Go Green, What The Heck

So I have been thinking about this for a while and I took some action today. I am going to do a couple of things to do my part for the environment, and it's not because of Al Gore's stupid concert or his movie or because Madoona says so or anyone else. I just figured, why not. It's not really that hard. The slogan, "think globally, act locally" is perfect, it makes so much sense. Look I am not going to any protest or buy a hybrid car, but if it is true that if you do one thing it can make a difference then I will do it. What have I done? Look at the picture above, that is my clothes line. I didn't snag it from the web, I actually took the picture (the line was put up by the previous neighbor) after hanging my clothes on it. I also bought some of those 7 year light bulbs. I feel like I have done something. I am not writing this to get you to do something, that is not my style. Sometimes a change in lifestyle feels good. I hear a change in lifestyle is really coming my way after I get married. I will believe it when I see it. Oh, for those of you that didn't know, Tricia and I got engaged a week and half ago. I mentioned to my friend Autumn, that every since the engagement, things seem to make sense, to be more calm and more together. I can't explain it, it just is.

I'm going on vacation next week. Guys trip to Mexico, celebrating a friends 40th birthday. I am sure to have plenty of stories. The guys I'm going with are incredibly funny. Funny in a different way. A very intelligent humor that sometimes gets lost on me. A reference about The Chairman Maoi can be very funny in a smart way. I can't explain it, it just is.

Good Neighbors/Better Friends

I will make this short and to the point. Be sure to be a good neighbor and a better friend. I have leaned heavily on my neighbors the last week. If I didn't have them I would have be screwed. My advice is, don't be a hermit, get out and meet your neighbors, chances are they are great people and there is a better chance that you will need them some day and they will need you. I used to laugh at Hillary Clintons message that, "It takes a village" now I see what she means and I don't have kids. It really does take a village in our little Village of Volente. I have neighbors that look out for me and I look out for them. We take care of each other and we have fun together. Be a part of the neighborhood.

Wine

Tricia and I are in the Napa Valley. This area is georgous, our hotel is tucked into the hills with a cool view of the valley. I have never seen so many people so excited about food and wine. Hey I love food and I love wine, but these people are passionate about it. I really don't know much about either. I know what I like and I know what I don't. We had an amazing meal Tuesday night, probably one of the best meals I have had in my life. I wish I could explain it like the waiter did, but I would botch it up. Anyway, I have to tell you about a place Tricia and I went to yesterday. It is called the Frank Family Vineyard. It is the only vineyard we went to and have no desire to go to any of the others. When you drive through Napa, St. Helena and Callistoga, you see these huge, fancy, opulant winereis. They are intimidating. I don't know that I could enjoy myself at one of these places. Just to fancy and stuffy for me. Fortunately, one of the valet guys recomended a vineyard that was a 5 minute drive from the hotel. It is call the Frank Family Vineyard http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/index.jsp And there is nothing fancy about this place. Tricia and I loved it. It is a small little place, that is said to make some of the best wines in the world. We bought a few bottles. What was amazing is how laid back everyone was, how welcoming and educational they were. Jerry was the guy that helped out our little group, he told us about the wines, where they come from, what to expect when you taste them, etc. Most of all he made us laugh. One of the other people in our small group told us that he and his wife stopped by the Opus Vineyard and said that it was incredibly stuffy. You are expected to have an appointment, it cost $25 to taste one small glass of thier wine, all in all he said it was a miserable experience. The Frank Family Vineyard reminds you of small old home. They do not charge you to taste and you don't need an appointment. We got lucky in that Rich Frank, the vineyards owner stopped by to say hi. He walked in after spending 7 hours with the city council. He was trying to get them to approve a new tasting room. It was the culmination of a 2 1/2 year struggle, he said they got 98% of what they wanted and he was happy. What he really wanted was a drink. 'Ol Jerry poured the boss a big glass. He then went around the room and introduced himself to everyone in the room. I noticed some gold record on the wall from Disney. I asked him what his connection to the record business was and he told me that he was the President of The Disney Studios for 10 years. We talked radio and many other things. What a wonderful man. I did a little homework when we got back to the hotel. Put it this way, if you have a Disney DVD at home it is because if this man. If you ever watched Cheers, it was in big part to this man, he also lauched the USA Network and many other things. You can read all about him in the family section of the link above. In the past I have cracked jokes on the air about guys who have where they work on one side of their shirt and what their name is on the other. I will never make that joke again. Rich had on one of those shirts. I think he is one of those rare guys that never let success change him. He seemed like a real roll up your sleaves kind of guy. He only has 35 employess at the vineyard. He introduced Tricia and I to the head winemaker and the companies CFO. He even gave us a bottle of Champage. I think the guys really liked Tricia. What's not to like, she is hot. If you ever take a trip to Napa, you have to go to The Frank Family Vineyard. It epitomy of the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Tought To come up with a title

I am on vacation but I want to blog. Too me, writing isn't work, it is fun. I don't know if any of you really care what I write about, but I like doing it. Especially on vacation. If you are new to the show, there is something you need to know. I love vacation. I love seeing new places and doing new things. This vacation has been great for alot of reasons but one of them is GPS. For $8 a day I rented a GPS System and it is amazing. GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite and it rocks. It is a tiny computer that gives you verbal step by step directions to where you want to go. This thing has eliminated so much stress it is amazing. We flew into San Jose, got a car and a GPS, punched in the hotel we wanted to go to and it tells us every turn right to the front door of the hotel. AMAZING!! We are currently in one of the coolest places I have ever been. If you want all night parties, beer bongs and loud music, this isn't the place for you. If you want to chill in the Napa Valley, this is the place. I REALLY splurged on this place, but it is worth it. I love credit cards! E-mial me and I will tell you the name. It is in Calistoga, it reminds me of The Crossings in Austin. Very Zen, very peaceful and the shower is outside. WOW.

Sandy

Hello From San Francisco

Tricia and I got here yesterday and we both love it so far. It reminds me of New York but with hills and less people and the weather is great. We found a cool neighborhood sushi bar that was awesome. Also a cool little breakfast joint. I walked out without my credit card, I went back an hour later and got it back. Off to do the Alcatraz tour, then some fresh seafood and cold beer. This will be my 4th or 5th tour of Alcatraz and it is always cool. I like doing at least one tour during the day and then poking around the rest of the day. Gotta run.

Sandy