This Weeks Wine

While looking all over town for a wine that had been recommended to me, I happened upon a small local package store. I ran in to see if they had the wine, and a vacuum system for my wine bottles. He didn't have the wine, however he recommended a great wine in its place.

More about the wonderful wines in a moment. To continue on my customer service rant, I went to buy the vacuum system - a sure sell as it was what I came in for, he told me not to buy one. It is just another product you don't need that manufacturers want you to spend your money on. He also offered to order the wine he didn't have in stock. His prices are by no means the lowest in the area, but his customer service was tops. This is now my wine guy. And, although I always have considered myself to be quite a connoisseur of wines, he taught me something new.

We all know red wines should decant at least an hour and be served at room temperature (68F), but did you know that you should store your opened reds in the refrigerator, perferably uncorked, but cork if you must. Then the next day remove the wine from the refrigerator an hour or so before you are ready for it to bring it up to room temperature. The wine will keep 3-4 days this way. It is best on the third day. I thought this was odd and against everything I had ever heard. But, I tried it. It worked. The Castano was incredible by the 3rd day.

I will warn you the Castano is an unfiltered wine, and is actually better decanted awhile longer, but if you can get past the sediment, it is an incredible wine. If you love red wine I highly recommend it.

Customer Service - yeah right

Whatever happened to good customer service? Is it not there because we no longer demand it. I mean if you say to McDonald's "Hey, I'm never coming back." Does it really matter?

I took my youngest to McDonald's while we were waiting for her sister to get out of kindergarten. I rarely splurge and get ice cream, but it was hot out on the playground so I decided to go for a McFlurry. Now, my daughter wanted an ice cream cone, which I gladly got her for 69 cents. I went for an oreo cookie McFlurry. For those who don't know a McFlurry is ice cream BLENDED with your choice of mix, for $1.89. For $1.20 more than what I paid for a simple ice cream cone, I received a cup of the same amount of ice cream with what amounted to the equivalent of about 2 crushed oreos sprinkled on top, NOT blended. It took the same amount of time to make this as the cone. I am inclined to wonder, what is the $1.20 for?

At Home Depot this weekend, I went to find some replacement pads for our sander. I had no idea where to find them. I walk in to the tool department slightly ahead of this other guy. A Home Depot employee walks in and says hello to me and ask the other guy if he needs help, he says no, the guy walks off. Home Depot has never been customer friendly you can rarely find anyone to help you. That same morning we had been to Lowe's. I bet 5 employees offered to help us the first 5 minutes we were there. This has been an on going trend between the two stores for years. Home Depot usually has the lower prices, but the time it cost me to find things just isn't worth it.

I quit going to Wal-mart all together for the same reasons, but unless everyone takes a stand nothing will ever change. On a good note, I did find a great little package store. It's a small privately owned store, and was tops in customer service, and I am definitely a repeat customer there. (See my This Week's Wine for that story).

Come on people in this day and age of so many stores on every corner, take a stand, refuse to shop where the customer isn't treated right.

It's in the Air

The third week in August was unseasonably cool. Although something felt very right about it. Then it occured to me, college football was just around the corner. It was time to ready the tailgating supplies, press the girls little cheerleader outfits and start wearing crimson and white.

Here in the south it is very unusual to have a cool august, and by cool I mean in the 70's.(F) But this year, it seems appropriate. This is a turning of the tide so to speak. A program with the opportunity to get back on its feet. To begin to put the turmoil of the past behind and start out the season fresh.

Game day had arrived. However, the cool air had gone and the reality of 90 degree weather for opening day had set in. The Tide came out with an opening victory of 48-17 against Utah State. What a way to start the season.

After a win over Ole Miss of 28-7 and a 52-0 routing of Western Carolina, we are ready for the rest of the season. 3-0 what a way to start the year. Today we are saddened to learn of the loss of Brody Croyle for the remainder of the season but are still hopeful for this Tide team.

This is my favorite time of year. The leaves will begin changing, by the end of the season the weather will be cooler, the smell of grills and whiskey and beer on the quad, arriving the night before to stake your claim on the quad - this, my friends, is ALABAMA FOOTBALL.

Liberal Tree Hugging Hypocrites

I have really had it with all the tree hugging liberals out there who are screaming about how this war is for oil, how we need to find other sources for fuel, and please don't drill in Alaska or off our beaches. Yet, these same people are driving around gas-guzzling SUVs. Last night I was at Costco, and came out to see the SUV parked next to me with anti Bush stickers and "Vote for the Environment" crap all over the back. For crying out loud - YOU ARE DRIVING A CAR THAT GETS 8 MILES TO THE GALLON. What do you think that does to the environment you moron.

Meantime, he has his dog in the car. It's August in Alabama for crying out loud. Why would you want your dog to suffer? You are for saving trees, but screw your dog. Let him die in a hot car.

I also have an in-law who is a big whiner about drilling for oil. Yet they drive a Suburban. No children still at home, no one to haul around, yet still a suburban. They just got a new car - a yukon. Claim it's for the company. So, why not get a minivan.

What is it with liberals? They walk around screaming don't eat meat while wearing leather birkenstocks and leaving their dogs in hot cars. They are driving big a** SUV's while screaming don't drill for oil. Get some principles will ya? And if all you liberals would drive Yugo's, there would be plenty of oil for the rest of us to drive our SUVs.