Rich and I were joined by our friends Shelly and Jen for a day of wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. This guided tour bus event was fantastic. Our driver was friendly and knowledgeable and our fellow bus mates were interesting and fun. We hit 4 wineries each serving up 8-10 different wines. Needless to say the bus was a little loopy for the ride home. All of us who purchased wine actually opened a couple of bottles to share with each other for the ride home. The bus driver quickly realized he couldn't control us so he let the craziness continue. For those of you interested in starting a new career Bridlewood (currently owned by the man who started 1800flowers.com) is for sale for a cool $20mm.  Rich and I are entertaining a few visitors at our favorite restaurant Chad's. We are embarrassed to say that we ate there six times in the month we were there. Our guests include Adriana from DE, her friend Sherri from LA, and my Yosemite hiking partner Emily from Palm Springs. Sherri is totally hooking me up as I'll be storing my car in her garage for three weeks while Im back on the east coast for more weddings. A quick shot of Rich, Em, and I in the back yard. Rich, Em, and I experienced one of the most incredible things. A private guided sea kayak tour of the Channel Island Anacapa. We took a charter boat out to the island and then kayaked in and out of approximately 15 different sea caves. It was incredible being in a dark cave as the sea swells up and down. At times the roof seemed to be closing down on you. Some caves were totally dark and we needed to follow the guides voice. Many caves were so narrow you couldn't use the paddle and to push yourself along with your hands on the walls around you.
The lack of picture quality is a result of me using a disposable underwater camera which I purchased for a cruise over 4 years ago. Finally used up the roll.   Every single Sunday Santa Barbara has a huge arts and crafts show along the water. I couldn't resist buying a picture to help me remember one of the best months of my life. It's a great shot of Santa Barbara Harbor where Rich and I spent lots of time training for our sailing license. The boats in the picture are the exact boats we were trained on and are now licensed to rent anywhere in the U.S.. I'm happy to say that I got a 97 on my final exam while our Wharton grad got a 93 (sorry rich I couldnt resist).    Just some final shots of the property. The first is a night shot of our awesome tree. The second is a shot looking out over the water during a full moon. It was almost as bright as the sun. In the third shot you can almost make out the Channel Island Santa Cruz.
I'm now officially moved out of Santa Barbara. Im happy to say I left gracefully. It only took five people from the rental agency to drag me out of the house. I kept screaming, "It's mine, it's mine, who are you people." Hmmm...one day.
So now I've parked the car at Sherri's in L.A. and I'm on my way home to CT for a wedding. I then drive up to Lime Rock Raceway for a three day Skip Barber racing class. This is going to be tons of fun. Lots of seat time in one of their race cars and lots of classroom time with professional drivers. When I complete the class I will be eligible for my SCCA racing license. "Nubbings racing Harry!"
Then off to Cape Cod to see Mom and Jerry, then a drive down to DE to visit friends and take care of some business (like 25lbs of mail). Then up to NYC for a few days to visit all the museums and see a show or two. Then a second wedding on the 21st at Shelter Island. Then back to CT for a couple of days to visit with more family and friends. Then I fly back to L.A. on the 24th with plans to visit the Getty Museum and see Mama Mia. During my free time I'll be planning leg two of the trip and my return to the East Coast!!!! |
