That's when Fukiko Myazaki of Studio Nihon will be preparing delectable sushi to be paired with the fine wines of vintner Christian Garvin.

It's a winemaker dinner that promises to be both unique and eye-opening... not to mention delicious...

Let's say, hypothetically, that you have American troops involved in two wars, that the U.S. economy has gone south, that unemployment is in double digits in many states, and that your party is facing the possibility of losing its majority in the Senate. If a President were to have all of those issues on his White House plate, he probably wouldn't have much time to work on his bowling game on the White House lanes...

Because SLO is a college town, there's an active music scene. And it doesn't stop during the summer months. In fact, it expands, with the permanent local venues being joined by seasonal venues, including a handful of wineries.

The local communities also sponsor music series, and one of the best is the Village Summer Concert Series in the town of Arroyo Grande...

1. For the first time in my adult life, at 5-foot-10 and three-quarters, I actually felt tall.

2. One could buy wine, beer and other canned or bottled adult beverages from vending machines on the streets. No I.D. required; if you had the yen, you could buy the alcohol...

In both cases, for instance, there needs to be a whole lot of give and take.

In a human marriage, one spouse may be a sports fanatic, while the other couldn't tell you the difference between a field goal and a slam dunk...

     Whereas most festivals are held over one or two days, the 24th annual GrapeFest in Grapevine, Texas, will stretch to four days: September 16-19.

     It's the biggest (of course) wine festival in the Southwest, and it's all about Texas wines...

     Westlake Village is in Ventura County, where L.A.'s 818 area code ends and the 805 area code begins.

     Ventura County is the county immediately south of Santa Barbara...

     As if California's North Coast wine country didn't already offer enough diversions, the aforementioned scenario will present itself at the 34th annual Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival on the weekend of September 11-12.

     This marks the second year that Omega Events has paired the two music genres in response to visitor suggestions...

     Test your knowledge - and perhaps learn something new - with this quick quiz. You'll find the answers below question No. 5.

     1. The ancient Romans were the first to identify grape varieties and understand that exposure to air could harm wine and hasten its aging. What did...

     My grudge is against Major League Baseball. I have held it since August of 1994, when the players went on strike and stayed out long enough to wipe out the entire post-season.

     As a multi-time All-Star in the Harbor Area Baseball program in Orange County, Calif., as a 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-year-old... and someone who would have killed to make it to the big leagues...