Stories
Travel, food and wine, life, health, and the occasional sermon on perspective. Here is the latest – the rest, with other categories, is below.
The Latest
Wino Journal
Stories, logs, and blogs on moving on from a life of work and routine.
I’m a six shoe person
Notes on reducing, minimizing, and deciding what is important
Early Retirement Ideal vs Real
What I want my days in pandemic-time self-imposed Mexican exile (Mexile?) to look like, versus what they actually end up being.
Adventure
Stories, logs, and blogs on our pilgrim journeys as we grab our backpacks (and a wine key) and walk through Spain, Italy, France, Scotland, and the great wine regions of the world – hopefully including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina, to name a few.
Pilgrim Journal – Today I Found My Soul
Who knew it was in Switzerland?
Pilgrim Journal – Hotel Rooms and other stuff
We’re in Switzerland on the Via Francigena and have a few thoughts.
On Youth, Passports, and Consulates
Yeah, we had to visit a consulate to check a passport, but more noteworthy part was the encounter with the other American tourists while waiting in the secure seating area outside the consulate functional area, namely two lovely and young American girls.
Photo Journal – Mexico
A photographic journey and small sample of images from our pandemic life in Mexico
The Ins and Outs of Oak
Oak, to a winemaker, is like salt and pepper to the master chef. It’s not the main ingredient, but it matters more than you think. Used right, you get a product of exceptional flavor and quality. Used incorrectly and you are pretty sure you're switching to beer. Of...
Save money on wine without sacrificing quality
Remember that time when your friend brought over that $500 bottle of Chateau Margaux to share? Yeah, me neither. See, I only have two types of friends - the ones that drink moderately priced, good quality wines, and the imaginary ones. In our circle of friends,...
More Stories
At least there are no screaming kids kicking my seat
Because of a mix of Covid travel measures and early retirement plans that have been f****d, life as it relates to our living situation and plans for the future have become something we really don’t recognize.
I’m a six shoe person
Notes on reducing, minimizing, and deciding what is important
My useless attempt at travel blogging – Todos Santos
Todos Santos is really cool. It has a great vibe, incredible food, good beaches and it would be easy to get lost there for a couple days or a couple years.
I Fucking Hate Travel Blogging – A Disclaimer
I'll make this brief and simply attach it to everything I write. I fucking hate travel blogging. I’m not good at it and I’m not trying to be good at it. I’m not a travel agent. I’m not a tour guide. I’m not TripAdvisor and I have no interest in developing itineraries...
Early Retirement Ideal vs Real
What I want my days in pandemic-time self-imposed Mexican exile (Mexile?) to look like, versus what they actually end up being.
Revista Mexico – Our Ongoing Journal Of Our Experiences On The Move
A couple years ago - and let’s be serious, even one year ago - we would not have thought we’d be living in Mexico trying to wait out a global pandemic before heading off on our planned post-work journey. TL/DR - life is unexpected, and planning is for suckers. Anyway,...
Leaving 55 in 2020
2020 will probably be one of the, if not the, most significant years of my life. This was the year I had been waiting for; the year I was planning to retire. What a year it’s been. 2020 kicked off with me suffering from and recovering from a pretty severe...
The Retirement Road Less Traveled
We were talking to a friend the other day. She wants to retire, quit work and do other things. We talk at length of the ins and outs of life changes, what we want, what she wants, what it took for us, decisions, challenges, ups and downs, hopes and dreams. Options. We...
I Need A Personal User Agreement
Sadly, we seem to have become a society that can no longer communicate. We are stressed, angry, scared, and we are definitely polarized - about stupid stuff, too. It seems no one can have a conversation lasting longer than 3 minutes (or 4 response posts on any of the...
Two Mothers Two Lessons
As long back as I can remember, my mother taught me to save. What allowance there was, was always separated out into tithing, saving and spending. Even the tooth fairy was not spared. That dollar under the pillow in return for extracted teeth got divided out, too....
