I am sitting in the room late Sunday afternoon watching golf and NCAA Basketball. Michigan is winning but Ohio State and Michigan State have been eliminated. Steve is working. As the contract expires the company has given their last, best, and final offer. It is a waiting game now and Steve feels he may still have meetings tonight. It has been another interesting negotiation. I certainly miss the Long Boat Key Club for the proximity to the beach. I walked yesterday and today in the neighborhood of the hotel we are staying in because the traffic going out to the beach was incredible. It takes between 30-60 minutes to get off Longboat with the easter crowds. I have explored the city of Sarasota more than other trips and while it is fun it is not something I would take over the beach access. But it may not matter as three years from now everything could be different again.
Yoohoo I just got a text from Steve that they have a contract! It is 4:30PM sunday night and they are going back to the union hotel to finalize and have a drink with the union. Steve thinks he will be back and we will be going to dinner tonight together. I have been getting re-organized to load up the Jeep and head to Destin tomorrow for a little deep sea fishing with our friends that live there. It will be a great day of relaxation for Steve. He chose fishing over golf. He thinks that we will be playing golf soon in Perrysburg and deep sea fishing is not something we can do in Perrysburg. Then it will be on the road and back home. I am not looking forward to the mail pile from 4 weeks. I guess a rainy day in Perrysburg will be okay for getting some groceries back in the house and catching up with everything else that has been sliding while we were gone.
Happy Easter!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Life in Florida
The appeal of Florida in the month of March is sunshine and I am truly enjoying it. The picture from home today showed snow covering everything and while it may be a last hurrah for Mother Nature I am glad to miss it.
This past week I was able to play golf three times with friends at three different courses. Both Steve and I played at The Oaks with our friends the Bacheys. Then I played at Lemon Bay Golf Club with Ann L. And at Laurel Oaks with Jean R. While the Floridians were complaining about the 67 degree weather I played in shorts and short sleeved shirts. All of the days were ideal golfing conditions and I enjoyed all of the courses. (Some holes were more fun than others but on new courses there is always the thought of what you would do differently if you knew the course). The game is in winter hibernation but that is okay for vacation golf. There were some great shots and as always in the spring there is the hope that this will be "The Year".
Lemon Bay is an Audubon sanctioned golf course and on each cart there is a card that shows the birds of Lemon Bay. We did see many of the birds including the bald eagles and their nest. This is an idea we may pursue with Belmont since we have started the bluebird trail. The first bird we identified was a (Toledo) Mud Hen. I am not sure I had ever seen one before. Lots of Florida gators here too. I like the free lift and place rule around a gator. I even got to use it once.
-+
This past week I was able to play golf three times with friends at three different courses. Both Steve and I played at The Oaks with our friends the Bacheys. Then I played at Lemon Bay Golf Club with Ann L. And at Laurel Oaks with Jean R. While the Floridians were complaining about the 67 degree weather I played in shorts and short sleeved shirts. All of the days were ideal golfing conditions and I enjoyed all of the courses. (Some holes were more fun than others but on new courses there is always the thought of what you would do differently if you knew the course). The game is in winter hibernation but that is okay for vacation golf. There were some great shots and as always in the spring there is the hope that this will be "The Year".
Lemon Bay is an Audubon sanctioned golf course and on each cart there is a card that shows the birds of Lemon Bay. We did see many of the birds including the bald eagles and their nest. This is an idea we may pursue with Belmont since we have started the bluebird trail. The first bird we identified was a (Toledo) Mud Hen. I am not sure I had ever seen one before. Lots of Florida gators here too. I like the free lift and place rule around a gator. I even got to use it once.
Laurel Oaks is a Country Club community with 2 golf courses. I had played here with Jean and the Chandlers two years ago. We played the East course then and this time I played the West course. I am going back this week to play again and at least I'll get a second chance on one of the courses. Jeans group of ladies were fun to play with and I even learned a new game. It is called 30. When there are threesomes you need to use 30 net scores. You must use one score on each hole so there is some calculating on when to use more than one score and still have each hole covered. When they play in a foursome it is called 40 and you must use 40 scores. It is a fun game because if you are totally out of a hole you can pick up. Might have to bring this game back to Belmont too.
This is a picture of the white Pelicans that were "fishing" a pond at Laurel Oaks. The white Pelican does not dive like the brown ones but rather they work together driving the fish into shallow waters at one end of a pond. They were very graceful birds almost looking like swans as they swam on the ponds.
And finally a new activity I found this week. As Ann was showing off her home and the cute Boca Grande Island she mentioned that her son is a Geocacher. I had heard about this so I did a little more research when I got back to the computer. I decided it might be just the pastime for me while I am alone in Sarasota. It is something that AJ and I can do when I get back to Perrysburg. Hiding caches in unique locations sounds like fun. This is an example of something I would never have found if I hadn't been geocaching. These houses are called the Nautical Houses and are in a neighborhood near downtown Sarasota. So much fun to explore.
-+
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Story of a Half Marathon
Steve and I competed in the 7th Annual Sarasota First Watch Half Marathon this past Sunday, March 17th. This was my third half marathon and Steve's second. It started three years ago when I thought it would be fun to try to complete a half marathon. I found the Sarasota First Watch Half was run while we were in Florida for Steve's O-I negotiations, so I signed up. My main focus was to create an end goal that would force me to train regularly; i.e. exercise. The advice from everyone that year was don't start too fast. So I didn't and I finished the race at 3:03, a very respectable time for a walk/run first half marathon. That year Steve was at the start line and the finish line taking pictures. I entered one of the photos into the annual photo contest and ended up winning a free entry into the next years race. Steve was psyched to run himself now that he had "won" entry.
The winning photo
We ran last year and my goal was to break the 3 hour time which I did and Steve finished with the goal to run another half marathon. That brings us to this year. Early season training was sparse. I had been suffering from a lingering hamstring injury and 3 weeks before the race fell on the hard court playing tennis. With a banged up knee and little distance training I knew my goal this year was to complete...not compete. I finished at 3:11. Steve's goal was to break the 3 hour barrier and he did, completing the race in 2:56.
.JPG)
With a 7AM start we were up early. Steve before the race.
Our official entry badges
The beautiful finisher medals
.JPG)
After the race.
The day after needs.
It was a great race and we are already trying to plan when we will run again.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Day two on the Bourbon Trail
We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Bardstown Kentucky and after a wonderful breakfast resumed the bourbon education at Woodford Reserve. This distillery is a corporate owned operation and as such has a much different feel than Wild Turkey. However that being said it is an old family started operation and only produces small quantities. It's Woodford Reserve Distillers Select is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. O-I makes the bottles for Woodford Reserve so we had the privilege of a private prearranged tour. Our guide was a retire teacher who gave us a history lesson in bourbon and the law as well as the production process. Woodford still uses the original copper pot distillation method however the 3 copper pot stills are relatively new. This is a picture of Steve standing in front of an original copper potstill that was found on the property.
After the visit to Woodford Reserve we traveled a few short miles to Four Roses. This is another corporate owned distillery that until only recently sold all of their bourbon in Japan. Interestingly, with the resurgence of cocktails in America they have brought 3 products back to retail sales in the States. Their distillery was a combination of old and new. They used 8 red cypress fermentation tanks and in addition some stainless steel tanks. We didn’t go into that area so I am not sure how many. The total production quantities seems to be one of the secrets the distillers want to keep.
Four Roses uses a unique method of blending using 2 different mash recipes and 5 yeast strains. Thus having 10 different combinations. We began to see where the science ends and the art of bourbon making begins. The art of bourbons continues on the aging racks because Four Roses has changed from the normal multistory warehousing of the barrels to single story storage. We did not see the warehouses or barreling at Four Roses because this is done at another location.
We were able to taste all 3 products and I found the lower end Yellow Label Four Roses Bourbon best. Steve liked the Single Barrel best.
As we continued along the path back to the bed and breakfast we decided to wander off the official bourbon trail and visit a distillery right in town in Bardstown called Bartons. We only knew of this distillery because I had tried one of their bourbons the night before on the recommendation of our bartender. When we mentioned our mission to Amanda the bartender and I told her I liked the Woodford Reserve bourbon best of those I had tried she suggested trying a bourbon called 1792. I did and it was a very comparable product to the Woodford Reserve.
We were greeted at the Bartons visitor center and told a tour would be leaving shortly. Our guide, another retiree, Rick asked around the visitor center if anyone else wanted to tour and it turned out we had another private tour. Bartons runs a bottling plant onsite that is an extension of the distillery. They bottle many different types of liquors having somewhere between 3-5 bottling lines running 5 days a week. Both Steve and I have seen enough bottling plants to find this somewhat boring. The distillery tour was short and sweet. A look at the grain delivery site and quality check area, a few pictures of the fermentation operation and a peek into the room with the still. Then it was a walk to the warehouse and some information about the barrels. For $5000 Bartons will sell you your own barrel of bourbon that will be packaged with your own label. This was the second location that this was offered at and I guess it is a new marketing tool. The tasting at Bartons was good and they also offered some of the best bourbon ball candies we had had. I liked their 1792 product but not so much their lower proof called Old Barton.
With the completion of 4 distillery tours I began to feel like I understood the fine points of making bourbon. My education will now continue with the tasting tests.
Steve and I by the copper stills
The red cypress fermentation tanks
The Visitors Center
Four Roses uses a unique method of blending using 2 different mash recipes and 5 yeast strains. Thus having 10 different combinations. We began to see where the science ends and the art of bourbon making begins. The art of bourbons continues on the aging racks because Four Roses has changed from the normal multistory warehousing of the barrels to single story storage. We did not see the warehouses or barreling at Four Roses because this is done at another location.
We were able to taste all 3 products and I found the lower end Yellow Label Four Roses Bourbon best. Steve liked the Single Barrel best.
As we continued along the path back to the bed and breakfast we decided to wander off the official bourbon trail and visit a distillery right in town in Bardstown called Bartons. We only knew of this distillery because I had tried one of their bourbons the night before on the recommendation of our bartender. When we mentioned our mission to Amanda the bartender and I told her I liked the Woodford Reserve bourbon best of those I had tried she suggested trying a bourbon called 1792. I did and it was a very comparable product to the Woodford Reserve.
We were greeted at the Bartons visitor center and told a tour would be leaving shortly. Our guide, another retiree, Rick asked around the visitor center if anyone else wanted to tour and it turned out we had another private tour. Bartons runs a bottling plant onsite that is an extension of the distillery. They bottle many different types of liquors having somewhere between 3-5 bottling lines running 5 days a week. Both Steve and I have seen enough bottling plants to find this somewhat boring. The distillery tour was short and sweet. A look at the grain delivery site and quality check area, a few pictures of the fermentation operation and a peek into the room with the still. Then it was a walk to the warehouse and some information about the barrels. For $5000 Bartons will sell you your own barrel of bourbon that will be packaged with your own label. This was the second location that this was offered at and I guess it is a new marketing tool. The tasting at Bartons was good and they also offered some of the best bourbon ball candies we had had. I liked their 1792 product but not so much their lower proof called Old Barton.
With the completion of 4 distillery tours I began to feel like I understood the fine points of making bourbon. My education will now continue with the tasting tests.
Friday, March 8, 2013
The Bourbon Trail
The adventure started Wednesday morning as we left a cool cloudy snowless Perrysburg. By the time we got to Findlay there was snow on the ground from the storm on Tuesday night. South of Lima, I-75 was reduced to one lane. Fortunately that was only for about 5 miles and after that the roads remained clear but there was plenty of snow through the Dayton/Cincinnati corridor and even into Kentucky.
.
We arrived at the Wild Turkey Distillery shortly after 2 PM and were told we could join a 2:30 tour. Wild Turkey is one of the best selling premium Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys in the US and the world. We took a shuttle from the visitors center to the new distillery production area. Constructed just more than a year ago it is large, clean, and well laid out. I know this now after visiting several other distilleries. It was very interesting to hear the process and see how quickly the production actually takes. Then it was on to the warehouses. It's is where the magic takes place. There are large warehouses scattered throughout the area countryside and we were told they all contain barrels and barrels of bourbon. Wild Turkey ages some bourbons for 16 years. The warehouses smelled wonderful and I could have stayed there but we were bused back to the visitor center for sampling. We could choose 2 of the products for a taste. Steve and I both tasted the Wild Turkey 101 (101 proof) and the I tasted the Honey Bourbon and Steve tasted the Rare Breed. I like the honey bourbon but the 101 I could not finish. Too much burn going down. End of day one touring.
.
We arrived at the Wild Turkey Distillery shortly after 2 PM and were told we could join a 2:30 tour. Wild Turkey is one of the best selling premium Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys in the US and the world. We took a shuttle from the visitors center to the new distillery production area. Constructed just more than a year ago it is large, clean, and well laid out. I know this now after visiting several other distilleries. It was very interesting to hear the process and see how quickly the production actually takes. Then it was on to the warehouses. It's is where the magic takes place. There are large warehouses scattered throughout the area countryside and we were told they all contain barrels and barrels of bourbon. Wild Turkey ages some bourbons for 16 years. The warehouses smelled wonderful and I could have stayed there but we were bused back to the visitor center for sampling. We could choose 2 of the products for a taste. Steve and I both tasted the Wild Turkey 101 (101 proof) and the I tasted the Honey Bourbon and Steve tasted the Rare Breed. I like the honey bourbon but the 101 I could not finish. Too much burn going down. End of day one touring.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Tuesday night
I saw the eagles! In fact I saw 4 bald eagles flying over the pond on the eighteenth hole yesterday. It was an awesome sight. I think two of the eagles were doing some sort of courting moves. The birds were probably no more than 50 feet overhead. Of course I was so taken watching them I never thought about getting the camera or even pulling the cell phone out of my pocket. Maybe next time.
We are off for a couple of days of fun before Steve starts work in Sarasota for the remainder of March. We are visiting the bourbon trail in Kentucky. Some tasting and some tours and a couple of nights in an historic bed and breakfast in Bardstown. Then on to Marietta Georgia for a visit with Tom and Julie. The weather is not cooperating other than to be glad to leave a snowy cold place and head south to warmer weather. Hopefully the predicted storm for tonight moves out quickly and the roads are clear by leaving time tomorrow.
Looking forward to hitting the golf courses in Florida and starting the season. Maybe this will be the year for great golf and a hole in one.
Today's thought:
The greatest pleasure in life is doing something others said you cannot do.
Have a great week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)