shooshee

it started like this in an email we got on June 13:

Hey Everyone -

So we have done bowling events, Round Rock Express baseball game events, cooking class events, etc., but this one sounds really fun.

On Thursday June 26th we are going to have a company wine tasting tour (employees only).  We will tour 2 wineries outside of Austin and then hit historic Luckenbach, TX.  We will have coach bus come pick up all of us here at the office at 10:30 that morning.  We have a driver (obviously) and then two people (one I have used before named Mitch who is a chef at Eddie V’s) who will educate us about wines as we drive to and from the wineries.  He will pair us up on the coach with wines that match well with specific foods.  Educational and fun. We will also have lunch at a restaurant in Johnson City.  We will end up back here at the office by 6pm.  Hopefully those of you that plan to partake in much of the wine tasting can have significant others be here at 6pm to pick you up and drive you home.  Otherwise, the company will pay for some cabs. There will be non-alcoholic wine and other beverages on the coach as well throughout the day.

I have done this before with a group of 10 and it was a blast. We will provide more information and an evite to get official confirmations from each of you.  The idea was that people come in around 9am that morning, answer any emails or other logistics, we have a quick company meeting at 10am and then we hit the road for the tour…

and the meeting maker that we got on June 13 said this…

Subject: Wine Tasting Tour
Location: Hill Country, TX
When: Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:30 AM-6:00 PM (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada).

Please be on the bus by 10:15 am as it needs to leave by 10:30 am.

We will be touring Texas Hills Vineyard first, having lunch at the Silver K Café, and then touring Becker Vineyards.  We will end the day with music in Luckenbach, which I hear is very much like Gruene without the additional shops (basically a VERY small historical town).

So yeah, tomorrow we’ll be wine touring all day long instead of working. I’ll be taking my new camera and hope to stay sober enough to get some great shots of the Texas Hill Country. Jealous?

UPDATE:
Here are some of the wines we tasted while on the Texas Grape & Green Tour:

White
2006 Messina Hof Gewürztraminer (pdf)
Fall Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

Red

2006 Peregrine Hill Pinot Noir
2006 Sister Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - 3 blend
(50% Cabernet - 30% Cab Franc - 20% Merlot)

Dessert
2007 Flat Creek Estates Muscato Di Arancia
Cellar Select Lanno Estacado Texas Port
2004 Messina Hof Tawny Texas Port (pdf)

oh and photos are on flickr although some are only available to friends and family.

Yes, this was on a cheezy framed poster in my doctor’s office, but it’s worth sharing. And worth remembering. And worth trying to move towards…

The ABC’s of Happiness

Aspire to reach your potential.
Believe in yourself.
Create a good life.
Dream about what you might become.
Exercise frequently.
Forgive honest mistakes.
Glorify the creative spirit.
Humor yourself and others.
Imagine great things.
Joyfully live each day.
Kindly help others.
Love one another.
Meditate daily.
Nurture the environment…
Organize for harmonious action.
Praise performance well done.
Question most things.
Regulate your own behavior.
Smile often.
Think rationally.
Understand yourself.
Value life.
Work for the common good.
X-ray and carefully examine problems.
Yearn to improve.
Zestfully pursue happiness.

- Robert Valett, from Prescriptions for Happiness.

I care about people too much. And that’s not to say that I should care less. I just need to really think long and hard about who I wrap my heart around. Or I need to drastically change my expectations.

It’s a hard lesson to learn. When you realize that people in your life that you’ve valued don’t value you at all.

There’s more thinking that will go here. First, though, I have to get over the paralyzing sting of heartache.