30 days to 30

I stole this from a great friend of mine who is also closing in on the 30th birthday. It is official that we are in the window of 30 days until our 30th birthday, so let the celebration begin.

My friend and I have birthdays one day apart, and since we live in separate cities we aren't going to be able to celebrate together. We were fortunate to be able to connect this past weekend and have a pseudo-celebration.

What better way to spend a nice NC day than getting in a paprika Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible. The idea sounded better when we were lounging in the house. MWL had signed up for a wine club membership with Raffaldini Winery in the Yadkin Valley. The idea came to us as we were sipping Rose on their balcony overlooking the Western NC mountains. It was May, the gardens in the place were amazing, and we felt like we were in Tuscany.

MWL: Let's join the Wine Club, it will make us return here more often, and the wine is pretty good.

Fast forward three months, and we notice that Raffaldini has deducted money from our bank account. Looks like our wine is in.

So the three of us fold into the Eclipse convertible and take some back roads to Raffaldini. Three hours later we arrive just as they are closing the tasting room. Wine didn't taste quite as good as we remembered, but the views were fine. We also had the opportunity to review the proper pronunciation of "anise."

The day ended with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Perhaps I set up a high expectation when I explained to my friend that this place is "the best restaurant in the world." Somehow nothing was tasting as good as I remembered.

We often find ourself in this situation when company is in town. It may be that we are so excited to share some of the wonderful experiences we have had, or maybe the magic wears off after seeing the place through out-of-town eyes. Either way, we had just as much fun relaxing on the couch with a nice bottle of wine and catching up with an old friend. Well, if you consider 29 11/12 old.