Bourbon and Bon Vivants: September 2003 Archive

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

and now...my life is complete.
i'm openly weeping at work.
ok. no. not really.
i have THREE (3) bottles of charbay sitting on my desk.
none were broken
all are perfect.

i have numbers 187, 189 and 190.
(i also have bottle 47, but that's another story)
i do wonder what happened to bottle 188?
somewhere there is a lonely bottle # 188 wondering where it's siblings are.

and tonight i'm going to win the mass millions $150M jackpot.
and then i'll track down bottle #188, mind you.
and perhaps all of the 200's.

Monday, September 29, 2003

The scotch dinner was a rousing success.
I know you were all on pins and needles.
Along with the scotch was an outstanding old vine Zinfandel
That we drank down with reckless abandon.

Hard to imagine $1500 in scotch (3 bottles...for those who are counting)
Sitting on a table.
Just waiting to be open and drunk.
Thankfully, there are pictures.

there were also 6 cheese for the cheese course
all paired nicely with one scotch or another:
1) petit livarol de la perell
2) le rove de garrigues
3) un bel fiuritu
4) chesire
5) turblue buler
6) la tarentaise

there will be a quiz later, so do try and keep up.

Saturday, September 27, 2003

tonight is the first scotch dinner.
we'll be having a tenderloin, instead of the venison
(really now..it's just too early in the season for venison)

i'm thinking Glenmorangie Elegance to start
with a tarentaise & cervalot
followed by dinner with the Glenmorange Cote de Noits
and finishing with the Ardbeg Provenance
with a humboldt fog, walnuts and dried figs.

there may be a cigar after that.
or just a big nap.
hard to tell from this angle.

spent the morning out on the north shore
looking for a new bicycle
thinking about the specialized crossroads
or the trek 7500FX
a tough call
but then again, after getting hit by a bus
the last time i rode a bike in boston
the fact that i'm even thinking about this
is a huge step forward
or a giant leap in *history repeating itself*

tomorrow's blog will be written very slowly
as i'll probably have a wee bit of a headache
i'll be sure to type quietly.

Thursday, September 25, 2003

so i'm travelling for work these next 2 weeks.
st. louis and atlanta.
wonder what good bourbons i will find?
wonder if my clients would mind taking me to a liquor store?
or 4.

wonder if windex no drip really works.

hmmmm. things to ponder.

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

my throat hurts.
and my charbay has not arrived.
And i'm not going to the women's world cup on saturday
AND a court ruled that the Federal Trade Commission acted improperly when it set up
a national do-not-call list.

oh, the humanity.

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

must stop this dilly-dallying
time to get serious.

Monday, September 22, 2003

i finally figured out what i do for a living
i'm a project manager according to my resume
but really....
i give hand jobs to clients via the phone

same thing

Friday, September 19, 2003

it's friday and i was supposed to take today off from work
(Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and all)
but i am here in scenic cambridge
waiting for isabel to appear

i left the windows in my car down last night.
hmmmm.
who knew that wet car smells a lot like wet dog?
besides me, i mean...

was asked to give a bourbon tasting on saturday night at Fire & Ice in Cambridge
but alas, i am previously booked

last night paired the Woodford's Reserve bourbon
with a very warm, microwaved for 12 seconds, brownie from Blue Ribbon BBQ
the warm chocolate paired nicely with the oak and apricot of the woodford
big fan of chocolate covered apriots...or hell, chocolate covered anything...

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

the bourbon festival is this weekend in bardstown, ky
i was planning on going tomorrow evening (Thurs)
but alas, i do not think i am going to attend.
sigh.
so close...yet so far....

i believe the charbay is about to be shipped.
to me.
there were a couple of rings i had to jump through
and there may have been a pony...
for the dog and pony show...don't you know....

yesterday was a tough day.
went to an antique rug auction
got lost coming home
wound up in freakin' east boston
next to some tankers
and an adult book store.
then no more road.
boom.

need i say that i was not in good spirits?
could NOT find my was out of east boston
who designed this city, anyway?
freaked out, and managed to rip my rear view mirror off.
not clever, i realize, but strangely, not satisfying either.
ended up stopping at the chelsea police station for directions
really, i figured it was the safest bet.
i'm surprised the guys didn't arrest me.
lordy, lordy.

next stop...atlas store for dummies

Monday, September 15, 2003

just called california and got 3 more bottles of charbay bourbon.
if i had enough money, i'd order a case.
then again, if i had enough money...

nevermind.

was supposed to close on my loft today
alas.
perhaps next month
or perhaps T&L will let me live with them
for the rest of my natural life
provided i supply them with good booze,
pocket change, and krispy kreme donuts.
hmmmm.
i don't think my rakish good looks will get me very far on this one

something to consider.

i'll let you know as soon as i figure out how to get the charbay.
hazaa. hazaa.

Sunday, September 14, 2003

it's been a busy little weekend for miss amanda
south end friday night
dinner at deluxe
where i managed to finish off the bottle of
rare breed bourbon
with the help of most of the bar
that was listening to my bourbon lesson

i see my second career coming into focus

i do enjoy the grilled cheese at deluxe.
so darn tasty

saturday morning up to Charlies for
chocolate chip & banana pancakes
to fortify myself for the
South End Artists Open Studios

i didn't realize how many people needed
3-dimensional works of sunflower seeds
coat hangers and cigar ash
and for a mere $5600

i refrained from buying anything
mainly because i couldn't afford anything
and i have my own cigar ash to arrange

Friday, September 12, 2003

so i'm sitting in harvard square having lunch with a friend
when the wgbh 2 comes by to say hello.
you know...the 'gbh blue foam 2 that has a guy attached
and he noticed my sassy striped shirt
or maybe it was my sassy glasses

in any event he stopped along with the cameraman, the producer and the sound guy
and we struck up a conversation
about wgbh and the number 2
and it was all caught on tape
for a wgbh promo spot.

this should be interesting
i wonder if this is my start in show-biz?

remember, you knew me when....

last night i opened up the 18-yr old distillers masterpiece bourbon
not to be confused with the 20 yr old that was finished in port wood,
the 18 yr old was finished in french cognac casks,
and as stated by wine enthusiast...

"This Bourbon has delicate, fragrant aromas.
The body is silken but not overly big,
and the palate is initially dry and peppery.
Suitable as an after dinner drink."

95 points.

we sampled the 18 yr old bourbon both neat, and with a wee hint of water.
the water opens the nose up considerably
and brings out the fruits and fragrance.
one can really taste the smoothness of the cognac
in the finish.

it's not as complexly layered at the 20 yr old
but it's still darn tasty

i think that pretty much sums it up.

Thursday, September 11, 2003

what day are we on?
my god.
i think i have strep.
what the hell?

frankly, i blame the government.

my throat hurts
and i'm all achy
blech.

what this calls for is bourbon.
tried a new bourbon last evening (3 syllables...eve-a-ning)
Therford.
not the best i've ever had
but it did grow on me
or perhaps just because it made my throat feel better...

Tuesday, September 09, 2003

HOLY COW!
i've just spent the past 5 days trying to get back onto my darn blog.

darn, darn, darn.

meanwhile, back at the barn.
i've attended a dinner party in newton
with a fabulous cast of characters
and an outstanding chef.
i was in charge of the cheese course.
humbolt fog is appropriate for every occasion...

sunday was dim sum at chau chow city
it SO beats china pearl, i promise
then off to the loft to measure
actually, i just went because i look so sassy in a hard hat

deck party in manchester
where we watched the patriots fail, miserably.
alas.

Thursday, September 04, 2003

ok. you know it's time for a wardrobe update
when your co-workers offer to take you to the Gap at lunch.
i call it Straight Eye for the Queer Girl

and lordy do i need help.

just ask my co-workers.

stay tuned to this station for constant wardrobe updates.
remember the thong incident?
i thought so.

just so we all know...
my boss had her baby.
it's a girl.
an incredibly beautiful girl.
we are all SO proud
well, actually, I didn't really have a hand in it
but i'm still darn proud...

Wednesday, September 03, 2003

dear god.
it is SO true that people at work will eat anything.
if you bring it in
they will eat it
i know this because i just ate something
i don't think i can identify it
and i'm not sure that i'd want do
but it was sitting in the kitchen
open
looking half eaten
so i took some
first bite wasn't great
but i kept at it
finally stopped.
left some for my co-workers
it's important to share.

still no clue what it was.

but am thinking about it
as i sit at my desk with nothing to eat

Tuesday, September 02, 2003

augh.
the move. the move.
i am no longer a belmont resident.
and well, it just hurts.
in so many ways.
i need a drink.
a very large
very strong
drink.
please feel free to substitute the word "woman"
whereever you see the word "drink"
sigh.

Good Reading

Previous Posts

Archives