With a Stuffy Nose and a Happy Heart

This was my sunset tonight. How was yours? I'm in the Tri-Cities, doing winery profiles. I know, tough life, but somebody's gotta' live it. I have a vague, fuzzy headache and a stuffy nose from wine tasting, but am content. I rented a $5 bicycle from the hotel and rode along the Columbia River. I rode past old people in wheelchairs and babies on tricycles, a fat guy doing a belly flop off the pier right next to the "Swimming Prohibited" sign, Latin Americans fishing, and African Americans playing B-ball in the park. I feel connected to a bigger world. It's nice, and that's not just the wine talking. Wine of the Day: Thurston Wolfe Pinot Grigio Viognier 2005. A shout out to my friend Sara for watching our puppies, and to Brian, for giving up his wife for a few nights.

I Love Spring

I have so many allergies, the last time they tested me, the nurse said, "Oh, my," in her driest voice, examining the splotches which indicated I was allergic to 21 of the 29 substances on the scratch test. I was the kid in summer camp causing the other kids to exclaim, "Hey, counselor, why does that girl's face look funny?" Could be because my eyes are swollen shut, dickwad. Lately, I've had instahives, serial sneezing, and attractive post nasal drip. In a defiant and brilliant act of work avoidance this afternoon, I've wasted at least a half hour taking and posting this picture of the latest intrigue. Who needs collagen when bizarre allergic reactions to unknown substances can plump with the best of them? For a bit of work avoidance of your own, check out these happy pups.

Dog Pile

It's all about the dogs this week. Our dear friends Brian and Sara are the proud parents of a new pug puppy named Captain Rufus Xavier Ping. He's such a sweetie, as you can see. Spent most of last week photographing and documenting winery dogs for a new article for CityDog Magazine. On a sad note, please put your paws together and ask the universe for healing for Kita, my brother's dog, who they recently discovered has cancer.

A MWA Out to My Man

The Best Western in Prosser is called The Inn at Horse Heaven. Surely, they can only afford to do this during the slow season, but tonight, there was a crock pot of homemade chili in the continental breakfast area, and it is some of the damned finest chili I've ever eaten, outside of mine. I don't know what turns horses on, but I'm in hog heaven. The day started badly, with me losing my favorite pen and not getting any cooperation out of anyone in Walla Walla. Fortune began to smile at me around 4p, and events led me to a lovely new guesthouse, a friendly little winery, and here for the night. At times today, the pain of missing my hubby was excrutiating.

Cud I Said So

It's been such a schizzy day. At 8:30 in the a.m., I'm in a government class to get my Food Handler's Permit, learning about toilet paper failure and food service workers who don't wash their hands. At 7:30 in the p.m., I'm getting a fucking speeding ticket in Yakima. My advice: wash your hands after going potty and don't commit traffic infractions in areas with fractious cops, perhaps due to a dearth of donut shops (he was skinny).

And, in honor of taxes being due this week, in reference to the H&R Block Commercial about the truck driver and his deductions, I want to know if the following items are deductible:

1. Radar detector and speeding tickets
2. Hemorrhoid cream, antacid tabs, and caffeine pills
3. Chew
4. CB Radio

God, I love Google

Just discovered that the URL of my blog, frolicaholic, is also the name of a ska band from Las Vegas. Hah!

Hawaii Hot Sheet

I went on a trip to Kauai with my sister-in-law and her daughter, our niece, who's four.

We stayed at a beautiful resort.

We went on a stunning sunset cruise of the Na Pali coastline.

We went to a luau.

Should you so decide, here's the whole photo album for your viewing pleasure.

Guess Who I Saw on Vacation

Please, Sir, May I Have Some More

More Days Like These.

Sometimes You Feel Like a Chick

Or a rooster. Whatever.

Friday Was a Perfect Day

Don't get me wrong, there've been some lovely days since Friday, the day we celebrated my hubby's birth was particularly nice, but for some reason, all the particles in the universe aligned last Friday to make me feel happier than I've felt in literally years. The sky was so bright, everything stood out in such vivid detail. I felt charged and blessed. It didn't hurt that I was returning from the mountains after a particularly plush night of travel writer perks at a new resort near Roslyn. These two pictures illustrate the dichotomy of my professional life perfectly: the former, where I can afford to stay; the latter, where I write about, and occasionally get a taste of, having been comped into the vaulted ceiling suite on the top right.