Walking has become a new social entre to all sorts of people. I didn’t know I am as gregarious as I am. Anyway, two weeks ago I met Melady at the post office. She lent me the price of a stamp when one of my bill envelopes turned out to not have a stamp and I don't walk with money. I didn’t know her. She was just being helpful. We got to talking. It turned out she is part of a wine-tasting group, so we arranged to exchange information and she would let me know about the next one which was tonight.

I got Ed to agree to go, no small thing. It was nearby, no more than a 10 minute drive. The people were super. I got in heavy duty bonding with the hostess, Susan, a local real estate agent. And, like so many people I am meeting of late, they already know me. They say "You're the one who walks and bikes, right? I see you all the time." Sheesh. We got on great -- it was like we were partners in crime.

I drank more snippets of red wine than I do in a decade. Red is not my thing. I brought a white sauvignon blanc and a wheel of shrimp.

I met the niece of the hostess, Darcy -- she was young in this group and is getting married in December. I liked a lot a woman whose name is Gabriela, but who shortened it to Ela, because no one she knows can say the whole name, a man named Orion, who answers to both O-rion and OrIon and I prefer the second. After that I just referred to him as Starface. He seemed to like it.

Ed enjoyed himself too, although not having a regular dinner (he just won’t eat enough snack food to tide him over) did him in and we left. When we got home, I counted cats and then reheated some leftovers and he got normal. Phew.

We’ll go to the next wine tasting. I wrote our e mails on to their list. The woman who turned me on to this group is named Melady. She said that she was going to be north at the time of the next one and commissioned me to do one here at the exact same time she does one up north and I think she had a Zen connection in mind. So, I said, Melday baby, you’re getting too complicated. If you do one, fine. If I do one, fine. But please let us not get mathematical about timing. She was also the one writing the label details down on a sheet and insisting we work from right to left, lighter wines on the right and work left. And God help you if you are out of order. So let’s think of her as a wee bit obsessive.

Melady wanted opinions ranging from “nose” to “fruity” to whatever else the oenophiles say. I would say things like “heavy” or “light” or “grabs your throat”.

I’m sleepy now. G’night.

xx Teal