post-season. We'll see how they change by the time Spring Training is around. Now it's time to switch gears towards hockey. Let's Go Rangers!

Done

Ugh. The Yankees 2006 season came to a way-to-quick close today when they lost to the Detroit Tigers, 3 games to 1 in the ALDS. It was a crappy series for me, but I bet the people in Detroit (and probably most of the country) loved it.
This sucks.

One And None

The Rangers officially started their 2006-07 Season last night with a victory over the Washington Capitals. Jaromir Jagr was named the team's 24th Captain, and celebrated by scoring the first goal of the season for the Rangers - on the first shift of the season. Brendan Shanahan also scored a couple of goals, with Henrik Lundqvist doing a fine job in goal. Hopefully this is just signs of things to come.

Chianti Anyone?

Yesterday I went to Astor Wines in NYC because they were having 15% off of all Loire Valley wines. I figured I would go down and get some Sancerre, which is one of my favorite white wine varieties. I did get a couple of bottles from the Loire Valley, but I also grabbed a half bottle (375 mL) of this Chianti: Felsina Berardegna Chianti Classico 2004 DOCG. I was planning on making some steak for dinner last night and thought it would be a nice beverage to have with that. Also, the baby's still not here and my wife can't have a drink with me.
The wine needed some time to breath, but after giving it a chance, it was a pretty nice Chianti. Still a little on the harsh side, but not too bad. No too fruit forward with a little chewyness to it. Overall it was a nice little bottle, but honestly, not one I'd get again. There are too many other wines out there to waste on one I wasn't really happy with.

Heroes

Far be it from me to not talk about something that I like, and lately I've been pretty excited about this new television show, Heroes, on NBC. If you haven't seen it, it's about a group of people who find out that they have super-powers and what appears to be the inevitable destruction of NYC. So far, in the 2 episodes that have been broadcasted, we've begun to meet the characters and see as they discover their powers and begin to learn how to use them.
I don't know if NBC is doing this for their other shows, but if you go to this link, you can watch this week's episode online. Nice in case you forgot to watch or Tivo it.

NP: Live In Skin, Foo Fighters

Spain Fails (It's A First)

I've read a few reviews of this wine, so I figured I would give it a try. I didn't go in the wineshop specifically for this, but I saw it there and figured I'd pick it up. Naia Rueda Verdejo, Spain 2005 is not really my type of wine. I tried it with food and without and couldn't convince myself that I was enjoying this wine. It's a white wine from Spain which many people refer to as a Spanish Pinot Grigio. Personally, I don't think it's anything like a Pinot Grigio. It's very sweet and fruit forward, but too much so. I've also seen that it is good as an apertife, but it didn't work for me like that either. Just not my type of wine. Perhaps it was my bottle - I'd be willing to try it again, but only if someone offered me a glass. I'm not buying another bottle. There are too many other wines out there I like to spend my money on. I even felt there was a hint of rubbing alcohol to the aftertaste.
And I love Spanish wines... too bad this one didn't make the cut.

NP: D'yer Mak'er, Led Zeppelin

Terrific

Last night I brought a bottle of Pintoresco Tempranillo de Espana 2003 (yeah, I know the picture is of a 2002) over to some friend's place for dinner. It was great! It totally reminded me of all those bottles of wine I had in Spain or even France or Italy. It reminded me of the house wines or table wines we would get in Europe. Dirt cheap and really good. This wine was on the lighter side for a red, with some fruits and an easy finish. I really enjoyed it, and I plan on going back to Astor Wines and picking up a few more bottles to keep in the wine fridge for everyday drinking. Nice.

NP: I Walk The Line, Johnny Cash

MOTHERF@CK%R

Today, I went left my apartment building to go to the store. When I walked outside, I looked at my car which is parked directly in front of my building. It was fine when I left. When I came back, some little c@ck sucker keyed the side of my car. Son of a bitch!
I have some weird feeling that it was the bastards who park the cars for the parking garage a couple of buildings away. They tend to take up all of the spots on the block with cars that are supposed to be in the garage to be able to fit more cars and make more money. Where I'm parked is somewhere that they really like to use. (I wonder if the people who are paying them to put their cars in a garage know that they often end up on the street?) Anyway, they sit outside all freaking day and when I asked them if they saw anyone, they said no. Then they all ran inside. It's just a suspicion, but they are a bunch of ass holes, so I just assume it's them. F&ckers.

NP: Revolution Is My Name, Pantera

The Streak

Last night Derek Jeter's 25 game hitting streak came to an end. I was hoping that he would have gotten that last at bat in the ninth inning, but it wasn't to be. It's too bad too, because during that streak, Jeter's been awesome. Unfortunately we dropped three out of four to the Red Sox this weekend and prolonged the clinching of the American League East. Hopefully we'll do it over the next few games in Toronto.
As for Jeter, those who do not watch him on a regular basis may not understand, but he's a clear cut choice for MVP.

NP: Desire, U2

Merde

If you get the chance, you should read these two books by Stephen Clarke: A Year In The Merde and In The Merde For Love. Both books follow Paul West, a Londoner who has to move to Paris for business. After having recently visited France for the first time, I thought the first book might be a fun read. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I went right back to the New York Public Library and grabbed the sequel, which came out just recently. Both were great quick reads (although I think I enjoyed the original book best).

NP: Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays, YES Network

Remembering...

Today is the 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the United States. I still remember how sad, strange, scary and vulnerable the city felt that day. I also remember how we all came together to help each other as well. In the end, I think it may have helped to make us stronger. Today is a day for remembering. It's just too bad we had to experience it at all.

The Rabbit Comes Through Again

Yesterday we had my wife's baby shower, which turned out to be one of those men & women affairs. Anyway, it all worked out pretty well. Among my missions for this party was the wine. The space that we decided to have it didn't allow any glass in case something broke - so I needed to get wine in a box. I've been trying a lot of different boxed wines over the past couple of months because of this. After my various tastings, I decided to go with the French Rabbit label of boxed wines. I've written about the Chardonnay before on this blog. Out of all the boxes I've tried, I enjoyed that one the most, so I got a few boxes of that to bring. For a red, I was kind of stuck, not really enjoying any of the ones I had tried. I decided that since I thought the French Rabbit Chardonnay was good, I would just get some boxes of the French Rabbit Pinot Noir Vin de Pays D'OC 2004. The woman in the wine store told me that it was definately a good wine for what it tries to be. I was very happy upon tasting it. It definately had some body, wasn't harsh at all and was extremely drinkable. It's nothing like an New World Pinot Noir, but I guess it does have some qualities of a French Pinot (Burgandy). It has some nice fruits and a good acidity that went very well with lunch. I ended up with a box and a half left after the party and will enjoy finishing them all off.

NP: She Was My Girl, Jerry Cantrell

The Block

Recently, I decided it was time to try another wine in a box. This time, I got the Wine Block Chardonnay 2005 (91% chardonnay, 7% sauvignon blanc, 2% semillon). I had read that these particular wines in a box came from Kendall Jackson Vineyards however on the wine's website, it states that the winemaker is Lise Skaanild who is making these on her own. I'm assuming the wine's website is telling the truth. Either way, it's not going to affect my thoughts on the wine.
I bought this wine the other day - it's like 2 bottles of wine in one box - for $9.99 in NYC. For the relative price (~ $5.00 a bottle) it's not so bad. It's definately a drinkable chardonnay with no aspects of oakiness for those who don't like okay chardonnays (although on the website, it says it's aged in oak barrels). Overall, I found there tobe a little too much sweetness in this wine for me. It has a lot of fruit in it (mostly winter fruits) and a lot of sugar. The box is sitting in the fride and will probably remain there for those nights I don't feel like opening an entire bottle of wine and just want a glass to go with dinner. However, it's not a box I'm likely to get again.

NP: I Don't Believe In Love, Queensryche

More Cheese Please

Ever watch the show Miami Ink? We were watching it last night and this woman was there to get a tatoo of the Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary. This woman was making a grilled cheese sandwich one day, and when she went to bite into it she saw the face of the Virgin Mary staring back up at her. That was 10 years ago - she's kept it ever since. I guess she needed some money, so she recently sold the sandwich to GoldenPalace.com for a cool $28,000. Since she was getting rid of the grilled cheese, she went in to Miami Ink to get it tatooed on her boob so she would always have it with her. She actually said, "Giving up the Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Now that's a sentence I never thought I would hear uttered.

Magic Numbers

The Yankees' magic number is now 17. I wasn't really keeping track of things like this, but today in the New York Post, they had it plastered there for all to see. So, any combination of Yankees wins and Red Sox losses that totals 17 means the Yankees win the American League Eastern Division. Hopefully this time we'll win it all.

NP: Doesn't Remind Me, Audioslave

Rosa Mexicano

You know, I don't have a lot of great things to say about my experience there the other night. We had to be by Lincoln Center for some "preparing for baby" issues, and it got late, so we wanted to get dinner before we came home. We thought about our options and figured Rosa Mexicano would be a decent choice. It was probably more money than we wanted to spend on a spur of the moment dinner, but it was right there and it's been getting difficult for my wife to walk even shorter distances lately.
It's too bad that she couldn't walk, because I thought my food was only "ok." I had short ribs, and they were probably the worst short ribs I've ever ordered in a restaurant. The service was just okay, and the place itself looked shabby and run down to me. I've been to this particular Rosa Mexicano before and loved it, so maybe it was an off night. Who knows? I just know I'll think twice before going back there again.

Wading Through The Gavi

Over the past few months, I've been trying a bunch of wines. Out of the whites, I've become particularly fond of the Gavi variety from Italy. A while back, I wrote about another Gavi I had tried, which was terrific. I was in the mood to have that bottle again, so I went down to Astor Wines, where I had purchased the first one. When I got there, I saw they had a couple other Gavi labels as well. Recently, I tried one while eating dinner at Lupa and thought that one was great too. So, I figured I would branch out once more and try another. I decided upon the Gavi "White Label", La Scolca 2004, Italy. Overall, this was a very nice wine. It's a sweeter wine, with some bits of honey and flowers. There is also a bit of citrus as well. I liked it, but didn't enjoy it as much as the other two Gavi's I've had. Next time, I'll either go back to the Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi 2002, or spend up and try the Gavi "Black Label", La Scolca 2004.

Thauvenay

Yesterday I finished off a bottle of one of my favorite white wines, Chateau de Thauvenay Sancerre 2004, France. I had opened it a couple of evenings ago when we had filet of sole for dinner, and then I finished it last night while cooking for my wife and my parents. First of all, it's a great deal - one of the cheaper Sancerre's I have found, and it's been pretty consistant bottle to bottle (I've opened 3). It's a very bright and crisp wine, with citrus and some flowers and a nice minerality to it. The wine's website says that it finishes with flavors of raspberries, but we think it has more of a taste of green apples at the end. Whatever it is, I like it and I will buy more.

NP: Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, YES Network

Accident? What accident?

So, after writing my comments about the many injuries of Carl Pavano, it was revealed that he was in a car crash. This crash caused him to fracture 2 ribs. Normally, this kind of injury isn't really a big deal, but when you're getting paid $40 Million to (not) pitch, it's a huge deal. Now, no one expects this chump to pitch again this year. Derek Jeter had this to say about the whole thing:

"I can't worry about guys who are not here," Jeter said. "It's not a letdown if you're not counting on it. It's not hard to believe. That's what's been happening all the time."

Think he's annoyed? I would be too. Damn Pavano...

NP: The Colbert Report, Comedy Central

Carl Pava-NO

Years ago, when Carl Pavano first got drafted, a friend of mine who went to high school with him had a bunch of bad things to say about him. There was no question about his pitching talent, but there were a lot of things said about his make-up and personality. I thought it wasn't fair, and I honestly didn't care much about him then. Now, however, he's on the Yankees - or at least that's what his contract says. I don't think I've ever seen a professional athlete with such a consecutive string of lame injuries in my life. No one should be sidelined from their job for 3 months by a buttock injury except a porn star. Now, just as he is finally finishing his rehab assignment another injury pops up. According to the Daily News, the latest injury went down like this:

After finishing the game - in which he allowed two runs in six innings - Pavano seemed okay, sources said. About 20 minutes after Columbus manager Dave Miley informed Pavano of the Yankees' plans, however, he mentioned that he had been feeling some pain in the lower chest and oblique area on his right side, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Now, it's unclear - again - when he'll be able to pitch.

They even quoted one Yankee Official saying Pavano is "scared stiff" to pitch again. I wish the Yankees could just dump his sorry ass and move on. If only we didn't have the pitching woes we do, then maybe we could. I know they were hoping he could make a strong return at the end of the season to help with the playoff run. Now, I think they're just hoping they can avoid a complete mental breakdown.

NP: Crazy, Gnarles Barkley

Mmmm... Guinness

Yesterday we went to my wife's grandmother's 80th birthday party out on Long Island. It was a really good time, and I had a lot of fun. The party was held at this Irish Pub/Restaurant out by the docks where the ferry goes back and forth from Fire Island. The party had an open bar policy - but the "free" beer was only supposed to be Bud and Coors Light on tap. I didn't know this the first time I went up to the bar and ordered myself a nice cold Guinness. When I found out I needed to pay, I was like, "what the hell, I'm not drinking that other crap - it's not like I'm at a baseball game or anything." So, I took out the cash, and was ready to pay for my beer. However, the bartender ended up giving me free Guinness all day since I was the only one drinking it. Nice, eh? And for whatever reason, they were tasting extra good yesterday.
Drinking Guinness always reminds me of my college days...

Baby countdown: 6 weeks...

Las Ramblas

I love tapas. After going to Spain a couple of times, I realized I loved the food. My favorite tapas place in the city is Tia Pol on the West Side, however Las Ramblas in the West Village turned out to be really good too. We had the patatas bravas, tortilla espanola, chorizo with white beans and a special - grilled prawns. I also had a couple of glasses of Monte Real Crianza (Rioja) Spain 2002. It was a lighter Rioja with a fruitiness to it.

Check out the short film, Las Ramblas, at Atomfilms.com

NP: Black Pearls, John Coltrane

The Capital, Part 1

So, for the past 6 days or so I was in the nation's capital, Washington DC. I was down there for a class, but while I was there I got to catch up with a couple of friends and see the city a little bit. My wife came with me for the weekend, and we stayed with our friends in their house. On Saturday night, I went to see the Nationals vs. the Mets at RFK Stadium. This is only the 4th baseball stadium I've ever been to. Besides RFK, I've been to Yankee Stadium (more times than I can count), Shea, and Fenway Park. Although all of those stadiums are old, I truly enjoyed the crazy 1970's feel of RFK. I felt as though everyone should have feathered hair, bushy moustaches, tinted glasses and be wearing shades of brown courduroy. I had a great time at the game. Unfortunately, the Mets won, but I did get to see my two favorite former Yankees - Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson hit home runs. Also, they served Dos Equis on tap and the grilled sausage and peppers was awesome.

NP: Miss Murder, AFI

The Flying Hot-Dog

Yesterday I was walking to work, heading toward the subway when I suddenly heard someone sneeze very forcefully and loudly. I looked forward and to my right towards the hot-dog stand on the corner, and I saw this guy violently sneezing and convulsing enough to send the hot-dog in his hand flying out of the bun and through the air until it smacked hard into my chest, leaving a nice greasy mark right in the center of my shirt where the hot-dog hit. I was attacked by a flying hot-dog. Luckily the guy didn't want any condiments on his frank or else it could have been worse. Of course, I had to work all day with a nice grease stain on my shirt.

Maya

Wow. Maybe it's because we went here on a whim, but we had a great dinner at Maya last night. I got home from work a little on the later side, and we weren't really sure what to do about dinner. My wife was in the mood for Mexican, which is usually a bit of a problem in our neighborhood. There is good Mexican in the city, but it's few and far-between. By our place, there isn't much, except a couple of dive-y type places. We were going to go down to Rosa Mexicano, but then I remembered hearing that Maya had good food so we decided to check it out. Unfortunately, the reviews I read were correct about one thing - the place is incredibly noisy. I don't know what's wrong with the acoustics in this place, but it was LOUD. On the plus side, the reviews were also right about the food - it was great. We started with the Tamal al Chipotle (a corn tamale with shredded chicken and a sweet chipotle sauce). With the first bite it seemed too sweet, but it quickly grew on us and ended up being terrific. For my main course, I had the Alambre de Rib Eye (organic rib eye skewers with chorizo, bacon, peppers, mushrooms, gouda cheese and a tomtatillo-chile morita sauce). The beef was cooked perfectly and everything had the smokey taste of bacon and the spicy taste of chorizo. Nice! My wife had the Enchilada de Pollo (chicken enchiladas with a roasted tomatillo-chile morita sauce and gouda cheese), which I think were the best enchiladas I've ever tasted. I paired all of this with some Negra Modelo (no wine for me tonight). For dessert, we split the Crepas de Cajeta (which were crepes with caramelized goats milk, bananas, walnuts and cinnamon ice cream), which was a terrific way to end the meal. I did walk out of there feeling very bloated, but happy. Also our service was great. It was a great meal.

Feeling Sick In The Heat

Damn it's been hot lately. I know this isn't news to anyone, but come on! It's like 105 degrees here in New York City. Our air-conditioner has been putting in overtime the past few days. Gotta keep the apartment cool. Although we've been trying to be good and keep the electrical use to a minimum, you've got to live your life.

Then last night I got sick. I think I was hit with a stomach virus - and it was not fun. Luckily I had the day off today, so I've been just relaxing, getting some energy back and re-hydrating (got to love the Gatorade). Just finished taking in an excellent Yankees game. They won again, completing the sweep of the Blue Jays. So far, the trade with the Phillies seems to be working out well. Yeah, it's only been 3 games, but Abreu has been hitting for average and getting on base, and Lidle pitched a really good game today. Maybe this trade will be the difference maker. The verdict is still out on Craig Wilson for me. He just doesn't seem to fit. We'll see how it goes.

And I know I'm way late on this topic, but it really seems like Mel Gibson has screwed himself this time. It's like he bent over and told all of Hollywood to give it to him. Too bad Mel. We used to all love ya.

NP: Ride The Lightning, Metallica

Those Italians

I read about this wine in Wine Spectator Magazine, and I had spoken to a couple of guys in various wine shops throughout the city. Everyone said it was a great wine, especially for the price (I got it for $7.99). Falesco Vitiano, Umbria Italy 2004 is a terrific wine and it comes cheap. It has a deep ruby red color and flavors of blackberries, plums and chocolate with hints of pepper and licorice. It's got a nice smooth finish and went well with my Bolognese sauce. The wine is a mix of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It scored a 90 from Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate gave it an 89. I would go out and get this wine. It's great for your everyday drinking.

NP: Yankees vs. Blue Jays, YES Network.

Dead Man's Chest

Unlike what appears to be the rest of the country, it took us until this weekend to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. This is chapter 2 in the Pirates Trilogy based on the ride in Disney World, The Pirates of the Caribbean (which is one of my favorite all-time Disney rides). For those of you who still haven't seen it, this movie has it all - great action, story, romantic undertones, fights, scenery, special effects and a touch of the fantastic. It has everything... except an ending. Basically, the end of this movie totally sets up for what is going to happen in part 3 of the trilogy, which is due out somewhere around Christmas. However, unlike other part 2's in trilogy history (Empire Strikes Back, for example), this one ends so damn abruptly that it's a shock to the system. There's no warning signs that the end is about to come, even after 2 plus hours of viewing. It just ends.
Therefore, I'm going to have to wait until I see part 3 to make any judgements about the story and the movie as a whole. It really doesn't seem fair to judge this movie, since it still hasn't finished. So.. it's a lot of fun, but leaves you feeling a little empty in the end. For now, I'm waiting for part 3.

NP: Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Primus

Jim Caple Is A Hack

Jim Caple is a "writer" for ESPN.com. He is also an obvious New York / Yankees hater. I find it very interesting when a writer for a well know and respected organization such as ESPN spends most of his time bashing the Yankees, New Yorkers and most things that have to do with either. Sure, there are the occassional other topics addressed by this man, but more often than not, he's bashing something from NYC. He's even written a book on how he hates the Yankees.
You would think that something as nationally conscious as ESPN would want to focus on sports from around the country, but that doesn't ever appear to be Caple's agenda. Perhaps taking shots at New Yorkers helps him sleep at night. Or perhaps it helps him compensate for something else he is lacking. Who knows? I'm convinced that something very horrible must have happened to him on the streets of New York. Or perhaps he was dumped while watching a Yankees game on television. He has more bad things to say about this city than anyone I have ever seen before.
I've grown up in New York and I live in New York now. However, I spent a decade away from this city and have seen how other places treat their athletes and teams and how other city's media takes care of their teams. I've got to tell you, I'm not impressed. In New York, it's like a family. We can say whatever we want about it, but if an outsider does, it's just not right. Right now, I wish Jim Caple would just shut the hell up.

Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. You can reach Jim at jimcaple.com. Sound off to Page 2 here.

NP: Yankees vs. Texas Rangers, Yes Network

T.M.N.T.

Okay. So, perhaps this is giving even more insight into my geek-dom, but back in the day, when I was around 12 years old, I enjoyed reading the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comic Book. This was way before they made their way onto the television screen and became all goofy and pizza-loving. Sure, any way you look at it, turtles that act like human beings and can go all ninja on your ass are inherantly goofy. However, they held a sense of cool to all of us comic-reading geeks at the time. The cartoon and the movies killed all of that.
Now, they (Warner Brothers) are making a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. This time, there will be no Corey Feldman in a turtle suit. It's all animation. And, I had heard that they were going to be more adherant to the original Eastman and Laird comic series. I had hopes. But now, the trailer is out. It looks pretty cool, until that goofy moment at the end. It killed it for me. Check it out for yourself and make your own judgements.

NP: I Want It All, Queen