AWESOMESAUCE - December 2014 by Allie Merrick

AWESOMESAUCE A LITTLE AWESOMESAUCE GOES A LONG WAY. A SELECTION OF SNAPSHOTS FROM THE ALLIE WAY DECEMBER 2014

AWESOMESAUCE A LITTLE AWESOMESAUCE GOES A LONG WAY. A SELECTION OF SNAPSHOTS FROM THE ALLIE WAY ISSUE

DECEMBER 2014

ALLIE MERRICK PUBLISHED BY

THE ALLIE WAY

WWW.THEALLIEWAY.ORG  ON THE COVER

CHOCOLATE LUNCH/LOCAL EPICUREAN ON THE LEFT

THE AWESOMESAUCE POEM BY: ETHAN MICHAEL (AGE 12)

CHOCOLATE LUNCH AT THE LOCAL EPICUREAN IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI, CHOCOLATE ISN’T JUST FOR DESSERT. LUNCH IS SERVED VIA COURSES OF CHOCOLATE IN VINTAGE STERLING SILVER.

COMMUNITY PLATE ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS WHEN IN MCMINNVILLE, OREGON HAS TO BE COMMUNITY PLATE. WITH RUSTIC AMBIANCE FRAMED WITH RECLAIMED WOOD, THERE’S NOTHING I DON’T LOVE HERE. BEYOND THAT, THE BARTENDER SERVES UP A KILLER GREYHOUND.

ETHAN MICHAEL I HAVE TWO BOYS, MY YOUNGEST GOES BY ETHAN - ETHAN MICHAEL TO BE PRECISE. AMONG OUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO TOGETHER, ROLLING IN THE GRASS, DRESSING UP ON OCCASION, SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS WITH HIS BROTHER AND READING GOODNIGHT MOON AT BEDTIME ARE AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST.

DISNEY CONCERT HALL IT WAS AT THE WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL IN LOS ANGELES THAT I WITNESSED A LIVE PERFORMANCE OF MAHLER’S FIFTH SYMPHONY CONDUCTED BY GUSTAAVO DUDAMEL, PRECEEDED BY A PRE-CONCERT LECTURE & A TOUR OF THE FACILITY TO FOLLOW. IN A WORD, THE EXPERIENCE WAS STUNNING.

INN OF THE SEVENTH RAY THERE’S A MAGICAL PLACE IN TOPANGA, CA THAT I WAS INTRODUCED TO BY A NEAR AND DEAR FRIEND, MAESTRO KIM KLUGE. LIKE THE MUSIC HE COMPOSES AND CONDUCTS, THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF MAGIC HERE FROM THE PATIO FOUNTAIN TO THE OUTDOOR CHANDELIER THAT MAKE YOU BELIEVE IF FAIRIES DO INDEED EXIST, SURELY THEY MUST LIVE NEAR BY.

PUBLICATION INTERMISSION: A STATEMENT: ‘LIKE A LADY’

ACT LIKE A LADY. THINK LIKE A BOSS.

AUTUMN AUTUMN, REFERRED TO AS ‘FALL’, IS A TIME WHERE THINGS DO INDEED FALL. LEAVES FROM TREES, TEAMS IN FOOTBALL GAMES & ON OCCASION LOVED ONES. THIS AUTUMN, AS TREES LOST LEAVES AND TEAMS LOST GAMES, I LOST BOTH MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY GRANDFATHER. ON THE SECOND PAGE TO FOLLOW IS THE LAST PHOTO TAKEN OF MY GRANDFATHER WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS TO COLLECT THE MAIL AT THE END OF THE DRIVE. I DIDN’T REALIZE THEN HOW THIS IMAGE FORESHADOWED THE END OF HIS LIFE.

TATTOOS & WINE WHEN IN PORTLAND, GET NEW INK. WITH TATOO ARTIST KARI YOCOM & WINEMAKER REBECCA PITTOCK SHOULDIS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I HAD MY ARM TATTOOED WITH THE SIGNATURE STYLE OF KARI AND MY BOTTLE OF VIOGNIER ARTISTICALLY SIGNED BY REBECCA, WHO SAT IN THE CHAIR BESIDE ME TO GET TATTOOED AS WELL.

OPUS ONE IF THERE IS JUST ONE EXPERIENCE THAT EMBODIES THE PROMISE AND POSSIBILITY OF QUALITY THAT NAPA HAS THE POTENTIAL OF MASTERING, OPUS ONE IS IT. OVER THE COURSE OF A MORNING SPENT WITH THE WINEMAKER, A BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR REVEALED A DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE THAT RESONATED IN THE MULTIPLE VINTAGES THAT WE WERE POURED.

AN OREGON DRIVE THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT OREGON THAT CAPTURES ONE’S GAZE. PURE ELEMENTS INTRINSIC TO THE LAY OF THE LAND, THE REACH OF THE TREES & THE EXTENT OF THE SKY LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS AT TIMES. CAREFUL: WHILE WATCHING THE SKYLINE, WATCH YOUR SPEED AS WELL.

CADE LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION. THESE ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN REAL ESTATE. AND SO IT IS THAT THIS ASPECT APPLIES TO WINE AS WELL. MY FAVORITE PART OF NAPA IS THAT OF HOWELL MOUNTAIN. IT IS THERE THAT CADE PRODUCES IMPECCABLE CABERNET, WHILE PRESIDING OVER THE VALLEY FLOOR BELOW,

PUBLICATION INTERMISSION: A POEM: ‘SHIFT’

SHIFT

BY: ALLIE MERRICK

CLUTCH IN WITH CIRCUMSTANCE NOW COMES THE CHANCE TO SHIFT TO A GEAR AND PASS BY FEAR LEAVING BEHIND WHAT BOUND YOUR MIND TO A PAST AND A CURSE WHILE STUCK IN REVERSE NOW COMES THE CHANCE IN THE REAR VIEW TO CLANCE THEN SHIFT HIGHER YET TO A FUTURE NOT SET

ZION WITH MY SISTER DARED, MY SOUL PREPARED & A SANCTUARY OF PEAKS AND CAVERNS, MY DEAR FRIEND, REBECCA, & I ENTERED ZION NATIONAL PARK AND ASCENDED ANGELS LANDING. AT AN ELEVATION OF OVER 5,000 FEET WE MARVELED AT MARVELOUS SIGHTS.

BIKING & BREWERIES BIKING & BREWERIES. BOTH OF THESE TERMS ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH PORTLAND. THAT SAID, FOR ‘HAVE WINE WILL TRAVEL’, WE EXPLORED THE CITY VIA BREWCYCLE WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A BAR ON WHEELS THAT PARTICIPANTS PEDAL TO GET FROM ONE BREWERY STOP TO ANOTHER.

PUBLICATION INTERMISSION: A CONFESSION: ‘THE SAME DENIM COAT’

YES, I STILL WEAR THE SAME DENIM COAT I WORE IN THE 8TH GRADE. NOW 35-YEARS-OLD, I STILL ROCK THE SIZE 14/16 GIRLS APPAREL ON OCCASION.

AWESOMESAUCE A LITTLE AWESOMESAUCE GOES A LONG WAY. A SELECTION OF SNAPSHOTS FROM THE ALLIE WAY