Good evening

Amy posted today that she is finally going to break down and get the iPhone she's been coveting. Which reminded me of the photos I took during a lovely evening with friends in California a couple of weeks ago.

They laughed at me for taking a picture of everyone playing with their iPhones. Supposedly you can wave one iPhone at another and they will "talk" to each other. Didn't work, though.

Or maybe it was just the wine talking.

We had ample doses of that, what with some bona fide oenophiles in the room. Dinner was delicious mussles with parmesan noodles, under the fabulous former street light chandelier (still awaiting proper wiring) that was found at the Alameda Antique Fair.

At long last I got to taste the homemade Porto de Primos bottled in 2004, a combination of petite syrah and a keg of 180-proof brandy. Not knowing you're supposed to add the brandy to the wine a little at a time, they poured it all in at once. A furious chemical reaction ensued and they feared for the worst, but given four years to settle down, it turned out quite fine.

A bottle came home in my checked bag. Thanks, TSA, for not pinching it. I would've gladly surrendered my steak knife, but don't take my wine!