Ten.Nine Hundred & Sixty-Five

1. It was lunch time in the dream and everyone kept moving me from table to table. They were trying to convince me that this was the best place to be. I wonder if there will be a third time and, if there is a third time, will it be the charm?

2. First day jitters.

3. Water, celery juice, orange juice, more water. Stomach to jumpy for solid foods it seems. I’ll settle down at some point.

4. Monday morning traffic is the worst.

5. I turn off 84 onto Vineyard Avenue. There is still some fog draping over the vines. I see a little house I hadn’t noticed before; it’s the perfect little wine country cottage. Surely someone must live there. The sound of gravel beneath the tires.

6. Less nervous. More excited.

7. I will forget these names.

8. So much sunshine. I call him as I walk among some recently pruned Sauvignon blanc. This feels good and right.

9. He asks me what I like to drink. I tell him old world wines for sure. He gives me a bottle of Trebbiano and Nebbiolo. He tells me that he loves new world wines and rhone reds iike Grenache and Syrah. I tell him that Syrah is one of my favorites and totally unappreciated. He agrees and then pulls out an unmarked bottle of Syrah, a side project. He’s also growing mushroom. Winemaker Jesse and I will be good friends.

10. He had a good day too. We both needed a good day like today.