Downtown developments
This week's subject is the blue bag. You all know the ones I refer to; the roll that appears in our yards each month by the diligent work of our Sanitation Department. I use them religiously; every single item than can be recycled goes in a blue bag to the point that my real "trash" has dwindled to almost nothing each week. I appreciate the blue bags more than most -- I suppose because for days or weeks after being placed in yards they sit alone and unused. It takes at least a month from the time someone moves out of a residence for the word to filter down that no one resides in certain houses so that accounts for some blue bags being left in yards but more times than not the residences are occupied and yet they sit, forlorn in a yard going to waste. If I am sure no one resides where they are, I will sometimes stop and pick them up because we have implemented recycling at work and we always run out. We have so much to recycle -- from empty beverage containers to acrylic plates and utensils, we rinse and recycle them all. However we tend to run out quickly. Most times I just have to make a call and someone will bring more blue bags but on this last occasion they were almost out for the year; the new supply not coming in until mid-January. Maybe we as businesses that do recycle could get the bags from those unoccupied homes or maybe we could ask them to order more for those of us who do recycle. Between the recycling and the composting we do at work and I do at home, very little is left for the landfill. How about it do you think we could order more blue bags for businesses that want to recycle?
Wine World hosted a wine and cheese tasting Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. I had not been to a wine tasting in a while so we decided to go. Dick Benjamin, who probably knows more about wine than most of us will ever learn, poured four wines for those of us tasting. Two whites and two reds were the offering. The first was a French Brut, Saint-Hilaire Limoux 2003. It was clear, pale, bubbly, crisp and dry with just a hint of apples. It could be used for your New Year's Eve toasting but in my humble opinion it would be best savored with fresh baked bread and a dash of Cajun mustard. Our second selection, also white, was a 2006 Voignier (White Knight) by Sabastiani Vineyards. It too was pale with a hint of lemon and pink grapefruit, a touch of cinnamon, clove and maybe a little ripe apricot. I found it a little weak on flavor but then it was very cold and maybe if brought to correct temperature it would go well with Oriental Cuisine. Next came my favorites, the big reds. Con Ta Do, Aglianico dry red from Italy 2003. It was bold, deep ruby in color, a taste of black fruit and coffee. This wine would improve if decanted to breathe for a while before drinking. It would be fabulous with roasted garlic lamb or spicy stews or aged cheeses. Finally Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet from Alexander Valley in California (2004). Ripe, rich, jammy with a touch of vanilla and oak, a hint of tobacco and dark chocolate. All I can say is yum. Several cheeses were also out for the tasting; a Gouda with sundried tomatoes and basil, an Edam, St Andre a rich French triple cream touted to be decadently buttery and a Bleu Castello from Denmark. There was also a desert wine from South Africa, Pearly Bay, but I did not taste that one so can give you no hints to its flavor. The $2 charge for a Friday night tasting was money well spent.