Vodka taste-off

Tonight Nancy and I conducted a double-blind taste test of two premium vodka's: Chopin and Hangar One.

Conditions of the tasting:

• Both bottles had been left in the freezer overnight.
  
• We tasted just the vodkas, without any additions like vermouth or mixers or twists.

Which did we enjoy more? We both agreed that the vodkas are very similar, and we honestly liked each of them. However, we both preferred Chopin.

I want to repeat the experiment twice: (1) with the vodkas at room temperature, and (2) mixed with vermouth. Should be fun! :)

My vacation as Facebook status updates

I just returned from a wonderful three week vacation to California, divided equally between Lake Tahoe, Lake Almanor, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Unlike two years ago, when I blogged about my vacation every day, I decided to write less, relax more. I limited my writing to simple updates to my Facebook status, which I could easily do from my cell phone while relaxing in a beach chair.

It was not my intention to create a record of my vacation, but that is what I produced! So without further adieu, I present, Chuck's Vacation as Facebook Status Updates:

July 18
Chuck is vacationing for three weeks in California

July 20
Chuck is swimming in Lake Tahoe. 12:22pm

July 21
Chuck is lying in the natural sand of Sand Harbor (Lake Tahoe) in the warm sun at 6300 feet. Aaaahhh... 10:02am

July 22
Chuck is mini-golfing. 10:15am

July 24
Chuck is climbing on enormous boulders in Lake Tahoe. 3:24pm

July 25
Chuck is running at 6240 feet above sea level. 11:40am
Chuck is drinking a vodka-lemonade-pomegranate concoction on a floating dock in Lake Tahoe. w00t. 5:42pm

July 27
Chuck boating in Lake Almanor. 11:01am

July 28
Chuck is is swimming at Lake Almanor. 10:34am

July 29
Chuck is hiking in Lassen National Park. 10:14am
Chuck 's shins are covered in a fine layer of volcanic ash. 4:35pm

July 30
Chuck is kayaking through thick wildfire smoke. 12:58pm

July 31
Chuck is being pulled behind a motorboat on an inflatable taco. 8:34am
Chuck is eating really good pizza while the sun sets over Lake Almanor. 7:23pm

August 2
Chuck is in the San Francisco Bay Area, but misses the mountains. 6:03pm

August 3
Chuck is surfing at Cowell's Beach on a 9'4" spongey. 10:47am
Chuck joined the group Settlers of Catan. 10:28pm

August 4
Chuck is on a ferry in the San Francisco Bay. 10:58am
Chuck and his kids are playing on the grass in the San Francisco Embarcadero. 4:13pm

August 5
Chuck is playing with his kids at Civic Park in Walnut Creek, CA. 3:26pm
Chuck is cooking linguine and clam sauce. 7:43pm

August 6
Chuck is swimming. 2:59pm
Chuck is picnicking on Mount Diablo. 11:57am

August 7
Chuck and his kids are hiking in Muir Woods. 12:11pm

August 8
Chuck is eating Zachary's pizza. Yummmmm. 6:57pm

August 9
Chuck is flying from California to Virginia. goodbye, vacation :(. 11:13am
Chuck is back in Charlottesville, but wishes he was still in California. 8:40pm