last night we barbequed at the new house for the first time and i discovered that dropping a hamburger into the coals and then rolling it around in them while trying to retrieve it and also not burn your hand does not adversely affect its flavor. also, chopped onions mixed in with the ground beef is really good. mm, meat.

i was away this weekend, in case you tried to call me, which you didn't since there was only one number on my caller ID and i didn't recognize it. Corinne rented us a yurt (which is a terribly satisfying word to say ... "yurt") up near Point Reyes. it was pretty. it was hot. it was round. it had an outdoor shower. mm, showering out in nature with the stars.

yet another reason to win the lottery: buy land in the middle of nowhere and build an outdoor shower.

we got there super late since we hadn't let until after Corinne's surprise birthday dinner with her friends at Catch (read: bad service, mediocre food, entertaining as hell anyway). we didn't leave the City until 10:30 and had to negotiate winding dirty roads and avoid frequent deer to get there a little after midnight. but the drive was pretty and quiet and we were listening to M.I.R.V. and the Dead Milkmen.

we woke up to woodpeckers and a blazing sun. slept in some more and then showered (again ... outdoor shower? great idea!), dressed and headed off for food and hiking. ate pizza in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Inverness. drove out to Point Reyes and saw the sights. (very pretty, pictures forthcoming.) did some geocaching on the way back including trying to four-wheel it out to a remote spot in my little Volkswagen GTI and nearing setting a field of hay on fire. (note: the bottom of a running car is hot, hay is dry, poof!) found several fun caches. eventually wound up at the bar at Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station. drank beers and martinis and listened to "eclectic" guitar until we decided this was the place to stay for the night but only after a shower. showered. ate. drove back. hopped in the hot tub under the stars. fell asleep sunburnt and tired.

we took the next morning slow, sleeping in late, checking out, and meandering over to Point Reyes Station for some breakfast. we made a plan to take a winding route to Sonoma, geocache a long the way, and do some wine tasting on the way back to the City. the plan worked perfectly. we found lots of fun, hard to find caches including one that required changing clothes to get to. (it was a little out of the way.) the roads were fairly clear and so were the skies.

our first stop was Matanza Creek winery. they have huge lavender fields out front and nice wines but i've always been bothered by their at-ti-tude (snobby, hold the mayo) and their wine prices. both had improved as, i found out, they had changed owners. we sipped some tasty varietals, bought a couple, plus some lavender thingies for Corinne, and then headed on.

next stop, Valley of the Moon. they're always nice, have good wines and interesting knick-knacks, and their tasting room is pleasantly air conditioned. (dear gawd, it was hot in the valley this weekend!) same plan as before -- sip, buy wine and candles, move on.

last stop, Viansa. my favorite. the winery was started by Sam something-or-other and is named after his three children: Vicky, Andrew and Sam, Jr. VI-AN-SA. they always have good wines and lots of diversity. i re-joined the wine club (two wines a month for about $40) after letting it lapse a few years. we sipped, tasted, bought and headed home as they were closing and we were pooped.