Yes, that's right. It took me nearly two months of absolute gluttony, but I don't think I can fit anymore. I need a break.
The problem is, I can't seem to find the time to take one! At first, the constant social events were a good thing. It was fun going out and trying new wines, meeting new people - and don't get me wrong, it still is fun - but there comes a point where you've reached ground hog day and are living each day the same, over and over again.
And, when that happens, you stop appreciating these enjoyable experiences for what they are. They become less exciting and more obligatory. What? You're not going to bocce tomorrow because you want to do yoga? But, you can go to yoga anytime - you HAVE to come to bocce, you'll miss out.
Granted, I'm secure enough in my own social skills that I don't really feel I'll miss out anything earth-shattering by skipping out on one night of bocce. Yet, I don't want to skip out. It's fun. I enjoy the events. But, I'm also incredibly tired.
Though I'm still working, the weeks and the weekends seem to blend together here. Sundays are just as much of a party as Fridays, if not more.
And this Sunday was too much party - though I loved every minute of it, my body is kicking me for it today.
It started out positive: I went to yoga for the second morning in a row. I met Christina for lunch in St. Helena after class and ordered the special tallegio grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and arugula and polenta fries. Oh, and a Mimosa. It all went down hill from there.
In my defense, I only agreed to go wine tasting that afternoon when I was told that we'd be going to the Clif Family tasting room - Clif, as in Clif Bars, the healthy meal bars that I love so (yumm oatmeal raisin cookie flavor!). It turns out not only do Gary and his wife, Kit, make Clif bars, but they also make wine in Napa, where they now live. And olive oil. And their tasting pairs the wines with trail mixes that they've just started selling in select retail locations. Do you want their life as much as I do?
My personal favorite pairing was the 2005 Gary's Improv Zinfandel, a label that they make every year with a different varietal, with the sugared walnuts, apricots and cherries. So delicious.
Naturally, once I'd started, I might as well have continued, so when Christina asked if I'd like to go along with them next to Burgess Cellars up in Angwin how could I refuse? Especially when it made for photos like this.
The motivation for a Sunday of wine tasting was that Christina and her boyfriend, Rory, were hosting house guests - whom they'd never met. They were participating in Servas, an organization that is sort of an upscale version of "couch surfing": you pay a fee to become a host for travelers and can then stay with other Servas members in locations throughout the world. You can't stay more than two days without an offer by your host, but for short stays it's a great way to see a new place and meet new people.
I'd read about Servas in a book I love, a memoir by Rita Golden Gelman, a "nomad" who gave up her home and personal possessions to travel the world and immerse herself in cultures foreign to her own. After her kids were grown and her marriage ended, she decided to live life for herself and relied heavily on Servas to mold her experiences. Idealistic, maybe, but it sounds heavenly to me.
For now, though, I am bound to Napa Valley and wine tastings on Sundays that make getting up for a run at 6 a.m. on Mondays before work incredibly difficult. And constant social events.
Tonight, a Facebook meet-up at the Beazley House that Harry organized. But, I only had one taste of wine. I was taking the night off.
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