March 16  - March 22, 2014

	Sunday March 16, 2014 Sunday.......that means pizza.........For the last 43 years I have made pizza on Sunday night and missed a few because of vacations or one day because of family or friends could not be here on Sunday. Tonight I made homemade pizza and as usual, it was fun. I make my own dough and a sauce mainly from our tomatoes. Until 8 years ago I have burned out 5 regular ovens that were cranked up to 550 degrees and then 8 years ago I bought a great small commercial oven for $1400. It makes the best pizza but no challenge. As most of you know, I love challenges so I have had two BBQ's over the last 5 years and have been challenged to make a decent pizza on the BBQ. It has been hard and it may work out because I love pizza............. My accountant has reduced my winery taxes to under $10,000. I thought it may have cost me $30,000 when I was audited. So I can deal with that. Since I have a little more money than I thought.............besides paying off our house in Seattle..........I have decided to go ALL solar. Our energy companies here in Sonoma County are now offering to pay us back a small amount if we produce power for them SOOOOOOOOO I can be payed back? It is a very small payback so I do not want to construct very much more than I need. We have a place down by the creek........... and plenty of area to put solar panels.......... We have sandy loam soil down by the creek. Years ago there were pear trees planted there and they were very tall. They could survive a flood. Dry Creek always flooded with a rush that would take down everything in it's path......But not Tall Strong Trees..........so farmers planted pears that would survive water driven branches from other downed trees and logs or things left on the banks that would be caught and dragged violently down to Healdsburg and eventually through Russian River. Russian River would be flooded up to the banks of homes every 4 years or so. When Warm Springs Dam was filled in 1982 we were blessed with no more flooding. It is 1.4 miles up the road from us and since then I now have more land. In 1979 through 1981 before the dam was filled, there was a good amount of rain here as usual. We average 40+ inches from October until March. I had some flooding then so I saw the devastation that water can bring. I looked it up in books (no computers then) and saw that water is the strongest thing in the world when in motion. After the dam filled I planted more grapes in the two acres that were not too near the various trees on the bank. The soil is well drained, I guess because it was washed constantly by water over time. It is easy to dig in this soil and it is mostly sand. The grapes produced there are more fruit driven but very intense. 20 feet above there, the grapes produced from our other 18 acres have a lot of rock infused, also well drained soil and produces more tannic or structured wines. A blend of both is a wine I want to make again.............that would be A wine with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Several years ago Estate Cuvee was made from a blend of Cabernet from a section planted to that sandy loam down by the creek and our Zinfandel up on the rock area. Then we replanted the Cabernet down in th sandy loam to Syrah and Sauv blanc. Estate Cuvee is still our second best selling wine..............I am thinking about a new blend of Estate Cuvee. I need a new challenge!! Over the years I have tried to make a blend that is better than Block 4. Our best selling wine is Block 4 and I have to admit that it is my favorite also. I like several of my other blends that I created and I like them also in different ways BUT if left on an Island for days or even on a trip, I bring Block 4............. So I know I can not ever top Block 4. Block 4 is a field blend. It is a mystery......how can those intermingled vines of maybe 20 varieties produce a wine of such complexity. I have never entered this wine in competitions. I don't think they would get it, because we release it young and some critics are into aged wines. I like fruit......... My Tesla stock is down a little so I may buy more tomorrow. My Chinese stock, Kandi, a company that is just getting into electric cars is coming out with earnings tomorrow, so I have sold one third, because I have good profits. It may go up like the last report but I will still have two thirds of my holdings. Tomorrow is another big day.......    Monday March 17, 2014 we used to do corn beef, but the kids came a long and did not like it so I think we stopped having a tradition. My first girl friend was Sharon and her birthday is today. Happy birthday Sharon Gabilan.............. Kandi went up big today so I should not have sold one third, but I do have two thirds. The  vineyard is in a bust of green!! Green and yellow are my favorite colors, but I like all colors so cataracts can be replaced. Yes all of us over 60 have problems with cataracts  and we can do something for them......long story and I am still looking into my options, but I will do cataract surgery soon. I might of said before, but we are doing more solar. It will start in a few weeks. We will put enough panels down by the creek to supply all our energy. It will be 2400 square feet, the size of a large home's roof top so I am thinking we need to do research in solar. I will be happy when I generate all my energy from the sun.................. It has been a long time since I complained about a company who has not been fair with me. I may call it Rage. Tomorrow or soon I will get into this but in the mean time, do not order anything from Weaknees.com. Wednesday March 19, 2014 We are heading down to Santa Cruz for an adventure in my Model S. We will have to charge in Fremont where the factory is, once or maybe twice. We are about 170 miles from Santa Cruz with a stop with my Mother for lunch Friday. BUT what do we do when we get there to charge? We will have 50 miles left of power. I am sure I could park my car in several places within 10 miles of The Dream Inn. But why stop somewhere for an hour to get 20 miles or so of range..........when in Fremont I can get 100 miles in 15 minutes of charging. Well we will stop in Fremont on the way there and on the way home. Pat says charging is all about taking time away from what you want to do!! And she says people who love Electric cars are in no hurry..........I disagree somewhat. I like charging and especially stopping because I need a break every 150 miles. 48 Years ago on the way to the Tetons I remember driving 16 hours staright with few stops but we needed gas and food or a pit stop. I still like to get to my vacation destination as soon as I can............BUT that means reading my paper white book and I can do that with a short charge of 30 minutes. Weaknees cheated me. I will not purchase anything from Weaknees.com again. It is my fault for purchasing something late in the night back on March 14 a Friday. The product looked great but it was impossible to install. I called Weaknees the day after to find out more and they were very short........maybe it was a Saturday. I downgraded what I ordered after confronting the sales or tech person (He was rude) about how this product would be beneficial for me. I received this DirecTv product in only two days so I was happy to try it out. There was no instructions!!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.................. How can I receive a product that is new and has no instructions thus I have no way to install it soon. I spent a day and then called DirecTv Saturday. They had this SAME Mini Genie for free but I would have to pay for installation. I said OK. I was ahead $100 now. WOOOOWWW This guy shows up on a Sunday.........DirecTV is busy...........I asked him if he was being paid overtime and he said it was a job and this part of the week is his......He immediately asked me why I wanted this Mini Genie? I told him it would give me the capability to record HD programing on all of my HD DVR's all over my house, from my office. He said I only need an HD  non recorder, a standard HD receiver. Why I asked can't I do that now with a DVR? He did not have an answer. So I went online to Weaknees.com and asked about this product I got from Weaknees that I could have gotten for free from DirecTv and you did not send instructions>>>>>>???????? After many tries I did call and got a guy that was nice but had no idea what to do. Online I frantically looked and found something from DirecTV directed to their installers, not for the public. It was very involved so after awhile I knew as much as an installer now. SO On Monday I tried for 6 hours to see if I could get this mini to operate. I got close and it would fail, after all it is wireless.............I had proof the product is not ready Weaknees should be avoided unless you are sure the product you order will work for you. ON Returns.........They make you pay for shipping..........they charge 15% restocking fee unless the product is defective. The DirecTv installer talked me out of it..........Weaknees sent me a very nice e-mail informing where to send it and make sure all parts are in the box AND it is insured. I sent it back without insurance
	For any comments or questions I encourage any of you to e-mail.....david@coffaro.com Dave
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