Tuesday. II

So this is being done on the flight from Sacramento to DFW. I forget: does the Bluetooth function not work here while in flight, or am I just out of juice in the keyboard? Whatever.

Wine country. I had never been to the Sonoma (or Napa) areas previously. Interesting topography, weather and commerce. I think it is fair to say that I might go back for another visit some day, but maybe not too soon. The wineries that we stopped at were all well set up for the tasting crowd. And I didn't feel that things were necessarily over-priced (except for that trendy ball cap in the shop in Healdsburg for $85!!!). But you could definitely drop some cash if you were so inclined to do so.

The trip reaffirmed that my interest in wines is drinking them rather than studying or collecting them. I like the wines that I like, and am willing to selectively branch out for new wine experiences, but for the most part, I like the wine served on Maplecrest. And buying a bottle today to drink 8-10 years from now, as suggested by the guy at Rodney Strong, just doesn't hit the sweet spot of my life's glide path.

I forgot to mention that we saw the most bike riders that I can remember seeing on a single day on the Tahoe roads Saturday as we drove off to Sonoma by way of Mt. Rose highway, King's Beach and then down to Truckee. Lots of riders going up either side of the Brockway climb. And there was an organized ride on Sunday morning in the same area as the half-marathon, with dozens of riders going the opposite way on the same rode that the runners came in on to finish. California is definitely a pro-biker state.

(Here's one small follow-up point on wine. The wine currency at the Raley's near the hotel this weekend was $10.99 if you bought six or more (mix and match being ok too), $15.99 for a single bottle. Two points: first, who's making that extra $5 when you buy that single bottle? And second, why buy a single bottle? It also reinforces my position that when the stores in Iowa consistently charge that $15.99, they are consistently making good money.)

Now posting this from the tarmac at OKC where we have been diverted. There may be a Tuesday III at this rate.

BCOT
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