"I LOVE WINE!" You can quote me an that...

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing. ~ Ernest Hemingway

A man not old, but mellow, like good wine. ~ Stephen Phillips

Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin

It is well to remember that there are 5 reasons for drinking wine: the arrival of a friend, one’s present to future thirst, the excellence of the wine or any other reason. ~ Latin Proverb

Wine is bottled poetry. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized. ~ Andre Simon

The good talk that is inseparable from a wine dinner is even more important than the wines that are being served. Never bring up your better bottles if you are entertaining a man who cannot talk. Keep your treasures for a night when those few who are nearest to your heart can gather round your table, free from care, with latchkeys in their pockets and no last train to catch." ~ Maurice Healy

What though youth gave love and roses, age still leaves us friends and wine. ~ Thomas Moore

Wine is a food. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Wine improves with age - I like it the older I get. ~ Anonymous

A full cup of wine at the right time is worth more than all the kingdoms of this earth! ~ Gustav Mahler

By making this wine vine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle. ~ Paul Coelho

I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. ~ WC Fields

Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. ~ John Keats

Either give me more wine or leave me alone. ~ Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans. ~ Ernest Hemingway

I am not sure I trust you. You can trust me with your life, My King. But not with my wine, obviously. Give it back. ~ Meagan Whalen Turner

I love everything that is old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines. ~ Oliver Goldsmith

Beer is made by men, wine by God. ~ Martin Luther

Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages. ~ Louis Pasteur

What wine goes with Captain Crunch? ~ George Carlin

Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter, sermons and soda water the day after. ~ George Gordon Bryon

Give me wine to wash me clean of the weather-stains of cares. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wine enters through the mouth, Love, the eyes. I raise the glass to my mouth, I look at you, I sigh… ~ W.B. Yates

High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water. ~ Mark Twain

Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized. ~ Andre Simon

 Wine is like the incarnation--it is both divine and human. ~ Paul Tillich

In the abstract art of cooking, ingredients trump appliances, passion supersedes expertise, creativity triumphs over technique, spontaneity inspires invention, and wine makes even the worst culinary disaster taste delicious. ~ Bob Blumer

Life's too short to drink cheap wine... ~ Cliff Hakim

The first kiss and the first glass of wine are the best. ~ Marty Rubin

Wine can be a better teacher than ink, and banter is often better than books. ~ Stephen Fry

A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserable wine lover. ~ Clifton Fadiman

White wine is like electricity. Red wine looks and tastes like a liquefied beefsteak. ~ James Joyce

Great wine works wonders and is itself one. ~ Edward Steinberg

To take wine into our mouths is to savor a droplet of the river of human history. ~ Clifton Fadiman

Who loves not women, wine and song remains a fool his whole life long. ~ Anonymous

The only way of rendering life endurable is to drink as much wine as one can come by. ~ James Branch Cabell

Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. ~ Proverbs 31 67

At times we ought to drink even to intoxication, not so as to drown, but merely to dip ourselves in wine, for wine washes away troubles and dislodges them from the depths of the mind and acts as a remedy to sorrow as it does to some diseases. The inventor of wine is called Liber, not from the license which he gives to our tongues but because he liberates the mind from the bondage of cares and emancipates it, animates it and renders it more daring in all that it attempts. ~  Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The juice of the grape is the liquid quintessence of concentrated sunbeams. ~ Thomas Love Peacock

Wine is a gateway drug to environmentalism. ~ Katherine Cole

Day offers two equally necessary sacraments - the benediction of morning and the absolution of dusk. In the morning coffee blesses and in the evening wine absolves. ~ Michael Foley

I prefer my water in wine form. ~ P.C. Cast

If your arteries are good, eat more ice cream. If they are bad, drink more red wine. Proceed thusly. ~ Sandra Byrd

People of balance age as gracefully as wines of balance. ~ John Jordan

The first miracle Jesus performed was instant wine making. No wonder people loved Him! He probably received a bunch of wedding invitations after that one. ~ Dillon Burroughs

Most days I juggle everything quite well, on the other days there's always red wine. ~ Rachael Bermingham

Always carry a corkscrew and the wine shall provide itself. ~ Basil Bunting

Men are like wine-some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. ~ Pope John Paul XXIII

If you ask me, something sinister lurks in men who avoid wine, games, the company of lovely women, and dinnertime conversation. Such people are either gravely ill or secretly detest everyone around them. ~ Mikhail Bulgakov

The Nightmare in New England

I like many Broncos Fans this morning woke up with a horrible hangover trying to forget what happened last night. Forgetting and moving on in the end is all you can do in this situation because it’s only 1 game and the Broncos season is far from over.

Looking at the remaining schedule they should be more than capable of winning 3 of their last 5 games. The Titans, Texans and Raiders are all winnable games. But the games against the Chiefs at Arrowhead and a hot Chargers team at home are not going to be as easily won.

Despite that, I honestly don’t see any scenario where the Broncos DO NOT make playoffs.

You’d think that’d be enough, just to get to the 2^nd level with the possibility of getting to the 3^rd which would be a Super Bowl but in my opinion as a long time diehard fan it isn’t. Winning the whole thing is the only thing. Another playoff appearance, another playoff win, another AFC Championship title just isn’t good enough. Having another early playoff exit and calling it a “good season”, if that’s what happens this year for many fans would be satisfying enough. Having a “great season” and winning the whole thing is the only outcome that will be satisfying for me.

So as I try to clear my head today and attempt to be optimistic about the possible future outcome for the Broncos this season it’s impossible to not look back at this game last night and relive the devastation.

The Montee Ball fumble swung the momentum to NE in the 2nd half.

Football is and will always be a team game and the Broncos in the second half made numerous mistakes as a team to blow a 24-0 half time lead. The big fumble by Montee Ball, the poor pass rush, the awful pass coverage by a banged up secondary and the horrific game by Wes Welker contributed (Dropped passes and Punt Flub) to the epic meltdown.

Despite all the miscues and with the help of an amazing performance by Knowshon Moreno (A career high 224 rushing yards and 1 TD) they did have a chance to win it in the 4^th quarter.

But…the one key element to finishing the game and winning it in the 2^nd half was Peyton Manning and he shrunk with the responsibility while Tom Brady rose to it.

Manning vs. Brady

I pointed out in a pregame blog yesterday that Manning Must Master Brady and the COLD. In it I said despite having a bum ankle, a 2-9 career record against Brady in Foxboro and a 2-8 record in games that were below freezing, NOW was the time for Manning to put up or shut up. Unfortunately Brady put up and once again can say he shut up Manning in a side by side QB comparison.

If you watched the game in full you couldn’t help but notice that the cold was clearly bothering Manning. When the cameras took close ups of his red face you could see it contort not just from the cold but from his lack of confidence. On the sidelines he looked like the coldest player on the field.

The cold windy conditions affected his ability to make pass plays both short and more noticeably long. His balls were off target and had no zip when he delivered it. He threw too many balls into double coverage and missed throwing to open Receivers.

Manning has never been a scrambler or nifty on his feet and the bum right ankle adds to that deficiency but it can’t excuse his poor play and decision making. The truth is Manning looked like a really old man and a sometimes dead armed QB in this game.

Brady on the other hand didn't have any trouble with the chilly windy weather, looked 10 years younger, moved well on his feet in the pocket, had zip on his throws and exhibited the confidence in his abilities that he’s had from day one of his career.

Brady won this go around and maybe Manning will get another shot at him, hopefully at home in the playoffs but now he and the Broncos will have to regroup, leave this one behind and win this week in KC. Their playoff destiny still lies in their own hands, if they can have a short memory. It’ll be hard to forget this one but they will have to and so will the fans. So will I.

Manning Must Master Brady and the COLD

This is a biggest test of the year for Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Brady has 9 wins over Manning in their 13 career meetings, including the playoffs, which are the most wins for any one QB over another since 1993. Worse yet, Manning is 2-9 in games in Foxboro during his career and 2-6 against Brady at Gillette Stadium. Manning has also thrown an even 21 TD's and 21 INT’s in 11 career games in Foxboro.

Then there's this excerpt from a Denver Post article: “He’s (Manning) 2-8 in which the game temperature is below freezing (32 or below), 0-2 in any game below 20 and 2-5 in games between 20-29.”  “ He’s 8-13 in games where the game time temperature is below 40.”

For most of his career Manning had the luxury of playing 8 regular season games under a dome and he could win most of those games. Clearly, looking at his stats Manning doesn’t play well in cold weather. The current temp in Foxsboro is 28 degrees with winds up to 23 mph. It’ll probably be much colder come kick off.

Manning after the Ravens loss.

Who can forget his bad game in a frosty Denver last year against the Ravens in the 1^st round of the playoffs?

Granted the Patriots are not as good a team offensively as in years past but from a statistical point of view the odds of Manning playing well enough for the Broncos to win are stacked against him.

This is the second game of a 3 game stretch were Manning has to put up or shut up. He got the win in Denver over the Chiefs in game 1 and now must beat the Patriots in game 2. If they can win today and win next week in game 3 of the Chiefs rematch the table is set for home field throughout the playoffs and shot at a Super Bowl appearance.

Despite the odds against him in cold weather games, despite the bad ankle and despite a horrible record against Brady, today has to be the day Manning breaks out and plays a good game. It’s the reason he was brought to Denver, the opportunity is clearly his to prove his critics wrong that he’s not a choker in big games late in the season or in the playoffs.  

It’ll take a total team effort to win today but if Manning hangs out an “Epic Fail” sign in this important game the dream of a Super Bowl win becomes much more difficult. GO BRONCOS!!!

Marijuana Legalization Blossom's in Colorado

Feds raid Denver-area marijuana dispensaries and grow operations

 

A law enforcement officer walks past a pile of marijuana seized during a raid at Swiss Medical in Boulder, Colorado November 21, 2013. 
BOULDER DAILY CAMERA / Mark Leffingwell

Here’s another negative marijuana story from Colorado. You can expect many more. It seems nonsensical for the Feds to be concerned about illegal medical marijuana sales from non-licensed individuals when this was what the voters wanted. The Feds list 8 areas of enforcement in the story but they seem futile and ridiculous. In my opinion let non-licensed people sale it, what the heck difference does it make honestly? Let the chips fall where they may and let the rest of the states observe what a catastrophic mistake it was legalizing it.

Can you image trying to sort out this mess if your job in Colorado and Washington State was as a federal or local law enforcement agent? You talk about an impossible task; the confusion has to be mind boggling.

Maybe not today or tomorrow but eventually both states will literally be “going up in smoke” and the non-pot smoking taxpayers who opposed this madness will really be outraged at not just the monetary cost but also the terrible social consequences of legalization that will be brought down upon them. 

Gratitude, Prayer and "Going Easy"

It’s amazing how God will send you the message you need when you need it.

I injured my back at work 2 weeks ago today and haven’t been back since. I had a follow up appointment with the Doctor yesterday and as I suspected an immediate return to work isn’t in the cards yet.

I learned yesterday that the workers comp claim will take up to 2 more weeks to be processed. I have no short or long term disability insurance so now it’ll be a month maybe longer from the original date of my injury before I’ll see a dime from workers compensation. And when I do get some payment it’ll only be 66% or 2/3rds of my past wages from last year. It’s been many years since I’ve had to file a comp claim. I should have known the wheels turn very slowly in the medical and government bureaucracies and that a speedy payment of a claim was unrealistic.

Friends and family that know me know that I don’t miss work unless I’m very sick, hurt badly or dead. I’m extremely frustrated, upset and mad at myself for being hurt. I thought about going back to work today even though I’m not physically ready to yet but it’s impossible.

I’ve taken great pride in being the kind of person who can produce an above average effort at work. Even at 53 years old, I can still work circles around men that are half my age. Over the years the hard work, the sports I played in my younger days and the running addition I once had has taken its toll on my body. I'm not the strong young stud I use to be.

My ego has had a very difficult time trying to accept that I’m not the man I once was and that no matter what I believe I’m still capable in my mind of achieving mentally, translating it physically isn’t as easily done as it once was. 

Part of it is the aging process and part of it is just giving myself permission to take it easy and not be such a hard driven perfectionist. The other part is internalizing that ultimately I don’t have to judge or define how good of a man I am by the amount of work I produce. This is currently the life study God has challenged me to learn and it hasn’t been easy. As an Adult Child of an Alcoholic my learning curve has been even slower.

This morning I woke up feeling blue and a little depressed about my situation. I made some coffee and checked my email and read the daily message I get from the Hazelden website. BAM! Then and there God send me the message I’ve needed to hear. It reminded me again that as a believer in a Higher Power, that prayer and by practicing gratitude each day that eventually in God’s time not mine, that the answer I seek to heal my mind and my body will be revealed. If I seek God's help and love myself enough to ask for it he's always been right on time with a healing message.

Here’s the reading below from the book “The Magic of Letting Go” by Melody Beattie.     

Going Easy

Go easy. You may have to push forward, but you don't have to push so hard. Go in gentleness, go in peace.

Do not be in so much of a hurry. At no day, no hour, no time are you required to do more than you can do in peace. Frantic behaviors and urgency are not the foundation for our new way of life.

Do not be in too much of a hurry to begin. Begin, but do not force the beginning if it is not time. Beginnings will arrive soon enough.

Enjoy and relish middles, the heart of the matter.

Do not be in too much of a hurry to finish. You may be almost done, but enjoy the final moments. Give yourself fully to those moments so that you may give and get all there is.

Let the pace flow naturally. Move forward. Start. Keep moving forward. Do it gently, though. Do it in peace. Cherish each moment.

Today, God, help me focus on a peaceful pace rather than a harried one. I will keep moving forward gently, not frantically. Help me let go of my need to be anxious, upset, and harried. Help me replace it with a need to be at peace and in harmony.

Broncos 9th Victory of the 2013 Season the Best Team Win So Far

I said before the game that the Chiefs offense was no match for Peyton Manning and if the Broncos Offensive Line protected him they'd win. I also commented that the Broncos had to run the ball straight at the Chiefs with Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball to control the clock. Both of these key parts of the game played out for the Broncos but the big momentum change came down to just a one key play in a hard fought game that was much closer than most Broncos Fans would have wanted.

In the 1^st quarter Manning and Ball botched and fumbled a simple hand off exchange that gave the Chiefs the ball on the Broncos 18 yard line. It looked like the Chiefs were in a perfect position to score a TD, go up 7 to 3 and take control of the game early.

Then the game changing play sealed the Chiefs fate. The Chiefs 1^st play from scrimmage after the Ball fumble was a screen pass to FB Anthony Sherman. Sherman run down the field and was quickly grabbed by the ankle by CB Quentin Jammer. Within a split second LB Danny Trevathan came crashing into Sherman’s chest with a hard text book tackle that forced a fumble that Jammer recovered.

That play devastated the Chiefs, had they scored on that possession, their confidence going forward might have possibly changed the outcome of the whole game. Even after the swap of back to back turnovers the Chiefs played some D in the first half and gave QB Alex Smith and the Chiefs opportunities to score but they couldn’t convert.

The Broncos D had a lot to do with limiting the Chiefs scoring opportunities and played very well. They had an outstanding goal line stand, shut down RB Jamaal Charles and sacked Alex Smith 3 times. It didn’t help the Chiefs either that WR Dwayne Bowe dropped multiple catchable balls.

The good news for the Broncos was that Manning didn’t get sacked or knocked down or around. The other interesting part of this game is that Manning didn’t have a big game statistically as in many of the other games this year. He missed a few throws short and long but he did manage the game well enough to let his teammates help him win.

Wes Welker didn’t get in the end zone but he caught 8 passes in the game and after almost every catch he was absorbing big hits. Despite his small size he proved once again he’s a warrior over the middle and will make the important receptions to move the changes.

I was so thrilled that the Coaching staff didn’t give up on Montee Ball after the fumble in the 1^st half. He did have some fumbles early in the season but the one in this game belonged just as much to Manning. Each time he gets playing time he produces on the field. In short yardage, goal line situations (he scored 2 TD's on the Chiefs) and in this game finally he had the opportunity to catch some passes from Manning that moved the chains.

Ball is going to be the every down RB for the Broncos by next season. Moreno has played his best football this year but he doesn’t have the speed, power or the big play ability of Ball. He can’t make guys miss and usually goes down with the 1^st hit. Once Manning has more confidence that Ball can block and be a reliable Receiver out of the backfield, Moreno will go back to the bench as a situation RB. Moreno is playing out of his mind right now to hold onto his starting job but his game just isn’t consistently good enough for him to keep it.

This was the best team win of the season for the Broncos by far but in the next 2 weeks they play the New England Patriots at Foxboro and then have a rematch with the Chiefs in KC. Neither one of these games will be gimme’s. Manning historically has had hell against Tom Brady in New England and the Broncos almost always have a fight on their hands at Arrowhead. If the Broncos win both of these games they’ll be in the driver’s seat for home field advantage throughout the playoffs because their remaining schedule is a fairly soft one.

The best strategy of course is just to take them one at time and when the playoffs come play the best football of the season. If they do that and maybe just maybe it’s our year.