Popping my cork

Today was the day I woke up vowing to learn how to pop a cork. Hey, it's these little things that keep life interesting. Or not so little; I mean, shouldn't a man in his 30s know how to uncork a bottle of wine? The few other times I've tried, I've either broken the cork into 10 pieces or forced it into the bottle. It's increasingly become a source of supreme embarrassment.

So I've had a bottle of 2006 Blackstone Merlot sitting in my kitchen since July...along with the free Waiter's Corkscrew from a job last summer. Just learning that it WAS a "Waiter's Corkscrew" was an accomplishment. I learned everything ONLINE. Taught by the computer! And so THAT thing's called a LEVER! And THAT'S a FOIL CUTTER!?! WOW!! And after reading over the instructions a good 3 times verrrrrrrrry slowly, I attempted to pop my cork. AND I DID IT!! I was very nervous, but I persisted and succeeded! YAY for Gary! I think what I MAY have been doing wrong in the past is SHOVING the screw into the cork instead of, you know, SCREWING it.

I'm savoring my wine now at 12:50am, free of the chunks of cork that permeated past attempts. Such a delight! Practice makes perfect, though, and I won't feel totally cocksure until I've done this several more times...and with the various other kinds of corkscrews. Isn't educating oneself fun?!