The Wine Commonsewer™

Memorial Day

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Today is Memorial Day, Decoration Day if you will, a day set aside to honor the war dead of the Civil War. 

As ordered by General Logan.....

The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country and during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

 

It is altogether fitting that we honor those who have given their lives in service to the country. It is also fitting that we, as a people, reflect on the nature and purpose of our wars and conflicts. If for no other reason than the cold, brutal, reality that some will come home in flag draped coffins.

As Ever,

TWC

Gavilan Hills Fire

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Mrs TWC called when she saw the smoke from down the mountain at the bank. Apparently from the up-angle, the smoke looked like it was coming from the neighbor's place. Mrs TWC ain't ever gonna be the chick who panics but I detected just a whiff of worry in her voice. Like maybe wondering if I should turn on the sprinklers, shove the dogs, cats, computers, and the photo albums into the Politically Incorrect Foreign Truck That's Made in America and get outta Dodge. Don't forget the House Blond, please. 

Looked like it might be just over the ridge behind us, so I 4WD out to where I walk to the ridge most mornings. Once at the ridge I could see it burning further back on the plateau, which is now rolling grass land hosting a couple of wholesale growers. There was a time, just a few years ago, when it was home to a veritable forest of orange groves. 

Today the hot dry wind was our friend, blowing the fire southwest along a ravine and away from nearby homes. 

 

Be Safe.

As Ever,

TWC

Fresh Veggies With Leap Year

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Whipped these up to go with the mesquite grilled steaks me and Mrs TWC enjoyed with the movie, Leap Year.

 

The yella squash is from the gardens here at the Casa. Sauté the squash in olive oil with onions (in a cast iron skillet), a little spicy pepper, fresh asparagus, and throw in some mushrooms at the end. Make it all  al dente, and you're good. 

The steak was magnificent and we enjoyed a stunning Rutherford cab that I cannot review because all I could taste was oak (vanilla). I know for a fact that this is a false positive because I have enjoyed this wine before. I fear for my wine palate, Gentle Reader.  Big Sigh. 

Hot tip: This is a pretty marginal movie. I'd avoid it unless it's free. 

As Ever,

TWC

The New & Improved TWC (Done With Age Regression Therapy)

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The House Blond created this using an app called Uface. 

Sweet girl, that one.

As Ever,

TWC

Sunset Tonight

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

We should be well into June Gloom by now, instead we've had a run of spectacular weather here at the Casa. Chilly. Breezy. Late rain. We had smoke swirling up the chimney and kids plunked on the couch with books last Saturday. May as well have been January.

Late in the day we had a bit of excitement when when the fire hit a pocket of oil trapped in a fat Eucalyptus log and the whole thing exploded out onto the hearth and floor. Dude, it was hotter than a three dollar pistola. Just being close enough to scoop up the coals nearly set my skin afire. Best argument for tile over carpet or hardwood that I can think of. 

For the record, you really don't want to plant Eucalyptus anywhere near your house. Not where firestorms lurk, anyway. Like planting kerosene soaked matchsticks. Guess that's not a problem anywhere but the Great Southwest.

As Ever,

TWC

If I Had One More Week of Vacation.....

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Found this ratty, kid-sketched poster in a broken down, greasy Banker's Box in the rafters of the garage just now.

Hadn't thought of it or the little girl who painstakingly drew this in many years. I suppose my girlfriend's daughter was about six or seven.

Please note the flames painted on the side of the boat and the flames coming out of the over-transom exhaust. She writes.....

If I had one more week of vacation I would go to the river and ride in a boat. I would get a sun tan and I would make castles of sand and make waves.

The river would be the Colorado River down at Parker, Arizona.

Sadly, that may have been the best year of her young life. Grapevine called me some years later and mentioned she'd had her first kid at thirteen.

At some point we come to realize that there are some things you just can't fix. Even if you have a lot of duct tape.

As Ever,

TWC

Yet Another Reason We Have To Stop Cutting Down Trees

Tip of the glass to Charlie

Beyond the Risk of a Traffic Stop in Arizona For Driving While Tanned

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Back in the days of his vagrant yoot, TWC sat one evening swapping lies with some friends in Balloon Man's black, lowered, '61 Thunderbird with chrome reversed rims. We were minding our business, no Bud, and none of that other kind of bud, neither. Somebody may have fired up a smoke, but they were still legal back then.

John Law took exception to where we were (legally) parked and indicated it with a sharp rap of his flashlight on the driver's window. We were all asked to produce ID but TWC refused on principle to allow a look-see at the official driver license, arguing that he was merely a passenger in the vehicle and not the driver. The Man dragged him around the corner of the building where he was presented with the Don Coreleone option. Let's just say it was an offer TWC could not refuse. In that moment of stark fear TWC realized that the government has all the really good weapons.

Fast forward to now.

Hundreds of local activists plan to ride into Arizona by bus at the end of July when that state’s new immigration law goes into effect. Those who travel will leave behind their ID cards and papers as a challenge for Arizona police to arrest them, labor leaders said today.

Why aren't these freedom fighters protesting the fact that in the Land of the Free it is universally illegal for any American to be on the street without ID?

The abject ignorance is appalling, particularly in a state that spends half its budget on public education. These guys are like high school kids who protest scheduling changes by walking out of a public school that they are forced to attend by law, and cannot make the connection. The state can own a third of the first sixteen years of my life but don't change my class schedule because then I'll be really pissed off.

Then again, maybe it isn't ignorance. Maybe nobody cares. Maybe we've morphed into an America where as long as everyone is equally inconvenienced  (or worse) without regard to the color of their skin, it's cool. 

Whole story here and here.

As Ever,

TWC

H&R Block Business Down 5.5%

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Although you might think so, Block isn't really a competitor of TWC's tax services. Hence, this will mean little in the way of potentially new business.

My experience with customers of H&R Block is that if the tax return is relatively simple, they can get the job done. However, I've seen the ashes of some really boneheaded decisions made by Block's preparers in my day.

H&R Block reported that during tax season its tax preparation fees in its retail operations slid 5.5 percent to $2.61 billion. Same-office tax returns prepared in retail operations fell 4 percent while total tax returns prepared were down 4.9 percent over the prior year.

Got my hair cut a few weeks ago and The Girl told me that H&R Block charged her $425.00 to do her 2009 tax return.

She isn't married. Seems like she has one kid. No Earned Income Credit. She doesn't itemize deductions. She also isn't going back to them.

Might be one reason Block's revenue is off. You prepare enough $150.00 returns that cost $425.00 and people get peeved. At $425.00, an evening with TurboTax is looking pretty good. 

Whole story here.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to the Missus

Ladybug Shadow on a Baby Peach