Ralph's Champagne Tour

Every year, about this time, I lead a group of motorcycle-buddies on a tour of local wineries out on the east end of Long Island.  It's beautiful rural country out there, with large farms and over a dozen wineries.

I ride my motorcycle year-round but most bikers put their machines away for winter.  "Ralph's Champagne Tour" has two purposes: first, to lure my friends into a day of riding (which is usually their last of the year) and, second, to buy a bevy of bottles of delicious local wine, port and Champagne.

As a "locavore," I appreciate local foods.  The wines available at these vineyards are exceptional in quality and not available elsewhere.  With the exception of the largest vineyard (Pindar), these wines aren't distributed through stores so you have to go directly to the winery to get them.

In addition to the care the winemakers put into crafting their products, they also experiment in delightful ways.  There is a blueberry port that knocks your socks off with its intense fruity flavor and pleasing aroma.  This year, I got some boysenberry fruit wine to give as gifts and expect it to be a big hit among recipients.

Finally, it's nice to have company on the road.  Most of my riding is by myself and I enjoy the comraderie of like-minded souls with whom I can share laughs and motorcycle-talk.  That, and terrific weather, made for a super day.

I'm using a borrowed computer (a Mac) which I don't know how to operate, so the pictures below aren't cropped or edited the way I normally like.  I'm happy simply to be able to post them.

What did you do this weekend?

Good News, Bad News

The good news is I had a great time today visiting my friends Xenia and Mark as they made an appearance at Bloomingdale's to promote their makeup line.  It was fun to see Xenia interact with her fans - some of whom are very young - in mutual-delight.

Equally good news is that Xenia just made the covers of two magazines, one of which recognizes her success as a businesswoman.  She's not just a pretty face!

Doe Deere Blogazine

The bad news is, this morning, my computer caught a virus.  I took it in for repair and they said it'll take a week before I get it back.  Fortunately, I can temporarily borrow another computer - but it won't have the same ease in posting and, of course, I don't have any of my photos available.  So, posts will be imageless for the next few days.  Please stick around!

The Point Of Blogging

I'm a bit confused.

I know why I blog (for self-expression), but I don't understand why some others do.  It seems, from reading the aspirations of other bloggers, that many want to attract a huge following.  In fact, they explicitly discuss how to drive readers to their blogs with both subtle and blatant self-promotion.

Why?

Of course, everyone likes to be popular, but what does being read online by many people get you? 

It doesn't facilitate making friends, because friendship is based on regular, quality interactions -- and having 100+ readers usually precludes that.

It doesn't make real money, as far as I know.

And, last, there doesn't seem to be a correlation between quality and quantity.  Some of the biggest blogs have meager offerings.  The substance of their posts are often anemic by any standard.  As a reader, I much prefer blogs with better quality regardless of how many comments are shown.

Your  ideas?

What Appeals To You?

A blog can be anything.  That freedom creates opportunities.

I've been thinking about what I want my blog to be... and experience has helped refine my thoughts.  Your comments have often told me what works and what doesn't, what appeals to you (e.g., intelligent fashion) and what doesn't (e.g., foolish outfits; anything about the Supreme Court).

I don't want my blog to be egocentric.  I don't want solipsism to rule.  It's easy to be self-centered online, but that isn't how I am in person and not how I want my blog to be.

I'd like my posts to appeal to you.  To give you something, provide content with value.

So, what would you like to see?  What do you want to talk about?

There's lots on the table.  With little prompting, I'm eager to start conversation about social issues, to explore ideas of gender, to chat about cooking and to dissect films -- but before doing any of that, I want to know what you want.  If it's fashion you prefer, do you like posts about current trends?  To look at pictures of pretty models?  Or to watch me express my style as a tyro?

Different people have different preferences and I don't assume all of you are alike in your interests.  So feel free to mention your particular preference and I'll try to serve your needs.

And, yes, that picture above is me!

The View Out My Window

Hit & Miss

Here's the pink skirt again in an outfit that should have worked but doesn't.

I constructed the outfit using an approach learned from other bloggers and, laid out on the bed, it looked great.  On my body, however, I noticed immediately that something is off -- the jacket doesn't hang right on my body.

Perhaps my shoulders are too big or my upper-body is too wide.  The jacket looks good on a hanger but awful on me.  Can you figure out why?

On the plus side, I like how well the color of the top complements the color of the skirt.  Don't you agree?

A Dress Of One's Own

Continuing my movement toward conventional style, I found this attractive dress at Kohls for a low price. 

I like it.  The dress is a cute color, has a nice design-feature near the bust, and is a length I like.  Some may say it's too short, but I enjoy showing off my legs.

What do you think of the dress?  And should older people only wear long lengths?