Rolf Devinci

In the glass tonight is a Lindeman`s 2008 Shiraz Cabernet. It possesses..." rich plum and blackcurrent flavours with a smooth finish." This Aussie offering is delicious as is the price. I picked up this 750ML gem at the NSLC with a sale(?)listing of $9.99(CDN).Nice!Methinks I`ll be heading back tomorrow for a few more bottles.Enjoyable now it cellars well over the next three years although I doubt I would leave it that long.(wink) Hits the spot after a long week at work and a tough week of activity. I got a slash upon the top of my foot last Sunday at ball hockey and it has been swollen and extremely sore all week. Factor in the bruised knee I was hobbling about this past week. Last night I played goal for another group and was disappointed when only 5 guys showed up to play. We ended up playing 3 on 2 with me backstopping the team of two. Needless to say I was busy facing nothing but 2 on 1`s and about 2 dozen breakaways. At one point I attempted to slide across the crease...

In the glass tonight is a 2007 Banrock Station Shiraz. This South Eastern Australian red wine possesses " Rich and complex cherry, black currant and spicy oak flavors..." A real nice Shiraz with a color of ripe summer berries, perfect for the bleakest month of a snowy cold Canadian winter. Pass me the bottle please......(wink) It`s funny how things occur and almost seems predestined sometimes. I have struggled playing goal in ballhockey recently and decided to take the next couple weeks off to have a break. That said I filled in for another group Thursday night and was asked to come back next week as their goalie was injured. They also have had attendance issues and it was suggested that I could also play out of nets if I was so inclined as they needed players. Needless to say it got me thinking and I realized I started playing goal because of my lower back issues from running around a hard gym floor. Those issues have essentially been contained through weight loss and co...

A voluntary benching that is. At the end of today`s ball hockey I let the lads know that I will be taking the next couple Sundays off and will take a short leave of absence from the game. I struggled through the first half of the season and,unlike previous years,playing has become more of a chore than fun. Since coming back from the holiday break I`m just not enjoying the game and have become increasingly surly during the matches. Last week I was very frustrated at my play and that of some other players. I had become vocal in my displeasure and seemed to lose my focus that it is "fun competitive" and not "league competitive". In today`s matches it was far worse. I just couldn`t to get into the game and inherited the weaker squad which was a bad combination. We got shelled! Down 6-0 early in the first game I soon became discouraged as five of the goals were such that I didn`t have much chance. This got me cranky early and shifted my focus even farther away from d...

LOL(wink) In the glass tonight is a delightful Lulu B.French Pinot Noir...... "Lulu B, daughter of famed winemaker Louis Bernard....her wine is welcoming,lighthearted and romantic.Full bodied(the wine)has luscious aromas of ripe grapes and black cherries. Snooth and soft textured this wine feels like liquid silk." A real nice wine. Delicious! It`s been a busy week at work and the recent cold snap(-33C with windchill today)has made the prospect of chilling out(pardon the pun)on a Friday night with a nice bottle of wine priceless!

I must be getting old when the discovery of a new foodsource makes me happy.(wink) Thanks to Adrien`s advice I bought some organic Quinoa(Keen-wa)at the bulk barn and made a couple meals this weekend. A grain from the Andes Mountains of South America this ancient grain was a mainstay of the Inca civilization. Unique in the plant world it contains complete protein and a near perfect amino acid balance.It also is a good source of fiber,complex carbs,calcium,phospherous,iron and vitamins B&E. Once prepared(by simmering in water)it has a texture like a combination of rice and oatmeal and possesses a nutty flavor. I used it this weekend as a rice substitute in stirfrys and it was delicious.Should be good for anyone with a gluten allergy and for vegans concerned about getting the proper amount of complete proteins. A keeper in my kitchen! Speaking of proteins I have also started using a Whey Protein Isolate powder to supplement my diet.I have never been much of a carnivore and often e...

Happy Friday! Since I`m on antibiotics and alcohol consumption is not wise in the glass tonight is Gerolsteiner`s Natural Mineral water. One of my favorites.... "Gerolsteiner is the closest thing to taking mineral supplements. It is in the naturally carbonated classification, with the signature low pH associated with most of the high-TDS "nat carbs," and has been a famous health tonic since 1888." Bottled at source in Gerolstein Germany a one litre bottle will supply 30% and 40% respectively of your daily requirements of calcium and magnesium. Nice!

A good friend and fellow cyclist(Kay)volunteers with CCI training service dogs for the disabled. In my inbox I was pleased to discover a picture of her latest trainee.Look at the size of those paws. Training must be hard work when a bookshelf makes a bed and a book a pillow....lol. What a great picture! "The technical term for them are service dogs for the disabled and they do everything from picking up stuff and getting things off counters to pulling wheelchairs and turning on lights. Heck....Travis'(K`s son)dog does his laundry (swear to God). There's a great video on You Tube called CCI:Driving Forward that shows a lot of the training. Spread the word far and wide....somewhere out there is a person who is a dog away from a more normal life." KS Here is their website.... http://www.cci.org/site Great stuff K!Keep up the good work!!!!

Happy New Year! Well the 2008 holiday season is over....good riddance. My dietary excesses the last couple weeks have left an unwanted legacy of a weight gain but,more seriously,a painful case of urthretis. After a self diagnostic(isn`t the internet grand)I had it confirmed with a visit to the doctor. Unlike a UTI I have no symptoms of any infection or prostate issues but rather the sharp discomfort of an inflamed urethra....ouchie! I have a prescription of antibiotics but have refrained from taking them as there is no sign of infection and the side effects are lengthy.Instead I will try and manage the inflamation by switching to an alkaline diet which should alleviate the burning sensation of acidic urine over an overly sensitive urethra until it can heal. Therein lies my working theory as to why I developed this in the first place. I`m usually quite regimented with my dietary habits but fell off the wagon the past two weeks. Not only did I get away from my usual sound nutritional pra...