In June, I was able to take a wonderful vacation to California
wine country with one of my very best friends.
I haven’t been on vacation for five years, so you can imagine that I was
especially excited. Due to my unbridled anticipation, I
spent a shitload of time searching and pinning every single winery and bar I
wanted to visit in both Napa and Sonoma valley.
I then sent all of these pins to my friend, making her seriously
reconsider vacationing with me.
All that wine looks like fun: Wrong! |
One of the bars I found during my insane pinning sessions
was Carpe Diem of downtown Napa. I am assuming you’re aware that carpe diem is popularly
translated from Latin as “seize the day.”* As I celebrated my birthday while on
vacation, I thought this bar would be a perfect place to seize my special
day. It looked oh so hip and cool online -- not to mention all that wonderful wine!
Once again, however, images on Pinterest had deceived me,
just like the time I thought slow cooker meatloaf was a good idea
(yikes!). No one was seizing the day at
Carpe Diem. A few older customers just
sat around sipping on expensive wines.
To its benefit, the bar did play great music. While deciding on my beverage from their
expansive wine list, I heard The Head and the Heart, She and Him, Yeah Yeah
Yeahs, and Metric. I shared my approval
of the music selection with the bartender and requested that he turn it up a little bit.
Upon my request, I was condescendingly asked in return, “You do know it’s a
Wednesday, right?”
“Yes,” I replied, but then
pleading, “… but it’s my birthday.” I
would have liked to add, “But it’s my mother fucking birthday, so let’s seize
the day bitches!” I didn’t add that though; I smiled politely and tried my best
to be cute and convincing.
I apparently failed at my attempt because he continued, “No
one comes here to listen to the music or dance, you know. People come here just to sit and conversate.”
I did not speak with him any further, as he turned to attend
to another customer, but inside I was screaming, “Conversate is not even a word
you fucking asshole! It’s converse, dumb fucker, so fuck you! Fuck you too,
PInterest!”
I wasn’t able to make the most of my birthday at Carpe Diem
as apparently one does not seize the day on Wednesdays. However, I still enjoyed my birthday because
I had a great dress, great dinner, and a great date. You usually can’t go wrong with good friends
and good food, even if you run into a few misspoken pretentious pricks along
the way.
I still found fun on my birthday, like playing in this downtown
fountain ... on a WEDNESDAY!!
*NOTE: 'Carpe diem' is usually translated from the
Latin as 'seize the day'. However, 'carpe' translates literally as 'pluck',
with particular reference to the picking of fruit, so a more accurate rendition
is 'enjoy the day, pluck the day when it is ripe'. The extended version of the
phrase 'carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero' translates as 'pluck the day,
trusting as little as possible in the future'.
You make that dress look amazing
ReplyDeleteAawwww .... thanks!
DeleteIn spite of everything you did manage to seize the moment and enjoy your birthday. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteAt least you didn't have to sit in cow shit on your birthday :(
ReplyDelete... but you totally nailed that landing!
Delete