A Happy Birthday Indeed!

It's not a secret... my life with Frank isn't romantic. But that's not in the nature of either one of us. We play around, bicker, poke fun and jab at each other all the time. It makes it fun, and it makes me love him. When anyone makes a remark about him not being romantic, he gets defensive, which I think is hilarious, because I'm not the romancing type of girl. Hell, give me a hot dog and beer at a Dodgers game over a fancy dinner any day, as long he's sitting there next to me.

I didn't know what I wanted for my birthday, so I couldn't even give him an idea, except for some Juicy Couture perfume I've been wanting. At my family party last Saturday he told me he hadn't gotten me anything yet, but that it wasn't my birthday. I of course told him it was fine. Tuesday when I got home a spied a small wrapped box on the credenza in our entry way.  I opened the tiny box, the box that looked like a ring box, only to find a note. A NOTE! A note that said I needed to pack a bag and get off work early on Friday because he was taking me away for my birthday. At dinner I guessed that we were going to Napa, and he was a little frustrated, but I didn't and couldn't guess anything else we were doing.

I anxiously waited the rest of the week, and at 3pm on Friday I was in my car headed home. We left our house around 4 and made it to our cute little inn around 6.15 called the Chardonnay Lodge. A tiny, 20-unit motel, with themed rooms and beautiful roses. We relaxed and decided on where to go for dinner. We decided on Black Bear Diner, an inexpensive restaurant we both knew would be just fine, considering all the things we would do on Saturday.

Saturday Morning we poured over a map and chose 2 wineries to visit before our lunch reservation at Michael Chiarello's restaurant, Bottega, in downtown Yountville. We ended up choosing Castello Di Amorosa, or, The Castle Winery, and world-famous V. Sattui Winery.

As you approach the castle at Castello Di Amorsa, it feels like Italy. The long driveway is lined with gorgeous cypress trees, surrounded by vineyards. You walk up several stairs and cross over a draw bridge, into a large courtyard. We just purchased a tasting, not the whole tour, and walked through the castle into the tasting room. We were treated like family, our server was Italian himself, and was very knowledgeable. We each chose a bottle of wine we couldn't leave with out and wandered around the grounds a bit.

We got back in the truck and headed to V. Sattui. A place that is literally everyone's speed. From the amazing BBQ to the tasting room and cheese shop. We tasted some amazing wine and wandered around the cheese shop and gardens. We ended up purchasing 4 bottles of wine and while I really wanted to get some different cheese, there wasn't any way for us to transport it and keep it cool since we were going over to Yountville for lunch.

We visited Dean and Deluca and wandered around in awe of all the amazing produce and delicious looking food they had to offer before heading to Bottega. We were a little early when we got to Yountville, so we wandered around NapaStyle. A little store right across from Bottega where Michael Chiarello features his wines for tasting it offers an amazing variety of rock salts and specially crafted meat rubs. We tasted the Roasted Garlic rub, and I knew I had to have it!


We had a 2.30 reservation at Bottega and were still a bit early, so we sat at the bar and had a drink and browsed the huge wine list. We were sat outside under the canopy and it was gorgeous. We ordered Polenta Under Glass for our appetizer and were still deciding on entrees when our server came over and offered us the special, a veal burger with truffle mayo. OMFG! I love truffles, so I jumped at the chance to order that. Frank ordered a raviolo made with potato dough and black truffles.

As i was starting to get really excited about my veal burger, a waitress came over to tell me they'd run out of the special, I was totally bummed, but went back to what I originally wanted before the special, red wheat linguine with veal and pork bolognese. Ugh! It was to die for. We both mmm'd and yumm'd our entire meals. When we'd finished, i had already decided this place was just too good to pass up dessert, so we ordered Tiramisu Profiteroles. Little cream puff shells filled with tiramisu ice cream and drizzled with freshly melted chocolate. Ugh again! Heaven on a dessert plate! (Frank's phone takes much better photos than mine, so you'll see a few more photos soon).

We headed back to our room as fat, dumb and happy as could be. We relaxed for a bit and decided what we should do for the night. We headed out to Downtown Napa and walked around, gawking at all the closed shops and debating about what small thing we should eat. We wound up at Downtown Joe's on Main Street in the heart of downtown. Frank watched the Giants lose, and I watched the Sharks win. We had some of the best bar food we've ever tasted, and had some great hand crafted, fresh brewed beers.

Sunday morning we knew we were heading to Downtown St. Helena to have a very early lunch at Gott's Roadside. Home of, literally, the best burger ever. We shared. Yeah, that's right, we shared. For those of you that don't know Frank that well, he doesn't share, ever. But I ordered a fresh ahi tuna melt, and he ordered the Bacon cheeseburger, and we shared. Ugh! great food. We walked around downtown St. Helena and wandered in and out of shops the whole afternoon before heading to Redwood City to meet my parents for dinner at the Old Port Lobster Shack.

And well, what can I say about the Lobster Shack? Quite possibly my new favorite seafood place. Lobster Bisque, huge lobster rolls, and even a WHOLE LOBSTER! Ugh! Frank and I shared again. We ordered the WHOLE steamed lobster, and a lobster roll, filled with huge chunks of lobster, mayo, green onions piled in a toasted buttery bun. I love lobster, and this place was phenomenal.

We left my parents and drove on home from our long weekend. we unpacked slightly, threw some clothes in the washer and fell into the couches. we were exhausted, and as Frank said, sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation.

But this was by far one the best birthday weekends I've had. Ever. Look for a new recipe coming soon and a video from this weekend.

Absolutely,
The Lady

So Many Things Have Happened In Just One Year....

Just like it sounds. So many things have happened in the last year. Almost all of them good, but life has moved so fast over the last 2 years that I almost don't believe it.

At this time last year, I'd just returned from Los Angeles with Frank and a fresh tattoo. I'd endured 48 days of drinking nothing but water and tea. I'd just spent my first holiday away from my family with Frank's, and enjoyed a coca-cola classic for the first time in 48 days. Frank took me to San Jose Cafe for a birthday breakfast, where I enjoyed a full cup of Hot Chocolate topped with whipped cream. I worked that day and picked up the girls from school, where they were so excited to wish me a Happy Birthday. Later Frank and I celebrated with a birthday dinner at PF Chang's with my family and best friend.

And now, it's been a year.

It's been over a year since I got my tattoo and went to Disneyland. I did the same Lenten sacrifice, only this year I gave up the eff word too, and I'm still with Frank. But so much has changed! and it's, quite frankly, awesome!

I finished school, and had a fabulous graduation party filled with family, friends, food, and Bocce! I finished my work as a nanny, and went back to work teaching swimming lessons, which wasn't an ideal job for me, but it did yield a pretty awesome tan and some much needed time in the sun. I dove head first into helping out with the Aiuto Foundation's annual Sicilian Golf Festival and even landed myself a spot on the Women's Auxiliary Club board of directors as the Communications Director.

But August 13th, (which was a Friday, I might add), was probably one of the most life-changing days of the year. I got the call from Empire Broadcasting that they wanted to offer me a job as the new Creative Services director. I was so thrilled I could barely hold it together to call my mom to tell her. It was one of the most exciting days of my life so far.

2 months later Frank and I would travel to Reno for the Great Italian Festival and celebrate his birthday with a surprise trip to see his uncle conduct the nova vista symphony and attend a 49er's game in the rain with my dad the next day.

Thanksgiving we traveled to Paso Robles to enjoy an amazing weekend of food and wine with his family and even took a day trip to Moro Bay. Christmas Eve was spent with his family and Christmas day was simply spent with my little family at my sister's house in Clayton since she'd sustained a pretty gnarly car accident just 5 days before.

New Year's Eve was one of the best celebrations I've been to in a while, and I was sure to drink my weight in vodka and rum with some of my best friends and well, Frank. Haha.

At the start of the year we were itching to move out of the Box, so as you all know, on February 13th we moved out of the box and into The Mansion.

So now, an entire year has past, I'm 26, employed in my field doing a job a love, and earning a great salary.

We see my parents almost weekly, and have Sunday Dinner almost every weekend at his mom's house. Talk about some traditional Italians! We enjoy spending time with our families, and that's probably the one thing I missed the most while I was living in Los Angeles. Even though my friends were my family, there's nothing like joking around with your parents.

Frank and I are happy, and he's planned a weekend trip out of town for my birthday. I only know we're going to Napa, what we'll do there is still a total mystery to me. But since he paid for my tattoo for last years birthday, I guess he figured a trip would suffice. Haha!

Here's to another amazing year. We'll see what I have to say when April 6, 2012 rolls around and I'm 27!

Absolutely,
The Lady