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James has rediscovered the joys of World of Warcraft and after only a few weeks hard grafting with his new Mage character is now a level 45. This has taken quite a few evenings and one might think I've been using my time wisely writing and blogging. But Sean Bean has been on the box. UKTV History have been doing re-runs of the 1990's series of 'Sharpe' and frankly what else is a girl to do?

Still its coming to an end just in time for the second series of 'Rome', the joint effort between HBO and the BBC. It is quite fantastic, American money thrown behind a british script and actors make for ripping viewing. Well worth watching. The first series leads up the the assassination of Julius Caeser and this next covers the power struggle following.

It is just as well the viewing has been good as the weather certainly hasn't been. One month into summer and we are struggling to get over 20 degrees. The UK has had the wettest June on record with thousands forced from their homes up north. London has missed most of it but at the moment the Wimbledon Tennis Open is on so the weather has truly packed up. On Tuesday this week a freak thunderstorm flooded main roads and the hail was banked up ankle deep. I've been rained on every day this week - Ah a British summer. (James' photo of the hail from our flat).

Still finish on a laugh as they say and I've just come across this in the Harpers Wine and Spirit magazine. A new series of Manga comics devoted to the subject of fine wine is proving popular in Japan. Kami no Shizuku ('The Drops of God') had this tasting note:

"The aroma is like a rock concert, with notes of butterflies dancing over a pond and an aftertaste of Jesus Christ and his disciples."

Damn I'd love to try that wine.

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Its been something I've been meaning to do for donkeys years, every one has 'learn a language' on their 'to do at some point' list. My language to learn is French. I've had a notion it would be a handy language to get a grip on ever since I started working in wineries.

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New Medicine

Yes I've managed over the last few months to see a few Metabolic Specialists over here and have learned about some foods and supplements available on the NHS. After being sent lots of samples and trying them out (now that was fun) I've started using a new supplement.

Gone is the trust-worthy and fairly taste-less Maxamum of 13 years and I'm trying a new system called Phlexy-10. Basically my 3 daily drinks of Maxamum have now turned into 7 but I can take either a drink, a bar (like a muesli bar) or tablets. I've been on it for 2 weeks now and its going well. It tastes a lot better and its a lot easier.

I won't pretend I wasn't looking forward to it lots and lots and LOTS! Dad flew in to London on the Saturday the 11th of March after a marathon flight from Kerikeri to Heathrow via Hong Kong. Mum was unfortunately unable to come as she was only 5 weeks post-op after her hip operation. So she was at home in Paihia with Tony looking after her (also post-op after his second hip operation in November).

It was the first time dad had been back in the UK since his brother Hugh's wedding in 1987, 19 years ago! The reason for this visit was my cousins wedding in Scotland which would be a great chance to see most of the family again. But before we headed up to 'Och-aye-the-noo land', we spent a few days showing dad round London, somewhere he hadn't been for about 30 years.

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Yes we're finally on holiday! And we've spent the first day on the internet and drinking tea before heading off for a fantastic dinner at a new found curry house. A great and relaxing end to quite a hectic week at work.

On Monday night I hosted the first of our wine tasting capsules on the London Eye. I was incredibly nervous as it was the first time any one at work had done one so it was also a trial run for a very large booking on the Thursday. I was very pleased with it and it was a lot of fun, London by night is a beautiful sight from the London Eye. I tried to speak to everyone about wines while catching glimpses out of the windows. It was nerve wracking but a lot of fun.

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An interesting title yes? Lets start with the first bit; the red in question is the Seghesio Zinfandel 2003 from the Sonoma County in California. Its mentioned as I've just realised there is none left :-( James has been out this evening, on his work Xmas party. Apparently they were heading round Mayfair and the West End in the ubiquitous black cabs (paid for by work of course) on some form of treasure hunt. Once they'd finished they were off to dinner in a restaurant with good food and (one presumes) plenty of items with which to wet ones throat. Sounds great doesn't it? You'd have to ask him as yours truly wasn't invited so I have been home holding the fort. Don't worry, I've not been neglected as I've cooked a lovely dinner of stuffed capsicums drowned in a garlic - red wine - creamy sauce which I enjoyed immensely. And as the wine was opened, well it would have been bad form to leave it...

http://www.englishwine.co.uk/wine-festival.htm

Yes in the pure spirit of public interest (yeah right) I headed off at some insanely early hour of the morning to a place stuck in on the other side of the South Downs called Alfriston. A place which turned out to consist of a roundabout and the English wine Centre (www.englishwine.co.uk) where the festival was based.

I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’ve been to the Marlborough Wine fest twice, always a great day out, filled with wine and sun and great music. How big could the English one be? But I have found out that there are 400 vineyards in England and 40 of them turned out to present their wares in a lovely shaded garden on what turned out to be a stunningly hot late summers day.