Aussie wines are better....

Our work put on a wining and dining function for some of our customers at one of the wineries near Santa Barbara. I came along to help set up the meeting room where we had planned to do some market research, little did we know we'd been given a celler where they incubate the wine in the oak barrels, so it was a unique venue but bloody freezing (constant 60oF)

This is one of our UK college's, Gary, who refused to look at camera's when having his photo taken as he says he gets "Demon Eye's"

What do you think?

Monica investigating the stainless fermentation vat....

....and me trying to get a ride home (to OZ!)

After getting the market research out of the way, we had a winery tour and were ready to begin tasting and drinking

Limosine Party Bus taking us back to the hotel

Sunny Santa Barbara

Who in their right mind would leave warm sunny Melbourne to visit the US in mid winter? But its Santa Barbara, it doesn't get cold there, no its nice and sunny.....just not when I'm there. So the Californian coast has been experiencing some severe storms over the last few days resulting in cold winds, torrential rain and boats being washed up onto the shore.

(This was taken on the second day when the rain stopped and sun came out)

Now I'm giving you a warning that this is a work trip so there is likely to be lots of stories and photo's on food. I'm saying this cause when I get home I don't want to hear anyone complaining that all I talk about is food, ok? Anyway so we had lunch at a small shack at the end of the pier in Santa Barbara and we had one of my favourites, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl (scary eyes, I know).

Leslie and Fiona

And check out the view these crabs had.....that's got to be animal cruelty

Dr Dopey update

So we got back home from our campervan holiday through New Zealand still speaking to each other, cats still alive and happy to see us and the garden still going strong (thanks boobs and lubes). I lasted a day at home before washing my hair - couldn't think of a good reason not to, in fact I couldn't remember why I thought it was a good idea to begin with. This was followed by two Christmas's, New Years spent in bed sick and then back to work.

For those of you following the peas, after a great season (10 pea pods at least!) they've shriveled up and are no longer with us. But this has made room for the spring onions to shine

My lime tree has limes......

....and my frangipani has sprouted a huge zucchini!

In addition to exercising my green thimb over the Christmas break, Warwick and I purchased a Monopoly game and found out why board games and cats don't mix. Apparently Foo doesn't like being ignored and if you continue to do so, she'll make sure you can't continue

(Acknowledgement - Sam for her home grown giant zucchini prop)