Stories
Flying Solo
By Barbarella | Published Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009
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- Barbarella
Language...has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone. — Paul Johannes Tillich
As I stood to one side of the San Diego Civic Theatre’s multi-door entrance and watched the theatergoing throng, I shifted from stiletto to stiletto as a sense of uneasiness crept through my body. In my many imaginings of how the evening might go, never once had I envisioned feeling awkward. It’s odd, I thought, to be among hundreds of people, all gathering for the same event, and to feel so alone.
I hadn’t been to a Broadway show since 2005, when I went to see the debut of Spamalot in New York. Despite his enthusiasm for singing along to Dr. Horrible with me, David had little interest in going to see Wicked. He’s never been much of a drama guy, whereas I cannot resist all things histrionic (and sparkly). “I’ll go if you really want me to,” he had said when I asked him. (That’s code for “Please don’t make me do it.”) But I was determined to see the show, as I’d enjoyed the book on which it was based and love musicals. As it is with horror movies, pedicures, and hiking, David’s disinterest did not deter me from making my own plans.
I went online and searched for two tickets while mulling over which friend I might ask to accompany me. After several searches and no luck finding any seats in my preferred section for any night a full month out, I was ready to give up. But when my friend James mentioned he and his wife were planning to attend the show that very week, it was all the incentive I needed to abandon the idea of bringing a date and refine my search to just one seat, a move that expanded my options. In fact, when I clicked “best seat available,” one appeared in the first row, and I grabbed it.
When it comes to doing things alone, I’m not averse so much as unaccustomed. There are benefits to flying solo. When attending parties, I prefer to drive alone to avoid any conflicts associated with my wanting to leave
earlier or later than others (excluding David, whose easygoingness transcends conflict). I am not put off by the idea of arriving alone to events at which I may not know anyone. Because I am almost as gregarious as my dear dad, I can appreciate how arriving to such galas companionless makes it a breeze to meet people.
But no pro exists without a con — as cool as I am with my solitude in some situations, I am daunted by it in others. I’ve taken myself out to dinner, most often while traveling for work. Dining out sans company can be a lonely affair; between courses or while waiting for the check, boredom and impatience have me tapping my fingers on the table. While eating, my eyes tend to roam, and I must avoid getting caught staring at fellow diners. The vigilance required for such an endeavor can be exhausting. When the food is terrible, there’s no one to hear my kvetching, and when it is fabulous, no one to whom I can offer a bite. Eating is an experience I prefer to share.
I can only remember one time I sat alone in a theater — when I went to see Thoroughly Modern Millie with my dad and we sat in different sections. When seated beside someone I know during a show, I frequently look their way, to “check in.” That time, without anyone around me, I was free to lose myself in the production without the unspoken obligation I usually feel to share my attention between the stage and the person next to me. With that experience in mind, and the knowledge of how lucky I was to score a great seat on short notice, I was eagerly anticipating my girl’s (emphasis on the singular) night out.
I arrived at 7 p.m., half an hour before the show. I retrieved my ticket from will-call. I texted my friends. Then I stood. After a few minutes of trying not to look suspicious, I approached a makeshift bar in search of something to occupy my hands. I scoffed aloud when I witnessed the paltry pours and noticed that each shot-glass of wine cost more than the entire bottle from which the sips originated.
After the wine-purchase fail, I retreated to my previous spot, off to the side and out of the way. Fortunately, I remembered my iPhone, that wonderful contrivance that can instantly transform the pathetic into the preoccupied. After fishing it out of my purse, I stared at the device’s screen, trying to figure out what to use it for. I didn’t want to surf the net or check my email, as the antisocial nature of those activities seemed incongruous with my surroundings. I scrolled to my favorite contacts page and tapped on my sister Heather’s name. As everyone around me was talking to someone else, a phone call seemed just the thing to do if I were to blend in.
By the time James and Alice appeared, the crowd was already crushing its way into the lobby. Ironic, that once I had actual people to talk to, it was the last thing I wanted to do. I have a strict preshow countdown checklist and a perpetual anxiety about the unknown, which meant I had to get inside as soon as possible, in case there were lines to the restroom, in case I had trouble finding my seat, in case a hundred other “what-ifs” flitting about my neurotic noggin manifested themselves, all of which might result in me missing the show.
Once “rested” and guided to my section, I took my seat between two twentysomething women to my left and a fiftysomething woman and what I assumed were her teenaged daughters to my right. The girls to my left initiated conversation by telling me they’d won two tickets in a lottery outside for a sixth of the price I paid. I had just enough time to feign congratulations before the lights dimmed and the show began, at which point the woman to my right commenced her own dance-and-sing-along show, shaking my seat with her gesticulations. When I realized that glaring in the darkness would have no effect on the Ritalin popper, I sighed and settled back into my quaking chair, wishing for a moment that I could have been sitting there alone.
Your falling back on the cell phone confirms my theory that people who whip their phones out while alone in public are often doing so solely to fight off the fear that comes with potentially being talked to by a stranger, which very well might have turned out to be a pleasant experience - especially in an environment like a playhouse, where the strangers in attendance likely share at least one common interest with the solo flyer.
Next time, try to stick it out without resorting to the mePhone - that is, iPhone. You just might enjoy an interesting and fresh conversation, while helping make the world that much more friendly a place.
By shizzyfinn 2:23 p.m., Aug 26, 2009 > Report it
Sandy Eggo's NOTHING like Los Angeles....Nahhhhhhh.
By PistolPete 2:39 p.m., Aug 26, 2009 > Report it
Shizzy, I agree, and I love meeting people while out and about. Thing is, at a show, all those people are in tight little clusters, talking to each other. And many are on dates. So I wasn't into walking up and introducing myself to randoms, and I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to come talk to me. Tonight, however, I'm looking forward to going out alone, because it's to one of those mixers, where everyone expects to strike up conversations with strangers.
By Barbarella 3:28 p.m., Aug 26, 2009 > Report it
Right on - paint the room red!
By shizzyfinn 4:18 p.m., Aug 26, 2009 > Report it
"...people who whip their phones out while alone in public are often doing so solely to fight off the fear that comes with potentially being talked to by a stranger, which very well might have turned out to be a pleasant experience..."
Unless you are like me and attract mostly horny sleazeballs with 100-proof breath, a rap sheet, body odor or severe mental deficiencies.
By bohemianopus 8:48 a.m., Aug 28, 2009 > Report it
"...people who whip their phones out while alone in public are often doing so solely to fight off the fear that comes with potentially being talked to by a stranger, which very well might have turned out to be a pleasant experience..."
===========================
Im so glad you used the word "phones'...Phhewww........
By SurfPuppy619 10:22 a.m., Aug 28, 2009 > Report it
Bohemianopus observed:
"Unless you are like me and attract mostly horny sleazeballs with 100-proof breath, a rap sheet, body odor or severe mental deficiencies."
Exactly. I think Shizzy's a male.
If not, then an unattractive female.
:)
Either way, s/he clearly doesn't understand what kind of "friendly" approaches some of us are constantly exposed to. When a stranger spots me and starts heading my way, I can just about bet they're after one of two things:
1. Money (the usual).
2. Sex (less frequent, now that I'm older and less juicy).
By antigeekess 5:24 p.m., Aug 28, 2009 > Report it
Your mind is still juicy.
By SDaniels 12:46 a.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Does that mean I can start wearing those pants that actually say "JUICY" right across the butt?
By antigeekess 1:04 a.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
I said mind :)
By SDaniels 1:16 a.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
The Juicy headband might just be the new coolness...
By tikicult 8:10 a.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
I was going to say she had the right to tattoo it across her forehead, but Joe has the better fashion sense.
By SDaniels 12:14 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Either way, considering the weirdos I attract, one would probably just try to eat my brain.
(That was a little dark for Sunday morning, wasn't it?)
By antigeekess 12:28 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Most zombies sleep in on Sunday.
But I can just imagine them chanting "Juicy Brains.... Juicy Brains"
Saw a picture on the internet yesterday - girl had a tattoo on her stomach that read "Dead girls don't say no"
- Joe
By tikicult 1:03 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Joe, that image gives me all kinds of skeevies. What a strange thing to have tattooed on your body. But who am I to judge? I have a tramp stamp of a phoenix and some dragons. There's just no accounting for taste. ;)
By Barbarella 1:44 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Either way, considering the weirdos I attract, one would probably just try to eat my brain.
(That was a little dark for Sunday morning, wasn't it?)
By antigeekess
============================
That would be one hell of a light lunch.
Actually an appetizer/snack.
By SurfPuppy619 2:06 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
You never know what you will see on Myspace, huh.. I have a bunch of tattoo parlors on my friends list.
Yeah - I'm kinda hope that she's really into zombies - 'cause the alternative is just wrong.
Oh, and when I read your comment in my mind you didn't write "skeevies" it was "skivvies"... way different. Had to re-read that one.
- Joe
By tikicult 2:14 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"That would be one hell of a light lunch.
Actually an appetizer/snack."
...for a slobbering, brain-hungry zombie puppy.
By SDaniels 6:18 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"Saw a picture on the internet yesterday - girl had a tattoo on her stomach that read "Dead girls don't say no""
Yeah, that's gotta be just about the most disturbing thing I've heard all week. Wonder if she dated Max Factor heir Andrew Luster?
By SDaniels 6:19 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
hey tiki...why don't you let us check out your myspace?
By magicsfive 6:21 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Take a wild guess at the URL.
Barbarella has seen it...
- Joe
By tikicult 6:59 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Daniels actually got close enough to the rancid dog smell to respond to it:
"...for a slobbering, brain-hungry zombie puppy."
What was that I was just saying about attracting weirdos?
I rest my case.
By antigeekess 7:07 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Magics requested:
"hey tiki...why don't you let us check out your myspace?"
http://www.myspace.com/tikicult
That was easy enough. Hey, if I Google "tikicult," am I going to find you all over the internet in seedy places, too?
Nothing like guys who use the same user ID wherever they go. ;)
I'm gonna check...
By antigeekess 7:18 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
i even own www.tikicult.com>
- Joe
By tikicult 7:20 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"i even own www.tikicult.com">
I saw that already. :)
By antigeekess 7:23 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
cool. thanks.
By magicsfive 7:33 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Daniels actually got close enough to the rancid dog smell to respond to it:
"...for a slobbering, brain-hungry zombie puppy."
What was that I was just saying about attracting weirdos?
I rest my case.
By antigeekess
=========================
Cat fight.
By SurfPuppy619 9:22 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
SurfP, it's cute when you wag your tail and hold out your paw to "shake." AG, he has some knowledge of the law--at least laws pertaining to the ownership of surfing dogs, and he's also worth 3.6 mil--or at least his owner is.
I don't know, Barbarella and Shizzyfin are the relationship experts, but who knows if there are really any better curs out there. I mean, if he gets regular dental cleanings at the vet, it might be worth taking him a walk--on leash, of course. I've already got a pet, or I'd adopt him myself.
Ok, have I run out of doggie analogies yet...?
By SDaniels 9:29 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Didn't something very similar happen in Massachusetts between a cop and a college professor that ultimately got the president involved. Colin Powell said it best. (Paraphrased) "I was taught to do what an officer tells you to do." Had these individuals spent 30 seconds of saying "yes officer, I will do as you say" We would not have this headache. But nooo. They had to throw a fit. The police, and DA had to spend your tax dollars investigating this nonsense. It makes me wonder if this group deliberately did this just to get free press coverage.
By alexdrake 9:31 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"When a stranger spots me and starts heading my way, I can just about bet they're after one of two things:
1. Money (the usual).
2. Sex (less frequent, now that I'm older and less juicy)."
Hell, I just want a free drink. If I wanted money, I would work for the government, and if I wanted sex I would have never married. Just buy me a scotch and I'm your best pal.
By refriedgringo 9:31 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Joe, I keep getting "page cannot be displayed." I KNOW you can do better than that :)
By SDaniels 9:32 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
refried...i will buy you a drink...
and surfpup...i will definitely take you for a walk :D
By magicsfive 9:33 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Response to #29: After the publication of The Fountainhead, Rand received numerous letters from readers, some of whom had been profoundly influenced by the novel. In 1951 Rand moved from Los Angeles to New York City, where she gathered a group of these admirers around her. This group (jokingly designated "The Collective") included future Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, a young psychology student named Nathan Blumenthal (later Nathaniel Branden) and his wife Barbara, and Barbara's cousin Leonard Peikoff. At first the group was an informal gathering of friends who met with Rand on weekends at her apartment to discuss philosophy. Later she began allowing them to read the drafts of her new novel, Atlas Shrugged, as the manuscript pages were written. In 1954 Rand's close relationship with the much younger Nathaniel Branden turned into a romantic affair, with the consent of their spouses.
(Lifted from wiki in order to keep the non-sequitor alive)
By refriedgringo 9:36 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
and surfpup...i will definitely take you for a walk :D
By magicsfive
===========================
Make sure you have a short leash, I get "excited" very easily :)
And I like to play in the sand.....at dog beach. Del Mar.
When is playtime?
By SurfPuppy619 9:47 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
when i'm back in sd. short leash and doggie bags will be provided ;)
By magicsfive 9:58 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Daniels lamented:
"I've already got a pet, or I'd adopt him myself."
Well, it 'would' be a public service to have him neutered.
:)
By antigeekess 10:36 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"Hell, I just want a free drink. If I wanted money, I would work for the government, and if I wanted sex I would have never married. Just buy me a scotch and I'm your best pal."
You got it. Glenlivet?
http://www.theglenlivet.com/spiritoftheglen/
:)
By antigeekess 10:43 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
You buy me a Glenlivet single-malt, and you can slip a leash around my neck and call me "Rover" ;)
By refriedgringo 10:58 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
Hey, look, refried! Somebody's got a bottle of '64. On SALE!
http://www.winechateau.com/vsku1504849.html?utm_source=Shopzilla&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=THE%20GLENLIVET%20SCOTCH%201964
By antigeekess 11:08 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"Hey, look, refried! Somebody's got a bottle of '64. On SALE!"
You do realize that this is the equivalent of sending me a pr0n link...
I'd pay some cash just to hold the bottle for a few minutes.
By refriedgringo 11:58 p.m., Aug 30, 2009 > Report it
"You do realize that this is the equivalent of sending me a pr0n link..."
LOL -- got so excited you couldn't type "porn."
"I'd pay some cash just to hold the bottle for a few minutes."
I think there's a special room for that. :)
By antigeekess 5:50 a.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
"Joe, I keep getting "page cannot be displayed." I KNOW you can do better than that :)"
Read the line in the address bar - make sure it only says http://www.tikicult.com>
There might be something like %20 at the end of what you have.
- Joe
By tikicult 6:09 a.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
All this leash-talk is getting Barbarella excited... :)
david
p.s. "pron" is a generally accepted substitute for the word "porn" when one is trying to avoid overzealous net filters.
By david 11:14 a.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
Good whiskey, pron and a leash.
Date night?
- Joe
By tikicult 6:37 p.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
David advised:
"p.s. "pron" is a generally accepted substitute for the word "porn" when one is trying to avoid overzealous net filters."
Aaaaaahhh. I did not know that.
</Carson>
By antigeekess 7:36 p.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
"Good whiskey, pron and a leash.
Date night?"
Nah. Marriage.
By refriedgringo 8:26 p.m., Aug 31, 2009 > Report it
Whiskey, pron, and a leash sounds perfect for a Tuesday evening. That is, if you replace "whiskey" with "wine" and "pron" with "sex." Now, do I go with the red leather leash or the black canvas? ;)
By Barbarella 5:13 p.m., Sep 1, 2009 > Report it
Wine makes me drowsy, goes well with jazz and softlights.
If it's gonna be a swingin' from the chandelier kinda night - it's gotta be Jack Daniels.
Canvas? No... sounds scratchy.
- Joe
By tikicult 5:32 p.m., Sep 1, 2009 > Report it
Those last few posts remind me of Slim Pickens near the end of Dr. Strangelove. The plane is going to crash and he looks at the survival kit. It has a pack of cigarettes, a few dollars, some snack item, a condom (I think, but haven't seen the film in 20 years), razor, and small bottle of booze. With his drawl he says, "This sounds like a fun weekend in Vegas!"
By JoshBoard 12:19 a.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
One of the best movies ever. Took a bit of searching, but here it is:
- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,
vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.
Do strippers in Vegas take Rubles?
- Joe
By tikicult 5:24 a.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Thanks for posting that, tikigod! You're the best.
As I was typing, it was so much less fun than I remembered. And that just shows how good comedy all depends on the small things like that.
Yeah, Dr. Strangelove is a classic. Peter Sellers was a comedic genius.
I'm guessing strippers would be upset with any other currency (so I've heard!!!) Only because I have a friend that was in a strip club, and had silver dollars. I think he had 20 of them, and was using them for tips. He just wanted to get rid of them or something, and a woman threw it at him saying something about not wanting change and blah blah blah. He just smiled and said "Uh..okay. But it was a dollar, not a quarter." The stripper came over later and apologized.
The few times I've gone to strip clubs, I like to tip them based on the song they're dancing to. If they have good taste in music, they get a big tip. My friends think it should be on how hot they are.
By JoshBoard 9:59 a.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
"If they have good taste in music, they get a big tip."
You HAVE to be kidding, right? Uh, right? Helllooo.....Josh? Just funnin' us, correct? My god, man!
Suddenly I feel badly for Barbarella's blog, if such a sentiment is possible.
By Duhbya 10:53 a.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
"The few times I've gone to strip clubs, I like to tip them based on the song they're dancing to. If they have good taste in music, they get a big tip. My friends think it should be on how hot they are."
Wow. I don't even know where to begin.
By Barbarella 12:37 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Sketchy, Josh. Mostly everyone knows that you only tip strippers based on their ability to successfully color coordinate a tube top and a G-string.
By refriedgringo 12:45 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
I'd rather go to a dive bar than a strip club any day. The whole strip club vibe just doesn't work for me.
Josh - wow. You tip based on the music? You're a wild animal man.
Barbarella was it red leather or black canvas?
By tikicult 1:04 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Yeah, Barb. Why not begin with that. How you try to sound so risque with those goofy outfits and fetish things.
By JoshBoard 3:06 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Josh, don't you have your own column page to haunt?
By Barbarella 3:17 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
The few times I've gone to strip clubs, I like to tip them based on the song they're dancing to.
By Barbarella
======================
LOL...that is funny.
BTW-what is a "few"?
By SurfPuppy619 3:23 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Regarding "few"...well, I'm takin' the 5th on that one.
Yeah Barb, I haunt my pages, too. Why don't I ever see you there? Oh wait..I think I know the answer to that. If it's not all about you, you, you...you ain't interested.
By JoshBoard 3:44 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
oohhh (gets popcorn and gets comfortable...)
By magicsfive 3:51 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Thanks for the tip, Pistol. I hope you could tell from the context (as you seem to be able to read and write just fine) that I didn't buy that glass of wine because it was too expensive. Which kind of makes your point about me "spending huge amounts of money to look cool" moot. Love me or hate me, I'm glad to know something inspired you to read my words.
By Barbarella 4:10 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Okay, everyone slow down a minute, get an effing grip on yourselves.
Josh, I'm assuming that your job is be controversial, groove your subject matter based on current trends, and basically stir up the pot. Your columns reflect it. Barb, your column is based on personal experience and enlightenment, and the other contributions are pretty straight-forward journalistic stuff. But your column is supposed to be based on you (it's a diary, duh).
You two are arguing apples and oranges here. Knock it off. You're both professionals. Don't provide the wrong kind of entertainment. This is an adult playground, so play like adults. I enjoy both columns for entirely different reasons. Stop the B.S. and grow up.
By refriedgringo 4:19 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
LMAO! Josh hit the nail on the head! I used to read Barb's column when I first moved out here. Then I thought"Why in the f*** am I reading this garbage?". Nothing more interesting than a nuerotic,self-centered,egotistical yuppie....
"After fishing it out of my purse, I stared at the device’s screen, trying to figure out what to use it for."-That line alone was priceless!
"I scoffed aloud when I witnessed the paltry pours and noticed that each shot-glass of wine cost more than the entire bottle from which the sips originated."-Here's a thought,Barb....Spending huge amounts of money to look cool doesn't make you look cool. It makes you look like a moron.
By PistolPete 4 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Ummmm,Barbarella? There was NOTHING in that line that said you didn't buy the shot glass of wine. I'm a huge dive bar dweller. When I first moved out here I went to Jolt'n Joe's in Escondido. They wanted $8.00 for half a pitcher of beer. I too scoffed but I was thirsty. I thought to myself"I'm not in Wisconsin anymore".
And I was just giving you some well deserved s***. I still read your column occasionally and I still laugh. Your writing might not be for my more refined palette but I'm ok with that ;-D
By PistolPete 4:26 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Refried... Well said man.
- Joe
By tikicult 4:49 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
You can lay the blame on me. It's my fault -- I turned her on to the good stuff.
The first sample's free, ya know... :)
But seriously, it has absolutely nothing to do with cost. Dive bar, hole-in-the-wall, or 15-course chef's tasting menu, we don't care so long as it rocks; and there are many hole-in-the-wall places that do.
Like I said to Barb after we went to that 100-point wine-tasting, "No matter how good a fifteen-hundred dollar wine is, it will never taste better than a five-dollar milkshake."
N.B. actually we didn't much care for the snooty, expensive wines, but I'm glad we went because now I know that if I splurge on a $35 wine for a special occasion, it will make me happier than any of those $1K+ bottles. And, THAT made it all worthwhile!
david
By david 6:01 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpPZ5d0fcac
- Joe
By tikicult 6:06 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
"now I know that if I splurge on a $35 wine for a special occasion, it will make me happier than any of those $1K+ bottles."
Hey David,
What $35 wine are we talking here, exactly?
By SDaniels 6:29 p.m., Sep 2, 2009 > Report it
Let me preface my comments by disclosing my biases. We tend to like very full-bodied, complex (hopefully), fruit-forward wines, with well-balanced silky tannin. This is what some might call "New World Style". It may not be as sophisticated as a lean, mineraly Bordeaux, but it's what we like and for that we make no apologies. Your mileage may vary.
In the $35 range, we like Orin Swift "The Prisoner", Leal Syrah, Laird Cabernet Sauvignon, some pinot noir like the $36 Rusak. In the past we've liked the Hitching Post Highliner, but I haven't cared for more recent vintages. The price on that has also dropped to the $20's which makes me think they are just trying to capitalize on their appearance in the movie Sideways. If you want to go up a few more dollars to the $40 range, Mollydooker's Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz would be fun.
If you really want to splurge... One of the absolute best wines I've ever had was the Mollydooker "Carnival of Love" Shiraz (decanted for a few hours). You can find that for around $90.
Do you have any thing you like that you would recommend?
david
By david 9:58 a.m., Sep 3, 2009 > Report it
Let me preface this post by saying...did someone actually use the phrase "...but it's what we like and for that we make no apologies." ???
Wow.
Barb...I really don't know where to start with this one.
Josh
By JoshBoard 3:20 p.m., Sep 3, 2009 > Report it