5 thing Friday - Georgian wine, Reel Science, We Are Blood, Turkey Trot, pipes

{I'm a little late posting today!}

This week I attended another wine tasting at Total Wine - this one with wines from Georgia (the country, not the state!) 

These tastings are very affordable - usually around $20 - and often include some culture or history.

And always charcuterie!  I like that they are close to home, on weeknights, and very informal.

One of the winemakers led the discussion in his very beautiful accent and taught us that wine making originated in Georgia and has an 8,000 year history!  He said the Georgian people refer to wine as a gift of the Gods and it is part of their culture. Wine is still being produced there in quevri - underground clay vessels.  I tried several varietals I have never heard of.  The whole thing was fascinating!

On Thursday night I attended a movie at the Rollins Theater at The Long Center in downtown Austin.  Some of the information presented was really over my head, but the film was very good and included a live broadcast from the research vessel which is just off the coast of Uruguay.  It included a Q&A session with the scientists, but it was waaay past my bedtime so I called it a night at 9 something.

When my birthday dawned, the first thought that popped into my head today was I MADE IT TO 65.  Seems like a worthy milestone, frankly.  I have outlived a parent, two siblings, a husband, and his father.  I took myself to Rudy's for breakfast and journaled until time to do donate blood.

Why donate blood on my birthday?

*because I'm healthy

*because it can save a life

*because I can

A nice bonus is that I got a voucher for half a dozen Tiff's Treats, and you know that OF COURSE I picked the Dubai chocolate ones.  I ate two and made myself freeze the rest for my lunches!

I also traveled over to the Honda dealership to pick up my Turkey Trot packet. (the line looked insane but went fairly fast)  As tired as I have been lately and still with shoulder pain, I will be lucky to walk the actual 5 miles Thanksgiving morning, but I will give it my best shot.  I think this makes 6 or 7 times I have done the trot, not every year, and the second one I have done virtually.

These turkeys trotted together in 2020.

As a way to include Mark in Thanksgiving, we smoke his pipes at the firepit.  I ran over to the tobacco shop and grabbed three different varieties of pipe tobacco and a small new pipe for either me or The Girl to use.  I am looking forward to relaxing on the patio with my peeps and giving thanks for spending time together as a family.  Happy Weekend!

Gina