Starting Tuesday, Jan 6, I’m going to be looking at the colorful descriptors used by wine reviewers and poking fun at some the ways they try to be original. I’m not saying the people in question don’t smell those aromas or taste those flavors when they preview a wine, but sometimes the examples they use are just plain silly.
And I’m doing it all on Twitter. You can follow me at @comptonplations.
I received my second round of copyedits/revisions late last week, so that’s been my primary focus, although I have taken off time to watch two college basketball games (GO ORANGE!) and go on a date with my husband last night.
My niece is a chef at a pub, and that pub had an open mic night last night. My brother decided to play, and I haven’t heard him perform in years. So TV Stevie and I went. The food was great, the wine list needed an “H”, and nobody knows Dylan any more.
Back to copyedits tonight.
I collect quotes. Sometimes the words are something that strike me as being profound; other times, I love the image painted by the words.
“Riesling is Clark Kent and the Fingerlakes Region is a phone booth.”
(Evan Dawson, Summer In a Glass)
I’m going on a writing retreat! My best friends–a/k/a the Purples–and I are going away for three full days (plus two travel days) to a cottage nestled in the woods. There’s no Internet (but there is cable TV and our beloved, undefeated Syracuse Orange basketball team will be playing on Saturday), so no distractions, just three glorious days of writing. We do this twice a year: MLK weekend and a weekend in August.
We have this down to a science. We discuss movies to bring–and trying to find something all of us will like can be a challenge, because not everyone appreciates the genius of the Cohen Brothers. Galaxy Quest is on tap for this retreat. I’ll probably throw The American President in my suitcase, just in case. I bring the wine.
Meals are simple: you’re on your own for breakfast and are responsible for either one lunch or one dinner. You are completely in charge for the meal for which you’ve signed up, from buying the food, to prepping it, to cleaning up afterward. Then you’re done for the rest of the weekend. The final meal is always leftovers.
And we really do write between movies and eating and brainstorming–have I mentioned these women are the world’s greatest brain trust when it comes to brainstorming? I’m really looking forward to next weekend.
I’m in a bit of a bad mood today. When I’m in a foul state of mind, I like to listen to Bob Dylan. I have a mix I call Dylan Says It Best:
And the crankier I am, the louder I crank it.
Hopefully, there will be wine a little later.
Do you have music you tend to go to when your life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows?