Spring Ring!

Once a year the San Francisco State University Handbell choir participates in a mass ring. This is where many bell choirs come together to play the same music simultaneously. Everyone practices the music before hand so we have a basic handle on the pieces. Then we spend the day Saturday practicing together with a professional director. That evening we put on a performance. Hearing all 18-20 handbell choirs play the same song at the same time is really powerful. My iPhone recording doesn't quite do it justice, but this version of "Celtic Farewell" is absolutely stunning. There's a flute accompaniment; I hope you enjoy!

Alliance Conference 2012

This year the annual Peoplesoft/Oracle systems conference was once again held at the Gaylord hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was the location of my first conference when I was working HR systems at Boise State University in 2005. This year of course I'm with the Sonoma group; Amanda, Jaime, Teresa and I went representing student and Meryl and Xiaodong went representing HR. The flights were crazy and our original flight out was cancelled; which made for an insane day Friday in the office. We scrambled to get alternate flights- but all worked out! The first day there was Sunday, and the io Consulting fun run. It's only a 5K, but it's something I look forward to every year. Amanda, Jaime and I did it this year. On the jog, I snapped this picture of the sun rising.

Then Jaime headed to a pre-conference workshop and Amanda and I headed to a plantation winery. It was amazing, the staff at the plantation dressed in clothes from the period and gave us a tour of the plantation. Almost all of the wines we tasted were very sweet and I really liked them! I really wanted to order some and bring them back home. Instead I shared the blackberry wine and another which I cannot recollect with my co-workers the last night we were there. Amanda and I snapped this picture while walking the grounds.

The conference itself went by way to quickly, but I made sure to take time to get pictures of the three major atriums inside the hotel. They are massive gardens which really cannot be captured in pictures, but I sure did try. You can see all my pictures of the trip on my photobucket.

For several years one of the premier events of the conference is the io consulting party. This year the party was held at the Grand Ole Opry- on the stage! It was a very nice event and we even had a special southern drink in our own custom io glasses. We all had a very nice time with all of the io customers and especially our Sonoma crew!

We also got a tour of backstage, behind the Grand Ole Opry. There were so many rooms, I was shocked! Here's one example, there must have been 25 more!

CSU Leadership Training

Amanda and I went to the Chancellor's office of the California State University (CSU) for a leadership training seminar today. It was a great training session. Both of us received an award, me for the farthest distance traveled and her for newest manager. We each received a book about management techniques. That evening we went for a jog around the Chancellor's office. Runkeeper Post.

Then we got ready and headed out to a vegan restaurant Amanda had found called "Zephyr". I ordered the vegetarian burger. The patty was made mostly from black beans and it was phenomenal! I wish I could eat at this place all the time!

Sonoma County Barrel Tasting

This year I got in on a really awesome event! Each year Erica and Jason Klafter put together a group wine tasting plan that coincides with the Sonoma County Barrel Tasting. They rent a van large enough to hold their friends and family and everyone splits the cost. The driving is shared between Jason and Helmut. The rest of us follow the map of the places Erica and Jason have scoped out for us and off we go; barrel tasting wines throughout Sonoma County!
The event is for one of two weekends starting on Friday and continuing Saturday & Sunday. So Friday I took the afternoon off work and met up with Jason, Erica and their family in Healdsburg. I picked up my wine glass at Williamson where Jason met me. We headed over to La Crema Winery where they were pairing their wines with chocolate.

Then I headed over to Thumbprint where they were having a "name the new wine" event. I voted for "Afterglow", it seemed to best match the wine.

The next day was the start of the big group event. Emily and I headed over to the Klafter's home and we piled into the van. A quick stop at the grocery store for our picnic lunch and we were off! Here's a picture of me and Emily at one of our stops.

They barrel taste in various locations. Sometimes out front of the tasting room like this one.

Sometimes they barrel taste right in the cellar. These cellars were deep and had various paths under the mountain, really cool!

At old world winery I tasted a very delicious and extremely unique wine made from the Aboriou grape. It's called Aborious. I decided; it would be my first "Futures" purchase. Futures are the purpose of the barrel tasting weekend. Customers get to taste what is currently being made and if you like it you can order the "Futures" and often times get a better price for doing so. I'm very excited to taste it when it's available this August.

None of us got away this weekend without buying something!

Barrel tasting weekend is a major event here in Sonoma County; I hope I can do this every year!