Happy Birthday Month!

I have some serious catching up to do. I have been on the gooooo!

First, I want you to understand something. I have the best wife in the world. I don’t know how I got so blessed, but I am sure glad I did. I love you Babe!

Mitzi always refers to a birthday as birthday month. It’s never a day. It’s a minimum of 5 or 6. Well… my birthday lasted well over a month and I don’t know if it’s going to stop anytime soon. I turned 50 this year in October. I feel younger now than before my birthday.

I had the best party EVER! It was a surprise party Mitzi had been planning for months. It was in my hometown. This is how it started:

We had a parade around the whole city block dancing and laughing to kick off the party. Friends and family came from all over the country. Whenever anyone asks me what I want for my birthday or at a holiday, I say the same thing. I just want everyone to get together and have a great meal. That’s exactly what we did!

It was all there… people, a ton of food (Cappy brought a bunch of pizza’s), music and dessert buffet with pizzelles my cousin Niki Paula made that would rival any I have had in my life. My wife knows me and planned the perfect party.

We came back to California and decided to make a quick trip to Vegas. Mitzi’s Aunt and Uncle were there and thought we should fly over. We barely said yes and had to hit the ground running to get packed and to the airport to get on a last-minute flight. It was a short get away with some good food and great conversations.

Back to California, and then a quick trip to do some food styling in Columbus, Ohio. The day after I got back from Ohio, our friends Matt and Rhonda wanted to take us to one of their favorite places in Napa, Del Dotto Vineyards. The experience is simply amazing. The following week, they invited me back to experience a special dinner called Barrels and Beast.

If you are looking for the perfect Napa experience, hands down I would say Del Dotto will exceed your expectations. The food we had before the 6-course dinner, as we were toured through the caves, was just about as good as it gets. I was thinking how can the following 6-course meal top the hors d’ oeuvres. Well… the meal was accompanied by some of the best opera singers in San Francisco. AMAZING! People were raving about the wine selection, the music was great and the company was outstanding. I definitely recommend making the trip.

I know I have the best family, friends and life.

I am thankful everyday!