You're not archaeologists, are you?

Tonight I'm drinking Terra Blanca's 2004 Reserve Block 5 Chardonnay. It's a $20 bottle and it's pretty good. I don't really like Chardonnays but this is nice. We found some crystallization on the cork and in the bottom of the bottle. At first I thought the wine might have gone bad (despite constant storage in the refrigerator that I hardly ever open) but after a few sips I decided it was not bad and was, indeed, pretty darned good.

After dinner, I found more information on the crystallization here. It made me feel better. :) Also, I'm the only one drinking this bottle since Bill doesn't really care for white wine and my parents didn't want any.

This wine is best very cold, though. Once it gets warm it gets overly dry (for me - I tend to like my white wines sweeter). It has pear on the nose and tastes of vanilla a little bit. This is not new territory for a Chardonnay.

My mom got me these great wine and champagne sealers. Hopefully they'll work all right.



Anyway, I think that's it for now.

First, let me get this article in here.

( AP article found on yahoo.com )

Now, let me say some disclaimers:
1) I am not a racist if I don't vote for Obama.
2) I was not a Hillary Clinton supporter.
3) I don't really like John McCain all that much, either, but from some political surveys I've done online McCain and Obama are within a few percentage points for corresponding with my views. Usually those percentage points are in the 46-50% range (meaning, I agree with about half of what they agree with).
4) I am reluctantly pro-choice. If abortion is legal, I believe it should only be allowed in the first trimester. I believe that my little girl - when she is a teenager and under 18 - should need to have my consent in order to have an abortion. I know this view is not widely held by other women but I don't care. Based on my life experiences, this is the view that I have come to be most comfortable with.
5) I have never felt so pressured to vote for a political candidate (Obama) in my life. I have never had such serious discussions with people or such serious scorn when I have expressed doubt about such candidate.
6) I do believe gays should have the right to marry and they should be able to call it "marriage". I don't believe that gays having the right to marry infringes upon my own marriage. That's ridiculous.
7) I think the economy is in the toilet and right now is not the right time to tax people so that their wallets are thin. (I like how Sarah Palin has cut pork-barrel spending in Alaska. She also seems to be doing a great job for Alaska business.)
8) I vote less for social issues than I used to when I was younger. I vote for economical issues more now. This seems to be, in my case at least, a natural progression of age.
9) I don't care for whom my friends vote. I do not think less of them if they vote differently than I. In fact, I have my best debates with people who have opposite views. I have to be very careful, however, because I realize some people take those debates seriously and personally. I do not. I may become frustrated during a debate but I never get mad at the person I am debating with.
10) If McCain had picked any other woman (or any other person, actually) as his VP candidate I would not be voting for him. I was waiting for the VPs to be announced prior to decided for whom I would be voting or even if I would be voting at all.
11) I find it extremely interesting that now I am leaning Republican but have not for 35 (okay, we'll cut 15 out of that) 20 years. I also find it interesting that my parents are leaning towards the Democrat side and our arguments are now switched.
12) I hate the Republican/Democrat chain emails that go around and spread hate.

Whew. Those are my thoughts off the top of my head.

I like Sarah Palin for what she has accomplished, so far, in Alaska. I have a unique view because I work with businesses in Alaska. I have an Alaskan husband. This does not make me better than anyone else but it does afford me a different view than some. When I learned Sarah's infant son had Down Syndrome I thought for sure that she would be out of consideration. I have said all along when the initial buzz was happening earlier this year that if McCain picked her as his running mate that I would vote for him. My vote, sadly, has little to do with him and most everything to do with her. However, I do not think that the President of the U.S. has all that much power except as a PR voice and a (hopefully) rock in times of trouble. I think the legislature has more effect on day-to-day lives and, even more than that, our local state and city government has more of an effect on our lives.

Okay, now I think I'm really done. At least for now. *grin*