Heading to California

I made it to California a few weeks ago.  Wine, amazing food and time with friends.  Who doesn't enjoy that prospect?

Tom originally invited me as his plus one to the Healdsburg Wine Festival.  Honestly, it was pretty awesome.  250 wineries, four hours to try them out and some food.  And no, we did not sustain four hours.  It was too much time.  One of my critiques--it needed to offer more food.  I loved that I was unfamiliar with a good amount of wine.  They had a few water stations (another critique, but if you know me, water is like my security blanket.  I feel like Linus, lol).  

They did many things right.  I loved the wrist band that they placed on my wrist.  Instead of the irritating typical wrap, it was easily applied to my wrist and adjustable.  I loved that.  

The entrance to the event was a little confusing.  They need to figure that aspect out.  We had paper tickets and were told to enter a line but there were a few other lines to the entrance.  Volunteers were shouting this is the way.  Yet, it was not.  We were able to enter pretty quickly.

Initially I was concerned about the porta potties.  Seemed concentrated in an area (similar to wine and chile) but they were accessible and camouflaged.  I appreciated that attention to detail.  

The tent coverage and number of wineries was great.  The price point also was fair.  And they attracted a younger demographic which was also promising.  Perhaps, local folks but that was great.  I was grateful to attend to the event.  

In addition to the wine festival, we saw Lauren in Calistoga and Jarred in Napa.  I am now a case of wine happier.  The wine was delivered to Tom.  I suppose a trip to Santa Fe is in my future.

San Franscisco was delightful.  Flew in.  Picked up the car to drive to Healdsburg.  Returned to the city, dropped the car off and took the BART into the city.  I love how convenient that is and affordable.  We arrived at Powell Station and made our way into the city.  Checked into the hotel and headed to the House of Nanking.  It is one of my favorite spots to eat.  I was a trifle disappointed this time.  Extremely busy and our table was blocked by the line of folks waiting to get a table.  

We shared dumplings and long beans.  Honestly, the dumplings in Santa Fe at Dumpling Cafe are fire.  They are the freshest dumplings I have ever had.  Unfairly to the House of Nanking, that memory resonates.  The dumplings are so good in Santa Fe.  They are fire.

Our wine from AJ Pearce arrived on Friday.  Tom told me that we might need to order more.  I am all for supporting my friends.  I intend to call Jarred and let him know that we are interested in another case.

California has changed a little since my last visit.  The traffic has not waned.  Although, it took much longer to drive to Napa from the city.  Part of it was the lack of understanding in dealing with a four way stop.  

Yes, San Francisco is dirtier, grittier, unrefined (in some ways).  But it isn't as bad as portrayed in the media.  Yes, there are people urinating in the streets.  And, I have viewed this in Denver, Santa Fe, Phoenix....And there is a large amount of homeless people there as well as every other city.   People blaming homeless people for the decline of tourism in San Francisco are deluding themselves.  There is still tourism, opportunity and love for the city.   And, yes, there are homeless people.  

I am tired of listening to fear and hatred.  Get out of your bubble and explore the world.  Spread kindness and joy,

Another rainy day in Denver

I know we need the moisture.  Yet I am ready for the return of the sun.  I love the weather in Denver and how sunny it is (normally).  I am not ready for one hundred degrees, but I do want to bask in the sunlight.

Waking up to this inspires me to hibernate.  Find some soup, hot tea and hunker down.  Maybe stay on the couch.  I know that I cannot achieve that laziness today.  I have admin, graphics and communication to handle.  My next yoga happy hour is at the end of the month.  The final Tuesday of May.  I need to promote it to my clients and make it accessible to others in the neighborhood.  I have opportunity to expand and grow. 

Packing for California.  I am uncertain about how to pack.  Will it be rainy in San Francisco?  Should I bring jeans and a hoodie?  Tom would prefer if I wore short dresses the entire time.  I know yoga pants will be included and a swimsuit or two.  We do have pool access at two of the accommodations.  Hopefully, they will be open and available. When we visited Wichita Falls, the pool was closed.  

I am still undecided about what to bring and how much wine to purchase.  I think I could ship wine to Tom's address.  It might be easier than sending it to mine.  I want to buy wine from Jarred.  He is an old friend, and I am sure his wine is great.  We are stopping by his tasting room on Wednesday to discover what wines are available.  I feel that we might spend more time there than anticipated.  

Our schedule is flexible until Friday.  Thursday, we will meet up with a former colleague of mine in Calistoga or Healdsburg for a bite to eat.  Lauren has lived in wine country for the last four or five years.  We have kept in contact as she visits Denver.  Cool chick.  And Tom is easy to chat with.  He can basically talk to anyone.  Then, we are required to check into the hotel and meet up with folks from Santa Fe.  I believe the introductory meeting is late afternoon in Healdsburg for the wine festival.  One of the board members is hosting a cocktail hour in their room.

On Friday, Tom has to attend breakfast meetings.  I am given the option to join spouses/partners for breakfast.  Yet, I will be teaching yoga remotely.  I have scheduled a few classes to occupy my time and keep me focused on my business.  Then, we are treated to a few winery tours.  Multiple tastings, lunch/dinner and then the main event on Saturday.  Thankfully, we have the option to walk to the festival. I think that is preferable to taking a shuttle or arranging a car.  

I cannot wait to attend the festival.  I am curious as to which wineries will participate and what food will be provided.  How it differs from the wine festival in Santa Fe?  How it is marketed.  Very curious to attend.

The food will be off the hook.  I have no doubt about that.  As noted, Tom and I have left a lot of things unplanned.  I think it will be exciting this way.

Make it a beautiful Monday!  Even if it is raining where you live.

Thankful Thursday

May 11th.  I always remember this date as one of my classmates from grade school celebrated her birthday today.  As an adult, Lacey was a huge Royals fan.  Actually, she always loved the Royals.  She took me to my first major league game when I was 10 years old.  

After the Royals won the World Series in 2015, I remember reaching out to her via social media and having some sort of exchange.  I knew she would be ecstatic. I enjoy watching baseball and was happy for the home team.  But I have not lived in Kansas in twenty plus years.  I have an affinity for the Diamondbacks and Rockies.  I was living in Phoenix during the 2001 Diamondback's win.  It was an exciting time for the city.  I remember watching many games during 2000 and 2001.  I think Mambo #5 was played relentlessly (to my dismay).  I became more of a fan during that time in Arizona.  Living in Denver encouraged me to embrace the Rockies.  I have not been to a game in a few years, but I love going to Coors Field.  It is a beautiful stadium.

It was good to hear from her.  Then, she died a week or two later in a random accident.  It was so weird to hear about.  And sad.

I have been pushing the idea of celebrating life daily.  I do not need more reminders to promote this.  I believe I can only control my reactions to friends' news or decisions.  And respect their decisions.  I cannot change anyone but myself.  I need to move past frustration when people choose to continue harmful behavior.  It isn't about me.  I need to remember that and focus on my health and wellness.

I am grateful for my health.  So thankful.  And the life I am creating.  The balance of working for myself can be overwhelming.  I need to improve on productivity.  Teaching classes keeps me engaged and focused.  I would like to add weekly classes to increase exposure.  And discipline.  It is very easy for me to choose to meet someone for lunch.  Today, for example, I am meeting a former customer of mine.  I am bringing Robert red chile from Santa Fe.  He is a fan of the Shed's red chile.  I used to prefer the green chile but recently, I would agree with him.  The red chile is on point.

It is another rainy day in Denver which inspires me to drink hot tea and hibernate.  I shut my windows, lit a few candles and am deep diving into podcasts.  I have four classes today.  Each providing an opportunity to customize for the client.  My final class should be the most challenging.  Rachel is healthy and her husband had rotator cuff surgery.  It's been about six months since the surgery.  I am sure that he will be able to do more than I am prepping the class.  I am concerned to not aggravate the initial injury.  That being said, he is a healthy man, has always taken care of himself and I am certain has healed.  I know that they would not seek me out if they were unable to do yoga.

What are you thankful for today?  Lean in and track it.  Celebrate the small victories.  Cheers to a thankful Thursday!

Happy Tuesday

Good morning!  I keep hearing about situations of injury, loss or break ups.  It is an odd time, and I am focusing on how to better myself instead of leaning into the chaos.  

Seriously.  Since I received my news about a close friend, being hurt, I spiraled for a couple days.  Unable to eat, experiencing crying jags and feeling empty.  It is a time of finding self-medicating easy to accomplish.  I remember when Brian died, I think I was able to drink until 4:30 (without eating.  I didn't feel like it).  I was supposed to be at work by 9 and so I would wake up without trying at 8 to be ready to work a day shift at a bar.  Looking back, I have no idea how I was able to sustain that for as long as I did.  Honestly, I think it was a solid six months before realizing that I was not helping myself.  That not eating was counterproductive especially since my partner had been a chef.  He would have mortified in my lack of eating.  Disappointed in my dealing with grief.

This go, I recognized the triggers, and I am in a different place now.  I am involved in a loving relationship.  My energy is focused on cultivating that relationship and continuing to grow and flourish.  Additionally, my friend has a vast support network and is being visited and assisted.  I did what I needed to do for me.  And I was thankful that I was contacted to let me know he was hurt.  Sometimes, we fall out of alignment with people and move in different directions.  It is natural and can be a blessing. In this case, I always wanted the best for him.  Still do.  

It was devastating to hear, and I am thankful he is recovering.  I hope to observe from a distance.  If he needs assistance, I will do what I can.  

My group of people have all checked in on me and been available to listen.  For example, Lindsay met me for coffee, Brie accompanied me to the hospital and distracted me by playing darts, Sara Jo called me, and my sisters have all been amazing.  I feel very loved by my friends.  And, then there is the other side of this.  News that was kept from me since friends knew I was navigating my own grief.  They did not know if I could handle it or not.  In some regard, I am not able to be that helpful.  I can listen.  I can be supportive, but I am unable to travel to be present with my one friend.  Thankfully, she has other people that are able to be with her currently.

There is so much brewing right now, energetically.  I do not know what it is or why it is evolving this way--grief, obstacles, death.  Maybe a time of breaking up obstacles?  I do not know enough about it.  Only that I want to connect with nature, refill my cup and focus on being kind.  I keep seeing things about the importance of community.  Maybe that is the underlying message.  I need to strengthen and build my tribe.

Yesterday, I repurposed a bed sheet by hand sewing a tote bag.  Considering I didn't measure anything (which is recommended) I feel okay with it.  I might shorten the straps today.  I am trying to organically fill my cup.  Learning new skills and being positive.

However you choose to be kind to yourself, lean in.  Happy Tuesday!

A reminder

This year is flying by.  I cannot believe it is already May and I missed celebrating cinco de mayo, lol.  Actually, I did have a few margaritas last week with Brie at Machete.  I had received some unsettling news about a friend and Brie accompanied me to the hospital and chose to spend the evening with me.  Margaritas, chips and salsa, eventually darts set the tone for our evening.  I do enjoy exploring spots in my neighborhood.  Machete is consistent.  Actually, the other night better than normal.  Our server was great!  I had met Jasmyn at the St. Paul Tavern in early April.  She took great care of us.

I wish I could say that I loved the new addition to Colfax, Bad Habits.  It was ok.  I loved playing darts with Brie and there were a few other games to choose from.  The tequila soda I ordered was one of the weakest drinks I have been served in my life.  First off, it the glassware was all wrong.  I didn't order a single in a pint glass.  I would have preferred a normal drink.  Short glass with a decent shot.  Most restaurants I have worked at pour an ounce and a half for a tequila soda.  I think the guy poured less than an ounce.  It was that weak.  To counter the shitty drink, Brie ordered an additional shot to make it palatable.  I ordered the next round and inquired about the price of a double.  I was told it would be twice the price of the single.  I know there are places that follow that system.  I questioned if it would be a healthy pour or a weak double.  I think she got my gist and made a proper drink.  I wasn't trying to be cheap.  I wanted a fair price for a decent cocktail.  Thankfully, the female bartender poured a better drink.

Since then, I have been figuring out how I am feeling.  I mean, I think back to when my I found out that my neighbor died in April.  Unsettling and reminded me to celebrate my life.  Hearing the news about my friend was like a punch to the stomach.  He has been in my life since 2008.  Supported me through moving to Phoenix, relocating to Santa Fe, and returning to Denver.  We have traveled together, and he helped me with my business when I started developing the Detox to Retox classes.  

Truly, I was unprepared to receive the news that he was hurt.  Immediately, I thought about Brian and that period of my life that was full of grief, parallel universes and haze.  

He is recovering and doing much better.  Still, I was unprepared for the news.  He is improving and I know that he has a vast support network.  I am so grateful that he is better.  Ironically, I have had some serendipitous interactions, too.  Two couples dined at the restaurant last night and casually mentioned the Brooks Tower.  It stopped me in my tracks.  My association with that building is not great.  I couldn't resist inquiring about how long they had lived there after their meal.  They moved in post 2006.  They asked me why I wanted to know.  When I mentioned that my boyfriend had died there, it became incredibly awkward.  Awkward apologies and I found it difficult it to maneuver.  My intention was not to bring it up for them to feel sorry for me.  It is an odd time.

I suppose my message is to fully live life in the present.  Tell people you love them.  Take photos of moments.  Use the special wine glasses.  Enjoy your life.  Do not wait for tomorrow.  We are not promised that.  

I will continue to be curate routines and ideas that support my livelihood.  I cannot change other people.  I can only improve myself.