Croatia: Memories Lost and Found

Half way through my trip to Croatia in October 2011 my Lumix digital camera died. Actually it was the battery; it would no longer hold a charge. So I tossed the camera into my bag and used my iPhone for the rest of the trip. This week, more than a year later, I finally got a new battery and what a surprise when I turned the camera on and found Croatia lingers on in several hundred photos and a few video’s I completely forgot I'd taken.

Oh Croatia, you really got under my skin. And seeing these pictures makes me fall in love with you all over again. Luckily, I'll be visiting you again soon in March for the 2013 International Wine Tourism Conference and Workshop in Zagreb. I'm looking forward to rekindling our romance.

Here are some highlights from my lost “film roll" plus a lost video from the 2011 Chiavalon olive oil harvest in Istria. You can click on the headings below to bring up the related posts.

L to R-- Me, Lavinia Spalding, Kimberley Lovato

My fellow travel writers - we are actually triplets separated at birth.

 Sibenik

Konoba Dalmatino in Sibenik

The Food and Wine at Bibich! 

Be still my heart. The outstanding food pairings presented at Bibich winery was a rare event, not usually available to the general public. But the fabulous wines are available in the U.S. from Blue Danube Wine Company so you have no excuse not to try them. The pictures I took below are the same as the pairings Anthony Bourdain was so effusive about on his last season of No Reservations.

Pag and Paski Sir Cheese Factory

Sage infused Paski Sir -- Best cheese EVER! 

Chiavalon olive oil harvest of 2011 in Vodnjan, Istria

Zadar

If you missed my posts on Croatia the first time around here they are again--Enjoy.
Links to Croatia Series:

Overview: Croatia Series Preview: Zivili!

Croatia Part 1: Bibich Dégustation

Croatia Part 2: The Splendors of Split

Croatia Part 3: Šibenik Caressed by the Sea

Croatia Part 4: Zadar, The Perfect Date

Croatia Part 5: Pilgrimage to Pag: Land of Paški Sir

Croatia Part 6: Istria--Truffles, Olive Oil, Prosciutto & Wine!

Croatia Part 7: A Taste of Zagreb
Croatia Part 8: Eli's Caffé in Zagreb--Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

The Waiting is Over--2010 Hands on Harvest Pinot Noir

Two years ago I attended Gloria Ferrer Hands on Harvest ( read about it here Part 1 and Part 2 ) and just a few days before this year’s Thanksgiving I got a wonderful surprise in the mail--

The 2010 Carneros Estate Pinot Noir is made from the grapes our Hands on Harvest group picked from the Seven Bays Block, one of the highest ridges at the Circle Bar Ranch property.

I opened a bottle the minute it arrived even though it was only 3pm, but hey, it’s called research! I’m happy to report the wine is delicious -- balanced and dry with a spicy finish. It’s fun to sip and to contemplate that I had a hand, albeit a very small hand, in the making of it. Most of all I’m very happy I don’t have to harvest all the grapes for the many wines I enjoy all year long. There is nothing like a hands on harvest experience to give one tremendous respect and appreciation for all the real hard work carried out on a daily basis by the professionals who make wine.

2010 Gloria Ferrer Hands on Harvest Team

Timeline:
Grapes were picked and crushed on September 14,1010
Wine placed in Barrels on October 5, 2010
Bottled and hand labeled on August 15th 2012

Details about the wine:
* Dijon 115 was the only clone used in the Hands on Harvest Pinot Noir.
* The grapes were de-stemmed, partially crushed, and cold soaked for three days to extract color and aromas.
* Thirce daily punch downs and pump over regimes were tailored to each lot of fruit.
* Barrel aged for nine months in two medium -plus toast 100% French oak barrels form the Allier forest.
* The Pinot Noir was bottled un-fined.

Production: 276 bottles

Thank you to Mike Crumly, Bob Iantosca, Steve Urberg and to the entire staff at Gloria Ferrer .

Cheers!!

Thanksgiving Past and Future Perfect

Last night I was thinking about my most memorable Thanksgiving’s and realized all the best were non-traditional. I miss those very early Thanksgiving days when I was between the ages of three and six and oblivious to the family dynamics that holiday events can make so endearing or unbearable. But as the years go by it’s less about family and more about extended family, the one we create with our friends. Plus, aside from my sister, there are very few living blood relations left.

My first Thanksgiving away from home was in Gainesville Florida, while I was at the University of Florida. I stayed in town and invited all the other “Thanksgiving Orphans” who for reasons of work or other circumstances were not going home for Thanksgiving. It was a potluck affair naturally, and in addition to all the pot people brought, we had an amazing turkey some guy in my German cinema class prepared.

Another non-traditional Thanksgiving took place in a yurt in the wilds of Northern Florida with my sisters friends. Someone decided to replace the button mushrooms in the stuffing with psilocybin and everything transformed or deteriorated (depending on your state of mind) into a phantasmagorical evening of deranged conversations and a fire pit of epic proportions.

After the age of twelve, family specific Thanksgivings took on a whole new dynamic tinged with expectations and regrets and disappointment. So after years of traveling back home for the event, I decided all the holiday travel stress was not worth it and besides my mother always said:  “Thanksgiving/Christmas is when we are together not when the calendar dictates.” That eased the minor guilt I had and freed me up to do Thanksgiving my way. For years the T-Day ritual for me and my husband was to play golf in San Francisco and then go to Mel’s Diner for the $11.95 Thanksgiving meal special. Over the years, the price of the special kept ticking up but the scene remained the same. You can view the entire spectrum of mankind--all walks of life--at Mel’s on Thanksgiving Day. I highly recommend you experience it at least once in your life.

One year my husband and I traveled to Vallecitos, New Mexico--a tiny blink-and-you'll-miss-it town between Taos and Santa Fe, where some friends had opened a writer’s retreat. I still remember the pumpkin pie I ate there made with some mysterious ingredient that turned out to be Borden’s condensed milk. We played Pictionary way into the night as a light snow fell and watched the moon rise over the mountains in the cold heavy air.

The most disastrous Thanksgiving occurred when my husband decided he wanted to mend his relationship with his estranged mother and invited her to our ranch in a ill-advised attempt to recapture something that never was. I’ve written a 30,000 word account of her entire stay-- the details of which remain mind-boggling to this day, but the short version is we had barely gathered round the table when the “giblets hit the fan” if you take my meaning. My mother-in-law, well versed in the art of instigation and no stranger to bar room brawls, picked the wrong person to attack that day. Me. I still remember the shocked silence that settled over the table as I told her “…we better take it outside.” Our poor friends tried to busy themselves tiding up in the kitchen and taking walks around our property to avoid the tension. This story ends well though, albeit in a very Dickensian way.

On a whim and drawn by a great travel deal, we went to Hawaii post hurricane Iniki and it was very odd. The entire landscape was strafed, nary a leaf on a tree, and I was sick the entire time with some mysterious respiratory ailment that I have only just recently discovered is quite common and even has a name—VOG. Our Thanksgiving meal was a traditional luau composed of the three P’s –Pork, Pupu, and Poi. 

A few years ago we had a great Thanksgiving Day spent out on my sisters boat in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and it was fabulous. We grilled our catch right on the boat and later in the evening, back at her house, we made s’mores around a fire.

These days we tend to stick close to home and it’s hard to beat the bounty of food and wine and flavors one can find right here in Sonoma county. I miss my family of course, and would dearly love to see them all again, lively and in the pink of health gathered around my table. They are still there, in my mind and in my heart, but the traditional Thanksgiving of my past is just that—past.  Tomorrow our newlywed friends will be joining us for their first Thanksgiving as a married couple and the menu does not include turkey.


NOTE:
I know a few of you may be wondering where’s the WINE in all this? Isn’t this supposed to be a "wine blog"?  But I was thinking about that last night too and wondering why all the fuss about Thanksgiving wines? Well, I think it all comes down to fear and perfection. People have wildly high expectations and feel pressured to impress friends and relatives with a meal worthy of a Food & Wine photo spread. And this leads to fear their choice of wine will not be perfect. So here is my Thanksgiving wine advice: Relax!

Perfect is not all is cracked up to be. Choose wines you like and let the day unfold. Odds are, unless your family and guests are extremely wine centric, no one will be talking about the wine served. Just have plenty of it, whatever it is, and everything will be just fine. But if you feel cheated by this post and still want some Thanksgiving Day wine recommendations you can read this from last year it still applies. -- Cheers

Okanagan: What’s The Signature Grape?

This is a peach, not a giant grape

In July I traveled to British Columbia, Canada to the Okanagan region as part of a WBC 13 preview hosted by Travel Penticton and Wines of British Columbia. Naturally with four wine writers and our WSET rated host from Travel Penticton, the talk turned to what might be Okanagan’s signature grape.

Some say it’s the Pinot Gris that thrives and delivers the best expression of the region. Crisp and bright, the full flavors benefit from the long summer days and the same rich soils that support so many of the fruit orchards the area is best known for. 

But what about Gewürztraminer? This is a good contender, most all of my favorite whites were Gewürztraminer and I have to give extra points for the sublime manner in which it “pressed into use” at Kettle Valley Winery in the form of Slush Puppies. You have not tasted the joy enhancing aspects of Gewürztraminer until you try the delightful frozen concoction that is the Gewurztraminer Slush Puppy. Think slurppie of your youth, but with a decidedly adult twist.

Another great white was an Ehrenfelser-- dry and peachy and zingy from Lake Breeze Winery. And you can’t rule out Chardonnay--Blue Mountain Winery had one of the most extraordinary Chardonnays I’ve ever tasted--Full bodied with a creamy-peach nose, bright acidity and great balance.

Is it Merlot?
Up here no one will give you a “sideways” glance for ordering Merlot. In fact it is one of the most widely planted grapes and one of the most successful according to my palate. Besides anyone who would let a fictional character define their wine preference needs to get a firm grip on reality. Repeat after me: Miles is not REAL! Obey your own palate. My favorites were from Painted Rock Estate, Township 7  and Poplar Grove. These Merlot’s were deep, dark and elegant with hints of sage and smoke and dark cherries.

The 2006 Syrah I tried at Laughing Stock was the most Burgundian style I’d tasted and so you can’t rule out Rhone’s as a possibility.

Pinot could be in the running too. See Ya Later Ranch and Blue Mountain Vineyard both had excellent examples of what the Okanagan can deliver in terms of Pinot.

But I think my vote might be for the Cab Franc. Normally used as a blending grape, I found the 100% Cab Franc’s I tried in the Okanagan to be rich and earthy with firm tannins and a wide range of flavors, from mint and spice to violet and blackberry. I especially enjoyed the Cab Franc from Tinhorn Creek and Hillside Estates. In fact I brought home a bottle of each.

With so many wonderful grapes, it might be a mistake to try and pigeon-hole the Okanagan with just one designated grape. For now, the discovery process is in full swing and more wineries are experimenting with finding the outer limits of what the climate and soil can deliver for the best expression of the region.

If you are planning to attend WBC 13 in Penticton make plans to arrive early or stay late to discover the region at your own pace and cast your vote on the signature grape.

TRIP PLANNING DETAILS:
Tourism Penticton & Wine Country
1-800-663-5052
Email: visitors@penticton.ca

WINERY DETAILS:
Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars
Hillside Estate Winery
Kettle Valley Winery
Lake Breeze Winery
Laughing Stock Vineyards
Painted Rock Estate
Poplar Grove Winery
See Ya Later Ranch
Tinhorn Creek
Township 7 Vineyards

In case you still need convincing about WBC13:
Top Ten Reasons You Should Go to WBC13 in Okanagan

There’s Something About Carlton...

Carlton, Oregon may not have the starring role in a Farrelly Brothers movie, but it could certainly have its own reality show about the spirit of collaboration, fine wine, and beautiful living. Yes, there’s something about Carlton, and almost everyone one I spoke to mentioned there was an irresistible quality that drew them to the community.

After WBC12 Portland ended, I was part of a group invited back to Carlton, site of the Cuffed in Carlton extravaganza, for a closer look at what makes the tiny town so appealing for wine tourists as well as those just seeking an escape to a spot that puts the O in hospitality. That’s O, as in "Oh yeah, this is the place.”

Walk in the Park

I’ve been to many walk around tastings over the years but Carlton’s Walk in the Park was one of the most pleasant and relaxing events ever. It was a welcome down shift from the red line of WBC activity. At Walk in the Park we were left to wander at our own pace and just unwind. I sampled many of the wines in the tasting tent and then strolled through the art exhibits. There was a great band jamming out on one end of the park and a row of classic cars on display. I felt like Goldilocks --in that I’d found the perfect size festival, not too big, not too small, just right. O--"Oh yeah."

Republic of Jam

Come for the Jam,  Stay for the COCKTAILS! 

Later on after Walk in the Park we reconvened on Main Street at Republic of Jam with our hosts Amy and Lynette. What’s the best way to revive a tired wine blogger? With cocktails! But not just any old cocktails, no, these were inspired creations prepared from fine ingredients with speciality syrups and jams made on the premises. O--"Oh Yeah, this is the place!!!”

Losing my head at Republic of Jam

When @winebratsf talks...people listen!

Amy and Lynette of Republic of Jam -- the hosts with the most.

Post cocktail hour we stepped next door to the Horse Radish for live music and dinner. I almost did not recognize the place since the last time I was there for the Cuffed in Carlton Dinner. What a transformation. Now it was back to its regular configuration-- perfect for kicking back and enjoying the show. I’m sure we had some wine with dinner but all I remember was the excellent beer from Fire Mountain Brewery.

Casa della Valle

Joe and Eve of Casa della Valle

After dinner we were all given directions to our respective lodging arrangements for the evening. Melanie (@dallaswinechick) and I were pointed in the direction of Casa delle Valle, a few blocks away on Pine Street. We were told to follow Pine for several blocks and bear right as the road curved. You can’t miss it we were assured. We came to a fork in the road but it was very dark and we were unclear which way to head. We stumbled a few more blocks onward and I saw a man across the street from us. “Excuse me.” I yelled. “Is there a B and B around here?”

--A what? What’s a B and B? he replied. 

--Um, it means Bed and Breakfast.

--Oh that – yeah, it’s right in front of you.

Hey, we are wine bloggers not Lewis and Clark. Anyway that’s my explanation and I’m sticking with it. We rang the bell at Cassa delle Valle and were greeted by Eve who owns and runs the B & B with her husband Joe. Eve showed us around and I immediately knew Melanie and I had lucked out with the accommodations. Casa della Valle is more than a B & B-- it’s a treasure trove of antiques and collectibles; a mini museum of all things beautiful and many things kitsch. We spent close to 35 minutes just gawking and gazing at all the fabulous items Joe and Eve had collected over the years. O--"Oh yeah, this is the place.”

That night, tucked into my comfy bed, I got my first deep sleep of the week. In the morning I awoke to a gentle thumping sound that turned out to be Ms. DallasWineChick doing her calisthenics in the other guest room. That girl is in shape!

Breakfast at Casa della Valle--
notice the grape pattern on the china.

Eve prepared us a lovely breakfast and I wondered if she had chosen the grape leaf china pattern just for us. I seemed to be exactly the kind of special touch she would make for her wine blogging guests. I asked Eve how she started collecting. “Well,” she said, “My mother was weird …” Mine too I thought. No wonder I felt so at home there. Cassa della Valle may not be the fanciest or most expensive lodging choice in Carlton, but it is hands down the most fun and interesting. I guarantee that.

Just a few of the many wines of the region

If you are planning a trip to Willamette Valley region of Oregon and looking for a fine wine experience wrapped around great food, small town charm and hospitality-- look no further than Carlton. O--Oh yeah, Carlton is the place.

Details:

Walk In the Park

Republic of Jam

Casa della Valle
Carlton Business Association

Featured Wineries & Tasting Rooms:

Cliff Creek
Ken Wright Cellars
K&M
Lemelson
Luminous Hills
Seven of Hearts
Wildaire Cellars

Brew House:
Fire Mountain Brewery

Link to Melanie’s Account of UnCuffed in Carlton

Back to the Future at Buena Vista Winery --Some Like It Boisset

Whenever I get an invitation to any event that is associated with Jean-Charles Boisset I drop everything, clear the calendar, and make sure I can attend. JCB events are never dull and always illuminating in ways one can't anticipate.

Just about six weeks ago I was invited to tour the grounds of the newly restored Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma and witness the first grapes placed into the new custom built wine tanks as part of the Grand Re-Opening Ceremony. I live tweeted the event and posted video and pictures, but for a full account afterwards it takes me some time to process it all and the writer in me needs to let it marinate, let the essence of the experience bubble up in to my conscious.  Others have written more objective accounts of the day (see links below) —but if you want the magical mystery tour of my synapses read on—

Back To The Future
Upon arrival at the property we were greeted by the Count of Buena Vista himself –well actually it was an actor portraying Count Haraszthy— who was our escort on a journey back in time to the birth of California winemaking.

We strolled the grounds with the Count who led us past historical markers telling the story of the family and winery as we made our way towards the inner courtyard. Then Jean-Charles Boisset appeared and took us deeper into the property by way of the tasting room and museum, the courtyard vortex fountain, and of course the cellars themselves.

No stone has been left unturned, un-reinforced or unpolished--literally. It’s a restoration of the highest order. Only a Hollywood plastic surgeon could work more magic on the old façade and restore it to its full luster and glory. From replanting the historic crops and trees and a complete re-engineering of the landscaping, to the total rebuilding of the cellar and tasting room— Boisset is moving Buena Vista back to the future and into the forefront of California winemaking and wine tourism.

There was ribbon cutting and sabering and cellar anointing. There was “Some Like It Hot” playing on continuous loop in the cellar. There was Tokaji, birthday cake, proclamations, and more celebrating. And of course there was wine.

Behind the Scenes of a Mastermind

In front of the cellar sits a fountain with a natural vortex used to dynamise the water for biodynamic practices. As I stood by the pool watching the flowers swirl by, I realized the mighty vortex of JCB had drawn me in once again. The master of events and spectacle had pulled another fabulous rabbit of wonder from his imagination filled hat. As usual I was curious about the work behind-the-scenes. I would dearly love to be a fly on the wall during one of the Boisset marketing and event meetings –I can just imagine the conversations that may unfold--

“We shall hang an alligator from the sky to commemorate The Counts tragic but awe inspiring demise in the jaws of a gator. Then we will feast upon gator meat and look death in the eye! Yes --we must honor Count Haraszthy --he is a hero, a super star like our modern day sports figures. Let us make him a modern hero, in zee modern fashion. --We must have zee bobble head made in his image!” 

Oh yes, The Count of Buena Vista bobble head. Such a thing exists. It’s sitting on my desk right now. Mine is imbued with mystical powers much like a Magic 8 ball and is able to answer Yes and No questions. I frequently consult it about the weather and fashion.

JCB is not selling mere wine, he is selling a sensate experience – a memorable affair that guests can savor long after the bottle has been opened—a memory that lingers in theater of the mind.

Dan Berger recently wrote a piece asking—“Is Jean-Charles Boisset the next Robert Mondavi?” I think in part he could be, but JCB is so utterly in tune to his own inner vision that whatever role he assumes will not be a replacement of Mondavi, but a completely unique interpretation and a legacy of his own devise.

Some Like It Boisset

While I watched the scenes of “Some Like It Hot” flicker on the cellar walls it occurred to me that JCB is so very much like the character Tony Curtis portrays on screen. He is the embodiment of the charm, the romance, the sophistication, and most of all the seduction. Some may not always understand his methods, but for visitors seeking an entertaining and educational wine experience—some will certainly like it Boisset.

I am looking forward to what Jean-Charles Boisset has to say about the state of wine tourism when he delivers the keynote at the 2nd Annual Wine Tourism Conference that will take place in just a few weeks in Santa Rosa. Wine tourism in all aspects is a great fascination of mine and I think his talk alone will be worth the price of admission.

Disclosure:
I am working on behalf of the Wine Tourism Conference to promote the event. But my opinions and utter fascination with JCB are entirely my own.

Details:
Buena Vista Winery is located at 18000 Old Winery Road in Sonoma.
www.buenavistawinery.com.

Other accounts of the event can be found here:

WineEpiphany

Sonoma News

Napa Valley Register 

Folks, We Got Trouble

I wanna be a blogger!

(Ya Got) Trouble

 -- lyrics by Meredith Willson from The Music Man (with a few changes in boldface by me) 

Folks we got Trouble--

And it starts with B and it ends with G

And its name is Blogging

Trouble, oh we got trouble,

Right here in River City!

With a capital "T"

That rhymes with "B"

And that stands for Travel Blog,

We've surely got trouble!

Right here in River City,

Right here!

Gotta figger out a way

To keep the young ones {employed} after school!

Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...

I recently had a conversation with a young man – 18 years old-- whose mother asked me to speak to him because he wants to quit school to become a travel blogger. Yes, apparently “travel blogger” is a now career path.

The mother was panicked about all this but at the same time curious if it was indeed a valid career pursuit. On the one hand-- they could save a bundle of money if he did not go to college. On the other hand-- they may end up paying more in the long run keeping him housed and fed while he “develops” his career from their home-- rent free.

She wanted him to be happy. And she was willing to let him skip school if this would bring him happiness.  Well this whole happiness concept makes my blood boil.

I know you want to give your kid everything and support them in any way you can. You want them to be happy and fulfilled. But happiness is not an inalienable right. The constitution says we are granted “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” —you are free to pursue it –but nowhere does it say you deserve it or will actually attain it. The pursuit of happiness is just that a pursuit—not a guarantee. But by all means go out and pursue it—on your own dime.

I went to college. I worked and paid my own way. I lived at home for one month after graduation and then left. Forever. It was more the expected pattern when I was a kid.

Things are different now--

So I spoke to Max (not his real name--his real name is Mark). And he wants to have a life of adventure and freedom and thinks school is a waste of time because he believes that when he graduates “there will be no jobs for [him] anyway.” And he feels it is beneath him to take any old job instead of a career position, and by his logic if he skipped school he would be years ahead of his peers in earning power. Those were his words “earning power”

But that was an interesting point. When I graduated from college it was in the midst of a recession and there were very few jobs available, so I took the retail and service sector jobs and kept looking for a break. Eventually I got a “real job” and made real money-- but what Mark said is true-- if you spin your wheels outside of a career track you are at a disadvantage and are set back in your “life long earning power” compared to peers that entered the job market at the same time and got career positions. But lucky for me the dot-com years came along and I more than made up for it. I made way more money than I ever imagined, but also gave away a huge hunk of my life for it. I don’t regret working in corporations and in startups – in a way it was very much like traveling to a foreign county with strange customs and language. It was wild. I saw the sights! And got paid handsomely for it.

I asked Mark why he thought travel blogging was the path to success and how he would make it work. He said it would cost him almost nothing to start up a blog and then all he had to do was “…go to conferences and meet the hotel and travel people who give out the free trips…”

AGGGHHHH!!!

“Where did you hear that?” I asked.

“I saw a post about it.” he said.

Yes, he did mention TBEX—all those sweet tweets about free hotels and tours and lavish parties got his attention. His mother told me he wants her to pay his way to TBEX in Toronto so he can launch his career. She had no idea what TBEX was and asked me if it was worth it for her to pay and send him. (DOUBLE AGGGH!!! )

I did not try to crush his dream (yet),  instead I suggested he write up some of his travel experiences. Mark said his only prior travel experience was with the family on a Carnival cruise – which he claimed,  “…was awesome.”

I suggested he go to Cuba and write about it.

“Cuba! You can help get me a trip there?”

“No. Just get in your car and drive to Calle Ocho ( 8^th street in Miami) and you are essentially in Cuba. Walk around Little Havana, talk to people, eat some street food and then write about it.”

“But no one speaks English there. And I don’t drive”

AGGH-- When did this no teen driving thing happen?

“Take a bus. Real travel is all about public transportation.”

“I don’t know. That’s not the kind of travel I have in mind.”

“What kind of travel do you have in mind?”

“The kind where people pay you to go and blog about it.”

Thank you Internet for creating this monster of misinformation!

Well, the conversation deteriorated from there. Oddly, Mark felt that all he needed to do was declare what he wanted to be, and it would happen. And he wanted to be a “travel blogger”. The level of entitlement he seemed to have was astounding.  

I told him his whole idea was a fantasy. I laid out the cold hard facts that “being a travel blogger” is not a real money making career save for a handful of people out there that are more about selling advertising than writing about travel.

I told him if he really wanted to see the world and get paid for it—he should join the Marines.  Of course this pissed his mother off that I suggested the military, but hey, that’s at least a real career path. 

Now if only he wanted to be a wine blogger. Because everyone knows wine blogging is the path to fame and glory!!

Folks we got Trouble ….

UPDATE:
August 2014-- Our wannabe travel blogger, Mark, is enrolled in an on-line course to study animation and currently has a job at Starbucks. He never did make it to a TBEX. He still lives at home. (sigh)