vacation

We Went West, Young Man-All the Way to Napa

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My spouse needed a vacation and so one night, as we were drinking wine, he said to me, “Let’s go to Napa.” Who am I to say “no” to that? So we bought airline tickets, booked our hotel and reserved a car. And this weekend was the time to head out west.

Our view from Miner Family winery

Our trip was different than the last time we were in Napa. Last time, our kids were home. One went to Australia so we had our youngest daughter with us. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law both lived in San Francisco that time and they offered to watch her. It was a great opportunity to bond so we said “yes”.

This time, we were empty nesters. We still had our contact in the food and wine industry to steer us in the right direction. Last time we only asked for wine recommendations. This time we wanted great wine and great food. Our insider didn’t disappoint. She led us to a wonderful restaurant called “Torc“. I made reservations for our first night there.

Tagliatelle with white truffles

Oh. My. God. It was so good. We didn’t want the food to stop coming. I had white truffles for the first time in my life. I wish I had tried them earlier! We were so stuffed that we didn’t even ask for dessert. And everyone knows that you eat dessert on vacation!

The next day, we headed out for the main purpose to visit Napa-wine!

One of the lessons we learned from last time was to 1) pace yourself, and 2) you don’t need to have your own flight every time.

So with that knowledge, we shared flights of wine and also spit out wine after a taste. At first, it hurt our souls to do so but we knew we were in for the long haul. The concierge at our hotel warned us to not join the wine clubs but we couldn’t help ourselves. It’s easy to join when you buy a case of wine-they throw the wine club in for free!

stomping away

Another great thing we did while out there was stomping grapes. How can you not? I felt like Lucy during the “I Love Lucy” episode where she is invited to stomp grapes herself. I dragged my spouse and it turns out that he liked it too. We stomped grapes, drank wine and got a shirt to prove we were there.

Later, we revisited some of our old favorites and learned some new ones. What Alain and I found fascinating was that we didn’t always like the wines we once did. We also learned some new wine facts. We knew that the wine cork needs to stay moist. That keeps the wine from “skunking”. We didn’t know that aging wine is a personal thing. I may like the wine after 2 years and you may like it after 5. And we both may like it best after 10 years.

We were smart, though. We bought wine we can drink right away as well as some we will save. There are wines for company and wines for us. But don’t worry, we bought enough to last for awhile either way. So stop by and have a glass with us.

Salute.

I Need a Massage!

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I have worked for a massage corporation for almost a year and a half. And let me tell you, if there’s one job where you need massages, it’s working the morning shift at the front desk of a massage corporation!

 

I know many of you have already heard me gripe about my work situation. It has frustrated me so much, I wrote an article about what to do if you hate your job. Part of the problem is that I need the income. Writing only brings in so much, you see. Another problem is that I care too much. And the final issue is that changing jobs would be a pain in the butt.

 

First Issue

Hubby would laugh at me and say that we would be fine without my measly salary. He’s right but we are nearing retirement from the military and that money would help make our retirement dreams come true. We’d like to take our 60 days and spend it split between Greece and Italy. More recently, he wants to add the Southern Caribbean for an additional month.

Second Issue

I really do care too much. I don’t understand why a person can’t just do their job and do it properly. Is it really that difficult to fold the laundry after you take it out of the dryer? Whatever happened to “on time means your late?” It’s the little things but they add up. I get frustrated when I walk into work every morning and the closing shift fails to complete their checklist. I mean, there’s a checklist for a reason! It’s not that difficult! (You can tell that my shoulders are scrunching up into my ears right about now.)

 

Last Issue

Because I do my job, the management loves me. That equates to all my requests for time off being honored. It means that I dictate what hours I want to work and there is never a conversation about me adding or changing my shifts. Where else am I going to find that? That is the one saving grace to me staying. I know that I get what I want.

 

So do you understand why I need massages? I had one yesterday. And once again, I was reminded that my body is getting worse. Sitting at a computer all day for this job as well as typing my assignments has forced my shoulders to maintain the “Hunchback of Notre Dame” position. The sad thing is that I used to take advantage of my free massage a month. I thought that it would be enough. About three months ago, I started booking myself for two a month. Apparently, that isn’t enough either. I’m going to try 90-minute massages and see if that helps. But you know you’re in trouble when you first get on the table and your therapist is already telling you that you need more sessions.

 

I’m not ready to give up on my job yet but I think I may need to ask for a raise. Or at least a stipend for stretch sessions!