Off to Napa

This weekend my company is throwing an anniversary bash for investors and employees and their spouse/guest, at a fancy schmancy hotel resort in Napa. Lacking a spouse, or the current desire to have one, I'm taking Ms. Olivia as my guest. Hey, girlfriend can party! The plans include a seminar, a luncheon, cocktails/dinner/dancing to a semi-famous band and a hangover. I've packed running shoes but I intend to ignore them.

My mom is here, permanently this time. She's staying with me while she awaits the moving van which is scheduled for Monday. I'm thinking she'll probably be with me a couple of days after than while she gets things unpacked. I'm also thinking that she'd really just like to spend a quite day at home doing nothing. Unfortunately she'd like that day to be at her old home in La Jolla. She's not terribly happy with the whole move situation right now. I hope she adjusts. I'll have to admit that she's really doing much better than I'd anticipated; an 80-year-old single not very healthy woman moving to an entirely new area, leaving her friends, doctors and favorite restaurants behind. It's going to be a big adjustment for both of us.

In honor of the Napa get-away I present the Gratuitous Bear of the Week (which is almost getting to be the Gratuitous Bear of the month; it's not that I'm running out of bears, I just haven't photographed them all). I was given this bear as a (semi-joke) birthday present some time when I was in my mid-30's. He's not one of my favorites (don't tell him I said so) because he's so -- so -- fussy looking. But I've kept him around and gotten more fond of him as the years have gone by. Meet Wino!