From the Observatory

For most of you  reading this, you probably are aware that one of my not-so-secret interests is astrology. I wouldn’t say I believe most of what they say, but I think there has to be something the way the stars are aligned that influence the quotidian and add certain touches our personalities. For example, I’m a  Leo Sun, Aquarius Moon, and Sagittarius Rising, which essentially defines me as bossy and impatient, kind of a nervous weirdo, and in dire need to travel regularly. No need to got any further, the stars were right.

I don’t check my horoscope very often, but my sister got me hooked onto this site www.astrologyzone.com which gives you an in-depth monthly horoscope based on your sun-sign. It’s pretty thorough and breaks things down into practical terms. For example, it suggests when to sign contracts, when to pay more attention to your teeth, and when not to travel long-distance. Real head-scratchers simplified.

Lately, as in the past 6 weeks or so, my life has been very strange. Uncontrollably strange. Here is an anecdote from the bizarro: I was feeling pretty low one night about work because I want to solely work in the wine industry (and leave teaching) and also I have been craving a big travel adventure and didn’t have a way to logically realize one. Even though the two aren’t really related, they were simultaneously really affecting me. So, that night I was crying to Julien as he patiently listened to me wail on and on about needing to only work in wine, and needing a big trip somewhere. What happened the next morning? I woke up and checked my email, and my old boss from the winery I worked at in New Zealand back in 2008 had written me. When I saw his name in my inbox, I was surprised because I hadn’t heard from him or anyone else from the winery since 2009. In the email, he said they are having a 10 year reunion of the winery and are ‘hand-picking’ (such a wine term!) some former employees and inviting them back for the reunion harvest. Of course, I was elated- that winery in New Zealand is where my wine life began, and it opened so many doors for me. So naturally, I’m honored to be able to go back and thank them for giving me a shot.  But what struck me immediately was the timing of his email. Divine intervention or whatever you want to call it, it couldn’t have been more perfect and was exactly the kind of motivation that I needed.

Several other things like that happened over a period of a few weeks, so I had to check my monthly horoscope to see what it said. Well, it said on October 9th I would receive great career news permitting long-distance travel (the email), and it also highlighted October 29th as a wonderful career day involving the media. Sure, horoscopes usually leave a lot to the imagination, but what are you supposed to think when they don’t? Hold on to your hats – and skepticism- and read the next story.

Last Saturday, I received an email from the tour manager saying that a film crew for a Canadian travel show called Ship 2 Shore would be going with my tour group on our weekly Monday winery visit. Naturally, waking up on Monday, I had a little more pep in my step, and tried to look glamorous for my television debut. When I strolled up to the cruise ship to collect my tourists as usual, I was informed by the crew that they would be only interviewing the winemaker and would be out of my way throughout my tour. I hid my disappointment well, but I secretly really wanted them in my way, all up in my way.

Anyway, on the 20 minute bus ride to the winery, I was giving my normal spiel on the bus mic about the history of the area, and facts about the wine region, while throwing in a few signature crowd-pleasing jokes in the mix, when one of the crew approached me. I thought she might ask me to write down a joke for her, but it was even better than that. She said ” In fact, the film crew likes you (why thank you) and wants to follow you on the tour before we interview the winemaker, are you okay with that?” Doing my best to play it cool, I paused -a little suspense never hurt anybody- and responded, ” Yes, that would be fine.” Mission accomplished.

Strangely enough during the tour, just through normal chit-chatting, I come to find out that two of my 30 tourists worked in wine. While speaking with them about Julien’s and my winemaking venture, I come to find out that they are Jim and Judy Barrett, owners of Chateau Montelena, the Napa winery that put California on the map. The Napa winery that directly inspired the over-the-top film, ‘Bottle Shock.’ Finding this out changed the course of my tour, because I was no longer nervous or pre-occuppied by the film crew, just in awe that I was showing our beautiful, underrated region to this legendary winemaking couple.

This all happened on October 29th, the day Astrology Zone marked as a wonderful day in my career involving the media.

Life is stranger than fiction, but even stranger when you check your horoscope.