Originally posted 11/25/2011

This time last year I was spending a conspiratorial week traveling from Orlando to Southern California and then up to Northern California and back with my brother and his bride-to-be to do their wedding. It was meant to be in secret for reasons that escape me at the moment but the plot had been uncovered by older sister Kathie earlier in November, resulting in a lot of hurt feelings and a lot of shrugged shoulders from moi and brother Matt. Family. I guess the secrecy was an ill-fated attempt to keep things simple, and given all of the little elements Marty planned for our few days in Northern California, it wouldn’t have been possible to pull it off given the huge entourage any family event tends to create for us Bustilloses. Ack. We say that we believe in Family but the belief is a lot more manageable in theory than the real thing when planning a four-day adventure/wedding get-a-way in Sonoma.

One full-day was spent slowly creeping through Southern California traffic resulting in a 10 P.M. arrival in Sonoma, with a 6 A.M. call to meet at the front-desk the next day, which happened to be Thanksgiving. Ugh turn oh-my-god when we were driven out to an open field where two giant hot-air balloons were being prepared to take us and those others gathered aloft over a cold but sun-drenched Napa Valley. Once we were back on earth we were treated to a hearty breakfast buffet, which required naps when we got back to the bed-and-breakfast. The day ended with a Thanksgiving dinner aboard the Napa Wine Train.

It had pretty much been a perfect day with a good measure of adventure, beautiful sights, family and wine-induced reflection. So, a number of co-workers had been sending Thanksgiving emails and there were still some family tension over the “secret wedding,” all of which led to the following email sent to co-workers, family and friends:

Subject: Many Thanks Indeed 

Date: November 25, 2010 10:48 PM 

T-Day On the wine train in Napa. OMG I ate way too much. I thought, before I drop into a over-eating induced coma, that I’d drop y’all a line. I just wanted to share how thankful I am that I get to work everyday with some of the most dedicated, brilliant, creative and funny people I’ve ever known. I know that there have been more than a few times over the past year when I’ve been a little too quick with the quip or verbal jab and with the double load I haven’t always entertained the most positive attitude or disposition. I apologize for not giving y’all the support or attention that y’all deserve. I’ll strive to do better, but more than that, I just want to say thanks for being there for me and for making me feel like an important part of a fascinating family. Happy Thanksgiving, xo, jbb 

You know what’s changed in the past year? Well, no secret wine-train wedding ceremonies for me this year. That was fun. Sadly I still haven’t been as connected with my work-team as I’ve been in the past and tend to spend too much time with my nose to the grindstone and not enough enjoying the journey. Ack. Well, one thing that’s changed: I’ve been fortunate enough to have spend the past ten-months trying to step away from the wall of computer monitors and enjoying the journey with a very classy and secretly-geeky lady. Damn. Happy Thanksgiving y’all. The next 365-days are going to be amazing.