112 in the shade!

It does get hot here in the desert. Still, it was not as uncomfortable as 93 degrees in New Orleans. One doesn't sweat here.... still, today as I walked back to the front door of the store, it was like sticking my head into a enormous hair dryer.

One just needs to moisturize regularly.

Last Monday, luca and I crove up to Mount Charleston, only about 40 minutes from where we live. It's a lovely drive through several climate zones in a very short amount of time.



The Valley.



And a long road and view.



The ski area right now has no snow, but it did last month and some of the mountain areas still have some snow in a few canyons.



The Elevation. It was so cool where luca and I had lunch; 75 degrees and a lovely breeze. Pine trees all around and one Alpine Meadow on the way. Totally lovely. And then on the way down back into the valley...



...through the Joshua trees, and back into the Las Vegas Valley.


A lovely day.

Yes it was.

Work has continued to be engaging and exhausting, but there is a big corner being turned; things are mostly looking up, I must say.

I've finished buying furniture for now. Almost everything in my house is just the way I would like it to be.

The Element needs it's 30,000 mile check up and that's going to cost, just enough to bump it into the next pay period.

I need to make a visit to my Dad, my Sis and my Brother's family in August; just have to work out when and how.

So now, who is coming to visit? I need to know so I can be here when you come.

-durlx

Stephen Asprinio Chef Sommelier

This guy was in the store today to show of his style of food. You might know him from that Bravo "Top Chef" show. I didn't get a chance to talk to him today, although we kept running into each other as he set up for his gig. He seemed nice enough, but perhaps a bit too serious for his age. My department was also running two other wine samplings, one with a didgereedoo player from Australia and a guitarist for the breaks. Basically a big busy day for the wine department!

Lots and lots of energy in the department... it was great!

Today is my birthday.

I should try to plan these things better; I am spending this one alone.

But then I do need the rest. I am getting pleasantly drunk right now and listening to some of my favorite music, and tomorrow, I'll sleep. Perhaps I'll wake up enough to want to read or watch a movie; I am ready, several books and two movies await.

Next year will be different.

But then it always is....

So, I have been very, very busy opening a new store for my company.

It's been a whole lot of work and sometimes, just once and a while, I've wondered if it was worth the effort. Was it worth it? The answer is, of course, yes. Of the three stores that I have opened, this was the most dif so far, but it will probably be the most rewarding.

Memorial Day seemed to be a bell weather; I had Sunday and Monday off and not a damned thing planned! luca was off in the far north and I felt dope and alone. I wrote an e-mail to one of my Irish cheese maker friends and got a wonderful answer the next day. That helped a lot. And I spent some time on the phone with one of my ex associates; he had just made the short list for the big London store and that was great! But I still felt like a puss. I woke up one morning teary eyed and thinking about Bill...

But I also spent almost two hours talking to Willie B., my long time ex who has just moved back to New Orleans, and that was sweet, although his situation there is not prime.

Oh yeah, I had to take a two day trip to South Chicago; flew into Midway, most convenient, to get the the Funeral Parlor for my cousin Edward's wife's funeral. I love Edward, we've been cousin-friends since I can remember. When we were kids, I would visit in Chi and he would spend some time at the farm in Upstate NY. Even though we were together only a few weeks a year then, we always felt close. As the years went by, there were times when we didn't see each other for a decade, but then when we did, it seemed like yesterday.

Edward and Phyllis came to visit me in New Orleans a year before the end... It was a great visit, so much fun and well, since it was the last time I got to hang out with Phyllis, in retrospect, it's the greatest. The funeral service at the church was when I started to cry; there was a song that the old lady choir sung in Polish.

That's the thing. My Chicago relatives have always been dear to me, it's my mother's side of the family. They were always half Lutheran, half Catholic, half German, and a little more than half Polish. This next generation had added both Italian and Mexican to the mix, and it's the best family to eat with! The fod is always amazing!

And so are the people. Such a family.


So. next week, I fly to Burbank, the bus station with planes, to go to our Team Leader meeting at the central office. I know that someone remarked that I should let them know when I was coming into town. Truth is that when I fly in for these meetings, I mostly fly out when they are done. But then again, next month, I might be able to finagle a visit to one of the locals....after extending my return flight., if there might be an over-night accomodation offered.

We can be flexible about these things.


I'm going to try to post more here, and on the message board as well. Try to respond, it will be a great help to me.