Oh, look - a visitor from Colorado on my blog only 0 minutes ago. No, wait, that would be me. I'm officially a visitor to my own blog. Part of me feels shame, not for just ignoring my blog & bloggy friends, but for not allowing myself the creative outlet that was so SO important to me - and still is - and the reason this space exists. Shame, Valerie, shame. So spank me.
Seriously, having been so wrapped up in prepping for and executing a trip to Napa to immerse myself in the CSW exam has paid off. Not even a month ago I got the big envelope in the mail with a certificate and pin that now certifies that I, well, I know a bunch of wine stuff and like to take tests. In the time span of a 60-minute exam and 100 questions, however, never had I experienced the gut-wrenching downhill slalom of "I'm ready to smoke this thing" to "Huh - don't remember talking about that appellation - is it Washington or Oregon? Maybe I'll just do well enough," to the praying at the 55-minute mark, all at once cursing every wine country south of the equator because "I can't remember if Bio Bio is north or south of Itata but pretty sure it's in Chile. And God I hope I passed."
So that's it. I've been cork-dorking it up. My Sommelier Diploma Course was deferred to February, so I'm entertaining thoughts of WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) courses to keep my dorky side occupied lest I forget the villages of Beaujolais or something tragic like that in the meantime. I continue to do in-home wine tastings and teach wine FUNdamentals classes downtown. All fun. All wine all the time.
Yet the last few weeks or so I've been mourning simpler times when I wasn't as busy and had more time to write about silly things - like the blueberry that rolled under the stove last year (which was finally retrieved during cleaning operations prior to my recent move). Or - remember when I posted senseless photo blogs on "Wordless Wednesday"? Windows in Agde, France, Rain in Florence, Italy when I had nothing better to do than walk around and take happy snaps? Ooh - or roam through the Tuscan country side and taking friends to taste Sassicaia?
It's all coming down to balance. In an effort to keep mine I've been:
- saying "no" to excessively early morning meetings in favor of Yoga, gym, Pilates, or hiking activities;
- turning my phone off at 6 P.M. and stashing it in the den, silenced, until I reenter the "work zone" at 10 A.M. the next morning;
- reserving more of my evenings for time at home, and not out "meeting and eating for my business" - normally in sub-par establishments.
I'm digging deep to find my dormant creativity and chunking whatever excess life crap has dogpiled on top of it, stifling it - and me.
I'm reaching back to dust off my own words, mantras, and joys. Life is my buffet (except without all the cooties from people touching the serving spoons who didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom) - you have to taste it all and spit out what you don't like. It's time for me to take a 2nd trip to the buffet and revisit my favorites, but you can bet I'll be doing a lot of spitting through the end of this year - and not just in wine class.
Seriously, having been so wrapped up in prepping for and executing a trip to Napa to immerse myself in the CSW exam has paid off. Not even a month ago I got the big envelope in the mail with a certificate and pin that now certifies that I, well, I know a bunch of wine stuff and like to take tests. In the time span of a 60-minute exam and 100 questions, however, never had I experienced the gut-wrenching downhill slalom of "I'm ready to smoke this thing" to "Huh - don't remember talking about that appellation - is it Washington or Oregon? Maybe I'll just do well enough," to the praying at the 55-minute mark, all at once cursing every wine country south of the equator because "I can't remember if Bio Bio is north or south of Itata but pretty sure it's in Chile. And God I hope I passed."
So that's it. I've been cork-dorking it up. My Sommelier Diploma Course was deferred to February, so I'm entertaining thoughts of WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) courses to keep my dorky side occupied lest I forget the villages of Beaujolais or something tragic like that in the meantime. I continue to do in-home wine tastings and teach wine FUNdamentals classes downtown. All fun. All wine all the time.
Yet the last few weeks or so I've been mourning simpler times when I wasn't as busy and had more time to write about silly things - like the blueberry that rolled under the stove last year (which was finally retrieved during cleaning operations prior to my recent move). Or - remember when I posted senseless photo blogs on "Wordless Wednesday"? Windows in Agde, France, Rain in Florence, Italy when I had nothing better to do than walk around and take happy snaps? Ooh - or roam through the Tuscan country side and taking friends to taste Sassicaia?
It's all coming down to balance. In an effort to keep mine I've been:
- saying "no" to excessively early morning meetings in favor of Yoga, gym, Pilates, or hiking activities;
- turning my phone off at 6 P.M. and stashing it in the den, silenced, until I reenter the "work zone" at 10 A.M. the next morning;
- reserving more of my evenings for time at home, and not out "meeting and eating for my business" - normally in sub-par establishments.
I'm digging deep to find my dormant creativity and chunking whatever excess life crap has dogpiled on top of it, stifling it - and me.I'm reaching back to dust off my own words, mantras, and joys. Life is my buffet (except without all the cooties from people touching the serving spoons who didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom) - you have to taste it all and spit out what you don't like. It's time for me to take a 2nd trip to the buffet and revisit my favorites, but you can bet I'll be doing a lot of spitting through the end of this year - and not just in wine class.
Well, it's good to see you again..you've been missed
ReplyDeleteThanks, Fly - I look forward to popping round & see what you all have been up to! Feels good to make time for this again!
DeleteHey! I'been kinda absent too... Lost my parents within 5 months of each other... GF, the drama that comes when someone dies! Not from me of course- but the OTHER! Napa? lucky you!.
ReplyDeleteOh, Chrissy - I'm so sorry to hear about your rotten year. It's one thing to deal with losing your parents - then there's the rest of the family to deal with which makes it even worse. Hugs to you, fine lady!
DeleteI'm glad you're back! Sounds like the "fall housecleaning" of life's unnecessary stressors for you too. Trying to regain my balance here as well
ReplyDeleteWent to a yoga class for the first time in ages, couldn't hit anything during the balancing sequence. Stood there in eagle, one second, two seconds... And down I went. Manifestations of my life creeping into the mat. But I got it right for a few seconds anyway! :)
Since I don't have seasons here, I'd love to see some snapshots of your autumn colors there. Ease back into this space with wordless days?
Cheers to you! Have a beautiful day.
Great idea - maybe a few wordless days would be fun. Sadly, our fall has been clinging to summer and dropping to winter (yes, snow) by tomorrow. Not much of a fall to speak of here - BUT have some great shots from Labor Day Weekend in Pagosa Springs. Since I'm too cheap to haul my asana into a yoga studio (and have teaching creds anyway) I do a lot of Veria TV's practices with Kurt Johnsen - and to quote, "Happiness is a choice you make. The question isn't when or if you are going to fall - it's how. You can smile and have fun with it. I'd rather have a room full of people falling than a room full of people not pushing their comfort zone." Or something like that. And such is my lesson to take off the mat. Great to "see" you again! And cheers to you ~
ReplyDeleteI need that light switch :)
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see you Valerie x
Likewise - I hope all is well in France - LOVE this time of year there...xo
ReplyDeleteCorky’s back. Thought you’d gone done a me and fallen off the wagon. Glad to know you didn’t trip headlong into a vat of something unfit for human consumption. Stay on course for your Sommeliering quallies in Nappa ville over there. Sounds like 2012 will turn out a vintage year for you after all. Deservedly so too. Up The Hatch then. Chinny Chin Chin, and all that jazz.
ReplyDeletePhil! Likewise! Where blogging was once my life it is now my guilty pleasure. I hear you on the hatch, although across the pond here your colonial friends say "down the hatch - and all that jazz. Cheers ~
ReplyDelete"Living Out Of The Box" has been included in the Sites To See for this week. I hope this helps to point many new visitors in your direction.
ReplyDeletehttp://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2012/11/sites-to-see.html
Thank you, Jerry - some fun sites over your way as well!
ReplyDeleteValerie