Bingo

Where was I? Ah yes, Friday. Chad planned a winery tour for the out of town family at some place a friend of his worked. After the longer than expected drive, we finally arrive at the Hall winery. The place was under construction so that was a bit of a downer, but then they started talking about their new building ... desgined by Frank Gehry. That got my attention. The tour guide was very informative and the rose they server in the lobby was a nice start. There are a number of historic buildings on the site, so that was cool. We tasted a few wines in the barrel to get a feel for what they taste like as they age. (They taste not yet done, FYI.) In the tasting room, we had three reds, which were all quite tasty, the blend they served being the best. It was a very nice experience and a I recommend it to all. Thanks again Chad for setting it up.

After the winery, we stopped for a quick bite at Dean and Deluca next door, then headed back to the hotel. Everyone took some time to rest up before the rehearsal. The rehearsal itself went like any other rehearsal you have been to goes. Nothing special to report. The dinner after was at the oddly named "Blueax Magnolia" in downtown Napa. Good food, good wine, good company, no complaints. Chad and I seem to share public speaking abilities, poor guy.

After dinner, I was prepared to head back to the hotel, when I am informed by the other groomsmen that we have been given permission to steal him away for the night. This being six years to the day since the groom was arrested, I was quite worried. :) What else could I do but tag along? We all piled in the car and headed out to the middle of no where to ... an Indian Casino. (Warning: that site has horrible music on auto-play.) Chad had a great time playing a the poker tables and I did my best to feed the slot machine. They have big appetites. Wound up back at the hotel around 4AM.