Meet Carlo Glavani, President and Owner of Sea To Sky Air. Let him take you up and show you around. He’ll tell you the what, where and why of flying in the Coastal Mountains. Sit back and enjoy, as you take a flight with Sea To Sky Air!

As you know, if you have been a participant of this distribution list for a while, we have been valiantly advocating for a single payer health care system for many years. Such a bill (SB 840) was passed by both chambers of the CA state legislature in 2006, but the bill was vetoed by Governor Maid Molester (Schwarzenegger).
At the time we TRIED to get the Democratic nominee Phil Angelides (who had previously claimed to support single payer) to do an action to demand that Arnold sign the bill. It would have been a great campaign issue for him, but he was too chicken hearted or corrupt himself (your choice) to do it, and he lost by 30 points or something like that.

The same bill passed in 2008 and was vetoed again.

Now fast forward the clock to last week, when single payer
(renumbered SB 810) was again in front of the CA Senate, but now with a Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, who would be expected to sign the bill. All of a sudden four Democratic senators refused to even vote at all. That’s right, folks, they ABSTAINED, which is being in the room for the vote and refusing to cast a vote one way or another. At least three of these abstainers had voted “Yes” for single payer the last time.
So we cranked out a targeted action aimed only at these turncoat abstainers and have good information they got LOTS of phone calls for them to reconsider. But reconsideration never happened. So what’s really going on here? Here’s what the sponsor of the bill, Mark Leno, said on the Thom Hartmann show when gently challenged on why previous supporters were now abstaining.
“Arnold Schwartzeneggar was always going to veto the bill, so if one
had an interest in not ruffling the feathers of the insurance industry, the possibility is to vote for it with the wink of the eye that it’s not going anywhere anyway.”
In Greek mythology, Tantalus as his eternal punishment was cursed to stand in a pool of water underneath a fruit tree with low hanging branches always just out of reach, with the water always receding before he could take a drink. THAT is the very image of what the
Democratic party has become for the interests of the people who consider themselves constituents. It’s all a scam, folks, just one great, big, giant, honking scam.
This is essentially the same thing that happened in 2010 with that phony baloney health care bill, with a bottom line of nothing but pig grease for the medical insurance corporations. After lulling people
along for almost a year with the promise of a “public option”, itself a feeble impersonation of single payer, they refused to even allow a vote on it. In the end, having been forced to pass the bill using a reconciliation gimmick requiring only 51 votes, and 51 Democratic senators on record as supporting the so-called public option, they simply REFUSED to bring it up for a vote, even though they had the votes to do.
And the worst thing about it is that even the so-called good guys are in on it. Mark Leno, the sponsor of SB 810, KNOWS it will never pass, that the vote will always be manipulated so it falls just short in some way. The only reason for him to bring the bill up at all is to CON his own constituents into thinking he’s on their side, otherwise he would be vociferously calling out these abstainer traitors, not accidentally spilling the beans as he did. It’s nothing but a cynical PR stunt, and they are ALL in on it. No matter how many Democrats we vote for, till the end of all eternity, they will always find some way to fail to pass single payer health care.

Believe it or not, this is in a city. Did I mention I'm moving to Kelowna?

Unlike many Okanagan wineries which are based in the hotter, drier southern portion of the valley, Tantalus is located right within Kelowna’s city limits, in as pastoral a setting as possible given that the closest Starbucks is less than 10 minutes away.  All of their wines come from grapes grown directly on their estate, and on the rolling slopes of their vineyards they have planted Pinot Noir and a growing amount of Chardonnay; however, to me at least, they are synonymous with brilliant, high-quality Riesling.  They have some of the oldest Riesling vines in Canada (40+ years) on location, where Kelowna’s relatively cooler but lake-moderated climate is ideal for this hardy, late-ripening Germanic grape.  The winemaker has a clear vision about what he’s trying to achieve with this privileged source material, letting the fruit speak for itself and preserving natural acids, and consistently delivers on the site’s potential.  Although Tantalus also makes a reserve Old Vines Riesling from their decades-old vines (and is starting to experiment with sparkling Riesling as well), tonight’s wine is the producer’s base Riesling bottling, which packs more of a punch than anyone has a right to expect for the sub-$25 price.

This might be the tallest bottle of wine I own. It almost didn't fit in my fridge.

The ’10 Riesling is widely available in Alberta, but I picked up this particular bottle (as well as a killer wooden display box) at the winery itself, which always makes it a little more special to pop (or in this case, twist) and pour.  The first thing I noticed about the Tantalus tonight was that it wasn’t as pale and delicate-looking as many Rieslings; instead, it was a rich, bright lemon/straw colour that was deeper than I expected from last year’s vintage.  The wine had a classic aromatic Riesling nose of grapefruit, lime, lemon zest and Granny Smith apple interlaced with a pervasive mineral/burnt match quality and an aroma I can weakly describe as “water”, like the smell of waterfall spray or fresh rain.  On the very first sip, the unquestionable highlight of this Riesling took centre stage:  its absolutely seismic acidity.  I have actually used previous vintages of this wine to show people how to detect acidity in a wine, and if this is something that you have difficulty with, let me recommend the 2010 Tantalus as your best teaching tool — I guarantee you’ll feel that telltale tingling on the sides of your tongue.  I learned a great trick in WSET class about how to gauge the acid level in a wine:  once you’re done swallowing, relax your mouth and tongue, let your head drop forward a bit, and wait.  Since acid in wine stimulates saliva production (which is part of what makes acidic wine a good palate-cleanser and great with food), the more you feel your mouth water, the more acidic your wine is.  I tried that trick with this wine and had to make sure my mouth stayed closed so that I didn’t drool on the floor.

Even though the acid is the story and triumph of this wine, that’s not to say that it overwhelms the rest of the Riesling’s flavour profile; thankfully, the wine has enough “stuff” not to get lost in this impressive structural display and is instead given a screaming vibrancy and energy from the streak of tartness running down the middle of it.  The acidity is balanced nicely (though certainly not tamed) by the Tantalus’ medium body and lush texture, as well as a bare hint of residual sweetness that helps round out the palate.  It delivers a string of clean, intense flavours that echo its nose — green apple, lemon/lime, grapefruit/tropical fruit, bath salts, and good old Germanic wet slate — and that power into a pure, refreshing, mineral-laden finish that lasts for close to a minute.

Stelvin Rating: 1/10 (Sorry to end on a down note, but plain black screwtops don't cut it. Throw on a T or something.)

This isn’t just a good Canadian wine; it’s a GOOD WINE, period.  Its deft mixture of richness and taut electric acidity makes it an ideal food partner, and its remarkable concentration and structure makes a serious statement for a so-called entry-level Riesling.  It just shows what happens when the right grape is grown in the right place by the right people.  Because of what they have done with my favourite grape in my home and native land, and because of their clear dedication to quality and their amazing hospitality on my recent visit, Tantalus might be my favourite winery in Canada.  If you’ve seen their wines at the store but have never picked one up, this Riesling is a great place to start.  Go find it!

92 points

$20 to $30 CDN

The thought that keeps echoing in my mind is, “How dare you?”

Three words. They mean a lot. They say a lot. I’m over here, fuming. I’m ticked off, and I’m flummoxed. Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s this: you don’t toss in the towel when things get tough. No, that’s when you pull on your kickass boots and find an ass to kick.

There are times where life is hard. Unimaginably so. Worse the Sisyphus and his damn boulder. Worse that Tantalus and his inability to eat or drink.

Get mad. Get indignant. Get going. Certainly, don’t give up. Because you know what happens then? Well, divide nothing by nothing, times it by nothing – and you get fuck all. Yeah, that’s right: nothing.

Believe me, there are times when I do not want to get out of bed. There are times where the last thing I want to do is talk to people. There are times I cannot talk about things, simply because I don’t have the words. Or the words hurt too much, like swallowing a bomb encased in broken glass. There are other times where I feel like I can’t take two steps in any direction.

To that, I say: bugger it.

Over the past year, I have seen a lot of things. I have seen people fumble the proverbial ball worse than Ray Finkle. (Laces out!) I have seen professionals act like children. I have seen compassion and dedication burn away like fog in the midday sun. I have seen countless people who SHOULD know better prove that an education doesn’t make you a better human being – or a more qualified one. No, it just means you sat through classes and managed not to fail.

You know what school doesn’t teach people? It doesn’t teach them how to fight. How to see a person in front of you and really see them. It doesn’t teach you how to dig your heels in and say, hell no, not me – not now. It doesn’t teach you how to be strong or how to be brave. It doesn’t teach you wisdom. It teaches you facts and reasoning.

But at the end of the day, no one is looking to be held by facts of logic. No one is looking be soothed and placated by impartiality. No, we’re all looking for courage, passion, and kindness.

So many people seem to missing the last one, although it is the simplest of things.

Nothing, except life, teaches you how to look someone in the eye – and refuse to walk away. It doesn’t matter the circumstances, or who this person is. A friend, a lover, a boss, a doctor, a priest, a stranger – whatever.

Ultimately, you make that choice. You make the choice to be a coward and an asshole. You make the choice to try and snuff out the last candle of hope someone might have. You make the choice to act like a callous person, who is more worthy of Tin Man (person) status than anything else.

It is a choice, and some people choose poorly. Some people fail to see the individual, looking at only the numbers. But numbers change. And there is always hope, always another way. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone tell me – or anyone I love – otherwise.

You can be smart and capable, but still not possess enough kindness to fill a thimble. You can be technically right, but fundamentally wrong.

Don’t let anyone dictate your truth. Don’t let anyone squash your drive or your heart. And the next time someone looks at you, with a mix of pity and boredom, you have my permission to call them a coward and prove them wrong.

And when you do, I want to hear about it.

“I’ve been making a list of the things they don’t teach you at school. They don’t teach you how to love somebody. They don’t teach you how to be famous. They don’t teach you how to be rich or how to be poor. They don’t teach you how to walk away from someone you don’t love any longer. They don’t teach you how to know what’s going on in someone else’s mind. They don’t teach you what to say to someone who’s dying. They don’t teach you anything worth knowing.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” ― St. Francis of Assisi

So, to start: Tantalus. If you’re wondering, this is indeed where we get the word “tantalize” from (that will be explained later). At first his life seemed pretty damn great: he was a son of Zeus, who like loved him to death and let him eat at the table with the gods and stuff. (Bellerophon would have been SOOOOO jealous. totes jelly. lol.) So, to thank them for their generosity, he, as Edith Hamilton puts it, “Acted so atrociously that no poet ever tried to explain his conduct.” (pg. 346) He had one son, Pelops (what a poor soul) who he had murdered, cut up into pieces and boiled and served as food to the gods. Don’t you love your dad so much more now? Even though they were so nice to him, he like really hated them…..he had some major daddy issues, both being one and with his own. So, before you flip, remember: the gods were just that. Gods. As in all powerful and omniscient. So obviously they knew that Tantalus was a fucked up maniac and that he needed some serious punishment. So, to really scare people into never doing anything even remotely like this ever EVER again (as if anyone would do something like this), they punished him by eternally making him stand in a pool of water beneath grape vines. Whenever he bent down to drink, the water vanished. Whenever he reached up for food, the grapes were just out of reach. So yes, this is where we get tantalize from. Oh, also, Tantalus couldn’t die, so….yeah. He was stuck like that forever. So, after that particularly disturbing bit, onto a…well less gnarly piece. Pelops, the poor dear thing, was restored to life by the gods, but one of them (either Demeter or Thetis) had accidentally eaten some of the truly revolting…i cant even call it food but so a small piece of Pelops was gone, and so he had a shoulder made of ivory. After this hugely unfortunate event, though, Pelops had a really good life. He married Princess Hippodamia, who like…i guess you could say had more daddy issues. Her father was a total fucking creep and didn’t want her to get married because he like kind of had a thing for her, so he had these horses from Ares and said if anyone could beat him in a chariot race they could have her, and if they lost, they died. So, a lot of people died, but Pelops showed up with horses from Poseidon (woot!) and won. Supposedly, ethier because she was sick of her wack job dad or she actually loved Pelops she had her fathers chariot driver loosen the bolts on his cart, allowing Pelops to win. And so, though Pelops was okay, Tantalus’ disgusting awfulness doomed his whole family basically forever.

So, Pelops also had a sister, and her name was the unbelievably unfortunate Niobe. She was like clinically insane. She was married to this guy called Amphion, and they ruled Thebes for a while until she just completely went around the twist. She started walking around barking at people “Why the fuck are you worshipping Leto? That goddess only had two children, Apollo and Artemis, and they’re major gods!! But I have seven sons and seven daughters so I’m obviously better. You all have to worship me now. DO ITTTT.” Now that is arrogance if I’ve ever heard it. She was such a bitch. Anyway Apollo and Artemis obviously heard her and, not at all willing to take that kind of insult to their mother, a titan, they went down to Thebes and made Niobe stand there and watch while they killed each and every one of her children in front of her. She was so insanely struck with grief that she couldn’t even move. All she could do was stand and stare at the bodies of her children, still so young, weeping, until at last she became a stone that forever flowed with tears.

Then there are Pelops sons. Oh yes, there were a LOT of people in this family. Anyway, his two sons were Atreus and Thyestes. Thyestes fell in love with Atreus’ wife and…um, well, he nailed her, and so when Atreus found out, he took Thyestes two little sons and had them cut up, boiled and served to their father as a dinner (pattern…?). Thyestes ate all of his supper and when he found out what happened, he basically just threw up everywhere and cursed and yelled at his brother. The story of this family is really quite horrible and makes me feel very normal indeed. Unfortunately, since Atreus was king, Thyestes apparently like was unable to avenge this truly horrible crime, but instead all of Atreus’ children were basically cursed beyond belief.

Soooooooooooo I’ll talk about them in my next post. Woot.

Namaste

Soooooooo hopefully I’ll get at least half of one of those up tomorrow, if not…….I’ll just get them up before the month is out.

word.

Tasting session times:

Friday 2pm-6pm

Saturday 1pm – 5pm

Sunday 1pm to 5pm

On Saturday shop the #BowFEAST Farmers market from 9am to Noon. Have a nice lunch in the Cove, then mosey up to our new store on Dorman Road under the Ruddy Potato and taste some great BC wines to go with your fresh, local food for dinner.

While we end formal tasting at 6pm, if we have wine left you are welcome to come in later and try what’s still open

Big line up this year with totally different wines each day:

Participating Wineries and wines. Tasting order is yet to be determined but over the 3 days we’ll be opening wines from among the following:

The View - Frizzante, Gewurztraminer, Pinotage

Quails Gate - Rosé, Chenin Blanc

Tinhorn Creek - Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay

Stoneboat – Pinotage, Pinot Gris

Ganton & Larsen Prospect winery – Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay

Lake Breeze - Pinot Blanc, Meritage

Dirty Laundry – Gewurztraminer, Merlot

Hester Creek – Cabernet/Merlot blend

Black Cloud – Pinot Noir

Tantalus – Riesling

8th Generation – Sauvignon Blanc

Blasted Church – Hatfields Fuse (white blend)

Fairview Cellars - 2 Hoots

Plus on Saturday ONLY – Red Roof Okanagan cider

4. Weary, with empty throat, stands Tantalus
Weary, with empty throat, stands Tantalus; above his guilty head hangs plenteous food; on either side, with laden boughs, a tree leans over him and, bending and trembling beneath its weight of fruit, makes sport with his wide-straining jaws. He tries no more to touch, he turns away his eyes, he tightly shuts his lips; behind clenched teeth he bars his hunger. Then the whole grove lets down its wealth, and the ripe fruits beckon from above. As his hands stretch toward the mocking gift, the whole harvest of the bending wood leaps up high, out of reach. Then comes a raging thirst, harder to bear than hunger. The poor wretch hurls himself at waves that motion to his lips, but they elude his grasp. Deep from the whirling stream he drinks but dust. —Thyestes

The idea of writing for Baroque instruments came up because the original concept was for The Waking Sun to be paired with Membra Jesu nostri of Dietrich Buxtehude. That changed, but the concept for this piece stayed the same, and so a couple of textural gestures came to mind. Somewhere in The Waking Sun I wanted to have a violin duet. Tantalus provided the perfect opportunity.

The two violins encapsulate a bit of text-painting, the image of the two trees bending down over Tantalus, offering fruit lower and lower, then springing up before he can reach it. The duet is a strict canon at the third below, with each iteration slightly longer than the one before.

From Tantalus comes tantalize, of course, and one could hardly invent a more apt myth than this. Punished by the gods for stealing their ambrosia, Tantalus is bound in this place, and cannot escape. He is tempted above and below by attractions to his flesh. The music is static for the most part, mirroring his helplessness. Voluptuous harmonies grow with his hope, then evaporate.

There’s an old, out-of-favor word that nicely describes this condition. It is wretchedness. A theology professor once told me that it means not that you are as bad as you can be, but that you are as bad off as you can be. Tantalus is indeed a poor wretch.

18 Jun 2011. The Waking Sun. The Crossing, Tempesta di Mare. Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, 8 pm

1980 saw the establishment of Australia’s first game company – Beam Software (now called Krome Studios) in Melbourne, a video game development studio which has gone on to create over 150 titles. Beam’s success began with 1982’s The Hobbit for the Spectrum, Commodore 64 and PC and by 1983 it had reached the number one selling position throughout Europe with sales exceeding 500,000 units. The success of this was repeated by Beam in 1985 with the launch of The Way of the Exploding Fist which also got to number one in Europe on the back of over half a million sales.

By the second half of the decade Melbourne House (Beam) had a 10% share of the UK video games market and just two years later became the first game company to go public on the ASX. Beam was joined in 1994 by two more Melbourne-based studios: Torus and Tantalus, followed by Blue Tongue the year after and IR Gurus Interactive in 1996 further establishing the state’s dominance of the sector.

1996 also saw the start of a strong relationship between the Victorian Government and the gaming sector by providing funding to IR Guru’s AFL Live. In 2000 this relationship was cemented with the launch of the successful Game Plan policy, committing Victoria to supporting this exciting sector – a first among state governments.

Spurred on by industry innovation and government support, the past decade has seen the sector reach new highs from Infogrames’ award winning Le Mans Dreamcast and Grand Prix Challenge, THQ’s Annie nominated SpongeBob Game and Firemint’s Flight Control which is now the most downloaded iPhone game ever. This global reputation for excellence was demonstrated only this month, with the announcement that Firemint would be joining Electronic Arts’ stable of studios – bringing their total to four in Victoria.

In just thirty years, Melbourne has gone from one lone studio, to a thriving cluster that makes up over half of Australia’s independent games studios and employing the bulk of the 1000 Victorian students who graduate each year in games related courses. Through dedicated export programmes, investment in development kits and funding from Film Victoria’s Digital Media Fund in excess of A$10 million the Victorian Government is working hard to ensure that this success continues in the next thirty years and beyond.

Basically they’ll be showing off devices like meter collectors and video cameras that will be connected over an LTE network on wheels provided by Alcatel Lucent. Some of the connected smart grid gear will be linked from the show back to Tantalus’ offices remotely. The partners say that an LTE network will be able to provide utilities with a single, high quality, secure network that can prioritize the most important traffic, and will enable utilities to share the cost of gear and spectrum for the network.

This isn’t the first time that Alcatel Lucent, which sells LTE networking gear, has been singing the praises of LTE for the smart grid. Mark Madden, Vice President of Energy Markets for Americas, told me in an interview in October, that he thinks LTE is a better fit for smart grid networks than WiMAX networks, because of some technical features, like that LTE can prioritize certain traffic, and can also work with both mobile and fixed networks. Eventually we think utilities will turn to LTE for the smart grid, “it’s a perfect fit actually,” says Madden.

Other smart grid vendors are turning to LTE, too. Software startup Grid Net told me in December that its software now supports LTE. The phone companies, which are building out the LTE networks, have increasingly offered up their networks to provide machine to machine services (M2M) like connecting smart grid devices. Smart grid accounts are pretty easy to provide service for, compared to cellular consumers, which require significant customer support.

While cellular networks have more commonly provided so-called backhaul for utilities’ smart grid networks (connecting a collection point on the grid back to the utility back office), cellular networks are also starting to be used to connect smart meters directly to utilities as well.

But before LTE becomes available to utilities, they’re turning to WiMAX because of one reason: availability. Madden told me that Alcatel-Lucent is working with utilities like Oklahoma Gas & Electric and Pennsylvania Power & Light on WiMAX-based smart grid networks, though Alcatel-Lucent doesn’t actually make all of the WiMAX smart grid gear for these networks, but works as a network provider and integrator.

For more research on electric vehicles and energy management check out GigaOM Pro (subscription required):

• Smart Algorithms: The Future of the Energy Industry
• Report: IT Opportunities in Electric Vehicle Management
• The Developer’s Guide to Home Energy Management Apps

Wer Sicherheit der Freiheit vorzieht, ist zu Recht ein Sklave. Aristoteles 

Nach dem heißen Sommer, der bewiesen hatte, dass man auch im Sozialismus schöne Tage genießen kann, wenn man sich im System zurechtzufinden weiß und dem Herbst der Liebenden, durch den welke Rosen und ein gebeugtes Kreuz durchschimmerten, kündigte sich mit einem plötzlich einbrechenden Frost der Anbruch der stillen Jahreszeit an. Der Winter kam mit Macht und hüllte alles in Eis und Schnee – die Gefühle ebenso wie die Perspektiven. Die Welt verfiel in Starre und Stagnation. Ab dem späten November, als die Tage wesentlich kürzer wurden, das Licht ausblieb und die ganze uns umgebende Welt in ein natürliches Grau gehüllt wurde, verfiel auch meine Stimmung. Grautöne aller Art mischten sich zu einem sozialistischen Einheitsgrau, das bis zum Ural reichte und noch darüber hinaus. Dahinter verbarg sich ein Weltengrauen, genährt von der Befürchtung, es werde auch in ferner Zukunft nichts anderes geben als dieses triste Grau, das die Existenz wüst und sinnlos machte. Das mitfühlende Gemüt, die gesamte seelische Verfassung, folgte der Farbe von Natur wie Unnatur und trübte sich in anlehnender Sympathie deutlich ein.

Zunächst überkam mich eine unbestimmte Wehmut, die sich, je mehr ich über die Aussichtslosigkeit unseres Tuns, über unser Ausgeliefertsein nachdachte, zur richtigen Depression steigerte. Don Quichotte, der Chevalier der traurigen Gestalt, war an die Stelle des fanatisierten Kreuzritters getreten, der nun tot im Grab lag. Die Absurdität des Daseins schien alle Ideale aufzufressen. Langsam überkam mich die Empfindung, wie Sisyphus zu agieren und wie Tantalus zu leiden. Immer wenn das Ziel greifbar nahe erschien, wie die lange erstrebte Ausreise, griff eine unbekannte Macht ein und ließ alles in sich zusammenstürzen, auch das Gefühl innerer Freiheit. Immer und überall nur Rückschläge!? Wie viele Rückschläge kann ein Mensch ertragen, bevor er vom Leben selbst erschlagen wird? Der absurde Ablauf zwischen Hoffen und Bangen begann immer wieder von vorn, wie in einem Bolero des Untergangs. Die Abwärtsspirale drehte sich weiter. Je lauter die Pauke ertönte, desto näher fühlte ich mich dem Untergang. Was konnte mich noch motivieren, um über den Tag zu kommen? Der Lebensrhythmus wurde langsamer und die Musik des Lebens wurde dumpfer. Die Hoffnung nahm ab, wurde immer schwächer; nur die Ängste steigerten sich und verdrängten die bisher klaren Gedanken. Das Eine, was ich noch lebhaft fühlte, war der Schmerz der Absurdität, der mein Leben vergiftete und die Verzweiflung herauf beschwor. Nihilismus machte sich breit. Ein Eselschrei konnte einem zum Verhängnis werden. Kleist war an dieser Erkenntnis verzweifelt. Was hemmte mich und meine Entwicklung? Ein Basilisk?

Schlimm an meiner Lage war vor allem die Einsicht, dass kein göttlicher Wille, kein übergeordnetes metaphysisches Prinzip, kein Fatum meine Situation bestimmte, sondern der verweigernde Wille eines destruktiven Individuums, inkarniert in der Körperhülle eines lethargischen Beamten in Bukarest. Ein Zyniker der Macht verweigerte mir das Freisein und die Selbstentfaltung, nur weil es ihm so gefiel oder weil er meine Würde, meinen Stolz brechen wollte.

Aus dieser verfahrenen Lage galt es auszubrechen, wollte ich nicht auch noch die befürchtete „physische Vernichtung“ während des bald anstehenden Militärdienstes riskieren. Mich schreckte ein Bild, das ich nicht aus dem Bewusstsein verdrängen konnte: Ein junger Mann aus meinem Umfeld, den ich vom gemeinsamen Kartenspiel während der Kindheit recht gut kannte, war in einem verschweißten Metallsarg aus dem Militärdienst verabschiedet worden. Zwar hatte ich die tragische Szene nicht selbst beobachtet. Doch allein die Vorstellung, wie ein junger Mensch, der als blühende Gestalt sein Elternhaus verlassen hatte, um seinem Land zu dienen, nun in als Leiche heimkam, reichte mir.

Eine Obduktion war damals nicht angesagt. Auch keine Überprüfung der Todesursache. Vermutlich konnte nie endgültig geklärt werden, ob er, vielleicht nach zahlreichen Schikanen, denen Deutsche beim rumänischen Militär ausgesetzt waren, den Freitod gewählt hatte oder ob er das Opfer eines Unfalls war, einer brutalen Folteraktion oder gar eines Mordanschlags. Mit ihm verloren die Eltern ihr einziges Kind – und mussten trotzdem weiterleben. Auf unserem Friedhof lagen auch einige andere junge Männer, die an keiner Krankheit gestorben waren, sondern – obwohl kein Krieg tobte – im Kugelhagel auf dem Weg in die Freiheit. Weitere Flüchtlinge aus Sackelhausen, das erfuhr ich später, waren von einer Schiffsschraube zerschmettert worden, als sie, „durch den Strom“ schwimmend, auf der Donau entdeckt und absichtlich mit dem mehrfach über sie hinweg fahrenden Schiff ermordet wurden. Ein Rumäne aus dem Ort soll mit dabei gewesen sein, einer, der die Heuchelei seiner Heimat nicht mehr hatte ertragen können.

Einige der Opfer hatte ich flüchtig gekannt. Das reichte schon, um den Verlust ihrer Angehörigen nachzuempfinden. Da ich ein ähnliches, nicht unwahrscheinliches Schicksal, beim rumänischen Militär in einem verplombten Schrein zu landen, auf jeden Fall vermeiden wollte, reifte in mir der Gedanke heran, als „ultima ratio“ noch rechtzeitig auszubrechen, indem ich einen Fluchtversuch wagte. Ein heroischer Tod schreckte mich seinerzeit weniger als ein trivialer – alles oder nichts. Lieber frei im Tode als ein Sklave lebenslang in Ketten. Einen anderen Ausweg, eine Alternative zum Ausbruch in die Freiheit, sah ich in meiner damaligen Verzweiflungssituation nicht.

1. Pretty Christmas tree ornaments

Land a helping hand to decorate your friends’ and neighbors’ Christmas tree and get set to party! All you need to do is choose from these seven beautiful holiday ornaments. Each sells for $19 at Pottery Barn.

2. Champagne Goggles for Apres Ski

Booze and skiing goes together with Champagne Goggles for Apres Ski. The Veuve Clicquot Transit Goggles by Smith include cylindrical, carbonic-X lens, airflow lens ventilation system and single layer face foam. The unisex goggles feature the Veuve Clicquot logo on the strap with a champagne color lens. The limited edition goggles retail for $105 and come with a custom Veuve Clicquot microfiber bag.

3. Tannenboing: A modern, sustainable Christmas Tree

Celebrate this Christmas as Green Christmas. Gift this environmentally friendly Christmas tree that will fit in your décor round the year. This modern, spiral Christmas tree is crafted from recycled and recyclable aluminum. Only 100 first edition trees have been created and are available now for $395.

4.Trade-Winds Moon Soon Storm light-cum-lamp

Gift this dual-purpose outdoor lamp “Moon Soon” from Tradewinds. Made out of waterproof and sunproof materials, Moon Soon is weather proof. The energy-saving CFL bulb runs off a 12Volt battery. The rechargeable battery runs for 10 hours. So, take it anywhere in the garden, indoors, on a boat or out camping, Moon Soon retails for $754.

5. Michel Cluizel’s chocolate set

Everyone loves chocolates. You can never go wrong with a chocolate gift box. And, just in time for the holiday season, the French chocolate house Michel Cluizel is offering an ultimate gift for chocolate lovers with 400 pieces of handmade chocolate in specially designed packages. The gift pack is priced at $895.

6. David Linley’s Tantalus in Macassar ebony and walnut

The Tantalus in a lockable Macassar ebony and dark stained walnut case that comes with nickel-plated detailing and a sterling silver plaque that can be engraved for a personal touch. The stand holds and showcases two lead crystal decanters, which can’t be pulled out without unlocking. The stunning case is priced at £2360 (about $3,715).

7. Perrier-Jouët Special Edition Dandy Bag

Perrier-Jouët collaborates with renowned artists to refine your champagne experience with the limited edition Perrier-Jouët Dandy Champagne Bag that includes a bottle of Fleur de Champagne, two ornate flutes and a notebook on “the pleasures of champagne,” packed in a luxurious black leather bag to tote around. Just 40 gift sets have been produced, out of which five have been earmarked for Italy, and 35 for the rest of the world. Each one bears a unique number and is autographed by Reina and retails for at a price of 4,500 Euros (approx. $6,056).

8. Cartier poker set: Play it large

For those who shop without any bounds, gift an Asprey poker set for turning around the table even before you start. From the house of Cartier, this poker set is a perfect accessory for spending quality time with your friends and family. The poker set accessory comes in a lockable red and black lacquered Sycamore wood chest with striped sides and a checkerboard pattern on the lid, gold-plated hardware and an Art Deco-style gold Cartier key plate. Are you ready to splurge $10K for winning the hearts?

Need more options? Also, check-out our Gift Guide for friends & family 2009.

Source: http://mosnarcommunications.com/

Club Seats, anyone?

We have had a few “date nights” since Island Boy came home.  Not too many, but a few.  It is so helpful to have Subway Dude and The Fashionista at an age where they can watch Island Boy for a few hours.

When SD and TF were young we struggled to find babysitters.  The good ones were few and far between.  Every time we lassoed a good one, the window of opportunity to book her was small.  The “superstars” tended to be overachievers and had school commitments.  Soon, they had real jobs with real paychecks.

We didn’t go out too often back in the day.  Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Subway Dude and The Fashionista were old enough to stay home alone!  Our marital dating bliss was chugging along nicely until Island Boy arrived in dramatic fashion (see the hundreds of blog posts devoted to this subject).

Not that we wish to run away from IB.  But…

The Major has been plotting for us to get away for an overnight for months.  We found that we really needed to wait until Subway Dude’s marching band season was over.  The weekends all held commitments that required us to pick up SD late at night.  SD is useless not so great at finding rides home from school.

Thankfully, we have great, (no wait, that’s not it), fantastic, “true blue” friends who have been looking forward to spending some QT with Island Boy. This has been a topic of conversation since before IB even set foot on US soil.

This week, as a kind of a spur of the moment, we called our friends and we arranged for a sleepover.  Then the fun planning began.  The Major and I called around and found a room at The Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, New York.

Here’s a little blurb about The Roycroft Inn from their website:

In 1895 the Roycroft Arts and Crafts Community was founded in East Aurora, New York by writer-philosopher Elbert Hubbard. Based on the Medieval Guild system that was adapted by William Morris & John Ruskin in the English Arts & Crafts Movement, Hubbard developed and promoted a self-contained community which supported hundreds of craftspeople.

We had always wanted to stay there, and were excited to go.

We dropped the three kids off with our friends.  Everyone All the kids seemed very excited about the sleepover.  Island Boy seemed to understand he was staying overnight.  We were especially happy to have the older two there to keep IB comfortable.

Apparently, one of the older two said, “I guess this is a parents’ weekend.  When does it get to be a kids’ weekend?”  Gee, you’re spending the night with friends, playing Clue, staying up late, playing video games, drinking root beer.  Sounds like a kid-friendly weekend to me, but what do I know?

I have never been a parent who frets or worries about leaving her kids behind with friends or family.  The kids love spending time with friends and do well when we aren’t around.

Somehow, this time was different.  I knew IB was comfortable and safe.  I knew he was excited about being around other kids.  The Major and I were discussing this in the car on the way to East Aurora.  I said that I felt I had missed a lot of IB’s life already.  I didn’t want to miss out on any more time with him.  Then I think I really hit the nail on the head.  I told The Major that I have said goodbye to Island Boy enough times for a lifetime.

I’m not saying I’ll never be ready to say goodbye to him.  Of course he’ll go off to college.  Of course I’ll support him wherever he ultimately decides to settle and set up his life.  It’s simply that right now, when he’s a little boy, I’ve had more than enough goodbyes.

I guess I’m extra thankful that I don’t have to do drop offs every day at Pre-K.

The Major replied, “Get over it” in his special way.

The Major and I made it safely the 29 miles away to East Aurora.  We checked in and settled into our room.  It looked something like this:

We went out for an early dinner at Tantalus.  This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.  The menu is about 16 pages long.  It’s all delicious.

We are old and went to sleep around 9:20.  That’s what happens when you are over 40 and have a toddler at home.  Early bedtimes are heavenly, in my book anyway!  I’m also pr0 “Put on PJs as soon as is humanly possible”.   The Major is anti “Put on PJs as soon as is humanly possible”.  That may be a blog topic for “Two Sides of It”.

We were up at the crack of dawn and watched an episode of “Mad Men”.  Completely decadent to watch tv in bed any day of the week.  We are a one tv family and it’s not in our bedroom.

We walked over to a small diner on Main Street for breakfast.  There was a wait of an undetermined amount of time.  The server couldn’t be bothered to tell us how long it would be.  She could have cared less about us as customers.

We headed back to The Roycroft and opted for their amazing brunch.  A few years back we treated ourselves and took the kids there for an Easter Brunch.  So good!

A mimosa for The Major and a Bloody Mary for Running Girl.  Mmmmm.

I am thankful that we actually got away from Kay Nou.  I was tempted to save the money and stay home while the kids were away.  It was much better to be away from all of the distractions of home.  We were so happy to sit around and talk and simply be together.

Picked the children up from their overnight.  Aunt Donna said she woke up thinking how awesome it was that Island Boy slept through the night without a peep.  YES!  Um, no.  Uncle Ian got up about four times with IB.  Sorry, Uncle Ian.

Home for a cozy Sunday at home with the family? Not quite.  The Major had invited me to the Bills game.  The Bills were 0 and 8, so how could I resist?

It ended up being an exciting game complete with interceptions, a pass-play that resulted in a touchdown, which was then recalled, and a close score at the end.  The Bills actually won the game.

Look at the cool sign we were given at the game! I'm not sure how the wording got backwards.

If only the fans would stop stomping their feet on the stands.  I can’t tell you have much I now despise the feeling of rolling vibrations under my feet [Insert several colorful curse words here].  Funny, I never had this sensitivity prior to January 12, 2010.

I’m happy to report that we are back home now.  Three of us are cozy in our PJs.  One is about to head upstairs for stories and songs.  Goodnight, Kay Nou!

–Running Girl