Mick sent me this link, and it made me want to post.  It’s been a long time, but I’m still alive.  Thanks to Chieftan for Portuguese cork.  I’m really looking forward to some Thanksgiving Wine.  Best Wishes for the holidays.

We had plans to go to the community playhouse for a murder mystery this month, but plans change. House of Blues is opening in Houston, and one of the shows really stood out. Ghostland Observatory is an Austin duo that, quite simply, rocks. Check out their MySpace here. Their sound is hard to categorize, so you’ll just have to check them out for yourselves. This will be our first show in a long time, and I’m totally stoked. It will be one of the first shows in the new venue, and it’s sure to deliver.

We’re celebrating life and electricity tonight. Ike shook the house for several hours this morning, but all is well here in Katy. There are many in the area that have not been so fortunate. The coastal area is, for the most part, devastated. Flooding and fire, along with 110 mph winds have taken their toll. We are lucky: we are thankful.

This is the worst storm I’ve ever been through. Things got really hairy about 4 AM. Unknown objects were bouncing off the roof. The house was creaking at the seams. The winds were so strong that the windows were chattering with the pressure. I tried not to let Fiona know I was scared, but I was.

Fortunately, we live in a new, well protected subdivision. There were no tall trees to succumb to the howling winds. We have little debris to clean up.  Power was out for less than a full day.   We have plenty of wine to keep us entertained.  The storm is over, but the hard work begins.  It is unknown when Houston, much less Galveston and the coastal areas, will be up and running.

It’s so fuckin’ quiet. I have both tv’s on and all I hear is silence. There’s a loneliness that slowly consumes me the later it gets. I should go to bed, but there’s nobody there. I don’t feel ready for sleep.

I lived by myself for seven years and was never lonely. Turns out, I never had anyone I really missed. I’ve been singing Cinderella all week long. That’s really strange, because I never really liked them as a band. I LOVE my wife, and she’s been gone for a whopping three days. That’s not very long, but I really miss her. I seriously can’t remember when the last time we spent time apart was. I know how cheesy it sounds, but it’s true.

I feel like I’m just sitting around waiting. I hate waiting. Ask Fiona. I’m really bad. This is a different kind of wait. It’s not like a slow checker at the grocery store or being stuck in traffic. I can’t change lines or exit and take the long way. This is one I’ll just have to sit out. The waiting ends tomorrow morning, but I’ll be at work by then. Somehow I’m thinking it’ll be different once she’s off the plane. Does that make any sense?

I’m feeling better now that I’ve jotted this down. It’s not like having her here, but I’m sending a little piece of myself all the way to Seattle to be with her. I hope she sees this before she gets home. I’m letting everyone read it, but it’s mostly for her.

Baby, I miss you! I need you around to brighten up this joint. Turn it back into a home. See you soon!!!!

Update; I just finished watching the Cinderella video.  It took 25 years, but I think they’re growing on me.  Here’s another video you may or may not remember.  I may have even seen these guys in concert, 80’s were a long time ago.

For those of you who still check to see if I’m ever going to blog again, I am. After all, it’s been over two weeks since I’ve done anything. It’s also been two weeks since I started teaching again. Working full time really detracts from your blogging time. To be honest, I really should be working on lesson plans. Those of you who know me know I don’t work at 7 PM on Saturdays. Usually I don’t blog either, but I’m flying solo tonight (more on that to come).

Anyway, I wanted to take some time to let you know that I plan on changing things up around here. I really loved doing the Wino thing. It was cool to sit around and spend a summer immersed in wine. I learned more than I ever imagined. Wine has become a part of my life. One that I embrace. As I write, I’m working on my third glass of some cheap, but very refreshing French white table wine. I have a red Bordeaux in the kitchen begging me to cook that porterhouse steak marinating on the counter. All in due time.

When I started this blog, I wanted to become the “wine guy”. Hell, I even renamed myself JohnnyWino. I was The Weezer for 25 years, why change? I had a couple of comments wondering if I had abandoned my former self in favor of a new, updated version. I guess in some ways I had. But I’ll always be Weeze. Right now, I feel I should say something about old dogs and new tricks or leopards and spots. But, contrary to outdated cliches, I really could have changed. Thing is, I’ve decided I don’t want to.

The best part about writing is that you can express yourself without having to deal with outside commentary. Right now, it’s just me and the keyboard. A monitor doesn’t tell you your ideas are shit. I don’t have to screen my thoughts to make sure I’m not offending someone, because there’s no one here. If I don’t like what I type, I can backspace or even delete. I don’t even have to share it with anyone if I don’t want to. I control all the variables. I like control.

Wine writing offered me a release. It may sound strange, but I get the same rush from both activities. Drinking wine allows me to shed any built up tension or frustration. In its own way, writing produces the same effect. Throughout the summer, I was able to combine the two. Because of this, I was one laid-back motherfucker. It was incredible.

Writing JohnnyWino was easy. There’s so much out there. I still have stories I never published because there were better ones out there. I’ll have to admit, some of it was quite boring. I was going for content. I was putting a product out there consistently and making the best of what I found. Quality suffered. Pick two posts and ask yourself, “Which one was more important to JohnnyWino?” and it’s obvious. I felt a pressure to produce.

The new blog should produce better posts. I’m going to write about what I want, when I want to. No pressure, only release. I’ve never written just for me. It’s always been for someone else, usually a teacher of professor who had his/her own biases, preferences, and deadlines. I work well under pressure, but there’s no need for that now. I’ve finally reached a place where this is a luxury rather than a necessity.

So, what’s in store for JohnnyWino? To be honest, I can’t answer that just yet. Right now I’m thinking a heavy dose of fiction, current events commentary, and pop culture. These are things that I know and feel comfortable writing about. I’m even considering doing a political piece. I’d like for this to be a place where everyone can find something that interests them. That would be somewhat narcissistic, because I will be writing about things that have meaning to me. Even so, this is my therapy, so bear with me.

Expect longer, less frequent pieces. I’d like to add substance rather than volume. Wino published plenty of fluff in his early days. Sure, it passed the time, but did it really matter? I’d like to make an impact. Positive or negative, it doesn’t matter. I want comments. I’m sharing with you, please return the favor. Granted, this is my release, but I want your feedback. I need ideas and opinions. Otherwise, I’m just some guy typing. Let’s make this worthwhile.

I’m keeping the name because I just had 250 stickers made. Plus, I have two JohnnyWino t shirts. Most of the good URL’s are taken anyway. It really doesn’t matter. I’m just letting my shit out, and you’re reading it. I think that’s cool.

Pop the cork off any gathering with WINEOPOLY! Players buy favorite wines, collect bunches of grapes and trade them in for decanters. Sounds easy enough but add Import Taxes and serving faux pas and it becomes a little more difficult and a lot more fun! Learn while you play! Each deed back contains wine descriptors and fun facts about each wine. It’s all fun and games until you’re sent to the Wine Cellar to age-then you’re out of the game for three turns. So choose your token (wine bottle, cork, wine glass, cheese, grapes, or a carafe) and advance to CHEERS! Who knows? You may be elected president of the wine club or you may be penalized for serving obtrusively malodorous cheese!

There are only three theaters in the Houston area that are showing Bottle Shock. That should have been my first clue.  It wasn’t a bad movie, but it isn’t worth a trip to the theater either.  It will make a nice diversion some weekend at home.  The movie would have been much better with a bottle of wine instead of an overpriced soda.  I really wanted to like the movie, but there was too much to explain in under two hours.  I just wasn’t convinced.  I think the fact that it was based on real events was its downfall.  It wasn’t a complete waste of time, but I suggest waiting.

Here’s a link that has several recipes for beer milkshakes.  I did a chocolate beer bong once with Nestle’s Quick.  It’s not a fond memory either.  I like ice cream; I like beer.  However, I do not feel the two should be mixed.  It’s like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth, Yuck!

I’ve decided the Black Box Pinot Grigio must be very good. I tried three stores yesterday, all of which had sold out. This left me in a conundrum. It was either a Chardonnay or try some red. One box really stood out. It’s called Pinot Evil and had the see, hear and speak monkeys on the box. I knew I was breaking the critter rule*, but I bought it anyway.

Overall, I’d say it was a positive experience. The Pinot Noir wasn’t exceptionally good or bad, but quite drinkable. Rather than fill each glass out of the cask, I brought out the decanter, which worked very well. This also helped me keep track of my consumption. The packaging also proved entertaining, as I felt the need to remove the bag from inside the box and play with it. The bag looks like a big IV, so I may have the beginnings of a Halloween costume.

I’ll probably continue to buy wine in boxes. They would work great for parties or entertaining. I think I’ll keep a box in the fridge to sip in between nicer, more expensive bottles. They are very portable and will probably make a tailgating appearance before the end of the season. I’ll let you know about the Pinot Grigio if I can ever find it.

Second Update 08/23- The elusive Black Box Pinot Grigio has been located.  I have to say that it wasn’t worth the wait.  To me, it tasted more like a Chardonnay than a Pinot Grigio.  Fiona didn’t think it was bad, but she had a bottle of Torrontes before trying the box.  I will be taking a detour from the boxed wines until a box-favored situation presents itself.

*Critter Rule-Stay away from wines that have any type of animal (critter) on the label.

There’s this romanticism that is associated with the wine bottle. A candlelit room, a little mood music , the warmth of the fireplace, and a good bottle of wine is tough to beat when you’re feeling amorous. Would it be the same if the wine was poured from a box? I’m not so sure.

Boxed wines have gotten a bad reputation over the years because, well..(I wanted to say they deserve it, but in boxed wine’s defense, I’ve never actually tried any. I understand that they’re really bad.) It’s not even just the bottle, it’s the entire protocol involved. I’m just now coming to terms with twist caps in place of corks. I love the sound of a cork popping, and even beer cans and bottles sound out when opened. It’s such an inviting sound, I can’t help but smile.

But there’s still hope for the box. The wine is actually kept in an airtight bag. As it deflates no air is let in, so the wine retains its freshness for up to six weeks as opposed to a couple days. There’s not much chance of wine lasting that long in my house, but it’s good to know I won’t be pouring any old wine down the drain. “Chateau Cardboard” also costs 50% less to package and ship, so guess what? It makes the wine less expensive for us. Three liters will set you back less than $20, which sounds too good to be true. This roughly translates to four $5 bottles. I never shy away from $10 magnums (even though I probably should). How bad can they be?

I intend to answer that question this weekend. Taylor Eason recommends Hardy’s (Southeast Australia) and Black Box (California). She suggests you steer clear of Wine Cube and Bota Box. I’ll probably go with a Pinot Grigio for starters. If it’s any good I’ll try a red, they’re a little less forgiving. I can usually get through an iffy Pinot, but crappy red wine really sucks.

Will there be a day when boxed wines rule the market and you can buy single servings in Capri Sun-like pouches? I seriously doubt it. However, half of the wine Australians drink is boxed. Europeans, including the French, are on board and sales in the US have risen in recent years. I’ve decided that I will call it a cask while I’m drinking mine this weekend. After all, a cask is much cooler than a box.