I met friends the night of the 2024 election at a local wine bar and craft beer taproom. We figured it was a good night to go out drinking since the TV networks would have wall-to-wall news coverage on the election results. When I arrived, my friends, Bob and Greg were already seated at a table. As I walked across the room, I couldn’t help but notice the four younger women at the adjacent table: they were all beautiful an...

Bright and early the next morning, Sunday, Trisha and I started with a long walk through the vineyards, and I took her over to our new winery facility. This was part exercise and part showing her the tasting room and production areas. As a huge wine fan, I knew she would appreciate the details. The tasting room was about seventy-five percent finished and ahead of schedule for its January opening date. “This is beautiful,”...

As I woke up Saturday morning, before I even opened my eyes, I could tell the sun was shining brightly in my bedroom and I could smell coffee. As I stretched my arms above my head and contorted my legs in a big stretch, I heard a woman’s voice. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” said the energetic voice. It was then I remembered I had my first female guest spend the night at the house since Julie’s passing. Scenes from the spa a...

Since Trisha and I were going out for a nice dinner, and to meet my sons, I figured we’d take “the nice car,” and not the big Suburban I picked her up in at the airport. As we exited the mudroom into the four-car garage I told her we’d be taking the black car. “Oh, a Lexus! We have three Lexus lots,” she said, referring to the family car dealerships. “I don’t know much about the cars, but those locations are very profitab...

Over the next week and a half Trisha and I spoke every other night getting to know each other in detail and planning her upcoming visit to Oak Valley. I learned that she had two married sons (25 & 27) and two grandchildren, all living in the Santa Barbara area. Her deceased husband owned several auto dealerships, and she was grooming her sons to take over the business in a few years. She wants to retire at age sixty, in f...

I woke up just before my 8:00 am alarm. I was surprised I had slept that late. The only thing on my agenda was the ten am brunch with everyone except Marina, Molly, Jovita, Laura, and the four bridesmaids. The girls were spending the day at the resort spa for massages, brunch, mani-pedi’s, facials, and then hair and makeup before the four o’clock wedding. All of the wedding party was staying at the resort along with most...

After Marina and I rang in the 1994 New Year in San Diego with Allen and Jeanette our focus turned to our wedding. The date of Saturday, April 16th had been selected for months now. Marina, Molly, and Christine had all put in hours upon hours of planning the wedding. Typical wedding details such as colors, flowers, dresses, the meal, the cake, the band, etc. The biggest issue was how to convert a metal and concrete indust...

And just when I thought December would be a slow period at work, I received a call from my Western Regional Manager, by bosses’ boss. “I heard you’ve been poking around for a transfer. Would you be interested in the San Jose territory?” I was dumbfounded. Had I just hit the jackpot? But I played it cool in talking with Mr. Ellis. I asked all the right questions. I learned that the old Rep had put in his notice and was mov...

In talking with Marina, I knew her parent’s routine. They ate dinner like clockwork at 6:00 pm, so I needed to either call them before dinner or after. I decided that it would be best to call early. Promptly at 5:40 pm I called the Flores. When Molly answered I made some small talk before I asked if she could get her husband on the second phone. After Jorge was on the phone, I again made small talk before launching into m...

The Wedding Weekend: Weeks Three and Four Marina and I had our “off weekend” the following weekend but continued to talk to each other every single night at eight o’clock. We spoke about long-distance dating, me getting back to California, and us eventually moving to San Diego. Deep down I had been avoiding one subject with Marina. My hometown of Lodi. Jenny and I would inherit a large wine grape growing business in the f...

Tasha returned to Napa the week after graduation as planned and had one week before she and Shane would leave for their six week trip to Europe. Just like every summer, Tash would work in the tasting room and assist in special VIP tours and events. She had worked for Rose, our Hospitality Manager, since she was in high school and Tasha had a knack for it, just like her mother, Cherie. As the days flew by before Tasha’s tr...