me: F/28/SF, CA

AIM: venguyen
y!: slinkstar

Archives:
Feb 2002 - current
more? 1998-2002 archives
available by request

Elsewhere:
training log
50 in 365
joel
twobadapples
tammyloh
lgm
phase five

www.flickr.com More of venguyen's photos

Upcoming Runs:
Weekly DSE Runs
7/29 - SF 1/2 Marathon
10/14 - SJ Rock n Roll 1/2 M
Need to find some more races

curious?
my amazon wishlist

October 31, 2005, 2:55 pm

I've decided that within the next five years, I want to visit as many wineries as possible and learn as much as I possibly can about wine. Saturday, we kicked off the first official Napa trip with an appointment at Cakebread and then a stop at St. Supery. Our original agenda had four more stops (Grgich, Regusci, Darioush, and Signorello), but because we had such a great time at St. Supery, we didn't make it any further.

I've set a few wine tasting agendas and they're always centered around one wine or winery that I've had that I've liked (in this case, St. Supery's Sauvignon Blanc and Moscato). We ended up drinking waaaay too much (I don't swish!) and spending a lot of time at St. Supery. By the time we were ready to leave, I'd bought two cases of wine and Grgich had closed. So, we headed across the street to Niebaum Coppola for some cigars (I think everyone was done drinking and I'd already been there before anyway) and then headed out to a Mexican restaurant that had been recommended to us. However, on the way to downtown Napa, we passed through Yountville and thought we'd stop in at Bouchon and try to get a table. We did, and had some awesome steak frites:

Impressions? Cakebread cost $10 where you get a glass to take home and pours of about 5 of their wines. All wines were very good, but none spectacular. J came home with a bottle of the Chardonnay. The tasting was worth the cost since we learned a lot and had a lot of attention from our guy.

St. Supery ($10 regular/$15 reserve) was an awesome experience. Luckily, half of us had lifetime free tasting passes. The winery was bustling because there was a huge launch party on their front lawn for the release of their 2001 Elu. However, we were not invited (but will be next time since I'm part of their wine club!), so we went inside for a tasting. Our server, Chalo, was incredibly knowledgeable, and incredibly friendly. Chalo definitely made our experience what it was. I'm going to write a letter to let his management know how great he is.

So, this was a great kickoff to my wine tasting escapades. We're going to be rotating drivers and trying to hit as many wineries as possible as time permits. Of course, not all trips will be this baller. I won't be buying that much wine in the future--but one case is a Christmas gift...and the other case is a wine that I drink often (deeply discounted from BevMo's prices). But, between St. Supery, Bouchon, and my new purse, I'm broke. I'm eating ramen for the next two weeks...minus a scheduled dinner at Town Hall in two weeks. Oh crap, and I'm spending the weekend up in Cloverdale, off the Wine Road.

October 23, 2005, 9:40 pm

 

I did it!! What next?

October 21, 2005, 2:18 pm

This guy's a nut:

What I want is to talk with you face to face. Although the scar that you have put on my head is not big, I have to see it everyday in the mirror. It represents to me the stupidity that you have inside even though at that age that the incident happened, we both didn't know much.

I am able to hold a civil discussion, but I'm not sure if you are able to. If you are willing, then I would like to talk to you. If this happened to you, I'm not sure if you are able to "let it go."

J's reply:

I can hold a civil conversation, but I don't think there would be anything to talk about. You apparently missed the sarcasm in my earlier comments about my stupidity, and obviously harbor some animosity so I don't really see any need to pursue the matter further.

If you need to pour your heart and sadness out on someone, perhaps someone who can offer you prescription medication for your superficial anxiety would be of more assistance. You being in the medical field would, no doubt, be able to obtain such aid. I also do not mean this in a negatory manner, but rather one of trying to help you find the closure you so desperately seek.

Once again, I'm sorry, but the closure you seek is on you. There's nothing I can do to reverse what happened, and obviously, my heartfelt apology isn't enough, so there's nothing more I can nor want to offer.

Best of luck in your scholary pursuit and I wish you well.

Hopefully that is the end of their communications. J's been nothing but nice in their communications yet the guy cannot accept an apology. Get over it, loser. A face to face? What else could possibly happen...aside from the guy going nutso and shooting my bf! haha.

October 21, 2005, 10:26 am

So, thanks to Friendster, this guy has been messaging all of J's friends asking about him. Why? Apparently, when they were 5, they played together, and J caused him to have stitches. J has no recollection of this. But, almost 25 years ago and the guy is still bitter. He's almost 30, a medical school student and is bitter that a playmate in New Jersey gave him stitches...25 years ago???

Here are some lines that I find most amusing from this guy:

• "You put me in the hospital once when we were little. i remember i was playing with your toys and you took one of your toys and whacked me with it and gave me my first stitches...to this day, i am not too happy about that. you probably don't remember because like you said, you were dropped too many times." (This was in reference to a joke J had made about his own poor memory)
• "...Medical student or not, I am glad I didn't turn out to be a retard which I could have been with your idiotic actions."
• "Do you remember anything at all in NJ? Don't you remember my family living in the shack next to your mansion?"

J has apologized in every communication, but this guy just won't let it go. Sounds like he's jealous AND bitter. What a waste of time AND energy. I find it sad that someone cannot move past something that happened almost 25 years ago. Hell, I find it sad when adults can't move past "scars" from high school. It is over, move on...there's no point in dwelling on the past when there is so much of the future ahead of you. What does this guy want?

October 20, 2005, 9:55 am

testing new features (comments and weblog style entries). don't think the comments count is working properly.

2005-10-14, 11:03 a.m.

Unorganized thoughts:

• The half marathon is next Sunday and I feel very ready. As long as I eat right on Friday and Saturday, I will be fine. I'm not telling anyone my goal time as my true goal is to finish strong. I need to think about what my next goals are so that I don't lose my fitness level. I don't want to train for a full marathon in the middle of winter, so it may be 10 mile trail races or even other half marathons...whatever it takes to keep me running long on the weekends.
• I stumbled across a website for a non-profit that was set up in honor of a high school friend and teammate of mine. Four years ago, he lost a very short battle with colon cancer and passed away at the age of 23. At the time, he was training for the Olympics, hoping to make the Men's 8 crew team. I know it sounds cliche, but everyone who met him loved him. Coming across this website made me remember him and miss him. I often think about his twin sister and what it feels like to lose a twin. She's getting married soon and I don't think her fiance has ever met her twin brother.
• I've signed up for a few volunteering activities (working at a Food Bank and sorting through things at a homeless shelter). I do a lot of things for myself, but I think it has been too long since I've been of any use to others. I did a lot more volunteer work in high school and college...it is time to get back to that.
• Somewhat related, I've been thinking seriously about nursing as a second career. Medicine, disease, and biology all fascinate me...it is the people aspect that has hindered me. I'm grumpy and don't like touching sick people...but I think as I get older and more mature, things will change.
• I had dinner at Hawthorne Lane last week and had the worst dining experience I've ever had. I wrote the general manager informing her of this and received a nice reply. I'm supposed to call today to follow up. In contrast, I went to RNM earlier this week and everything was perfect! The foie gras was good (woulda been better if my mouth weren't numb from my dentist appointment), my veal over a bed of creamy polenta was tasty...the wine was great...and the company was the best! Yes, I write letters of complaint when I feel that an experience warrants it. Other letters this year: American Airlines...and Pasta Pomodoro deserves one but I won't bother.