Tour de Tina

It's been so long...

For what? Well for a LOT. A LOT and A LOT!!! But in this case I will simply speak to the fact that I have not updated my little ole blog. And not one excuse about why would make me feel better --- I was at one point motivated to share my numerous cycling escapades, but then the rain came back and my bike has been in the garage now for 8 days. Despite the rain, there has been zero yearning for my socal life. Not to mention the rain is better for the skin than the sun.

But here's some non-cycling, non-wine related news --- a sort of "call the NEW YORK TIMES" kind of thing..... drum roll please......... I have a date. A real bonified date. Soon. In the near future. The very near future. And that's all I shall say since no one really needs to know the details except the Girls - Betty & Wilma that is --- who too have been cooped up during this most recent monsoon.

Back to wine --- I have to share that I went a whole 4 days without a sip. It wasn't easy - but I did. My next goal is 8 days, then 16 and then a whole month --- but I am not exactly sure when that will be. But let's be clear - this is not a drinking problem - it's just life in Napa. (A "When in Rome" sort of thing). One wine that is so near and dear to me is the Black Bart Marsanne - yummy....nothing better....I even drove to the very tippy top of Atlas Peak to pick up a half case because it's so hard to find. 3 down. 3 to go. It just doesn't last so long....

Becoming a data nut.

I know - it can't be true but I have just about figured out how to use my Garmin. I have never been technically inclined - and my favorite story to tell is that I arrived at Microsoft unable to type. I of course quickly learned -- and within a few weeks I was a typing whiz. Typing, however, is not technical, it's just physical. A Garmin, on the other hand, takes a bit of geting used to. Why might you ask that I this new fancy device? Well it's for my bike - (not my car but I would certainly love to have one there too) - and it's for my new personal and virtual cycling coach. He needed to understand my fitness from a far.

A few months ago, my dilemma was - Pilates class or cycling coach? That was the question? If I am not buying clothes and trying to be frugal, and trying to at the time stay fit and 29 (exercise is the way), then why not take a portion and invest into a healthy body and healthy mind. I should also add to the fact that I have signed up for a bizillion charity cycling events in which I need to raise large chunks of money and get through some supposed challenging courses.

Today was the field test - and I saw nothing more than 172. A good data point I think - but I can't be sure. More to come.

Tine goes tasting...

Nothing like the sport of wine-tasting - if you can call it a sport - likely not, I realize that. No sweat. No elevated heart rate. No pain. In fact it's quite the opposite - wine-tasting is all pleasure. And last weekend it was all pleasurable during my personalized Tour de Napa at some of the best wineries in town. Friday afternoon, my dear friend Sally, visiting to escape the Seattle rain, went direct from Oakland (International) Airport to the lovely Patz & Hall tasting room in South Napa. Here the specialty is Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Each sip was sumptuous - and truly worth every single penny. A+++.

From Patz & Hall we headed to downtown Napa to the Olabsi tasting room - a sort of classic hole in the wall on one of the decrepid side streets of Napa - actually this particular street is not as bad as others -- though there really is a retail problem in Napa, which would be LACK of retail. It's amazing to me that there are first rate restaurants, hotels, and bars, but if a girl wants a sexy pair of slingbacks or a refill of MAC or just a fun throwaway Tee, well it's not happening in this town.

So back to wine....Napa sells wine. Not clothes. Olabsi....Well all I can say is that we bought into the "buy a case and get one free" -- and that's what we did --- I now have a fabulous case of Chardonnay sitting adjacent to my wine fridge because that puppy is full.

Saturday morning - 10:30 - the limo arrives -- I know - so decadent --- I keep thinking about how I could use (or save) this money in so many other ways -- it's hard not too feel guilty -- at the same time it's not worth wine-tasting and driving around the Valley -- I already seem to be a police magnet.

First stop - Fleury. Now, hear this one out. You drive up to a semi-modern chocolate brown barn and you think you might be in store for an 18th century sort of situation - sitting on haystacks and watching chickens wobble around you - but I walk in and see Las Vegas. SUCH a disappoint. They had two rolling racks of logoed Polo's, two cases of OAKLEY sunglasses (well one was filled with jewelry), and then a hodge-podge of other crap. The good news, however, was that the wine was fantastic - and once the tasting began, their poor taste in "accessorizing" went bye the bye.

From Fleury we drove (or rode) to Quintessa - a MUST SEE FOR all - so so so beautiful. It's a classic tour. The wine - well ask my friend JoAnn - she was not one to taste and pour out -- it all went into the "taste category" -   and once again I left with several bottles in tow. We left Quintessa to head to St. Helena to the revered Spring Mountain. Our host, a nice Jewish boy from New Jersey who happens to have the very same birthday as moi, was most lovely and most knowledgeable about our 5 wines we sipped on. Or was it 6? Or 7. Who's counting? 

While I could have been on a 4 hour bike ride that day, I spent 4 + hours living the high-life. No regrets. Just the feeling of fortune. And a mild case of the obese-fairy and her imminent arrival....though she really arrived the next day, at the cheese-tasting affair - but that story is for another day.

Tina gets pulled over AGAIN!

Who'd a thunk - twice in two weeks I hear the siren or loud megaphone those cops seem to enjoy! Actually the second time I was on my bike - yes bicycle of course -- not motorcyle - such a contraption is rarely found in a Jewess' home. I was about 2 miles away from home and I turned right onto a semi-main drag - it's Napa - so most of the roads are not primary roads. My "pull over" was due to the fact that I "rolled the stop". Coincidentally, this is after I told my cycling pal that she really can't just blow through STOP signs which she did in the beginning of our ride. Afterall, as a member of the Bike Coalition, I need to be the outstanding citizen -  outstanding cycling citizen that is. My error can be blamed on my tired legs and body and I just wanted to be home. But that's not an excuse. All cyclists MUST OBEY THE RULES OF THE ROAD AS IF THEY WERE A FOUR-WHEELED VEHICLE. In other words bikes must live by the same rules as cars. Pretty darn simple. I know this. I disobeyed. I confess. Fortunately, this motorcyle cop just lectured me. No ticket. Phew. So glad I wasn't wearing a heart rate monitor during those few minutes because it would have been zone god knows what. So there you have it - 0 for 2 -- and let's keep it that way!

Portlandia - Starting January 21st on IFC

While I may not be ahead of the curve when it comes to promoting up and coming TV shows - I am thrilled to announce to me, myself and I - that the most hilarious new show is coming next week to IFC. Get ready for Portlandia - http://www.ifc.com/videos/portlandia-portland-dream-of-the-90s.php - truly so darn funny - for those that live there - and even those that don't. My new crush is Fred Armisen. His 8 show characters with the lovely and talented Carrie Brownstein are perfectly polished but so raw, witty and wild. File this little piece of info away - you won't go wrong - you will only laugh. I promise. And thank you dear Nay for finding this while multi-tasking. :)

Tina goes to the gym!

Did I happen to mention that there has been a monsoon centered over Napa for about the last 5 or 6 days? I have stopped counting. Weather.com only shows rain, dark clouds, wet, and wind. It's not good for my cycling career -- well the little career that I did have. (I signed up for Best Buddies and not only is the ride mega but I have to raise mega bucks too.)

I picked up running in October - but you really can only go so far --- literally speaking - and I still have that reoccuring artery issue -- not heart - leg. For whatever reason I can ride 100 miles but can't seem to run more than 5 without getting that frozen leg business. That said, I still am intrigued by the Napa Valley Marathon happening in March -- and thought - well heck I could do that - it might take a whole darn day - versus my prime marathon time of 3:30 -  but why not? Of course, I am not here to discuss running. I am here to share my Napa Valley Gym Experience.

Having not entered a gym in many moons, I sort of forgot the whole feeling of being totally anonymous -- just do your thing and stay focused. But maybe I never really had that particular feeling because in LA, gyms were social. At least mine were. GOLD's Hollywood for one was more like a gay nightclub under extremel bad flourscent lights. Sweaty men. Check. Lots of men. Check Check. Men standing around and swooning rather than actually working out. Check Check and Check. Yet despite the night club atmosphere during the wee morning hours, I liked the (for the most part) friendly factor and certainly the loud-ass POP music. The music perhaps is what turned that gym into a PARTY.

Napa's Gym? Silent. Not a peep. Every person on a treadmill, lifecycle, stair master, lat machine ALL had on his or her own headset. It was quite the surreal scene. The only public sounds were the pounding feet on the treadmill - and perhaps a few grunts from the free weight room. I didn't like. (Said like Ricky Ricardo) Didn't like at all. It's not that I wanted to strike up a conversation with anyone, it's just that everyone seemed so totally walled off.

The good news is that I had my fancy spankin purple ipod and was happy to turn the volume up to my personal disco party. Ai No Corrida! And last but not least, I did get a good sweat going  during the continual downpour that seems to be never-ending.

Thank you Jayson for the Gym Pass - or Passes. 1 down. 11 to go.

Tips for Small Town Living.

It's been just about 8 months of Napa life and a few things I have come to realize that I thought I would share with my fan base -- well that would be me, myself and I - the same very group that I ride my bike with - but perhaps one day I shall corral a larger readership (and some regular cycling pals)

Tips for Small Town Living.

#1 - Don't tailgate - for in fact the very person you are wanting to plow off the road because they are going 35 when the speed limit is 40 could very well be your neighbor. (Happened to me recently and I just wanted to pull into a ditch, get out and find a new car).

#2 - Just deal with the simple fact that folks around here drive slow - Per point number #1 - when it says 40 they go 35, when it says 25 you might as well just park your car and get out and run (or ride) since you could probably win the race against their '98 Toyota Camry.

#3 - Don't go grocery shopping at prime-time (5pm) - if you don't want to see anyone you know, or met, or have met somewhere but were too buzzed to recall their name because the wine that night didn't stop flowing, then just plan to shop at off hours. And if you do shop at prime-time, at least put a face on.

#4 - Avoid grocery store shopping cart road rage -  the oncoming shopper could be your neighbor, your kid's friend's mother, your dentist - you just never know what could happen. One of my first blogs was about my Whole Foods road rage - but that was in West LA - not North Napa in which you really have seen one out of every 5 folks. Kind of scary.

#5 - Everyone is connected. This makes that 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon look like nursery school. No joke. Everyone knows everyone who knows everyone. The bottomline - just smile a lot and leave all negative thoughts in your head for you to stew on.

#6 - Looking for M.A.C. cosmetics - go south to Berkeley.

#7 - Looking for APPLE support - go south to Emeryville.

#8 - Looking for CK underwear - go south to Century City (well that might a bit too far to travel)

#9 - Get involved. It's actually one of the aspects I love about this small town business - it's easy to get involved in many organizations and people welcome the new juice.

#10 - Love they neighbor as thyself. It's not that I don't respect my neighbhors, it's just that I don't want to have to have the hood know all of the Meet the Fockers details of my life - and there are plenty of those.

Sometimes I wonder....

If there will ever be a week when a free glass of wine is NOT offered to you? It's really been quite the amazing over these past six months in which I have probably tasted at least 50 new wines.... the list is oh so very long. During the most lovely car rides to Sonoma, my little guy will say "mommy - more wines - more wines" (think "the plane, the plane"),  when he actually means "grapes" - and I am like "yeah, and mommy has probably tasted those wines." What used to be called Mommy Juice in LA, is now just pretty much Mommy Water around here. It's everywhere and everyone just wants to share. :)

It's been a long road a ho... ahoy....or something like that...

What I am attempting to say is that it's been a long road around here in my quest to find other cyclists to ride with --- so maybe I should say - its been a long, lonely road. For being considered the mecca of the wine and supposedly cycling country, I see very few riders on the road. Of course there are oodles and oodles of tour groups -- and smaller self-guided groups and couples with their little winery maps and their upright cross bikes. But what I am looking and longing for are experienced riders who know how to get a pace line going in the wine country winds. And riders who not just ride well, but also look the part. I guess I am sort of snob though I am QUICKLY getting over that the fact that it really doesn't matter what one looks like - it's function and fitness before fashion in this neck of the woods.

So alas, today, I found myself on my first cycling date -- not a date date - but a cycling date with a great guy who has a zest and zing about him. I asked him to ride as I am really quiet tired of the me, myself and I rides. Since it's been two plus weeks off the bike (due to weather, work and just the insanity of life), I was a bit nervous about riding with someone. My last big ride, and it was big, was Levi's Gran Fondo and yep, I finished that darn century or 103 or whatever it was. I owe it all to my compaq that I now love love love.

Back to today....I arrive at the meeting spot prompt at 10am. (Another thing that I do love about Napa versus LA - you can start a ride at 10am. In LA you have to get your ass out of bed before the sun comes up, because with the sun comes the onslaught of cars. And with the cars comes a not so great ride. Well once you get north in the mountains, all is fine - it's just getting through the traffic). So at 10am I start to look for my date - and lo and behold I see a white socked, mirrored helmet, moutain-bike shoed guy on a Bianchi. I tell myself to STOP being such a darn snob. STOP. STOP. STOP. Here is a perfectly great guy who perhaps needs a fashion make-over from Castelli, yet why should I downgrade him because of what he is wearing. Let's see how he rides.

The good news is that he is a strong, smart, and seasoned cyclist. The ride was great. The conversation entertaining. And unlike in LA, in which I would have been taunted by my ex-racer friends, or current racer num-nuts for being with a someone out of the inner-circle - we only saw a handful of other riders. My lesson today is that age-old child proverb of sorts - "don't judge a book by it's cover" - and "it's okay to ride with hairly-legged, mirror-wearing, triple-chain loving cyclists."

 

Is it possible?

That I might be gravitating towards beer? In just 5 months of wine country living maybe too much wine has made me now beckon for a brewsky? I think it to be so. Or perhaps this particular weekend - cold, rainy, football season. It was a Belgium ale sort of afternoon. Check back with me next week and I will have to report in whether this tendency towards bottle caps has replaced the favorite sound of my corkscrew....