Masters of wine

I spent the weekend learning at the feet of five Masters and my life is changed.
A few weeks ago I was nominated to take the Court of Master Sommeliers first level course. I didn’t have to pay the regular fees. The course was this weekend. When I arrived, I found my place front row and center. If I am going to learn I might as well be an active participant. I settled in with a cup of coffee and a light breakfast of fruit. I brought my World Atlas of Wine and a stack of pens. I take notes like crazy.
About 30 minutes later, I recognized Doug Krenik, a MS that I’ve met several times before. He was at a table with Bobby Stuckey MS and the owner of Frasca. I’ve met Bobby too. There were two other men with them. I learned shortly thereafter that they were Jay Fletcher and the much-esteemed Richard Betts. I’d met Richard before but he looked different…slim, content, and sparkling. The room was filed with charisma and a certain private hi-jinx. These men obviously know each other well and are used to joking around with each other.
The lectures were a mixture of review and further detail but the blind tastings were amazing. These men went through the technique in such a detailed manner that it simply becomes an exercise in deductive reasoning. I gave the first one a shot--in front of 100 people…and I got much of it right…the other three wines I attempted I got right. Honestly, I got most of the wines; climate, country, region, and varietals right and most of the vintages right. I feel pretty damned good about that.
I had conversations with these men and interacted in a very professional and educated manner. WOW. They treated me as a peer, as someone who may be an equal someday soon. Now, more than ever, I want to be.
I was professionally validated!!! Inspired to continue the sometimes thankless path of wine studies. It is endless, forever changing, and contradictory. But, I love it. I love the history, geography, geology, agriculture, cultural traditions, and even the dull economics of it all. There is so much in each bottle of wine and in each glass it is truly an amazing expression of each of these things.

Motorcycle Boy

Motorcycle Boy,

Did you take a nice long ride on your Triumph when you got home? I am jealous.
I went for a little ride on Sunday, it was a beautiful day in Denver. Cool, sunny, and quiet.

We learned some interesting things about each other and have some parallels in our lives. I am intrigued and would like to know more about you and your life.

If we were sharing a bottle of wine together
these are some of the questions I would ask you...

Did you grow up in Montreal? Tell me about your family. Do you have children?
Do you have a really cool dog?
My dog is really cool. We go everywhere together.
I will send you a picture of Oscar Wilde. I also have a cat. His name is VooDoo and he is a Norwegian Forest Cat--weighs 20 pounds and is skinny.
J'aime mes garcons...ils sont mes petits amis!

What brought you to your current job and what did you do before? I know you mentioned a British company and Rolls Royce...and rigging...tell me more about that.

What is your favorite book, music, and movie?
I checked out your poet by the way.

What is your favorite time of the day?
My favorite time is twilight, the light is the most beautiful then.

If I come to Montreal what would you show me? Where would you take me? What would you suggest I see and do alone?
What is your favorite thing to do or see there?
What will be my favorite thing?

An entire year of Happiness

It snowed all night long and this morning my world is covered in a gloriously sparkly white blanket of fluffy snow. Oscar and I stopped off for a coffee and then wandered through the quite campus searching for snow fairies or squirrels. He loves the snow and pranced along through the drifts occasionally biting at the snow as he swiftly moved along. As we walked, I cleared my head of any random thoughts and simply allowed the experience of the emerging sun and the shimmering snow to wash over me. It was refreshing and cleansing in a way. It gave me a sense of clarity about my life.

It has been a particularly trying couple of weeks with the end of the semester, finals, and planning for next semester. At this level it is increasingly difficult to create a workable schedule as fewer classes are offered, if they are even offered, at fewer times. I have been waiting for two semesters for a required French class only to find out that it is not going to be offered again. Sometimes, I feel as though I am being held hostage by the college. Don’t get me wrong…I love going to school and learning but the bureaucracy is very difficult to navigate. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity, especially since I am developing my own individualized degree, but it has been tricky.

I found out yesterday that my internship was approved. The internship guidelines and requirements are a lot more structured than I expected. I must submit a packet of 60 pages of details, goals, and objectives at the beginning along with weekly emails, a final report and a grading schematic from Aaron and from myself…Wow…I hope Aaron will do all of this, he said he would, but, things tend to fall along the wayside around the place. Now I have to negotiate with Aaron to ensure I am able to get enough hours and the kind of stability needed to successfully complete this obligation.

I know he will see it my way…I know I can make this happen. It seems I can make anything happen lately, I have to work at it, it always takes time, and it is always a test, but in the end it happens the way I want it to. I guess the biggest obstacle is knowing exactly what I want and what I need and then going after that and making that happen….so often it is easy to bring things in without really thinking it through. Focusing on a job or a man or a pair of shoes that turns out to be unfulfilling, painful, and just the wrong fit.

As I look at the sparkling snow and the glistening sun I know what I don’t want. I don’t want any unnecessary drama at work, with love, or at home. This is the year I will streamline my life, get exactly what I want, and be very, very happy. I can bring that in and make it happen just as easily as I can create more drama or unhappiness…I choose HAPPY.