Last dog day of Spring

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog ( probably because I am the only one who reads it ) But it is good to do this every once and awhile. Today the heat was over 90 degrees and I am back at work trying to get ten things done at once. Even though it is relatively slow on my first day back after two days off, I have found that I can stay busy doing this sort of thing! Today, I got on my motor scooter at lunch and drove as fast as I could to Calistoga to pick up a pay stub for verification so that I can be compensated for the days that I took off to do the mock trial down in Napa. I was pissed that I was not paid for those days.Of course it was my own problem because I failed to tell Connie or Bob that I wanted them to be considered either a personal day or a floating holiday. Anyway, I hope to see some big $$ on my next paycheck. Incidentally, I received an e-mail from the Concierge manager at the Meritage in Napa. I will interview with them to see if I am going to be paid any more money than I am making here. I would like to make between eighteen and twenty dollars an hour.If they don't offer a comparable package, I won't be working there.

I like the quiet times in the late afternoon her at Greystone. Most of the people who were coming to visit the facility, have already ventured on to other places. Today, we are having a dinner party for the Federalist Party out on our terrace in front of the building. Our workhorse, Juan Carlos Anaya called in sick today so the special events team will have to set up all the tables and chairs.The Valley is busy this weekend because of the Annual Wine Auction at Meadowood Country CLub. I usually volunteer to assist there, but I want more than an apron and a chance to look at celebrities for my time. The last two years were enough for me.The weather outside hss been nothing short fo Spectacular, and it will be fun driving my motor scooter home from work.Perhaps I will go out tonight, I have not decided one way or the other.

Oy Vey !

It seems that everything is related, especially when it comes to computer problems. I downloaded the most recent version of IWeb from my software update feature from my .mac account. After creating a few new pages to upload, I found myself getting error messages.When this happens, I immediately back track to see what could have possibly happened.It has been almost two weeks since I last blogged. Finally, I was able to post some new pics to my IWeb site. It is Memorial Day and the pool is again open at Bothe State park.I took Thursday and Friday off this past week because I had a few floating holidays coming to me and I wanted to recoup the money I lost from being suspended for three days from work ( another story, another time ). Suffice to say, I did pretty good because I was paid $350.- for two days at a mock trial. Not bad, huh! Right now I have a load of laundry to do so that I can dress nicely at work. And this is just in... I am now the new president of Our Lady of Perpetual Help men's club... of which Mr. Joe Montana Sr. is a member ! Being a Catholic in a small town like Calistoga is a good thing. I hope that I can still say this after a year on the job as their humble servant.

End of the Work Week

Today is Mother's Day and the restaurant was very busy.According to one of the managers they did over 320 covers. The cooking demo featured Eggs Benedict with Black Forest Ham . Chef Steve Ruggenberg is our new Demo Chef because Dianne Kind moved on to work for Elaine Bell as a pasty chef. She will be much happier, I am sure.I was able to Google the origin of Eggs Benedict and print out 15 copies after one of the participant's queried the name. Steve didn't know so I got right on it. I copied and pasted the Google article and adjusted the point size of the text so that it could fit on a single page in a word document. I then printed out a copy and gave that one to Carol ( the other Concierge ) to run the copies. It was sweet how effective the internet can be in the instance.Now I found out that Yahoo has IPod Maps, so that I can determine a destination and have Yahoo make a map for me that I can download on to my IPod. SWEET !

Blogaversary

I just realized that I have been posting to my blog here for a year now. I didn't know it could be so easy. I am still thinking about adding more links and video/audio enclosures. As soon I get more inspired, I might add even a podcast or two. No generation has been better documented than the current one, and with the advent of the Internet we have all emerged as reporters in a McCluhan Galaxy. As I write this, I am listening to my ITunes, writing an e-mail to my sister in Dubuque , and checking out the world events on my Yahoo splash page. If my sister Nancy were still alive, she would ask... email? internet? blog? ITunes? but in very short order, all of these terms I becoming the venacular of a global society.

Mixed Messages

I love my job because I love people... and they generally know this fact when they come to visit the Culinary Institute.I like to have the answers and solutions that they seek. A few days back I ran into a problem.First I got into trouble for attending a Gemstone meeting which is a voluntary employee service meeting.It has never been clear to me that I could not attend. This was the first time I was pulled out of the meeting because apparently someone needed to cover the Concierge desk. I knew this, and asked our Administrative Receptionist cover for me. My supervisor saw this as a breech in my responsibility. I returned to my post without a word. Later I was asked to help someone in our education department by offering to lead a tour for the Flavor Summit group.
My supervisor had already gone home and I was left with another decision about leaving the desk again. I asked the Receptionist to cover for me again. and she said she would but would have to leave soon. Well after the tour was about to get started, someon else who fancies herself my supervisor noticed that I was away from my desk. She came to find me and started to pull on the door of the theater where the welcoming Introductions for the Flavor Summit was taking place. To spare her the embarrassment of interuppting the speaker I held the other door from opening. I suspect that this made her angry and she reported this incident to my boss. I was suspended for three days when I thought I should be getting a pat on the back. What is that saying that no good deed goes unpunished ?

The Story Unfolds

A letter from Martha, my sister.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts. Fortunately we only sustained facial damage. The awning, sign, outdoor lights, and cracks in a few of the windows right around the main doorway were the only real damages we took. There was a little smoke and water damage to the stock but really minimal. No one got hurt in the store. But the guy that died was a good customer named Fred. He who used to date a former employee of ours. We kind of thought it might have been him because the staff recognized his car. He was a pretty decent guy, a pain in the ass sometimes, but really a friendly person. So it makes the whole situation that much sadder that we knew the person who died.
The accident and fire started about 6:30pm. It is usually a pretty busy time as people shop on their way home from work. I was just out of the store by about 5 minutes. I was walking Camille (my granddaughter) up the hill. I'm so glad we just missed the explosion. I was almost to 21st St when the helicopter was hovering overhead. I knew something was up but didn't know what. When I got to the top of my stairs I turned and saw the smoke from the fire. As I open my door, my phone is ringing, and it's Chris, my brother, calling to say he just saw on the news about the fire and it looked like it was in front of our store. My heart dropped out of me about then. I ran to the attic and sure enough, it was the store. I tried calling and got no answer. I called Terry on her cell and she told me a car had exploded and the awning was on fire and they were getting all the people out over the fence into the Mix (Uncle Burts) a bar off our alley. I felt so useless. I wanted to be able to do something, but with Camille, I couldn't leave. So I called the Insurance company and got the ball rolling there. Ernie had been out and was just coming home when he saw the smoke. Terry got ahold of him and he came home and walked down to the store. He couldn't get through the police line at first until he found a cop he knew. Terry called back to let me know that her husband Richy's car was one of the ones torched. That is probably the biggest loss this family sustained. Ernie, Terry and Richy stayed at the store until about 9:30 getting as much of the water up as they could. Terry and Richy did a great job of keeping everyone calm and the situation under contral. Actually all the employees were really cool and worked together to make sure everyone was out safely. We evern had to help some of the people in the apartment next door as they were trapped upstairs in their apartment. So they got onto our roof and we let them in and out with everyone else.
We spent Friday cleaning and going through everything to assess our losses. The staff really pulled together as a team and the store hasn't look this shiny ever. They were so good. But it sure does open your eyes at times like these. We realized we don't have a good evacuation plan. We were lucky that there were no elderly, or wheelchair bound in the store at that time. We only had to get one dog over the fence. But at least we had that route. I was worried about the computers since I hadn't done a take home backup in a long time. If the fire had gotten the upper floor, my office would have been toast. Its times like these that make you give life a lot more respect. You just can't take anything for granted. You have to enjoy ever day as if it could be your last. And I think we must have an angel on our shoulders. All the times we've had anything happen to us, they it never seems that awful. We must be doing something right.
So take care, be good, and thanks.
Martha

Fire !!

Saturday, April 29th. It was only two days ago when a big fire occurred in front of my sister's store in the Castro district of San Francisco.Eight cars caught fire after someone careened off the street into a parked car. A gas tank exploded and immediately the other cars ignited.Two people were seriously injured and there was one fatality.The facade of the store was completely torched as all the awnings went up in a blaze.Today, my mind is on different things.It is only two more days until I pick up my new motorscooter. I can hardly wait.The days are spectacular, and I want to go riding everywhere.

Spring has Sprung !

High pressure is building up off the coast of northern California and a light breeze is keeping the clouds away. Finally, it seems that the flowers are blooming and the nice weather is coming in... Next Tuesday is Labor Day and I will be picking up my new motor scooter ( an Aprilia Scarabero ) it's an italian motor scooter that looks like a vespa but has more juice ... 85 mpg and 85 mph. It has been a long time since I have been on a two wheeled vehicle, but I think that it will be perfect for the summer. Besides, with the price of gas being what it is, it makes sense to purchase a vehicle that doesn't use much.If you want to see where I am going to buy my scooter, go to: www.revolutionmoto.com and be amazed !

Presidential Perspective

It has been a little while since I have blogged, mainly because I have been staying busy in other ways. The rains have finally ceased for the time being. It has been a very WET late winter/ early spring here in the Napa Valley. I think that grapes are going to suffer this year. Many oak trees have fallen over and there has been significant flooding up an down the Valley. Yesterday, I saw a helicopter practising touching down and taking off. When I asked someone what that was all about, he said that the president was coming this weekend to visit St. Helena. Great. We had Dick Cheneny come visit about 6 months ago and I guess he enjoyed his visit so much he had to tell George W. This probably means that he will come visit the CIA for lunch or something and the secret service will be all over the place, looking obvious. Well, I for one have been through this drill before. Welcome to the REAL CIA Mr. President.

Significant Day

Today is Apple Computer's thirtieth birthday and the rains have been going on now for weeks. It has been the wetest March on record.I have been using Apple computer's since 1995. I purchased my first computer in 1998. Since that time i have been part of the the whole tech revelution. I started out learning how to use a word processor and luckily, since i was going to Santa Rosa Junior College I was able to get an e-mail account and learn different programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and the like. My first program was Mavis Beacon's typing program. From there I learned how to use Adobe Pagemaker, Aldus Super Paint, Macromedia Freehand and how to use a scanner. Everything was just catching fire then. My teachers were Barbara Sikora, Max Hein,Michael McGinnis,Barbara Harris,Carmen Sheldon and Cyndi Reese ( who made working on the computer most interesting to me ). Today, with fried retinas and nimble fingers I can honestly say that I have entered the digital age with aplomb and have not looked back.

Going through the motions

Admittedly, there are some days when my job goes on automatic pilot. At least it sometimes feels that way. I have a set routine that I adhere to when I arrive at the Concierge desk. I usually have to restock the literature racks, answer the messages for Demo reservations, check the signage and the bathrooms, wipe the fingerprints off the main door, greet anyone walking through that door and making them feel that someone paid attention to them. I actually love this job because of the people. People cna be fabulously great or a colossal pain in the tooch. I honestly, sometimes think that my attitude is creating an environment for people to enjoy themselves, while they are here.

Family fun using Instant Messenger

Last night, I got home and wanted to show off my laptop to my sister in Portland. So I opened IChat and found that she and my other sister in San Francisco were online and text each other. So I created a Chat room for all three of us to exchange information. We reminisced about our childhood in Greenwich, Conneticut and swapped tales about the neighbors at that time in our lives. Then we got the idea to include other members of our family into the mix. I called my brother in Chicago in hopes that he might be awake and eager to do instant messaging with the rest of us. He obliged, even though he was in bed at the time. He booted up his computer and went to do a Google search for the latest Mac version of AOL's I.M. After the download ( which took about five minutes ) He called me back to have me walk him through the installation process. Well, wouldn't you know, that he tried and tried to get a secure password and username to no avail. The setup was impossible and I could not really be of assistance since I could not see the monitor. Unfortunately, he gave up and went back to bed. Someday, I hope that all my family and friends can meet online wherever we are. This would be a big step.

One Gorgeous Day

Today is March 18th, the day after St. Patricks day and the first day of sunshine in quite awhile. We had double rainbows in the Valley before sunset last night and the rain actually was refreshing. The ACAP students had their graduation last night and the parents of many of them had me take pictures of the families before the reception took place here in the atrium. Connie Willis is a student who had gone through the program and wants to be the next Rachel Ray ( a cooking show personality on the Food Network ). She actually has done some television work on the home shopping network but feels that she will be more qualified now that she has graduated from this prestigious school. She is quite shrewd at getting her way sometimes, but is not at all malicious. She is just agressive and works at getting her way at any means possible. I gave her family a long tour throughout the whole building yesterday and she was grateful. A whole new crop of Students will be coming to start the Spring semester classes shortly.The activity and foot traffic is certainly picking up as the tourist season begins

Tuesday Afternoon

The weather has continued to be stormy, cold and windy. February and March have really been wet and wild this year. Today, i am trying to find something to write about because this blog is starting to be reflective of how boring my life appears here on the web. I tried to upload a " racy " picture from the Academy Awards Gala but the server wouldn't do it, So I am left texting my observations without any imagery to back it up. Perhaps I will be able to upload a shot on this post ( i hope so ) , but if I don't I will probably try again sometime in the near future.

Academy Awards Gala

I stayed over until 6:30 pm last night at work. The Napa Valley Aids Project sponsored the Academy Awards Gala event that was held in our Barrel Room at the CIA. I watched as the room was transformed into a 70's style party. It was attended by lots of people who watched on a very large screen as the awards ceremony unfolded. The movie "Crash" won best picture and Phillip Seymour Hoffman won the best actor award for "Capote." Reese Witherspoon won best actress award for "Walk the line" which was a movie about country singer Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter. The movie, "Brokeback Mountain" won the award for best director Ang Lee. I enjoy watching this event every year because i try to make a point of seeing all the movies before the Academy Awards are handed out.

My Badge

Badge
Originally uploaded by banteron.

I am now an official Flickr Professional Photographer thanks to the NCMUG and Derrick Story who is well known in the Mac Community. I am now proud to be his collegue. This badge is my official certification in an elite group of digital imagers and Photoshop users. As the staff photographer of the Culinary Insitute of America's Greystone Campus, I am called on to take pictures of all relevant events, weddings and other gatherings requiring official documentation.

Good Day Sunshine

Today was just beautiful here in St. Helena. The enchanted magnolias are in bloom and it is only the 12th of February. The east coast has been hit with a huge blizzard and snow is covering several major cities. The airports have all been closed. Here in the Atrium lobby of Greystone the morning has started off rather quietly, but it has picked up sense then.In San Francisco Last night was a parade in Chinatown celebrating the Chinese New Year of the dog. Tuesday is Valentine's day and the men's club at the churh I attend will be featuring a Crab Feed. I announced this event at the 8 am mass telling the attendees that the event was SOLD OUT and suddenly the congregation began to clap. It is amusing what people find worthy of applause. It was touching, however.

Waiting for Monday

It's only Saturday, but I am already looking forward to my days off. The weather is just beautiful outside and I plan on taking full advantage of it.The only event that is happening tonight at the CIA is something that the Montessori Family Center from St. Helena is putting on.They are calling it "Shanghai Nights" and it is a fundraiser that the locals get gussied up for to bid on wine, and eat extravagant food. On another note, I went to my regular home group meeting last night at the hospital. I am back attending that meeting now, because the old secretary has moved on ( He really got on my nerves, So I decided that I needed to be around "oldtimers" for awhile ).Nurse Kitty is just being her bubbly self, and it seems that we can be civil towards each other since I have made amends. Tommorow I will do the first reading at mass and sell tickets to the Church Men's club Crab Feed after mass. No big deals in my life right now... Just honoring my committments.

The Breakdown

This Sunday moring I woke up early to get a head start. I was responsible for being the first lector, taking the collection, announcing the Crab Feed for the men's club and selling the tickets after Mass. Then I head for the CIA where the big breakdown after the Mustard Festival event took place. There was a lot little messes and things that needed to be put back in their rightful place. I don't really feel that things are up to speed for the day until I have all my ducks in a row, so to speak. The weather has lightened up a little bit, but the digging and renovation taking place around my apartment leaves a lot to be desired.My phone is not working again... their was not hot water this morning... my rent was raised 90.00 a month to 840.00, my PG&E bill skyrocketed to 75.00 a month from 25.00 and I HAD MY HEAT TURNED OFF since the beginning of December. When I went outside I smelled a gas leak around the apartment so things aren't going so great.

Back in the Saddle

I love my life... don't get me wrong. I do believe that I can get depressed, and that their is mental illness in my family. I find that it is important to remember to ask for help when I am overstressed or just plain depressed. My physician has prescribed "seratonin uptake inhibitors" to help me maintain the necessary seratonin levels in my brain. Without these, my moods and outlook on life can suffer, so can my relationships. It is hard to maintain a positive attitude at my job and at home when I find it difficult to get out of bed. As a recovering alcoholic, it is easy too, to indulge in what is called, "Stinking Thinking," A personal inventory helps me stay on track and making ammends when necessary have helped me maintain continuous sobriety for over 29 years and counting. My belief in a higher power has helped too. Without the third step of the aa program, I would be stuck in a very dark place and relying on resources that would ultimately distructive to me. Today is the first day for the rest of my life. I love my life.

Cold Weather, Warm Hearts

The days are still pretty short and the nights are long and pretty soon the swallows will be returning to build thier nests in the spring and we will have a lot of bird poop to clean up in front of our main entrance. In spite of all the terrible things going on in the world, it is important to wear the world "like a lose garment" as they say. Don't take yourself too seriously, and try to laugh about things that might otherwise upset you.I am 55 and the circumstances that have got me this far are pretty much out of my control. I go to work, I pay my rent, I do my laundry, I pay my bills and when I have some free time I get creative and draw pictures which I scan into my computer and then add to my website . Hey, life is great- and then you move on....

Dishing it up

Okay, I am sitting here at work trying to reflect on what has been going on for the past three weeks of the new year. So far, we have had the "Worlds of Healthy Flavors" conference here at Greystone. I have seen two mediocore movies that don't even warrant a critique.Today we had a Town Hall Meeting for our staff. Charles Henning introduced the standards of excellence to the employees at Greystone. Be it said that his background in hospitality has groomed him to offer such sterling overtures as, "How may I assist you?" or "I am at your service" or "It's certainly my pleasure" whenver a guest calls upon any of us. I think this is good and should reflect well on the CIA. I do however, have a little concern about the spontanaety of these repsonses however scripted.

Get more Kicks in 2006

We are already one week into 2006 and time waits for no one. Our student housing got flooded in St. Helena pretty bad. They had to rip out the carpets and sheet rock about 14 rooms. The students are returning tomorrow and everything has to be ready for the new semester. The Healthy World's of Flavor Conference is coming up next week and that should bring a bunch of "Foodies" to the area. Then after that event, we start preparing for the Mustard Festival kickoff event. Somedays I have to pinch myself because I have it so good. I only wish the pay was a little better because my rent just went up another 90 bucks. It is still probably the cheapest housing to be found in Calistoga.

Big Rains

flood1
Originally uploaded by banteron.

New Year's Eve brought heavy rain and flooding here in the Napa Valley. Storms are backed up out in the Pacific and many of the vineyards here are totally saturated. Cars hydroplaned,trees fell, mud slid, electricity failed, people were evacuated and most didn't let this stormy weather dampen their spirits. I worked for only half a day at the CIA, because no one could come north on Hwy. 29 from the city of Napa. The CHP had thier hands full, and dining plans for New Year's Eve in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant were dashed because no one but people from Calistoga could get through.

Alien head

Alien head
Originally uploaded by banteron.

I've had a lot of fun with this software called "Photobooth". I just turned off the lights and started making faces using the various filters. I further tweaked them in Photoshop to get just the look I wanted. This is the best time of the year to work inside on the computer. It is raining and cold outside. These are the days when I am glad that I bought this contraption.

Lag Time

During the days between Christmas and New Year's Eve we have a lot of people who are tired of looking at their relatives and want to get out and explore a little. The restaurant has been pretty busy because folks are either still on holiday or the kids haven't returned to school. The weather has been pretty nice today, but the past few days have been a heavy downpour. The Russian and Napa rivers were on flood watch.It's a good time to catch a flick or go to a museum. Unfortunately, there are no lunches being served for the staff until around three-thirty, and it is a family style meal which is held in the Simi room. Hey, I will take whatever they are dishing out. I already had a bag of "Inka Nuts" and a Red Bull to tide me over.

Work.... it just is.

It is come to my attention that some of the perks that I was fortunate enough to have as part of my position here at the CIA are being compromised. From now on I won't be receiving a dinner for two as a token gift for giving group tours after hours. From now on, concierges will recieve 3 points for each tour, and those points will add up to 9 which will THEN qualify you for a $100 dollar coupon at the restaurant. I for one, am not impressed with the nickel and dime squeeze that is taking place. Since I love my job however, I will put up with this scaling back even though the incentive for giving tours after hours makes me feel less appreciated.

Festivities Galore

Last night was the annual Open-House Holiday Party at Greystone. There were Gingerbread houses, Cookie decorating, A choral group singing Christmas songs and Plates of oer duerves. There were lots of people and kids amping up on sugar and sodas. I stuck around until after six to take pictures and most of those are on my other computer. I am too lazy to get off my butt to go over and get them onto this computer to make this post appear relevant. Instead of having a stupid picture of a holiday party , I am adding a more interesting picture of myself mugging the camera with one finger admonishing the viewer... Capiche?

My 55th Birthday

Well today I reached a speed limit of sorts in terms of the number of years I have gained here on earth. I celebrated at the CIA's Wine Spectator Restaurant with my family and a my friend Reid. There were nephews, nieces, brother-in-laws and babies. Hamish, Rita, Martha, Ernie, Terry, Camille, Ian, Mary-Kay, Antonella and her mom, Edward, Reid and of course little Maisy. She was warm and comfortable throughout dinner and did not make a peep. Camille entertained herself by crawling under the table exploring. Dinner was great. We had the temptations which included Foix Graux (sp?) Acorn Squash soup, Olive Tapanade, and then came the first courses. I had Spinach Risotto and Trout, Rita had a Hangar Steak, Martha had Scallops and Reid had some sort of Chicken Dish. The food was fantastic and so were the desserts which include Creme Brulee and a Hot Chocolate Lava cake with Grand Manier Cream. We had a delightful evening and It was great seeing everyone. Plans have been made to meet at Martha's for a White Elephant Christmas on the 26th.

Birthday Time

As my 55th birthday approaches, I ma reflecting on the idea that I have reached a metaphorical "Speed Limit". I am in the autumn of my years so to speak, and every day I look for ways to insure my comfort as time goes bye. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to the employee Christmas Party this year, but glad that I did because of the delicious food and wonderful setting. The band was terrific and even though I didn't stay late, I had a good time. This year they had a little puppet chow called, "le Cirque de Cafe" which featured knives, forks and spoons in a fantasy circus motif with accordian accompaniment. It was entertaining and silly all at once. Next Tuesday evening I will be celebrating my Birthday in the Wine Specatator Greystone Restaurant with family and friends. My hope is that a certain special someone will show... we shall see.

December is here

Today I slept in... It is still my vacation and I am taking full advantage of it. We had a wicked storm hit the west coast last night and It looks like that it will be around for the rest of the week. I have been playing on the computer here, learning new things like how to hack web pages, how to post awesome pics that I have created in Photobooth/Photoshop and tonight I am going to create a lightscribe DVD. What fun !

Today is a good day to sleep and putz around on my puter. Yesterday, I drove to Mont La Salle to take a bunch of pictures of the grounds there. I was pleased with the result, so I made a slideshow out of all the pictures. Last night I stayed up and talked to my online friend Andrew. It proved to be a rather uneventful day except for the fact that I didn't actually get to bed until around 3 a.m. Oh dash it, it's my vacation I can stay up late when I want to!

Vacation time

Today is the first day of my vacation. I haven't planned on going anywhere except to my neice Terry's house for Thanksgiving. I will sleep in, work on art projects, perhaps shoot a video dvd, or take a bunch of pictures. I want to meet new people and make new friends with interesting people who can show me how to use my mac better.I guess that's about it for now.

Charity Event

I find a lot of the volunteers from St. Helena who arrive for charity events here will behave in a particularly annoying and self-serving way. Everytime I try to extend myself to assist them, they walk all over me and make thier arrogant demands. I feel that many people who visit the Culinary Institute take on an attitude of entitlement, especially the locals who think that because they approved the insitute as a commerical entity, that they have the right to barge right in and do whatever they want in this space. This is a sacred space to me. It is all about building community, and food is the vehicle.Charity must begin at home. This is a home for the community of Napa.Respect, Tolerance and Appreciation are the watchwords.

Nights getting darker earlier

Now that standard time is upon us, the sun goes down around 4:45 PM in the evening. Winter is approaching very quickly. The basil in our herb garden is flowering or going to see like the fennel. Tour groups still come in to take advantage of the slow season, especially to take a peek at our teaching kitchen. I feel that there is change in the air, but I really can't put my finger on it. I'll keep you posted when I learn more.

Having fun uploading Pics

Today I have been taking lots of pictures of the neighborhood kids, vineyards and liquid amber trees that all look colorful and beautiful. I signed up awhild ago for a Flickr account and have enjoyed uploading my images to both this site and the Flickr site. If you would like to see more of my images, just go to :

Flickr

You can start a free account and be a photojournalist either here at Blogger.com or at Flickr. I am still trying to find a sight where I can easily upload Quicktime videos too. I just bought a gigbyte chip for my fujifinepix 3300 camera because I can take Quicktime movies very easily and the modify them using Quicktime Pro before I upload them to my mac site.
I want to be able to do all of this easy and effortlessly, and to be able to have others access my sites real easily.

The Big Push

Now that the World's of Flavor has passed, halloween is over and the winter season is approaching I have a little more time to blog. When I say this, I don't mean that I have a lot of time on my hands and that I am sitting around staring into space. This past week I have trained three new people who will be working at the concierge desk. They are all young women who are very pretty to look at... and my hope is that they will all perform well. I appreciate those that take the initiative to greet guests as they come through the door. On another note, I have sent Kitty a letter expressing my feelings for her. I don't plan on returning to the Friday night meeting any time soon. I think that I will be attending the Wednesday night meeting in St. Helena. Every time I attend the Friday night meeting, I am reminded of the love I lost.

Halloween 05'

Today I stayed inside even though it was a gorgeous day. I got hung up on my computer all day. I feel sad and depressed today. I should be happy, but I am not. I am feeling sorry for myself. My nephew's wife Kate had a baby girl and I haven't even called yet to congratulate them. I am sad because I have never married or had kids, or have been able maintain a relationship for longer than a year or two. My friend Reid and his wife Jenny invited me over to spend halloween with them and thier kid, William. He is cute, and they were just planning on just stay home, eating pizza and entertaining the trick or treaters as they came by the house, but I couldn't even get my interest up enough to go. I called him right at the last moment to tell him I was bailing. Now I am writing about it...Oh blah dee, Oh blah da.

First Rain of the Season

The clouds were thick and grey today when I woke up. It looked earlier than it actually was, and next week is the beginning of standard time. The weekend is starting off well for me. We have four new hires for concierge. The women are drop-dead gorgeous, but the acid test will be to see how well they perform. So far, they all seem pretty competent.I went to the dentist on Monday to have my teeth cleaned. My, the things we have to endure to look suitable for our guests.

Life Challenges

I don't really understand how computers work, but I do know how I go about fixing a computer when it is not behaving the way I think it should. I set about very methodically and sequentially, attempting step-by-step to remedy the problem. Computers always follow a certain protocol, but electricitiy and processing speeds will vary, thereby frustrating us as we try to determine if a certain process takes time or has already occurred. The law of unintended consequences will rear it's ugly head at the worst times and we usually are at our wits end. It is then time for a break. Anyone who has ever owned a computer has experienced this type of frustration and some of us have learned the hard way, to: follow instructions to the letter. Be patient. Listen and look for clues. Be patient. Endorse yourself for making the attempt... and again most importantly, Be Patient.

Cool Fall Day

It's overcast and cold. The weather people say that another hurricane is brewing off the Gulf Coast. This one we will call "Wilma." I work with a woman who informed me in no uncertain terms that her name is "Vilma" not "Wilma." I stand corrected. I don't know how much more of this we can take. I am back at work, feeling a little better since my flu episode on Friday. I had a couple of productive days off and bought a new keyboard and mouse for my old computer. Now hopefully, It will operate much better.

My Titanium

I actually love my Ti book. I bought it for 800 bucks about two years ago from my friend Ried's old girlfriend, Carol. I beefed it up with 768 MB's of RAM and an Airport Express Card. It is loaded with some good apps, like Photoshop CS, Illustrator 10, Firefox and Safari browsers and the ILife 04' Suite to boot. Although it is running Panther ( OS 10.3 ) The interface is just a joy.I can pretty much do anything on this machine that I can do on my e-mac or mini-mac. Two drawbacks are the fact that it does not have a CD/DVD burner or enough juice in my CPU to run an ISight on IChat. But hey, I have that stuff if I need it.

Saturday Night Taiko

Here it is, Halfway through October and what makes this day momentous are two things. The first thing is that I had to take the day off because I was recovering from Food Poisoning. I had eaten some soy beans from Trader Joes that did not agree with me and i could barely keep down a bowl of Oatmeal. The second thing that made this day memorable was a Taiko Show that Ellen Ushioka, Ed Ohde and a large Troope had performed at the Jackson Theater in Santa Rosa ( I work with Ed and Ellen at the CIA). Ed was the MC of the show, and did a very good job.He was witty and informative as well as being wickedly funny. Taiko is the art of Japanese drumming from centuries ago, but reborn near Sebastapol in 1995. This celebration was the 10th year of Taiko in Sonoma County.

A Visit to the City

To see my sister, Rita. Which was just great. We went for a nice walk through the Haight street district where we went for a Pesto Pizza. later we ambled down towards the Hall of Flowers and eventually to the "New" De Young Museum, which will be opening shortly. Already thier were people up in the observation tower, but they were privaledged members who got an early preview.I was snapping lots of pictures which regretably were deleted from my camera after I downloaded them to my IPod, not thinking that I would'nt be able to upload them again onto my computer, AAAaaaarrrrggggghhh !!! After returning back to her place, we had a nice steak dinner which my brother in law prepared, and then watched a football game until it was time to head back home to Napa.Also, in the world news, there was a terrible earthquake in Pakistan. Yikes! this sure has been the year for natural disasters!

Banteron from Boca Raton

Greetings Mi Amigos !

This is my first little Quicktime movie that i tried to post to "Ourmedia." A website which offers public videoblogging and an RSS feed for free! (yeah, nice when/if it works).The link to the movie goes to my earthlink website which is where it has been for ages. Since I am just beginning to go public with these bizarre flicks, bare with me. I know this is an old video which was made around 1997, but hey! I made it on my first web cam which was a logitech ball that plugged into my 7200 Power Mac using an 8-pin connector. I ended up getting so frustrated with the thing one time, that I swung it around my head a couple of times and flinged it across the room in a moment of rage. I am not proud of those moments because they have cost me time, money and friends in the past. Today is a new day though, I am enjoying my life and making the most of what I have learned with this new tech.( A nod to Wellbutrin® as well.)

Cat Butt Gum

I just finished giving a tour and felt a little self concious while talking to some guests because I had the dreaded "coffee breath." Thankfully, after asking Eileen if she had anything that would remedy the situation she provided me with a couple of pieces of "Cat Butt Gum." Well, needless to say it was delicious!... and helped me overcome my dilema. Now ain't that sweet ? Speaking of sweet, check out this great site for learning how to decorate cakes!

Cake Decorating Tips from Wilton

October Blues

Today, I learned that my friend and co-worker Melissa has given a two week notice, and is leaving the Culinary Institute. She stated that she took the job because she didn't want stress to interfere with her effectiveness on the job. Apparently, she was yelled at for omitting something that should have been posted in our daily events newsletter.This type of behavior is so unnecessary so I don't blame her... considering the source of this aggravation. She is a highly skilled professional who is very talented and doesn't need someone "barking in her face" for a simple oversight. It hurts me that she is chosing to move on, because I thing she is a real class act. Nonetheless, it is her choice and ultimately it does come back to choices. My attitude about these types of situations is: " This too shall pass. "

Soap on a rope

Gee, October sure snuck onto to the scene quite promptly. Last night I went to a going away party for Mario at Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa. Mario is Edward Clunies-Ross' brother in law and a decent chap who is joining the Air Force. The next ten weeks will determine if he has the "Right Stuff." The dinner was held in an old bank building. I arrived early and had myself a Seven-up with Roses lime juice (my favorite non- alcoholic drink). I sat at the bar waiting for the rest of the party to arrive as I watched the Los Angeles Angels get spanked by the Yankees in a playoff game that will determine who goes to the world series. Eventually, a gentleman named Gavin arrived and after he introduced himself we chatted for a bit and I asked him to watch my camera and sunglasses while I went back to my car to fetch my wallet ( I don't feel secure in restaurant with only my change purse ) . Later, when everyone arrived, we proceeded to the old bank's vault where we were seated for dinner. Edward brought the nice bottle of "Arida" from Vineyard 29 that I gave him. Dr. Marco said it was quite smooth after he took a sip. Dr. Marco is Edward's Croatian friend from the Queen of the Valley Hospital where he works as a Radiologist ( I think ). The dinner was great as we indulged in a variety of Italian dishes. I had the Pasta con Polle . Their was much talk around the table about wine, sports cars, the military, work, television commercials and food. All in all it was a very pleasant evening.Edward paid for the whole meal, to which I am very grateful.Mario was given the nice gift shown around his neck by Gavin.

Damn Bills !

I missed my men's group meeting at the church this evening. Part of it had to do with the fact that I recieved a bill that my insurance company was supposed to pay to the anesthesiologist after my knee operation.I tried calling Don, who is the president of the men's club but he did not answer his phone. I got up and drove to the church to see if the meeting was still going on after nine pm. The church was dark. I went back home and re-dialed and still no answer. It makes me wonder if the meeting actually occured. Tommorow i go to the dentist to have a crown replaced. I wanted gold but I am getting porcelain. No one asked me.

Rita Strikes !

This morning, I am a little relieved to report that Hurricane Rita has been downgraded to a one, on a scale of five.I talked to my friend, David Good who is down there in Texas and he reports a lot of wind and rain. I also talked with my sister Rita last night and she is taking a little ribbing because of her name. Right now I am at work and will be giving a tour of Greystone. To be continued...

Kat-rita

As I write this, Hurricane Rita has been upgraded to a level 4 Hurricane and it is beginning to bear down on the Gulf Coast. It looks like it might give New Orleans and places like Galveston, Texas ...a BIG wallop. If Katrina was not destructive enough, the people of New Orleans will not be able to return to their homes... probably not EVER if this hurricane raveges what is left of an already raveged area. Catastrophic events have been on the increase in the past couple of years, and many feel that the end is near. As a nation and a people, we must keep the faith and remember that, "This too shall pass."

Sunday's Struggle

Today I ran the cameras in the DeBaun Theater. Our demo chef was not on her game. She stammered, she answered questions blithely, and generally disappointed me. The problem as I see it, is that she is an alcoholic in denial. She fixed her last fallout by going to an acupuncturist and taking three weeks off ( she should have entered rehab at that point). Luckily, I only have to work with her one day a week but even that is becoming very difficult to tolerate because of my behavior around her, and her behavior in general. I really cannot help her because I have let her use me and hook me into her seductive web of sexual horseplay and acting out. As a sex addict, I am playing with fire here. I am powerless over my sexual addiction and my life has become unmanageable. Right now I will continue watching the Emmys and then go off to bed. I pray that I may be able to change and move on with my life in a successful way. This must be put behind me.

Thursday's Muse

Meet Marvin. This wonderful image was created by Alex Murawski and was found in the book, " Dynamic Black & White Illustration." One Hundered years of Line Art from 1900 to 2000 by Leslie Cabarga. It feels like I knew this guy. Like maybe he was a former mob boss from the local union, or perhaps a bouncer at a club downtown. I would not want to meet this guy in a dark alley after midnight that is for sure.His gaze tells me that he does not believe my bullshit. He will take a pair of pliars and crush my fingertips until he gets what he wants. Perhaps he heard that I slept with his daughter... whatever. I don't want to cross paths with this guy. At bocce ball tournaments, he sits on the bench with his arms crossed watching every move and usually makes comments in a deep baritone from years of smoking White Owls and Juan Coronas. Nuff said.

Decompressing

Today, I find that it is easier for me to decompress at home instead of jumping in my car and going somewhere, just to go. I am working on a brochure for Ana Borquez today which is keeping me busy. She wants 50 copies and some business cards prented out the next time i see her. This is no easy task. Printing costs are pretty high and labor costs are high too, if you take into account that if I were to print these out on my inkjet at home it would easily take 8 hours to do... not to mention a lot of aggravation. So who needs this? I am still going to drive to Staples to buy a scanner and perhaps have these printers printed out there. Now I am having trouble remembering what the protocol for uploading movies to my .mac site is. Oy!

Looking alive with caffiene

I could have stayed in bed all morning. Originally I had planned to go see the Giants take on the Cubs at SBC park but I decided to go to work instead. It's not like I don't have some vacation days coming. Truthfully, I am not that big a Giants fan although I enjoyed myself at the game I went to earlier in the season, although I can't remember who played except that the Giants lost.A very nice lady named Margie McCartney gave me three tickets after I provided her and her friends with a tour of Greystone. She said that she was going to sing at the game and wanted me to come and enjoy it. I gave two of the tickets to Lori Novak, who was shadowing me on the tour.She wanted to take her boyfriend. I ended up giving the one ticket left to Jose, a chef who prepares the employee meals during the week. Lately, I have been feeling rather ho-hum. My energy level has been managed by lots of Coffee and Cola drinks. I think I need more exercise. good food and rest. Check back with me later.

Labor Day 05'

Today, a lifeguard at Bothe Park Pool asked me why we celebrate labor day. I guessed that it had something with honoring the working stiffs in this country, but I wasn't sure. Leo and I went for a bike ride there to go for a swim. Leo is going to be fourteen in ten days. He must've grown about six inches taller over the summer after coming back from Mexico. He is my friend. Later we drove our bikes into St. Helena to the Coffee Roastery for a some Mango Tea and Coffee. Leo filled his drink cup with sugar cubes and proceed to drink the whole syrupy conncotion. We sat down and played a game of chess. After I reminded him how all the pieces moved, he proceeded to beat me. When we got back to Calistoga later, he asks me about my Palm Pilot (which was in my closet, apparently broke) that he has been bugging me to sell to him for about a year. To get him off my back I told him that he could have it if he could fix it. This was also a ploy to get him to go home.He excitedly agreed and left for his house. Exactly one hour later I get a phone call asking me if I have a particular kind of screwdriver. A little annoyed, I told him that I didn't, and that if he could find the tools to fix the Palm Pilot he would have to track them down himself. A half-hour after that, Leo is knocking on my door telling me that he has fixed the Palm Pilot. My mind is a little blown now, and with Leo's birthday just a week or so away I am all to happy to have this be his present , Definately a win-win situation.

Life happens all over

It's Friday and it has been almost a week since Katrina hit New Orleans with a knock out punch. It was only today that the troops and government agencies were really able to impact the region. Here I am in the most beautiful part of the country and I cannot help but feel real sorrow for the desperate and poor people managing to hang on down at the Gulf Coast. Even though I sent a few measley bucks, I feel like I would like to do something more to alleviate thier misery. I have a vacation coming up and I was thinking about becoming a red cross volunteer for a couple of weeks just to do my part. I still want to take a step back, and not just be guided by my first impulses. Perhaps after the first relief efforts have passed and things have become less chaotic, I would be able to make myself useful. We shall see.