What happens when mom is an ex-PR junkie

She has you published every chance she gets.

Top 3 Vacation Destinations

With July 4th just a couple of weeks away, I thought to share a list of my favorite vacation destinations. Unlike similar lists you might see- I feel that this list defines me as a person. My high school biology teacher, Buddy Rollins, used to say that each of us should be an advocate of our chosen professions. I'd like to extend that notion to my favorite vacation destinations- I highly recommend these very special places!

South Haven, MI

Growing up, my family spent every summer in this area. It takes the meaning of the word "special" to a new level; we are obsessed with this place. My Grandparents bought a cottage on a nearby lake back in the '50s and that, I believe, has to be the best money they ever spent because it has become the place where so many family memories have been created over the years.

I always remember summers at The Cottage being endless, even as our stays there got shorter and shorter as we got older. This summer, we're going back for the first time since we've had kids. I am looking so forward to showing them around just as so many other generations in my family has in years past. Check out these scruffy young characters racing sailboats on Lake Osterhout (me and my brother Rick racing our homemade sailboats c. 1985):



In terms of things to do in South Haven, I've enjoyed hanging out at Three Pelicans (recently renamed to "The Fish Tale" or some such thing) on their open air deck drinking some South Haven Iced Teas; or their sister establishment across the way The Bayou Beach Club. Captain Lou's is a great little hole in the wall bar to visit. When I retire, I'd like to buy it and call it "Captain Bob's". It is right under the drawbridge where my brother Rick has, in the past, generously offered to buy a round of drinks for the bar whenever the bridge goes up. The younger set might enjoy a trip to the old fashioned Soda Fountain at Macdonald Drug Store- delicious stuff.

The family favorite restaurant in town is Clementine's- don't miss their onion rings by the foot. And absolutely, whatever you do, do *not* miss Sherman's Dairy Ice Cream. Best ice cream anywhere, and it is their 50th anniversary this year.



Four Seasons Aviara, Carlsbad, CA

We discovered this gem while we were living in Arizona. This Four Seasons offers a resort hotel and adjacent Four Seasons Residence Club. We first visited for 3 nights as part of a Residence Club preview package. This place is amazing on so many levels I don't know where to begin. When we arrived they had chocolate covered strawberries and Champagne waiting for us, and it just kept going from there. The preview package is a great deal because for $250/night you get to stay in a 1,000 square foot villa that would probably cost close to $800/night, and the only thing you have to do is stop in and talk to them about the the Residence Club (timeshare) for about 30 minutes. They brought us some muffins, some coffee, they told us the pricing and they sent us on our way. Later that night they called and asked if we wanted some complimentary tickets to the Padres game. The service was amazing.

Though I tried to rig the math that would convince myself that buying into their timeshare program was a good deal, I just couldn't make the numbers add up. I knew I wanted to go back to this property again, and I didn't want to pay too much for it, so I signed up for http://redweek.com. There, I found a week being rented by an agency for a great price and we went back and had the time of our lives. This property is the #1 rated timeshare in the world according the Timeshare User's Group. Clearly, I love this place; but I also recommend timeshare rentals in general as being one of the best values in the travel industry.

Must do: Lay by the pool, have an attendant "set you up" with towels, and order lunch poolside with an icy cold beverage. You won't want to leave the resort.
Top food: The Friday night all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. Avoid the starches and load up on the lobster tails. But be careful not to overdose and have an allergic reaction!



Sedona/Grand Canyon/Flagstaff, AZ

When I'm rich and famous, and consequently interviewed in the American Way in-flight magazine, I'll surely wax poetic about my home state. I grew up in Tempe, AZ and went to college in Flagstaff, AZ so when it comes to showing visitors Arizona, I love to take them on a loop as follows:

• Get an early start from Phoenix and head up to the Grand Canyon. Stop for lunch in Flagstaff on the way at the Crystal Creek Sandwich Co. It's OK if you get to the Canyon towards the later part of the day because the views only gets better as the sun sets.
• On the way back from the Grand Canyon, stop and spend the night in Flagstaff. The lodging options are nothing special, but there are lots of great bars and restaurants. For bars, the names are ever changing, but if they're still there I'd recommend Beaver Street Brewery, Maloney's Tavern and Collins Irish Pub. For restaurants I'd recommend Buster's (for fried zucchini and a Buster Bowl), August Moon (for the best $5 Chinese food you've ever had), and Strombolli's (for a Strombolli calzone and a pint of Oak Creek Nut Brown Ale). Oh, and be sure to visit the NAU campus- alma matter to three Dwyer kids!
  
• The next morning, head down through the switchbacks to Sedona. Sedona has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. There are tons of great hikes to take around Sedona. Nearby Slide Rock State Park is always fun. It's like a naturally occurring water slide. I like to stop in Tlaquepaque (tuh-la-key-pah-kee) to stroll around the shops and have lunch at El Rincon.
• Once you're done in Sedona, head back to Phoenix to relax for the rest of the day. Taking in some margaritas under the stars at a nice resort in North Scottsdale would be the perfect end to the day (though I'm usually zonked after this trip and just want to rest).

What vacation destination defines you? I'd love to hear about it. Please post a comment below to share.

Blind Tasting: Chardonnay Showdown

With summer upon us, it is only natural to turn towards white wines. With their fruity, crisp and delicious flavors- there's nothing to dislike about white wines. Despite the disproportionate critical acclaim red wines receive, I've heard that white wines actually outsell red wines by a wide margin annually in the United States.

When the subject of reds and whites comes up, I think to pass along some easy-to-remember advice I read a couple of years ago regarding serving temperatures of wine. The ideal serving temperature of Cabernet Sauvignon is 63F. For Chardonnay, 52F. To achieve this ideal serving temperature consider the "rule of 20". For reds, put them in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to serving. For whites, take them *out* of the fridge 20 minutes prior to serving. This of course assumes the wines are stored at room temperate (somewhere in the mid to high seventies).

Tonight at the house, we had an interesting blind tasting. 2 California Chardonnays: the 2006 Ridge Santa Cruz vs. the 2006 Charles Shaw. The 2005 Ridge Santa Cruz was #2 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list last year (weighing in at "95 points" from the famous James Laube); we tasted the 2006 vintage of this same wine. The wine retails for $35. I picked up a bottle of the '06 for $33 at The San Diego Wine Company on my last business trip, but I haven't seen it around at too many other shops. The 2005 Charles Shaw on the other hand garnered a "double gold" medal at the California State Fair and received a rating of 83 points from Wine Spectator. Like other Charles Shaw wines at Trader Joe's, this wine can be had for between $1.99 and $2.99 depending on where you live.

All 4 of our tasters tonight correctly identified the Ridge as the superior wine. As the temperature of both wines increased from refrigerator temperature towards room temperature, the differences became more noticeable. The Ridge showed density and an array of flavors the Shaw didn't seem to be capable of. I have to say though, I thought it was really close. I felt that these white wines were even less differentiated (especially when served chilly) than their red counterparts. We previously did a Shaw vs. Caymus shakedown a few months ago, and perhaps I say this because I've tasted more red wines than white, but I think I had an easier time guessing which was the better wine when we were tasting Cabs.

I've read articles debating whether Chardonnay is difficult to differentiate. I think Chardonnay can be a delicious wine, but I think this tasting leads me to be cautious about spending more than $20 on a fancy looking bottle. Ironically, I had a *great* Chardonnay the night before- even better than either of these two. It was a 2006 Kendall Jackson Camelot Highlands Santa Maria Valley that showed vanilla and butterscotch flavors on top of more traditional Chardonnay highlights like "oak", "pear", or "butter". The Camelot was fantastic- Wine Enthusiast called it "perhaps the best $25 bottle of Chardonnay made".

I guess the moral of the story is that there's a lot of good Chardonnay to be had out there. However, in terms of whites, I don't know if it is my favorite varietal. I've really enjoyed the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier lately, both of which can be had for close to $10.

Do you have a white wine you'd recommend? If so, please post a comment for the benefit of others. If I can find it, I'll give it a whirl and post back my impressions.

Comcast TiVo Bungles American Idol Finale

So we're sitting here eating our popcorn, tensely gathered around the TV to see which David won this season's American Idol. To avoid any chance the TiVo would clip off the end of the show, we intentionally watched live. However, just as Ryan Seacrest was announcing that "The winner of American Idol is... David..." the freaking TiVo causes live TV to *freeze up*. I am not kidding. It wouldn't let me change the channel or rewind for 2 minutes and we missed the result. By the time we were able to get the piece of junk back under control, the winner was performing his victory song and we realized who won- but it would have been nice to see his reaction live. This occurrence comes on the heels of the TiVo insisting on changing the channel during the final seconds of this year's Super Bowl and really makes me question whether TiVo is a good thing.

Here's what it looks like when we try to watch the final moment:



Update:
The day after I posted this blog entry, I was contacted by a friendly Comcast representative who wanted to work with me to see whether the problems I've reported here with flaky TiVo behavior were related to our particular DVR box -or- whether they are known issues that are being worked on already and scheduled to be addressed via a forthcoming firmware upgrade.

The representative set up an appointment for a technician to come out to the house and they swapped out our old box for this newer box:



Since then, the overall performance of the box has been noticably snappier. The software is still doing some flaky things (for example, its been making the wrong sounds lately. As in every time we arrow up through a menu it gives a clumsy combination of the TiVo "tick" sound along with a mis-timed "bonk" sound which makes you think you've done something wrong when you haven't). I'll post another update after we've had the box for a longer period of time.

I would like to acknowledge that I think it is pretty great of Comcast to proactively search the web for folks who are having a rough time with their products and seek to make things better. This is a far cry from the response I received from Best Buy (ie, "crickets") when I posted this legendary scolding a few years back:

http://casadwyer.blogspot.com/2005/02/dont-shop-at-best-buy.html

Update:
TiVo was doing some flaky things so I rebooted it. It never came back from the reboot and when I called tech support they were unable to revive it. Dead in the water, no TiVo all weekend. Service visit scheduled for Monday morning.

Tot on a trike

On June 1st, Sam will be participating in the Wellesley-Weston Pan Massachusetts Challenge Kids Ride. PMC Kids Rides became an official PMC program in 2005 as a way to include young cyclists in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge mission – raising money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.

We found out about the event when another mom invited Sam to join her son who is a classmate of Sam's. Together, we decided not only to have our boys participate but to form a team from the school by notifying the rest of the parents and inviting their kids to join us too. So far, I'm pleased to report there are 5 preschoolers on the "Friends of WMS" team.

To read more about the race, visit the PMC website here.

Philanthropy is an important lesson I want to teach our boys. And although Sam is very young and, truth be told, only understands the very basic concept, I think engaging him in efforts like this one sets a tone for our family.

Doing kind deeds for others is, among other things, a way to express my gratitude for the good health of our family. Getting sick is something that happens to good people for inexplicable reasons. Everyone deserves compassion from both relatives and strangers especially when faced with serious illness.

To support Sam's efforts to raise $1000, please consider making a donation.

And, if you're a stickler like me who is particular about the charities you support, check out Charity Navigator's review of this one here.

Clary Ranch: One to Watch

I usually reserve my wine reviews for the little ticker on the right side of this web page, but this past year I had the good fortune of discovering Clary Ranch, a wine that deserves special attention. I'd like to tell you all about this wine, but first a little background...

Since I left IBM in 2000, I've worked for 3 companies; all of which were based in Silicon Valley. Napa and Sonoma are about an hour and a half North of San Jose, and I've enjoyed extending my business trips out there to explore all that wine country has to offer. Napa is definitely on my list of top 3 places to visit in the US. The combination of the beautiful scenery, the casual yet upscale lifestyle, and the great restaurants and wineries make it a perfect place to visit (or live for that matter).



I recall fondly a leisurely lunch with Deanna at Bistro Jeanty, sitting at the "community table" and getting to know the strangers sitting next to us. My childhood friend Nick Burger and I have enjoyed a couple of capers to the area, perhaps most memorably taking in the "big reds" at Chimney Rock (he was a Club Elevage member, didn't you know?). My long time colleague and friend Mike Loomis and I really lucked out with some VIP treatment at Sterling and an unforgettable visit to Buehler Vineyards. Buehler is definitely tops on my list of best wineries to visit in Napa. John Buehler puts on an a great tour, and Buehler is a consistent producer of outstanding reasonably priced wines.

My friend Mike lives in Sonoma these days, so when we were having a group meeting in San Jose last year he had the great idea of pulling together a group wine tasting in Sonoma. Mike mentioned that his neighbor, Paul Clary, was a wine maker and that we should try to find a way to taste his wines. This would be a little tricky, however, since Paul's operation is pretty small and he doesn't have a tasting room. We agreed to meet Paul at a park in Sonoma center where he would pour his wines along with a picnic lunch.

As Mike was pulling together the itinerary for this trip, I'd just received an issue of Wine Spectator that included a feature on up and coming California Pinot Noir producers. Wouldn't you know it, Paul's Clary Ranch was one of the wineries mentioned along with a stellar "91 point" rating for their 2004 Pinot Noir. What is most amazing about this rating is that it was the first wine Clary Ranch ever submitted for rating by Wine Spectator, and they hit it out of the park!



When we met Paul for lunch that day, it was great getting his insight into the wine making process and his perspectives on the wine industry. He was remarkably down to earth, knowledgeable and friendly. I asked him what it was like competing in an industry where Charles Shaw is sold for $1.99 a bottle. He shared that small wineries like his are hard pressed to bottle *air* for $1.99 since the glass, label, cork, and labor costs add up quickly in a limited production scenario. I remember asking John Buehler why he charges so little for his wines even though they receive outstanding ratings. He said, "You can price wines to production, or to perception. I choose to price my wines according to my production." I'm always fascinated to talk with wine makers in particular about what it is like to submit a wine for rating. I remember talking to Page Buehler (John's son) about how they made sure the labels were perfectly aligned (superstitiously) on the bottles they submitted, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. The difference between an 89 point and a 90 point rating is huge in terms of sales impact and I've got to think when a new issue comes out with a favorable rating, high fives abound at the winery.



Meeting and talking with wine makers gives me a different perspective on the industry. When I'm browsing the aisles of a wine store I don't think much about the hard work that goes into wine making. But when I see first hand how someone's livelihood depends on their wines, and how their passion goes into the bottle, it gives me a whole new appreciation for the different characteristics and quality levels various wines offer.

Last night, we had some friends over, so I opened the second of two bottles I brought back from that trip. It was fantastic. Paul makes his Pinot in a ripe, luscious style and I find it to be more full bodied than other Pinot Noirs. In addition to raspberries and cherries, I picked up tobacco aromas that give the wine a unique characteristic. There were only 150 cases of this wine produced, so it's highly unlikely that you'll find it in your local wine store. But if you visit Clary Ranch's web site or drop Paul an E-mail he may be able to hook you up with some of his great wine.

Red Sox Opening Day

This week I had a chance to do something I've never done before: I went to Red Sox Opening Day. It was an amazing experience. Each year, after 5 months of brutal weather, 30 some thousand Boston fans stand up and walk away from their desks with not a thought about what they're leaving behind at work. I remember interviewing for my first job in the Boston area back in 2000. It happened to be opening day and everyone I spoke with was in such a good mood. For me, opening day marks the unofficial beginning of Spring and it is a great time to be in Boston.



This year was particularly special since the Red Sox won the World Series last year. Highlights included ring ceremonies, introductions, celebrity appearances, marriage proposals and even Bill Buckner throwing out the first pitch. I guess after 2 championships in 4 years, Red Sox fans are able to find it in their hearts for letting that ball slip past him in '86.



Fenway truly is an amazing ball park. A few years back I happened to go to a game at the Bank One Ballpark in Arizona the same week as I went to a game at Fenway; it was like there were two different games being played at the stadiums. While the Bank One Ballpark somehow reminded me of a nice shopping mall, Fenway exuded charm with its dirty concourses, foul odors and cramped wooden seats. Things seemed nicer at Fenway yesterday, but it still had its charm. It is a great place to watch a game. (Note to self: must see a game at Wrigley Field soon).



When I was growing up, the only pro sports team we had was the Phoenix Suns. I remember going to my first games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum with my friend Brent Moser's family. They had season tickets and lived on the next block. It was amazing to see *in person* the games that I usually only heard on the radio or occasionally saw on TV. In the summer, we'd travel back to Chicago and a few times we went to games at Comiskey Park. That was something I'll never forget. It was so intimidating traveling into the big city and seeing a major league game in a big stadium. I couldn't imagine pulling a trip like that off by myself- it was all I could do to keep track of my beloved Kevin Seitzer, Matt Nokes, and Mark McGwire rookie cards!

However, with no kids in tow yesterday, I felt less encumbered than I have in a long time. I felt unstoppable! I could weave my way through crowds, find an easy spot to stand on the train- everything was simple. But as much as I enjoyed spending the day with my friends, I was thinking how great it would be to take Sam and Will to a game. Some day soon I think Sam will be ready. First, he'll have to prove to me he's ready by asking to watch a Red Sox game instead of his current favorite- the dreaded "Caillou".

Update:

It seems there is some controversy surrounding the F-16 jet flyover that occurred prior to the game. See the Yahoo! news story here. Everyone loves a flyover, but evidently one of the pilots got a little carried away with all the excitement and pulled a "Top Gun" Maverick maneuver by falling out of formation and performing some impromptu aerobatics: