I some how have just given up, ever trying to keep the articles in a somewhat chronological manner, I am just not that organized.  It is hardly because I am unappreciative, it is just keeping the articles rolling, is sometimes almost beyond my abilities, as I like to have an article every other day, sometimes to my Bride’s chagrin as she will remind me that it is not a job.  I have made it a habit of not giving attribution for the gifts, as I think that is tacky and since hopefully, they never miss an article, I know that I have a second time to thank them publicly.  I am just always honored when people get me a gift, you know us curmudgeons are not the most lovable souls.  We all have a fantasy of who would play us on the silver screen and I would think that Marcello Mastroianni would be perfect, especially after Facebook’s facial recognition software thought he was me, though most would think that Walter Matthau would be better, and I am sure that a few would select Charles Lane.

Anyways, the first gift that I am going to mention actually came in two boxes, one for my Bride and one for me.  I think that keeping in a film allusion, my Bride must be Robert Redford and I must be Nick Nolte from the film A Walk in the Woods.  You are forgiven if you don’t know the film, but it is basically a “buddy film” of two man that walk the Appalachian Trail and based on a book of this tale.  My Bride and I do a 3K walk every morning usually at the crack of dawn, sometimes we get back home, before the actual sunrise.  On her, the activity has been very productive, less so on me, but what the hell, I am the Nick Nolte character.  What we received are his and hers Ultra-Strong Aluminum Cork Trekking Poles, which are used on the Appalachian Trail and other similar trails, but is a bit of overkill for our sub-division.  Though I have to admit, that we just received a desk calendar from our insurance provider, now that we are Senior Citizens and on the cover is a couple both using trekking poles, so perhaps it is the cool new accessory, anyways I think it is cool. I do know that they will come in handy for these old souls when the white stuff comes down and decides to stay, especially at the households that figure that their kind neighbor or God will remove the snow and ice from their sidewalks.

For the other gift, perhaps the urbane and suave Charles Boyer should play me, but the odds are that Jacques Tati would be cast.  We received a bottle, in all honesty way before Christmas and I am so bad about writing about items, of Boutinot Wines Les Coteaux Schisteux Seguret Cotes du Rhone Villages 2017.  Boutinot Wines is an American wine company that was founded in 1980 and they own vineyards and properties in ten countries, and though I have not heard of them, even of their California wines like Cabaret Frank from Lodi, they sound interesting and their website is fun.  Cotes du Rhone Villages Seguret is an appellation for red, white and rosé wines from the small parish of Seguret, and there are about twenty of these parishes that are allowed to add their name to the Cotes du Rhone Villages AOP.  The wines are a step up from the basic Cotes du Rhone, but not as honored as location specific crus like Gigondas or Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Higher up the slopes of the mountainous terroir of Seguret is a single vineyard that is predominately Grenach Noir (eighty percent) and some Syrah (twenty percent) and it is Les Coteaux Schisteux or “the schist slopes” referring to the shale terroir.  Since we both enjoy Rhone wines, I am sure that when this bottle is opened, it will be a pure delight.