Growing up with six siblings, our little house was pretty much a zoo at all times, but getting ready for school in the morning was its own kind of crazy. At one point, there were 5 of us in elementary at the same time and we were always tripping over each other in the early a.m., trying to beat the clock, sharing one bathroom, pulling uniforms out of drawers or hampers or from under beds, shoveling Cream of Wheat or Kix cereal or Pop Tarts into our mouths with mom hollering her countdown - a one-woman assembly line stuffing Capri Suns and PB&Js into brown paper bags with our names written on each in her distinct cursive.

I've never been a morning person, nor particularly motivated to rush off to school or work at any time. I probably deserved the daily nagging, digging out old cardigans and putting on my shoes at a snails pace. They'd often threaten to leave me behind, which was obviously a joke- until the one day it wasn't. 

I think I was in second grade at the time. I heard the door slam and the last pair of sneakers tearing down the steps. But the van was still warming and I knew they'd yell for me soon (once again), annoyed as always at my procrastination. But then I heard the van reverse - and pull away. Surely they'd see me running down the steps or someone in the rear window would be smirking back at me, alerting mom to stop. But as I made it to the street I realized it wasn't a joke. They were gone. I was a mess, tearing up in a mix of anger, desperation, and sadness. I had already dropped my shoes earlier on the steps, but was still holding my socks, which I threw toward (or at) the van in a listless fit - a futile fling to halt its departure. Life lesson: throwing socks is a ridiculous gesture. But if you must, one should roll them in a ball first. Otherwse one sock travels all of three feet, at best. The other falls from the air, back onto your face and you'll still be wearing it there when your mom and siblings, having realized that you're not in the van, U-turn back up the hill a minute later to spy you sprawled out on the steps in practiced agony, sock still on your head.  


Max and Julia left this morning for the east coast for a couple weeks. I'm not the little boy left holding his socks anymore, but it's gonna be a bit lonely here, I'll confess. So come say hello and hang with me and Jessie and Glenny. We've all kinds of fun tastings lined up - and will be pouring delicious wines from around the world. Wines to turn around a bad morning. Wines worth chasing after. Wines that pair with anything, even PB&J.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! All French lineup this evening, with dry whites from the Loire Valley and Savoie and reds from Savoie and the south. Flights $12 from 4-8pm.

SATURDAY: And Copeland of APS Wines at OAKLAND YARD! Andy will pouring an eclectic lineup of dymamic French wines (Colin Aligote, du Seuil Graves, Nerleux Cremant Rosé and Domaine Deffends Truffieres Rouge. Flights $15 from 2-5 and wines by the glass until 9!

SUNDAY: Wines of Piedmont! Four wines (Timarossa, Arneis, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo) from the Northwestern of Italy. Dry aromatic whites and earthy, elegant reds. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass as always.

See you soon (with socks on),

Daniel