Random wine blog: car issues, the YMCA, Butterfly Bushes, Vegas, Cat Psychics, and Rainbows

Ay ay ay! It's been a day. I should be working on my ginormous to do list, but it's 11:30 PM and I need a glass of wine. And it's been a while since I've had some wine and blogged about whatever. So I will. Tonight's blog is brought to you by a Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Denominazione di Origine Controllata. And no, I have no idea what that means--I just typed everything I saw on the bottle. It's one of the left over bottles from my ladies' wine night last week--every 6 or 8 weeks I invite a bunch of women over for an evening of gabbing and I ask them to bring one of their favorite (affordable!) bottles of wine. Then I have like 10 bottles left over. It's a good racket if I can keep it up.

Onto the random!

• My car broke down on me yet again today. Right at the beginning of an intersection. Thinking I was strong, I opened the door and attempted for .02 seconds to see if I could push it, in heels, and steer it out of the intersection. Not so much. All I can say is thank the Lord for cell phones and AAA. And the nice girl jogging who offered to help me push my car. You rule, sister. Even though I didn't take you up on your offer, I totally think we could have done it. 
• So last time my car broke down (PT Cruisers suck, honey, yes, you were right) I promised myself that the next time it happened I'd get another car. Today was 'next time', so I hit up 3 dealerships and tomorrow possibly one more. Dear "Gentlemen" who sell cars: I deal with brides and their moms on a daily basis. I'm a lot tougher than I look. Peace, Amber.
• Last weekend my hubby and I got to get away for our annual camping trip up to the Sequoias! It was the first weekend this summer that I didn't have a wedding or he didn't have a show. Unlike THIS fiasco 2 years ago, we had an amazing and peaceful 4 days in paradise. I love, love, love camping, being out of cell/internet signal, and reading my favorite book for the 4th time ("Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver)
• Hubby and I just joined the YMCA by our house and I'm really liking it thus far. It is the complete opposite of the pretentious-Hollywoody-girls-wear-makeup-when-they-go-to-the gym that we joined when we first moved to LA. I'm loving the cardio salsa class taught by the spicy, 60-something year old Lilia who wears red stretch headbands. Most instructions are given in Spanish,  yet every now and then she yells out inspiring stuff like "shake it, mamacitas! shake it!"  She is fabulous.
• My mom sent me this photo of her butterfly bushes at home and homesickness punched me in the gut

• My husband gets to go home (Arkansas)  this weekend for his niece's 2nd birthday party. I have to go to Vegas with my 2 besties from highschool. And yes, I was being snarky when I said "have to" , although Vegas in August could be punishment for some. 
• One of our cats is still dealing with allergies and so now, instead of buying crazy expensive hypoallergenic cat food from the vet, we're making, yes making, them food. I cooked down an entire chicken for them yesterday. And the ingrates don't like it! Weird, weird animals. And, yes, we know we're "those people" who now make our animals gourmet (and organic!) food. Next we're probably going to bust out the animal psychic for Milton.
• Once again, I'm sure everyone who has access to the internet saw the hilariousness that was the Double Rainbow video a few weeks ago, but the song, below, makes me laugh and gets stuck in my head for days at a time. So now I'm putting it in your head: