A Moment of Robzilla's Time...

  Do you enjoy free coffee? I ask the question as someone that decided to pilfer -- err, acquire -- two packets of coffee from my suite on my last trip. I've had it before in my room on a prior stay and decided it was mid at best, but when I brought some home it surprised me. It's not Blue Bottle Espresso, but it's better than some of the stuff I've bought on store shelves and online in the past. I'm more than happy to let a couple of these packets extend the shelf life of the good stuff I normally sip at home with my breakfast. So tell me, have you had any good or bad experiences with hotel room coffee?

If there's one thing I like about visiting Temecula Valley is that I can get a decent free breakfast without leaving the hotel. I could always opt for waffles, cereal, oatmeal or a frittata, but I always migrate toward the scrambled eggs and sausage. I never have the latter at home, so I always get my fill when I'm away from home. I will have this again next week, as well as something exotic off the tapas menu...   

When I visited Callaway last week, I noticed someone was working on their laptop while sipping wine. I asked one of the employees if I could do the same and they said yes. That's why you see my Surface Pro 11 beside a glass of Rousanne and a package of Dot's pretzels. It was a curious combination and worked quite well. As part of my wine club membership I'm allowed a free glass of wine for both myself and a guest. Since I arrived solo, that meant I could get two free glasses during my visit. After I finished the Rousanne and the pretzels, I opted for a glass of Rose of Sangiovese. Boy was I hung over most of Thursday! I forgot to mention that while I abandoned the novel I wrote earlier this year, I used this occasion to start the first draft of a romantic short story. It will be 20 chapters in length and as of this posting I've written the first four chapters. The inspiration came from an unexpected source, which I'll disclose in the near future. If you embiggerate ...

  During yesterday's trip to Callaway, I did things a little differently. I normally visit the tasting room first and then migrate to the restaurant for lunch. I did things in reverse, and I'll explain why in the near future. Ever since I dined at Meritage last week I wanted to try the bison meatballs paired with a glass of 2021 Special Selection Malbec. I've never had bison before, and I knew that the wine pairing was going to be excellent. It was one of those things that occupied my thoughts for a full week until I drove the convertible up north with my rolling carry on luggage and backpack in the trunk. Prior to the meatballs arriving at my table, I had a house salad with a little bit of the Malbec. I thought the wine was mild, even unassuming, in nature when I sipped it by itself. It was no better when I sipped some with the salad, but I knew to save most of the glass for later.  Once the meatballs arrived, the Malbec literally transformed. The blueberry reduction broug...

  Not only have I returned to blogging, I'm home from my latest Temecula Valley adventure. With this new blog I'll share photos every so often and give you a brief description of what the subject means to me. Meritage at Callaway Vineyard & Winery is one of my favorite lunch spots, but on this trip I changed things up a bit. I'll post a few pictures over the next few days explaining what I did, and what I shouldn't have done!