I’m a customer, too.
Here’s a quick shot I snapped with my phone of the produce section at Sunshine Foods in Saint Helena.
Simply put this level of caring always stops me in my tracks. It all comes back to the Experience. Someone took the time to display these bell peppers that is not only attractive but also inspires the cook. Empathy is innate to me. I will always deliver the Experience I would seek myself. I am an extremely picky consumer but also the quickest to give credit when presented with a great Experience.
On the road bike again
I have many favorite Paul Simon lyrics but the one that hits closest to home comes from his 1975 reunion with Art Garfunkel, “My Little Town.”
“Coming home after school, Flying my back past the gates of the factories.”
When I was a kid my first real sense of freedom came from a ten speed bike and my passion for riding has never wavered since. I didn’t just ride my bike, but I flew it with unbridled imagination. In my first year of organized riding I completed seven centuries (100 mile rides). I often feel a greater sense of freedom cycling that I do driving. Be safe out there and share the road.
Weened on Walt
I credit Walt Disney with making me so discerning when it comes to judging just about any Experience. I was there in person at the inception of Disneyland when the original theme park was invented. We were having breakfast one morning in the Disneyland Hotel when Walt himself walked in as he was doing his routine quality control rounds. The Magic Kingdom was magical and it set the Experience bar very high for me going forward— read more here.
Cooking
My fascination with food began very early when I watched table side Caesar Salads being created by tuxedoed waiters at the original Paolo’s Restaurant in San Jose. The huge stainless steel bowl would spin rapidly on a bed of ice while the ingredients came cascading down from arm's length overhead. It was not only delicious but an extraordinary Experience. Lots of great homemade meals, dining out, camp cooking, culinary classes, food excursions and training at the CIA in Napa has turned me into a home chef, foodie, food blogger, culinary instructor and all around fan of anything food.
Golf— an enigmatic passion
No pastime has more humorous quotes than golf. The legendary Bobby Jones summed it up perfectly for me. “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots–but you have to play the ball where it lies.”
I took my first lesson at age twelve and grew up on a golf course. You’d think I had mastered it by now but really the game masters you. Even the greatest players in the world at their peak can get a taste of humble pie. Golf teaches some of the most important life lessons like humility, concentration, patience, temper management and etiquette.
Perhaps golf’s greatest mystery is how this much frustration can keep drawing you back for more. It is inexplicable by even the sport’s most ardent fans. All I can say is taking my last breath on a great course like Bing Crosby did wouldn’t be the worst way to go.
