From the Moron

I am a serial geek. I hop amongst areas of interest like a ... like a cat hopping ... uh ... amongst timbers in a shipwreck. Yeah, that's it. I throw myself into the subject matter as a madman throws himself into a padded wall at the asylum. I devour the topic-du-jour the way my SUV devours petrol. And then I become bored and quit. Such is the life of a serial hobbyist.

On one level, this is sad and pathetic, to lack the mental fortitude to see a thing through to its conclusion. Or, perhaps boredom is the conclusion when you've learnt all you care to learn about something (which is another way of saying you lack mental fortitude - which is okay, I think). On another level (lower or higher, I don't know which), I get to learn a decent amount about a variety of interesting things, more than I would had I never jumped in head-first without checking the depth. I do it because it is fun - cranial injuries be damned!

It's amusing, I think, these wandering interests of mine, and so I thought it could be amusing to others if I chronicled my pursuits ... for however long they happen. I usually enter these realms as a complete moron and emerge (at some point) hopefully slightly less of a moron. Most importantly, I always learn something - often a lot - about a subject, and I think one of the most important things we can do as humans is build palaces of knowledge - even at the individual level (although my "palace" may be another person's"mobile home").

Of recent note in my excursions have been dabbles with bonsai, luthiery, and ... um ... aquary? Aquarianism? Aquariumicness? Fish-keeping. In these I have achieved various levels of success: Bonsai - complete failure. Fish-keeping - pleasant success. Luthiery - learned a lot, never built a thing. I've even taken a half-decent stab at 3D art

My latest all-consuming (pun fully intended) hobby is ... WINE! Yes, that's right, a beverage I've never much cared about has become an obsession. Oh, I've enjoyed wine over the years, but I never had any interest in the culture of it. Until recently I thought "tannin" was a skin product used by the cast of "Jersey Shore". But a recent winery tour and the acquaintance of a successful winemaker have Awakened the Geek, and I now spend many a spare hour studying as much as I can about viticulture and vinification (the latter term which, before now, I had assumed had something to do with the legal system ... hey, I never studied Latin, m'kay?)

So it is, in this little journal of mine, that I share with you, fine reader, my Adventures in Wine! A note of caution: Master Sommelier/Master of Wine I am not and will never be. If you've arrived here hoping to find the musings of an expert disguised as a newbie you will be sorely and frequently disappointed, I fear - at least at the beginning. Perhaps I will one day possess some actual critical skill in guzzling wine and may become a reasonably decent purveyor of wine recommendations and education. And that's what is most important to me in sharing this journey with you: that I learn and, hopefully, you get to learn with me.

At least until I get bored and take up photography. 

If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to email: smellier (the symbol that look like a monkey) moronsayswhat (itty bitty circle) com