MrAndrewBradley

While we may be living through a pandemic, I have managed to stay busy with some projects at Fort Bradley, new furniture, providing safe Halloween treats, celebrating Christmas, and much more.  The major project was removing the carpet from the two upstairs bedrooms in my house and replacing it with a new luxury vinyl plank flooring that works well with the existing tile (that looks like hardwood) in the the main living spaces throughout my house. Then I sold the couch that I have had since Fort Bradley began in Roseville and replaced it with a new, larger sofa (and lots of throw pillows). To go along with the new couch, I replaced a side table/dresser and wine cabinet with a new bar cabinet. While my parents helped with so much, I made sure to feed them well and we had some great wines too, plus we celebrated my birthday together in Napa a few weeks after the flooring went it with wine tasting throughout the Napa Valley , stopping at Rombauer , Spring Mountain Vineyards , and Fontane

Evidently there was a world before the pandemic. I injured a toe on New Year's Day, so was stopped from running for three months, but overcame the injury and finished running every street in the city of Napa. There was wine tasting with friends and neighbors, there was the Napa Lighted Art Festival . There were meals out, including La Calenda in Yountville. There was a trip to the Bradley Lodge with family and since I was injured, I didn't get to run the Napa Valley Marathon , but I did get to volunteer at the finish line (I think I'll stick to volunteering in the future too). Then the pandemic hit. Grocery store shelves were empty, but I did get a few essentials and I began working from home. At first it was for two weeks, now it's been almost 20. My temporary desk started at the dining room table, but eventually with some online shopping moved to my master bedroom. Meetings, church, and happy hours are online now and I think the change has been pretty seamless. I

The last part of 2019 was nearly a blur. I finished the year by running through a lot of neighborhoods (two of my running friends ran every street in Napa , I ran about half of them). My total runs for the year, added up to 2,500 miles. There were also many opportunities to enjoy some great wines in Clarksburg , Lodi , and Napa . I even joined a couple more wine clubs, including Scribner Bend and Fontenella , plus a mail-order wine club with NakedWines . Beyond that ... there were runs in San Francisco ( Bridge to Bridge 12K ), volunteering for the VineRUNNER Beer 5K, a couple of runs along the coast and through the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk . Ice cream at Marianne's in Santa Cruz, a few massive power outages thanks for wildfire concerns, and a very spooky neighborhood Halloween Party. I was also able to make it to a few of my favorite annual events including Blues, Brews, and BBQ , the Main Street Car Reunion , while also getting to the Napa Valley Model Train Museum for t

It had been planned for 18 months and I was just looking forward to getting on a plane and getting on the ship. I wasn't sure what to expect ... which made the trip even more spectacular. From a few days in Amsterdam to the beautiful Celebrity Reflection to new discoveries in every port, it was a spectacular trip. A few of the highlights: Amsterdam, Netherlands: The I AMSTERDAM sign ... while it has moved from it's original location (right next to our hotel), I found it. I had visited Anne Frank's House on a previous visit to the city, so we were able to do a few different things including just walking around the city (I also took a few runs), a canal cruise, and a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the countryside . It's a beautiful place. Celebrity Reflection: From the food to the service to the amenities of the ship, everything was amazing. Some of the shipboard highlights ... the lawn, yes there is real grass outside and even a tree growing inside. Warnemunde,

It's been a fun last couple of months. First, there was my second marathon (26.2 miles is still a very long way) in Fremont . Then there was a run with beer and tacos at the finish line and the opportunity to see Aladdin the musical in Sacramento . There was a quick trip to the Bradley Lodge for Memorial Day ... we got snow! Work has been fun with two team building activities ... the first to Angel Island (on the same day my sister-in-law and nephew were there) and then to Driven Raceway (indoor go-karts). Fourth of July was also celebrated ... first with one of my fastest 10k's at the Kenwood Footrace , then the Napa Parade, followed by a concert and fireworks in the park. Wine was also a highlight (as always). I was able to visit Kunde for the first time before going to my second White Party at Chalk Hill , and got to see one of my original roommates at Azur . My neighbors and I also enjoyed some wine at our neighborhood park, plus two trips to The Village

As I finished up my last few days as a full-time team member at the resort , I filled them with fun, exploration and more. First ... I ran my first marathon. The Napa Valley Marathon was a lot of fun, and it was great to have my family there at the finish line. It was even better to go wine tasting right after (we rode the gondola up to Sterling for wine tasting and to check out the beautiful views). Second ... There there were a few cooking classes at The Village . They're so much fun and it's amazing what a team can cook. I also tried a few of the spiked milkshakes (The Elvis and Irish Car Bomb) at Crush . Third ... A quick trip to the Bradley Lodge, complete with great food, amazing Napa Valley and Clarksburg wines, and a few runs through snow lined streets. Next a few wine tasting events ... an industry preview event at Louis Martini . The remodeled tasting room facility is stunning. I can't wait to do another tasting there in the future. It also helps that