Reposted: lessons from life with comments

Originally posted, May 1, 2009:

Here's what I have learned the past year and a half:

1. Think with your head and not your heart. It is your heart that gets you in trouble and sometimes even makes you fly to Tasmania and back twice!
Obviously I didn't learn from the whole Tasmania experience. I continued to let this man cheat on me and treat me like crap, then have him miss his flight from South Africa, have him rebook his flight and then have him change his mind about moving here altogether and dump me via SKYPE. What have I learned? I deserve better and to walk away no matter how hard it is.

2. Some jobs seem more glamorous then they appear.
Winemaking is fun, but it is hard work. The last thing I ever wanted to do during harvest was to drink wine. It was beer, beer, beer.

3. Having a college degree doesn't mean anything. It's the people you know and the choices you make that matter.
Simply put: It is who you know, not what you know.

4. No matter where you go and for how long, it is always nice to be back home.
Yes. Wisconsin will always be home. No matter where I live, I love going home.

5. If you think you have it bad, remember there are people out there who have it much worse.
Hey life could be worse.

6. Family and friends are the most important things on this earth. Call them, email them and hug them every chance you get.
Without my family and friends (even though you all are scattered around the world) I would not be the person I am today. Thank you for making me stick with it and all the HUGS!

7. Life is short. Make sure you do the things you dream of doing. Travel, take a day off of work just because, laugh, eat ice cream, have a glass of wine.
I try to enjoy each day for what it is. Indulge in life. Because today could be your last day.

8. I am not perfect and never want to be. Life would be boring that way.
I am not afraid to take a chance, and with chances comes failures and successes and sometimes really good stories and laughter.

9. With each door that closes a new one opens. You just have to be patient. (Something I am working on.)
Wisconsin to Philadelphia. Philadelphia to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to California. California to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to Chicago. Chicago to New Zealand. New Zealand to Australia. Australia to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to California. California to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to South Africa. South Africa to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to Tasmania. Tasmania to Chicago. Chicago to Tasmania. Tasmania to California to Oregon to Wisconsin. Wisconsin to Oregon. PHEW!

10. That I don't know what life has in store for me next. But if it is anything like the past 28 years, then bring it on. Life is an adventure. Jump on board.
Well, now I am 29 and it life keeps getting more and more interesting. I cannot wait to see what 2010 has to offer. Bring it on!

Christmas Portland Style

Dear Santa,

I think you accidentally skipped my house this year. You don't need to apologize, because I am sure that my letter got lost in the mail and you weren't sure which continent, country or even state I am even living in now. I have mailed a change of address form to the North Pole so there won't be any confusion next year.

Last night, Christmas Eve, I got to experience Peacock Lane in Portland. Sine the 1920s each house in this quaint neighborhood has been decorating for Christmas. It is a very popular Portland tradition. They even have their own website: Peacock Lane. I will post a slide show of the lights after this post.

Today I am enjoying a nice, quiet day off at home. Lots of love to all my friends and family all over the world. Merry Christmas!

Love,

Becky

P.S. I am enjoying the triple chocolate chip cookies and Pinot Noir I left out for you.

Portland Wine Examiner...Becky Rochester

I am the newest Portland Wine Examiner. View my bio and first article online at CLICK HERE. Become a subscriber and you will be notified when I post new articles. I will be writing about wine in general, wine events in the Portland area and overall wine industry topics which effect the Oregon wine industry.

Cheers,

Becky Rochester

Wisconsin Bound

Get the bratwurst and beers ready. I am coming home! I arrive in Minneapolis on Wednesday, January 6th and fly out on Monday, January 11th.

Are you a true Cheddarhead? Take the Wisconsin trivia quiz below. Answers will be posted next blog post.

1. What is the Wisconsin state motto?
2. What is the Wisconsin state animal?
3. What is the largest city in Wisconsin?
4. Green Bay is known as the "____ ____ Capital" of the world?
5. The world's largest six pack of beer is located in which Wisconsin city?
6. People from Wisconsin are called ____?
7. What is the Wisconsin state symbol of peace?
8. What is the Wisconsin state dance?
9. Name two states that border Wisconsin.
10. Wisconsin was the ___ state in the USA.

Welcome to the Family Baby Ian

Here's a picture from my family Christmas via Skype. Baby Ian's first Christmas with the Rochester's. Pictured above: Robby, Shannon, Kiki and Ian Rochester.

Corks and Caftans Wine Review: 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Check out the Corks + Caftans article featuring 2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir.

Link to Corks + Caftans website and article

Willamette Valley Vineyards PDXposed Video

Pictured above left: World Championship Grape Stomp Trophy

Here's a cool video of Willamette Valley Vineyards Grape Stomp by PDXposed. Plan your vacation next year and compete in the Oregon Grape Stomp championship. If you win, you get an all expense paid trip to compete in the California World Championship Grape Stomp in Santa Rosa, California and your chance to win the trophy pictured above.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Grape Stomp You Tube Video Click here

Last Weekend in Bend, Oregon

Last weekend I was lucky enough to sneak away for a snow filled weekend in Bend, Oregon. Snow tubing on Mt. Bachelor, ice skating at Seventh Mountain Resort and a brewery tour at Deschutes Brewery. Check out the pictures below.

Upper Mississippi Valley AVA

Back in Wisconsin winemaking education starts at a very young age. The best and the brightest tots are selected to represent the Midwest wine growing regions including this tot, named Jamison, from the Upper Mississippi Valley AVA. He is my nephew and a future winemaker of R Little Vineyard in Stoddard, WI.

R Little Vineyard is a small, family owned vineyard and soon to be bonded winery located in beautiful Stoddard, WI just off the Mississippi River. What is the Upper Mississippi Valley AVA? Just the world's largest wine appellation!

According to Wikepedia, "The Upper Mississippi Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area covering 29,914 square miles (77 477 square kilometers) located along the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries in northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. Upon its approval on June 22nd, 2009[1], with the effective date of July 22nd, 2009, it will becomes the world's largest designated appellation.[2] The boundaries of the AVA share the unique geographical connection of all being part of the 'driftless' Paleozoic Plateau and therefore do not have the same type of vineyard soils as wine regions that were in areas that have experienced glaciation in their history.[3]"

Check out the links for more information on this AVA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Mississippi_Valley_AVA

http://www.bigrivermagazine.com/wineries.html

http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=65891&htitle=TTB+Approves+Largest+American+Viticultural+Area

http://www.rlittlevineyard.com/

Cheers.

My New Couch!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is a smart, funny, attractive, non-cheating, wine drinking, athletic, non-smoking, cuddly, not afraid of commitment, adventure seeking, good-hearted man. Is that too much to ask? Apparently these days it is. It seems like the biggest challenge in my life is dating. I have a good career, great family, awesome friends but am lacking on the relationship side.

Santa...out of all my friends, I didn't think I would be one of the last to get married. But there are just a few of us left. Maybe it is because I never catch the bouquet at the wedding? Or maybe I am too picky? Nah! Or maybe I just spend too much time with the wrong men? Ding. Ding. Ding.

Who knows. For now I am going to enjoy some me time. The winter weather has magically appeared. It is the perfect excuse to bunker down and do some reading and writing. Oh...and maybe some arithmetic, since I am going to start my enology class at DMACC in January. Right Paul? I am still waiting to hear from you.

I am pretty sure I am on the nice list, but if I am on the naughty list...I didn't do it! I can still hope that when I wake up Christmas morning, you will have delivered my present. Oh...and can you please wrap him with a bow?

Sincerely,

Becky Rochester

P.S. There will be cookies and Pinot Noir!

Give N' Gobble 10K Results

Gobble Gobble! The results are in.

Give n ' Gobble 10K 11/26/09 6.2 miles
Rebecca Rochester 29 F Sherwood
00:50:52 finishing time
00:08:12 minute miles
85th overall out of 274 runners
21st female finisher out of 140
6th in age 25-29 years old

Then I even found a race where I finished 1st in my age group. WOW! I never thought that would happen.

Run for the Roses 5K 06/07/09 3.1 miles
Rebecca Rochester 28 F Sherwood
00:22:37
00:07:18
11th overall out of 101 runners
4th overall female finisher out of 63
1st in age 25-29 years old

Giving Thanks

I am thankful for a lot of things, but I am most thankful for my memories.

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. -From the television show The Wonder Years

I don't own a lot of things, but I own my memories. They are funny, they are sad and they are unique to me. There are so many different types of memories: childhood, college, family, friends and traveling to name a few.

Recently my mother had a get together with my aunts, uncles and grandma. The purpose of the get together was to share memories that they had with my grandma. From what I heard the day was filled with pictures, slide shows and stories. So you see, memories play an important part of how we live our lives. They shape who we are and what we become.

I am thankful for each and every opportunity I have had. The memories I have created thus far are amazing. I am lucky.

What are you thankful for? Having a job, a family, a house over your head, pumpkin pie, health? I know I am thankful for having such an understanding and most definitely one-of-a-kind family. I am thankful for being in Oregon and for having a job. I am thankful for all the HUGS I received earlier this year. I am looking forward to creating Oregonian memories.

Tomorrow at 9 AM I am running the Give N Gobble 10K Race in Sherwood. I am looking forward to a day off of work, good food and good weather (please don't rain).

Gobble! Gobble!

Becky

Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center Grand Opening

This weekend the new Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center opened in McMinnville. I was there to witness the excitement! Below I have included a few articles about the Wine Center Grand Opening. It has been amazing watching the transformation of the space, hiring and training of the staff and the reaction of the guests and media. Cheers to everyone who helped get the Wine Center up and running.

The Oregonian
Vineyards open new wine center Saturday in McMinnville
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/11/vineyards_open_new_wine_center.html


Business Wire
Leading Pinot Noir Producer Launches Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine Center
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/email/headlines/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&div=939633621&newsId=20091116006239


Willamette Valley Vineyards Blog
http://willamettevalleyvineyards.blogspot.com/


Oregon WinePress
Wine Center Opening in Mac
http://www.oregonwinepress.com/index.php?pr=1109_06_WVV

A Very "Hoppy" Weekend on the Coast

A little work and a little play makes the weekend fly away. I had a very "hoppy" weekend with Gavin in Cannon Beach. Friday and Saturday night I poured wine for guests of Tolavana Inn in Cannon Beach, Oregon. I love doing events! It is my opportunity to get people excited about wine and to educate them. I had the best time and it allowed me to become more familiar with WVV wines and how people respond to them.

The rest of the weekend I spent eating my first cup of Mo's famous clam chowder; drinking Duck Dive IPA and Rudy Red from Bill's Tavern & Brewhouse; hiking, playing rock and stick baseball and riding the make believe bull in Ecola State Park; late night strolls on the beach; enjoying delicious last minute Thai food that cost as much as the corkage was going to be at another local restaurant; another brewery visit and lunch in Pacific City at Pelican Pub and Brewery and ending the weekend with winetasting at Ponzi Wine Bar. Oh yeah and I almost forgot the part where I kicked Gavin's butt at cards.

After a lot of creative thinking, I have finally named my Xterra. It's full name is "Hoppy the White Rabbit" "Hops" for short (yes after beer making). Long story. But the name fits!

It's back to work tomorrow. Goodnight!

Risk Taker

Yep. That's me on a bridge, and no I am not going to jump. I am smiling. See that BIG grin on my face? I feel alive again. Thanks Jerry and Meg!

A few inspiring quotes I am living by right now:

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.--Unknown Author

I don't want to come to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.--Diane Ackerman

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Thanks for coming out to visit me. It was great experiencing the carts in Portland with you, eating at my favorite restaurant Press in Dundee over a bottle of Oregon Sauvignon Blanc, hiking 6 miles at Silver Falls State Park and showing you where I work.

For some reason, it was really hard this time to say goodbye at the airport. I know how much you miss me, and I know you hope I meet a good Midwestern man and I move back home. Trust me, it is just as hard for me to live far away from my family and close friends. I miss birthdays, weddings, holidays and I miss seeing all my beautiful niece and nephews growing up.

I don't know what the future will bring or where I may end up next. You know me...always looking for something new and exciting. What I do know is that I love you. Thank you for always being there when the world crashes around me. One of these days, my luck will change and I know I will look back at all of this and thank my lucky stars. For now, I just take it one day at a time. I enjoy each day and look forward to what it brings, the good, the bad and the just okay.
As Jim said today, "We can only control one thing: our attitude." Wise words to live by.

Love your daughter,
Becky