STICK WINE (bc the real name is not in english)

"stick wine" at whole foods! we stumbled upon our favorite pinot grigio at our local whole foods today and we were so excited! we discovered "stick wine" this summer. it seemed to be the house wine of the Austin Trunz Westhampton house- there was ALWAYS a bottle floating around. it is everything i look for in a pinot grigio: crisp, light with with a smooth after taste.. no bitterness and you can practically smell all the fruits. it comes in the cutest little bottle that helped us the develop the super unique name of "stick wine". each bottle has a yellow ribbon tied delicately around a small stick at the neck. just perfect. we HIGHLY recommend it to those pinot grigio lovers. even gives my favorite pinot [santa margarita] a run for its money AND happens to be cheaper. [only $17 at whole foods, but can be found for cheaper]

the real name is italo cescon and is from italy. [sorry, no U.S website]

our local whole foods store:

283 Broadway St., Laguna Beach

suits are here

both

our

wetsuits

are

here

nothing

holding

me 

back

[wish me luck]

what goes around, comes around...

yesterday [october 19,2010] elton was here for a quick visit. we went to a converyor belt sushi bar. the situation is quite unique. sushi is rapidly coming around on a conveyor belt in front of you. you pick what you think you like. the sushi is on plates coordinated by color/price and they charge you by the number and color of your plates. wow that was a mouthful. i would give the experience a 4/10, mainly do to the quality if actual food. the sushi was warm and i don't know about any of you but i prefer my sushi to be chilled. also, several items seemed like they would be absolutely delicious but they did not live up to their label.  i would give the experience a 4 out of 10 because of the fun atmosphere, quick waitress service, SUPER CHEAP [brian and i ate dinner and had sake for $27.00] and the fact that as soon as you walk in to the restaurant you can EAT. glad i went because it was a fun experience but probably wont be returning back.

We ate at:

Kura Sushi

212 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627-3832

perfection.

make yourself at home...

with a new apartment to furnish, bri and i have spent more time in the home furnishing land of ikea then we would like. what goes on inside those enormous blue walls of ikea is something else. 

the majority of people in ikea really aren't shopping for home furnishings. i think ikea has become like the mall, whether it be a tuesday afternoon or a saturday evening, ikea is packed. but the odd thing is.. NO ONE IS SHOPPING FOR FURNITURE! no one has the official ikea tape measure, no one has an ikea booklet to jot down the furniture id numbers. people are just strolling around, laying on the couches, sitting in the chairs and taking the phrase "make yourself at home" to a new level. you need a great deal of patience to spend time in ikea, especially in southern california where people drive their shopping carts like they drive their cars.. aimlessly.

with a grain of salt...

with a grain of salt...that's the way i seem to be looking at surfing...i  just have some hesitations . my surfboard is purchased and the wetsuit is in in route. i won't be able to put it off that much longer. all the equipment  will be in payed for and sitting in the living room, just wish i could leave the fear i was overcome with on the beach. bri and i went the other day. to san clemente. once our wet suits were on that was it. i was going in. there was no way i just drove all the way to san clemente with my NEW used surfboard and rented ripoff wetsuit. we were going. that was that. i can't really understand the fear. i love to swim, i swam competitively for ten years of my life. i love the ocean, and normally have no fear of the ocean.

strapped that leash on, paddled out--with a few head crashers and was not only nervous... i was ANNOYED i was nervous. the last thing i wanted was a fear of surfing like that of my fear of snowboarding. i wasn't having it. as i watched a perfect wave line up behind me--which i learned was a so-called "set wave" or in other words.. not the best idea. i paddled like i knew what i was doing. [ whereas i did NOT know what i was doing] as you imagined, i did not make it, nor did i stand up.. but god damn I WAS ALIVE! my fear disappeared and i felt a little more like "i could actually do this". i was a bit shit out of luck because i didn't catch a wave and the waves grew in size. i figured i should probably get out before i hated surfing. 

needless to say.. my wetsuit should be here by monday. once bri's comes, we are going.. so i gotta suck it up and give it a whirl. hopefully this brand new 4/3 mm EXCEL wetsuit will kick ass.. be super warm and maybe.. one of these time i leave my  fear on the beach, i leave it there for good!

 

here's my new wetsuit.. an XCEL 4/3mm. bri says i will be super warm. warmth is key to me. good deal though at www.backcountry.com [click here for the same suit/same deal] , it was just $95 bucks with free shipping [for purchase over $50]

sneaks tied.. ipod charged..

i have always looked a runners at the gym, runners on the road, runners on the beach and envied them. granted i've sucked on a new yorker's cigarette of choice, parliament light's, for give or take seven or eight years, i always thought i could have it in me to crank the treadmill above 4 and run my flat butt off. 

tried "running" for the first time... today, october 16.  before hand i did my usual internet scouring for beginner's running tips. majority all said the same thing.. WALK FIRST then run. to me this seemed like a bit of a cop out. walk? wasn't i supposed to be becoming a runner, like the ones i envied? well the internet does not lie. the roads around my town are a bit steep, ok.. really steep! so i started by walking up one steep hill to the flat road above. i could practically taste the 5 or 6 parliaments i sucked down before noon today. with each breath i wanted to quit. quit running and quit smoking. i began to "run". here is a key moment where i wish i had someone documenting i made it a few blocks before my heart felt like it had a plastic bag over it. walked some more, ran some more, walked some more and by the time i made it back to the house, i had actually broken a sweat. i don't think i went as far as i actually would have liked. might have to "trip" it with the car.

clearly, i have a ways to go before a 5k is in sight. we will see how long i can last on this running kick but lord knows the two months away from the gym are showing in ways i promised myself i would never allow.

 [clearly these hairy legs are not mine]

someone likes the salt life..

our hesitant little luna seemed to left her fear at the lake.  luna is a red merle australian shepherd who is a year and three months old and not what you would call a "water dog". all has changed since we moved to the ocean. her fear went out with tide and now she is one salty pup! just like a little kid at the ocean would do, luna chases the waves and gets her sprint on when the big waves come crashing her way.  only two weeks in, but i think luna is becoming quite the socal snout and will be making tons of friends and boyfriends at the dog park..