"The finer things in life." How do you define them?

Well, in case you did not know, I started my new job at a wine shop that sells gourmet food and such. I know my wines to a point, but the food they sell, well, I ain't eating most of it.

So my job today was to try to learn about different foods. We got Italian (Antipasti, Pesto, Pistou?) Sushi seasonings, all kinds of crazy stuff I will not eat. Especially snails. I am not eating snails!

I am a very picky eater. My boss does not like this. He says I am missing out on the finer things in life. While I agree to a point, I do not eat certain foods because the make me want to puke! So I don't eat them.

So I was thinking. What are the finer things in life? Is it all sight, smell, and taste, or can it be more? I was big into wine in the late '90s, and yes, I drank some nice $50 or more bottles of wine. I remember a few, they were nice. And a Kabinett and some Baby Havarti cheese cannot be beat, but is that what you remember?

One of my best memories, well besides the two times I had two females in a bed, is one that happened in California, on a mt. bike ride. I got directions at a bike shop to Salmon Falls in the Sacramento area, and went. Great ride, not too technical, but fun. Saw mule deer, turkeys, and sat on a bench at the top of a hill, looking over some beautiful clear water, with 2 hawks mating or fighting overhead...

Or on a local mt. bike course when you clean a section you have had to walk the last month or so! To me that is life, not eating some nice pasta or an odd item I can't pronounce.

So what, to my fellow Geeks are the finer things in life? Holding your child for the first time, building your first computer, riding a bike over 45mph, or watching a photograph start to appear in a darkroom... Or do you just go for the caviar and such... I would think holding your child the first time would rate as number one, or a horrible nightmare...

E

 

watching my kids being born.. no words for that feeling exist in the english language.

Hearing my son call me daddy.
Hearing my son call my father grandpa Joe.
Watching my baby smile.. and laugh and just enjoy his innocence.

I don't think the best bottle of wine in the world can top that euphoria. It's not possible.

After that.. gadgets.. lots of gadgets like wide-screen TV's.. and sports cars with all the cool HUD , GPS and cool car tech in them.

 

Stuff like that does not come in a bottle.

Hearing my son call me daddy.
Hearing my son call my father grandpa Joe.
Watching my baby smile.. and laugh and just enjoy his innocence.

I think we are reading the same book Kodo, just on different chapters.

Peace to you, and enjoy your child.

E

 

I agree with Kodo and Fred_G. Family is at the top of my list of fine things. Right now, sitting in my backyard with the grill going, listening to birds sing, watching my dog run the yard, and talking with my wife are things I wouldn't trade for anything.

 

I agree with Kodo and Fred as well - family before all things. Watching my sons be born was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced . . . and it's true that the best things in life are free. I'm expecting my first blood grandchild in June (I do have a god-granddaughter), and I can't wait!

But after family, I fully believe that he who dies with the most gadgets wins!!

And Fred, ref ménage à trois, . . . I'll stand on the Fifth Amendment :innocent

 

Love of your family
Respect of your friends, and lots of friends.
Enough money to live comfortably on, but not so much it rules your life.
Useful productive work to do, the kind you enjoy doing.

And when you pass on, people say the world was a better place for your being here.

 

For those single geeks(at least me) among us the finer things in life are...

A big fat juicy t-bone w/ all the trimming

A nice bottle of some wheat hefevizen

Sitting in my backyard watching my garden grow as the sun slowly sinks over the horizon.....

Whilst thinking of the bass fishing trip this weekend...

I am a simple man, (no laughing) with simple needs

 

I forgot to say what I had going on the grill, Perfect choice! Although, I prefer porterhouse's:yum

 

the love of a good woman (and my wife)

watching my daughter grow into a fine woman and finding the man she loves although a bit sad about no grand kids, she's a career woman but just to see her happy makes it all worth while.

 

Well, according to him and his customers and who pay your salary I say you do try what you can, it is all food, even the chocolate covered bees. As to the finer things in life is concerned, I think it's elitist, just like dog shows and that whole business as for example caviar. Take some fish eggs, colour them and throw way too much salt on them and charge an arm and a leg for that crap. I'll eat almost anything, once anyway, but most of that stuff is not tasty for me except sashimi (raw) grade tuna made properly.:drool

I think it was Chesapeake Bay slaves way back when, who were given lobster as that was considered a nuisance catch and the cheapest food to feed them. What has changed the mindset of people to elevate the lowly lobster? Anyways, the real stuff has been said above so I stayed away from repeating the obvious.

 

The sound of a V8,hot shower,good comedy film,cote de pablo and 60 FPS.

All that baby stuff when cote agrees to come on a date with me or I leave the house whichever comes first

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0364845/Ss/0364845/0073.jpg.html?path=gallery&path_key=0364845

 

She plays a pretty tough agent on NCIS. Smart, cute, and dangerous are you really sure you are ready for that?

 

None really ATM I need a need an upgrade

Stop it musky I'v gone all a quiver

 

When me and the missus laugh together,

I rarely get to the countryside, but when I do I really appreciate the beuty of nature (forests, hills etc)

I have a baby on the way, that will probably end up being the finest thing!

 

You know theres nothing I like enough in this world to keep me here,theres some pretty cool stuff but it isnt amazing,just stuff to fill in the boredom

If I were sure there were something better after death I'd probably go confused

EDIT yeh I know having wife and children would probably change that

 

The finer things in life are not things that are tangible, or can necessarily be seen with the eyes. And mostly, they're the things you make fine in your life, whatever those things might be. Your idea of the finer things is always be different than those around you, and that's what makes life, no matter how much it may suck at some points, so interesting. Wouldn't it be boring if every person on Earth was exactly the same, with the same looks and interests? I don't wanna imagine that, really. Would it really be so great if everyone loved eating snails, and drinking nothing but $250 bottles of some wine? No, I didn't think so, either. Like the old saying goes, "Variety is the spice of life." Truer words just simply don't apply here.
By the way, WAYNE82, I myself live in the countryside, here in Southeast Missouri, and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I love being able to wake up at about 6:00 in the morning, walk out onto our deck, and see deer silently grazing on the hillside behind our house. It's little things like that that just make me appreciate life that much more. Maybe I need to get some pictures taken, or see if I already have some, and post them in the future.

 

I have to wonder what possessed you to apply for a job at a place like that if you don't like those things. After all, it is only reasonable of your boss to expect you to be knowledgeable about the items you sell, so it makes perfect sense to me that he would want you to try them even if you think you don't like them. What was it my mom was always telling me..."you don't have to eat all of it, just one bite so I know you tried it before you said you didn't like it". It's a good habit.

For me, the "finer things in life" vary daily. Sometimes it's as simple as taking my shoes off and taking my hair down at the end of a long work day. Other times it's as involved as being able to drive across the country to visit friends and gorge myself on seafood. I have no kids, but I take great joy in my nieces and nephews.

 

Well Sgt. Tibbs, I did not really apply there. I used to buy wine there, and had not had a chance to stop by and see them in a while. While I was dropping off resumes, I stopped there just to say Hi to them. During the conversation, I mentioned I was out dropping off resumes, and he caught me off guard by asking me when I wanted to start...

I totally agree with you on product knowledge. I am learning. Ate a caper today, not very tasty for me. Will try other stuff in the future, except snail.

To him, life's finer things seem to be food and beverages. To me, although I like some nice wine and such, life's finer moments seem to be things I have experienced and have defined my experience on this rock, and I was curious about what others thought about it.

And I am trying to learn Sgt. Tibbs, Pesto, traditionally is made from pine nuts and Basil. Pine Nuts come from pine trees. And chipotle peppers are just smoked jalapenos. And yep, I can't spell...

Eric

 

Snails are a bit rubbery and chewy they do not have much taste so they are served with garlic butter to give them flavoruke

another thing they eat here is Frogs legs (havn't tried them:eek) but one thing i do not understand is what do they do with the rest of the frog.confused

 

Catfood? Probably just thrown away.

 

Now cooked frog legs I have had, tastes like chicken... I have always wondered what they do with the rest of the frog also. Never heard of frog breast or anything like that.

E

 

I hear miss piggy buys them in bulk

 

:eek *Kermit just heard that remark!*

 

There are many things that give me pleasure. Like most, family probably tops the list, but I get a kick from just learning stuff, and gaining a little better understanding of what's around me, and myself, I guess. Yep, geek toys are pretty cool (looking at my new wide screen monitor, a.t.m. ).

Might sound kind of sappy, but I do enjoy helping others out, too, and maybe giving them a few 'good brakes' that they need in life.
I don't like eating for the sake of it, but I appreciate good quality food, drink etc. The way I look at it, if it's something I have to do at least once or twice a day, I may as well enjoy it, and pass that on to others.

Not big on many so-called 'delicacies'. But prefer to take ordinary food, and make it into something a bit special, if I have the time.

 

Most definitely my babies top the list, including grandbabies which I was there when at least half of them entered the world. I have to say health, mine not being tip top kinda sucks the enjoyment from a lot of things, such as traveling to visit those precious people I helped join this crazy trip called life.
Then theres the beach, rain, music, other then that I could be content with a pot of beans and cornbread.

 

Well, it looks like I need to widen my horizons to a point. I am still not going to eat any snails! I drank a really nice German Spatlase with some Baby Havarty cheese today... damn, that was good!

I have a couple of bottles of red wine I got for xmas a few years ago I will try sometime this week. Just have to find a good cheese to go with them.

Oh yeah, I ate a caper, I do not like them. I need to get some contact lens so I can get back on my bike and get crazy!

Hope you had a good weekend.

E

 

I've heard that before, Fred, about frog tasting like chicken. I say, in that case, just gimme a freakin' chicken! I've been told I have had capers . . . but I have no memory of the event . . . probably means I didn't like the taste.

Nor will I eat snails. My wife likes them . . . not me. Not tried them, don't intend to. I'd like to know who in the dim past took a look at a snail and thought, "I think I'll eat that"

Yuck!

 

...Frenchmen, 'Nuff said.

 

That is funny!

 

Not living in Liverpool anymore.

 

Probably the same guy who caught HIV from a monkey...

 

That's kinda like they guy who looked at a cow's udder, and apparently said to himself, "You know, I think I'll drink whatever comes outta those things!"
Yet another of life's mysteries, that we may never solve.confused

Oh, and I think CORPORAL PUNISHMENT is gonna get some punishement himself from KODO!:boxing:boxing:crybaby

 

Thats funnier!!

 

Snails were imported from France and settled quite nicely in the N. American Continent, same as quail.

 

I gag occasionally eating chicken, turned into a self imposed vegetarian. Maybe it's an age thing. OR MY COOKING!!!

 

You have a dang good point. I still ain't eating snails!

E

 

Me, my husband, in a boat, floating down the river, poles in hand, fish biting.

OR....

Me, my husband, on SaintOfPain's deck at 6:00am, 30-06 in my hands, deer at my feet roflmao

 

Tried both frog legs (including other parts of frog) and snails...beautifully cooked, tasty and delicious at a French restaurant. But given they are not a staple food (eg chicken, pork, beef, lamb) my choice not to have them again.

I also believe in showing some courtesy to hosts by eating their foods (even when the food looks as though it's moving which happened in Indonesia:eek).

 

Sorry chicken flavour or not i will not eat

 

LOL *Kermit thanks you from the bottom of his heart*

 

Believe me, I won't either. Never have entertained the thought of eating something that travels by creating a trail of slime. And has eye stalks. And has a crunchy shell.uke Really, whoever started that had to be starving, with nothing to hunt, no fish, no full refrigerator, or box of Twinkies anywhere in sight.

 

OMG I'm gaging reading your discription

 

Had a nice beer I have never had. 9.5% alcohol...

This is a nice, light colored beer, with some wine type tastes to it. Westmalle Dubbel, dang, those Trappist monks are some beer making folks!

E