Hello? ::pats microphone:: Is this thing on?

I know, I know... it's been a long time. I'm not even sure if anyone's still subscribed to this bad boy of a blog I started eight thousand years ago. It wasn't my intent to drop off the face of the planet, but life ran away with me. I was working 70 hour weeks and had all sorts of other crazy things going on. And while my life isn't so much slowing down but taking a new direction, I feel myself having "unfrivolous" and interesting things to share and actually having the time to share them.

So without further ado, I'm going to give you the quickest update of my life since February 1st, 2009*:
-I started teaching children and liked it! It's the perfect balance of instructing the youth of America and not-being-in-a-classroom to suit my delicate proclivities. I've music directed The Wiz, Godspell, and now Fame with this awesome group of advanced teenagers and love it more than I ever thought possible.
-I also music directed The Full Monty with an awesome group of guys in Baltimore and the Maryland/DC non-union premiere of RENT.
-I worked my last day at hateful day job this past Friday and have never felt happier in my life. I'm slightly afraid that I might starve, but I'm trying to make a go of music directing theatre and teaching voice full time.

...and... finally, the cream of the crop of updates...

-I'm engaged! The Maestro asked me to marry him in August and we're in the process of planning our big Baltimore wedding for next fall.



So what do I have to say? Why'd I come back to this wild and crazy blogging world, you may ask?

Since I'm finally living the life that is in line with my creative objective for this corner of the 'net, I'm running with it. I want to document my time attempting to make a go of being a professional musician in Charm City and provide insight to anyone else who might be trying to do the same. Also, in the process of planning our upcoming nuptials, I've been stalking bridal blogs along with all of yours, so I want to have an opportunity to share pretty things with you guys. I don't think I'll be attempting to be a bridal blogger. I think that there are plenty of people who already have that job on lockdown, but I'd love to share pretty things that I come across never-the-less.

Also, I never stopped trying out new libations, so I'll also be resuming Wino Wednesdays

So there you go, folks. What has everyone been up to since I've been on blogger sabbatical?

*The deplorably long-ago last time that I stopped past this little corner of the Internet.

Wino Wednesday

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

I have a confession to make: the Maestro, Troy and I have developed an addiction Port wine. I know it's supposed to be served in small portions as a dessert wine, but we like imbibe Port in larger portions before, during, and after dinner. In fact, we don't even need to have a meal to have a big glass of the stuff. I guess you could say we're not as refined as I we like to pretend we are. In fact, we love Port so much that it was a no-brainer that Troy's Christmas present was going to include a bottle.

One of my favorites when I'm out and about is W. & J. Graham's Six Grapes. It's full of flavor, sweet and smooth, but not as thick and syrupy as lots of other Ports can be. It's the kind of wine you can drink in jeans and a t-shirt and feel at home. Out and about at dinner, a glass of the stuff is also way more affordable than other Ports as well. A healthy pour of Graham's Six Grapes at some of my favorite haunts will only set you back between $6 and $8 a glass which is nothing for an after-dinner drink. Seeing that it's won so many awards, that's a down-right bargain!



I would also be remiss without mentioning that because it's so potent (20% alcohol by volume), one shouldn't consume more than a glass when out and about if you're planning on driving home. This is a great wine to curl up by the fireplace with your lady or gentleman of choice and a blanket to wash the aches and pains of the day away.

For more information about all of W. & J. Graham's ports, visit their corner of cyberspace here.

Wino Wednesday

I feel like the title of this blog post is a little bit of a blatant lie tease, because I'm not going to recommend a delicious beverage for you in this edition. No... I'm still too high off of the inauguration to do that, so I'm going to spend the rest of the week providing you all with anecdotes from my inauguration day. Don't worry: this one is booze-related. I send you apologies in advance for hearing tidbits of my story out of sequence, but chronologically this falls closer towards the end of my evening.

I was trying so hard to stay at the ball until Prince Charming Barack and Michelle got there, but word spread pretty early on in the evening that the Eastern Ball would be the last one of the evening they would intend, and they weren't expected to arrive until 2:30 am. Then the Maestro texted me from O's house where he was watching CNN (long story that you'll get parts of later) to inform me that Barack and Michelle were actually expected to arrive at 2 am. Either way, by midnight my stilettos had me feeling like I'd just run a marathon without feet on my ankles and I could barely hold my head up. I had gotten separated for the second time from new inauguration ball friends and decided to just head home around 1:00. One of the many lovely things about being in Union Station was that after I picked up my coat from the check closet, I could walk right out of the ball and onto the Metro. I caught the next (half empty) train towards Bethesda and found myself a nice seat in the corner of the car.

As the train got to Metro Center however, it filled up with attendants from other balls and a couple wound up sitting in the row behind mine. At first, I thought that they were having a domestic dispute in dulcet tones until I started listening closer and realizing that they were both completely plastered on champagne (I would recommend that for this week's installment of Wino Wednesday, but it was $7 a glass and not the Korbel that the Obamas were served for their inaugural luncheon). They were plastered on the cheap inaugural ball champagne and they were arguing over whether she was going to wait until she got off the train to purge the contents of her stomach by way of her esophagus or go ahead and do it right there. Against her date's wishes, she opted to wait as far as she could get her head into the bottom of her handbag. And instead of my inauguration night ending on the high note of Barack Obama sweeping me off my feet and asking me to dance with him at the ball, it ended listening to a woman ralph into her lap two feet away from my head. And then smelling the putrid odor of cheap champagne and stomach acid.

Hey... at least this guy went back to where he came from.

Wino Wednesday [the "prodigal daughter returns" edition]

I know it's been a long time and it seems as if I've abandoned my loyal readership. It was nice getting e-mails from lots of you making sure everything was okay. I knew it had been too long however when my MOTHER of all people said,

"You don't blog anymore. I know I start projects and don't finish them a lot, but I expected you to have more sticktoitiveness."

Wow. Mama Downbeats but Little Downbeats in her bloggy place, didn't she?

The short explanation is that I had a historically awful November. I would start to write things, and everything I would write would permeate with strong undertones of I have no life. I have no friends. I'm a horrible musician. I'm a horrible employee. I'm going to die alone. I didn't want to subject anyone else to my deep dark place of self deprecation, so I'd delete the posts and fade back into obscurity.

But I've missed bloggy life. I've missed the interfacing with all of the wonderful people I've met by opening a small window to my life. I've missed having the time to read about what's going on with all of you. But maybe being a better blogger can be my New Years resolution (even though I don't believe in New Years resolutions). How about I make it a Week-Before-Christmas resolution? Are you all still with me?

And in response to any questions that might be raised from my statements two paragraphs ago: I'm fine. I'm happy. The Maestro and I are doing well. Troy is still the best BFF a girl could ask for. In fact, most of my friendships remain intact to this day. I actually happen to be a good musician, and that sentiment was affirmed this past weekend. I have theatrical work lined up for months. The day job is fine. It has slowed down a little bit, but I still love all of the people that I work with. Maybe it's because we didn't see much sunshine in November, but I'm back to my little upbeat Downbeat self.

Good.

So now on to the libation of the week.


Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

A dear friend of mine works at this awesome wine bar and restaurant called Ironbridge in Columbia. A few weeks back, they had a holiday wine tasting and I had a Saturday free. I bought a lovely bottle of ice wine for my madre and the most deeeeeeeeeeeeelicious bottle of Cabernet.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Step Road's Black Wing Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine tastes like the Australian outback from which it comes. It's bold and heavy on the minerals. You can taste hints of plum and dark chocolate (and might I add that it would go well with both). Visit their website and read all about their conservation efforts. It will make the wine taste that much better knowing that you're drinking wine made by people who care about the Earth that's giving them such a yummy gift.

I took a bottle over to O's as a hostess gift a couple of weeks ago when she had my mother and I over for dinner. It was a perfect compliment to honey-encrusted chicken breast and roasted sweet potatos.

Mama Downbeats loved it so much that she went back to Ironbridge and bought them out of the rest of their supply. Apparently, this Cabernet also goes well with painting my dining room and listening to Christmas carols. More on that later. I promise.

Wino Wednesday

Beer's here! I finally got to pick up the beer that was brewed for me over the summer. I took all of your suggestions into account and named it Stone Ridge Stout. The tasting notes describe this brew as such: "Chocolate malt and roasted barley provide deep rich flavors, combined with cocoa and raspberry."

We're cracking it open tonight after work. I'll let you know how amazing it is!

Wino Wednesday Back in Business!

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

Hey there, ladies and gents!

For this installment, I was going to blog all about how last night whilst sitting on the couch and watching the debate with Troy, I took a swig of Yeungling Porter every time McCain addressed the audience and country-at-large as "my friends." I then realized that clearly I'm probably the only one who thinks that's funny.

So instead, I'm going to tell you all how living in Baltimore is so conducive to my love of all things wine. Maryland has some really fun local wineries, and even though none of them can really make a California Pinot, I take a special pride in my city every time I sip a glass of locally-produced wine.

My favorite place to go, Boordy Vineyards, is a hop-skip-jump from Baltimore city. Nestled in the hills in of Baltimore County on a historic farm, Boordy is one of Maryland's oldest wineries. They offer tours and tastings on-site daily and have a stocked wine shop. I love that I can walk into any wine store around the area and pick up a bottle if that's what pleases me.

My favorite Boordy wines are the ones that don't take themselves seriously at all. They call them "Just for Fun" wines, and I give them with reckless abandon as hostess gifts. As the weather is getting cooler, I will undoubtedly pick up a bottle or two of Spiced Wassail every month. This sweet, spiced red wine gets me in the mood for fall-- especially if warmed on the stove with a few cinnamon sticks.

Go here to check out stores in Maryland that carry Boordy wines. And the grounds of the vineyard itself are great to come and visit regardless of where you call home.

Wino... Thursday?

Ladies and gentlemen, first a note from your editor...
...yeah, at least I'm making an effort. This is the first time that I've attempted to blog on a regular basis while I'm knee-deep in a production. It would be simpler if I just showed up to rehearsal and played the piano and taught people to sing. It would be simpler if I didn't have a full time job during the day. It would be simpler if I didn't have house guests this week. Alas, none of these happens to be the state of my affairs, so you're getting Wino Wednesday a day late. Please accept my humblest of apologies.

And now, on to the libations....


Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

Sometimes I like wines that aren't made from grapes at all. A few years ago, I didn't even know that such a thing existed. Last Autumn, though, I was shopping for wine to bring to a soirée at the Maestro's house and happened completely accidentally across a bottle of Proshyan's Pomegranate Wine. It looked interesting, and it wasn't too expensive, so I picked it up. I figured that if it was half as good as the pomegranate juice you can get in grocery stores, that it wouldn't be a complete wash. The bottle boasts that it's a "semi-sweet red wine," so I really didn't know what to expect. When I got to the party, some of the other guests were intrigued, too, a friend convinced me to crack it open first. Let's just say that I should've bought at least two or three bottles for this crowd. We went through that bottle like someone was paying us to.

The wine definitely smells and tastes like fruit, but not like juice. It's smooth on the tongue, but not overly sweet or syrup-y. It's enough like a traditional wine that it's equally appropriate for pre-dinner cocktails, table wine, or a post-dinner treat. I recently picked up a bottle on my way to O's house in DC. They're the folks who introduced me to Ravenswood Zinfandel, so I wasn't sure if they'd think that the bottle screaming "POMEGRANATE" was too unrefined for their discerning palates. When we cracked the bottle open, however, O gave a resounding "MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!" after her first sip. And Troy, by no means a wine drinker, practically had the whole bottle to himself.



Proshyan's Pomegranate wine is a product of Armenia, but you can buy it pretty easily state-side (at least in Maryland, I've seen it in most wine shops... and I go to a lot of wine shops), but you can buy it online too right here. It reminds me of Autumn, and I'm a seasonally-minded person, so I don't really bring it out until September. They do, however, have a white pomegranate wine, too, that's supposedly not as "juicy" as white zinfandel. It can be served chilled. I haven't tried it, but if that's your thing, I would recommend it just based on the red version.

I hope you're enjoying whatever it is that you're sipping on these days!

Wino Wednesday

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

As I mentioned earlier, I spent this Labor Day weekend preparing for and attending my final summer wedding of 2008. I managed to not jump off a bridge, so I'm pretty sure I'll make it through the winter now as long as no one else decides to get married between now and, say, June 2009. When the bride and groom return from their honeymoon in the happiest place on Earth^(TM), they will be relocating to Southern Pines, North Carolina, where the groom recently took a new job. For their thank you gifts at the rehearsal dinner, they presented their wedding party and family with, among other things, some Carolina-indigenous libations. The Maestro played the music for the ceremony, and I coordinated the wedding, so the bride and groom were generous and threw us some bottles as well.

The poison this week? Pink Magnolia from Duplin Winery. Now, I'll tell you-- I don't generally drink anything pink. No white zinfandels or merlots, no French martinis or sex-on-the-beaches. I'm a red wine, craft beer, and Scotch-drinking lady. I've made fun of my own mother for drinking pink wine. A gift is a gift, though, and I had to imbibe. Let me tell you, the stuff is not half bad. If you buy straight from the winery, it's $7.49 a bottle, and you don't even feel like you're drinking Boone's Farm. This wine is sweet, with lots of berry overtones, but it lacks that acrid after taste that a lot of rose wines tend to have. Chilled, it's a really nice wine to sip on a hazy summer night. This self-professed unknowledgeable wine snob even recommends it if you're looking to try something that's not too wine-y or if you're entertaining guests who drink the pink.

Wino Wednesday

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

A few years ago, I moved to the west side of town which (among other things) is known for having a fairly prolific Jewish community. Then, I started working at a company with a few Orthodox Jews and got introduced to Kosher pizza, donuts, and even Chinese food. My next-door-office-neighbor shares my fondness for alcohol and taught me early on that most liquor is already Kosher. Wine, on the other hand, is not automatically Kosher for whatever reason (don't ask me why, I don't know... and he wouldn't know either because he knows very little about being Jewish).

Since I live in such a Hebrew-heavy neighborhood, my local wine shop actually features a Kosher wine section. Much to my surprise, it wasn't filled with Manischewitz. This shop (one of my favorites) has free wine tastings on Saturdays throughout the year and offered this delicious moscato awhile back. I tried it, loved it, and served it at the most recent work party I hosted at home.

It's a little sweet, but that's how I like my white wines. If you're looking for a yummy dessert wine, definitely try Golan Moscato. In addition to being delicious (and better than cake), you can also tell your guests that it's made in Galilee. I don't know why, but I feel like it makes me sound intelligent when I drop that fact as I'm serving.

Wino Wednesdays

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

I'm taking my first foray away from wine with this third installment of Wino Wednesday. I'm kind of better at beer anyway. Speaking of beer, I must thank everyone for their input on prospective names for my custom brew! I made a decision, and I did indeed use one of your suggestions. Everyone will find out what it was when I get the beer.

I had a few really bad beers early on in college. Then I was blessed with a few super-knowledgeable friends who specialize in beer snobbery. They introduced me to craft beers. My life hasn't been the same since I started imbibing good beer. It can be local, domestic, or international... if it's crafted well, I'm all about it.

I first tried Young's Double Chocolate Stout at Slainte (my Wednesday night ritual) a few years ago. Some people don't like Guinness, but I think that stouts are the riches of heaven in a glass. Young's Double Chocolate Stout is all the better because a couple of gallons of chocolate are pumped into it. A friend of mine who brews his on beer told me that the "Double" meens that chocolate is added to the beer in two separate processes. All I know is that it means that the beer is double the delicious!

Since it's from an English brew house, I thought that would mean that it would be harder to find. They carrier it in Slainte Irish Pub and Kooper's Tavern in Baltimore, and they serve 12 ounce cans of the stuff in plenty of liquor stores in the area. Keep a look out and enjoy a frosty, chocolatey treat.

Wino Wednesday

Wherein I pretend to know something about wine to justify my affinity for all things alcoholic

My friend Jennie came over last week so that we could run through some of the songs in her book before she starts auditioning again. She came bearing the best gifts you can possibly bear if you want me to listen to you sing: wine and carrot cake cupcakes.

Apparently, she read my inaugural Wino Wednesday post after she bought this wine and came with apologies because it was a bottle of Circles Edge 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. My response to her was, "Pish posh! Wine is wine. The sooner you sing, the sooner we drink!" She sang, we drank, I was thoroughly impressed. Jennie just recently started working at a wine-centric restaurant in Columbia (our childhood stomping ground), and so she got this wine highly recommended and at a highly discounted price.

My first reaction was that it was delicious. Very light (almost summery for a red wine), and a perfect pairing with the carrot cake cupcakes. The glass would've also been perfect paired with fresh mozzarella and vine-ripened tomatoes. The glass also would've been perfect paired with oxygen and the sound of my own voice. It didn't have too bold a flavor, and didn't give me one iota of cotton-mouth-ness after a glass.

Jennie and I started a little late, so we didn't finish the bottle of Cabernet. I didn't want it to go to waste, don't believe in drinking alone unless it's in my bathtub, and knew I wouldn't finish it since I was going out of town, so I brought the rest of the bottle to theatre with me on Saturday (my last night for this run). After O gave her curtain speech and the show was underway (I didn't conduct this show... long story, you might read why in a future post, but you probably won't), I topped off two plastic wine cups that I'd snagged from concessions and we toasted to the end of this show.

Her first reaction was, "Mmmmmm... [lip smack] SMOOOOOOOOOOOOTH!"

My sentiments exactly.

And would you like to know the absolute coolest thing about Circles Edge wines right now? They're on some crazy online sale. Sadly for me, they don't ship to Maryland, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. But if you live in Virginia or other places close by that aren't Baltimore or DC, get any of the Circles Edge 2005 vintage series (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Chardonnay) for $2.50. Yeah, no... I didn't misplace the decimal. That's two dollars and fifty cents. Head on over to the Circles Edge online store and share in my bliss.

Wino Wednesdays

I decided that I wanted to do a weekly special of some sort. What to write about, though? That was a challenge as my life pretty much looks like this:

1. Wake
2. Work
3. Drive
4. Theatre
5. Dinner
6. Home
7. Rinse, Wash, Sleep. Repeat

Aside from working and theatre-ing, I eat and drink. The name is sort of a misnomer as I'm not just a wino. I like wine. I like beer. I like Scotch, Bourbon, Vodka, and the occasional rum drink in hot weather. Yes, basically what I'm saying is that I don't discriminate. That last point is probably to a fault.

One day when I have more time (when will that be, by the way? perhaps when I'm dead), I would love to take a wine class in the hopes of developing some sort of discerning taste. In the meantime, I like what I like and I try not to drink crap. In other words, you won't see me reviewing Beringer White Zinfandel any time soon.

--

I was first introduced to Ravenswood Vintners Blend at O's house. She and her husband buy it by the case and offer copious amounts of it to guests. I stopped ordering white wine a few years ago and drink almost exclusively red (save for the occasional Moscato or Riesling). I've never seen Sideways, but I do know that I can't stand Merlot. I started with Cabernet Sauvingons, but they're a little heavy if you're not eating anything (and while I enjoy wine with dinner, I also enjoy it without). The natural progression (for me, at least) was to Zinfandel. A glass of this will give you a mouth full of flavor without being too dry or too sweet. According to their website (and according to what I hear from people who know better than I do), it's an extremely well-crafted wine as well. My favorite part (aside from the whole wine part) is the price point. A bottle of this bad boy will only set you back about $10-$12 depending on where you pick it up, so it's great to have at home for dinner or to take over to a friend's for a hostess gift. Give it a try and let me know what you think. And if you have any beverages to suggest (not just wine... cocktail receipes, craft beers, etc.), please give me a heads up! downbeatblog AT gmail DOT com.