The Best Meal of My Life

Originally uploaded by Catazon.

This past weekend, I spent two and a half days in the Russian River Valley of California. Friday afternoon, we arrived at the Mediterranean villa where we would spend the weekend and found it secluded at the top of a very steep hill and complete with a heated pool. Luxurious, no? Then, we made it into town for our 5:30 p.m. reservation at a two-Michelin star restaurant. After canapés and champagne, we chose between an eight-course or five-course meal, and of course, the wine pairing was optional. So if you know me, you know I didn’t hold anything back. I even added the black truffle to the chicken course for an additional $12 or something like that. When you are spending that much money on dinner, you don’t worry about the price of the black truffle addition. (You do worry about the fact that, for your daughter’s upcoming birthday, you will need to get creative about what we are serving the guests, and I mean creative in the Cousin Eddie sort of way.) I can’t pick a favorite course, but my favorite part of the night was when the waiter said, “And for your first dessert…” Aaaawww, yeah! (Already working on the redneck thing.)

On Saturday, we hired a driver to cater to our every whim for six hours of wine tastings. If you have never been to wine country or at least the Russian River Valley, a driver is a must. The road on which the seven or eight wineries we visited sit is extremely narrow and winding. After seven or eight (I really can’t remember which) wine tastings, you do not want to be driving this road to the top of the hill where your heated pool and Mediterranean villa await.

I do remember my favorite winery of the day. It was a quaint little place that could barely hold us five crazy women. Their wines are only available on site, and I brought home a wonderful Voignier. This sweet guy guards the door of Porter Creek:

And this Texas girl who does not drink wine cannot wait to go back and visit him.

To celebrate the big 4-0, my best friend and I decided way back in January that we should have a joint birthday party this year. Our birthdays are exactly four months apart, so we chose late June, right in between each of our big days, for the best time to have the shindig. Since it’s summertime and parties, weddings, and the like abound, we sent the invites in early June to get the best response. Then I waited patiently for something to go wrong.

Two weeks ago, we hired a friend to paint our living room, dining room, and atrium. It was taking longer than he expected, and he planned on finishing up the Tuesday before the party. Sure, no problem, plenty of time to get things back into place.

Tuesday, I was picked to serve on a jury, expected to last through Friday. Well, that’s just great. I was counting on using Friday, my beautiful 9/80 Friday, to get my house in order and spend some time with my best friend before the party. Still, no problem, we can do this.

Friday, our deep-freeze packed full of processed deer meat and one lovely deer head stopped working. I didn’t notice it when I left the house at 7:30 a.m., but I sure as hell noticed it when I pulled in at 5:30 p.m. Gah, the stench! But what could I do? I still needed to pick up The Kitten at Gramma’s, and The Tomcat was still in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. (Actually what I think happened is my wonderful husband left the door open when he took ice out for his deep sea fishing trip at 4:00 a.m., but he will never admit that to me.) When he finally got home, the Clorox and Lysol treatment on the freezer and the floor started and lasted all day Saturday. We encouraged people to avoid the garage during the party, and we are still afraid to open the freezer door.

Even with all this conspiring against us, we managed to have a fun-filled party on Saturday night. Only one thing is missing, and one thing in the house is broken…miniscule in the grand scheme of things. And I was able to blame my hangover on a severe sinus attack. That’s not wrong at all; that’s just right.

This day feels like it lasted for eighteen hours instead of nine, merely because I’m regressing to my late twenties and going to happy hour tonight. Seriously, what has my old age come to if I’m letting a Thursday evening meet-up to consume free appetizers and over-priced drinks with other retired derby friends be the highlight of my week? Seriously, I cannot wait!

In other exciting news, I set the theme for the party I’m hosting in late June and got some evites out last night. This late June date is almost halfway in between my best friend since 7th grade’s and my birthdays. We were born exactly four months apart in 1970, a Taurus and a Leo. People actually believe we’re having a S&M party, because the theme is “40 is Fabulous with S&M”. Her name is Staci; mine is Marie. Things happen when the two of us get together that are beyond your worst S&M nightmare. Be afraid; be very afraid.

The 2009 Show has begun. I spent most of the weekend at Reliant Park…the Membership Dance Friday night, drink inventory on Saturday morning, and the equipment setup from hell on Sunday. After all that, I didn’t feel very guilty while celebrating Mardi Gras at Willie’s last night…listening to a good band, eating fried pickles, and drinking too many margaritas.

The goal was to get the taxes done before March, but I also promised to buy The Kitten some western jeans for Go Texan Day on Friday. If she’s anything like me (and she is), we will visit all the Cavender’s in town to find some jeans that fit. Sounds like a fun week, one which will end with my attempt to attend the largest cookoff in the world not only on Saturday night when the main group of friends will be at our regular stomping grounds but Friday as well so I can see and be seen. It all boils down to whether we trust a houseful of cousins alone.

Tomorrow at lunch, the city is staging an event called the Rodeo Roundup. Now that I work downtown, I get to check it out. No work meetings on my schedule yet, so I will most likely disappear for the whole two hours. One of the perks of having a boss half a country away. Then the parade is Saturday morning, and unless The Kitten changes her mind, we will be there, too. I already posted my rodeo work schedule, so I guess that means I’ll see everyone in April (unless you read my Facebook and Twitter updates, of course).

The Kitten and I spend a lot of time laughing. One of the things we have enjoyed lately is this:

And by enjoy, I mean we walk around acting like chickens. For some reason, it reminds me of when a bunch of crazy people I call friends dared my best friend to put a pickle under her arm, ride a skateboard across the rink at Tradewinds, and scream “I’m a chicken” at the top of her lungs, all at the same time.

Here’s to you, Staci, for not giving up on your dream. May the rest of your days be filled with laughter like the kind The Kitten and I share. Someday soon all of us “kids” will act like chickens together.

This may not make sense to anybody but me, but what do you expect from someone who encourages her daugther to emulate tv commercials?

October has been a CRAZY BUSY month for me.

I began the month by skating in my last derby bout. In the first of three bouts in two days, I was tripped and took it directly on my right knee (the one that already had problems). At least I pushed their jammer all the way to the middle of the infield with three of their blockers on me right before this happened. You can watch the whole bout if you want. Such a shame opponents must resort to cheating to stop me. Still, I can’t believe I could get a pad over my knee to skate the other two bouts. Isn’t it symbolic, don’t you think?

A week or so later, I saw a legend from the front row, thanks to a derby girl who I’m proud to call a friend also. You couldn’t ask for a better front (or back, or only two) of your pack. We’ve been through it all!

Then, I went to the Corral Club Halloween Party, two days before the derby awards party, and wore the same thing to each. Hmm, maybe that’s why I went to both alone…it couldn’t be because I’m a nasty dancer…no way. (Image is blurred to protect the innocent, or because I had to steal it from Facebook on my BlackBerry…whatever you prefer.)

Last weekend, I acted like a giddy schoolgirl on the front row of another concert, this time with my sister who took some great pictures. I think I’m going to have to fight her for his sweat towel that I practically jumped up on the stage to steal. You can’t ignore me, Rick!

And all these things don’t even begin to list all the fun I had in October! Tonight, The Kitten will get to show off her costume to the grandparents she invited over for Halloween almost two months ago. Tomorrow, I can start a much more relaxed month. Unless somebody wants to go to the Ren Faire with me?

I have front row tickets to the Neil Diamond show tonight, I am splurging on dinner at the Strip House, and I get to share these things with a very good friend to celebrate her birthday and three crazy Brawler seasons together. Just thought I would share with the world how good times really are.

Catazon Hits Rebel Ann

Originally uploaded by Zeeev.

No Bosse$ were harmed in the making of this photo. In fact, the Boss on her way to the floor claims that this was her favorite moment of the bout.

Ziv! This is one of the most beautiful derby pics I have ever seen, and not just because I’m in it.

This weekend, I spent 24 uninterrupted hours with my husband. Saturday night, we went to his 20-year high school reunion. Boring. Let’s get to the good stuff.

Sunday, we witnessed Kris Brown’s game-winning 57-yard field goal (picture taken by an old friend who I haven’t seen in a very long time):

Thanks to my husband’s employer, I saw this happen from the front row of Reliant Stadium, very close to the 50-yard line. At one point, I could have reached out and touched the guys that do the funniest commercials ever, Bud Light’s Real Men of Genius. Yep, it was a good day. Spending some quality time with my husband before hunting season starts wasn’t too bad either.

I’m going to do some other exciting stuff this weekend besides skating in my first bout in ten months on Sunday. For instance, lunch on Saturday will be with about twenty some-odd other people that I have only met online. No need to be alarmed, though, since they are Mama Drama readers and writers. Completely harmless, yet most likely bad influences for tempting me with margaritas the day before a bout. Sounds like I’ll fit right in.