Right up front, last weekend caught me off guard. That whole “Monday isn’t really a Monday thing” completely threw off my new-found flow and I never got my footing. Not to mention how the week finished, but we’ll get there… As a result, no posts.
This week is different, though. Starting with not one selfie, but several! If I haven’t mentioned it already I moonlight as a bartender for Elaine Bell Catering. They’re amazing, and I’m not saying that because I’ve worked there for the last five years.
As I look at the website now, there’s a picture of me from the back. I remember that gig vividly for a few reasons, and I’m pretty sure I was making one of many Dark and Stormys in that picture.
But I digress…
Let me say, cater bartending is a lot different than working behind a bar. I’ve only done the latter once, so I can’t speak too much to that experience, but I can say I don’t know of any bars where the bartender first hauls everything out, sets the bar (or bars) up, serves for hours, then breaks it all down at the end of the night. Honestly, catering is a young person’s game and any given gig is an exhausting marathon and once or twice a week is enough. I had four gigs this week. But I loved it. I really did.
Having said that, I’m exhausted and so many things hurt in different ways.
But I’ve got selfies! And stories!
Let’s start with Thursday and the only non-wedding (or wedding-adjacent) gig of the lot! I didn’t get that gig until just the night before when they asked if I could show up at Viansa Sonoma winery as quickly as possible after I finished my day job. Viansa Sonoma sits above the wetlands south of the city of Sonoma. A little further down 121 and you’ll pass Sonoma Raceway. The view is gorgeous and that warm Thursday night the wind held off and it was a perfect sunset. It was a retirement dinner for a prominent person at the Raceway, and as Sonoma and Napa notables sipped wine on the patio, then dined as the sun set and the swallows darted and dived for their own meals I snapped a selfie with their warthog statue in a rare free moment.
Friday brought a new, unique event. I worked a few events in 2020, but the lockdown gutted the wedding scene for the most part. There were a few exceptions – one actually took place at Viansa very early in, when we weren’t fully locked down, but the shifting parameters meant the couple had to pare their guest list from 250 to just 20.
Similarly, I worked a wedding at a private residence in Napa where the guest count was whittled down to 25. A year later, that same couple decided to have the reception they couldn’t have last year. One of the families owned a facility out by the Cutting Wharf on the Napa river and they transformed an out building into the perfect party barn. I love working at some of the beautiful wineries, but these gigs where we take a place you would never think of as a party spot and turn it into something magical are really special. Of course, it takes a lot of work and I didn’t get a chance to take a proper selfie. Instead you get this shot of the bar before we actually set up, complete with my big ol’ bar bag on top. The family remembered me from the wedding the year before and we shared smiles and even hugs before getting down to the task at hand: having a proper celebration they couldn’t have last year.
Unlike most gigs, we ended up switching from glassware to plastic and leaving the bar to them. As the wind whipped off the river and we packed the truck, I realized I was halfway through my marathon. My back was hurting, sure, but it was manageable. I knew Sunday’s gig would be a grind – it’s the nature of that particular venue – but if Saturday’s wedding was anything like the events on Thursday and Friday I’d be fine.
Dear reader, it was not fine.
I’ll start by saying it came off fine and the guests really and truly had an amazing time. The venue was a sprawling private residence nestled in the folds of the hills west of Sonoma. Stepped hills dotted with mature redwood trees, verdant hydrangeas, and winding paths leading to various gardens, the property was an unreal sanctuary. Of course, some of those same features make staging an event more than a little onerous. Cocktail hour began at the top of the property while our kitchen was set up way down at the bottom. The narrow paths and uneven slate stairs made footing rough, but downright treacherous when hauling, say, racks of glasses or cases of wine.
Once we transitioned to the dinner bar and we were able to catch our breath and get into a rhythm, things got a little easier. It was made even better by the phenomenal band! Guitar, bass, drums, sax, and three singers, they belted out stirring renditions of Motown classics, but also provided new takes on contemporary tracks on my imaginary Wedding Music Bingo card – they killed Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” in such a way that that ginger should just renounce the song to their version. (Incidentally, the band was Hip Service. I’m sure they weren’t cheap, but, holy cow… I’ve seen many, many wedding bands and they were truly memorable.)
Breakdown rekindled a lot of the same hazards we encountered during set up… only in the dark. But with everything broken down I hiked down the long driveway to the parking area grateful I brought a good flashlight, and glad my back wasn’t any worse for wear – my legs, however, took a beating that night as I wholeheartedly embraced lifting with my legs to save my back. #legday.
Sunday dawned with the final stretch! I knew it would be a grind, though – any event at the beautiful Campovida winery in Hopland inevitably is. While specific setup varies from event to event, they’re always spread out through the gardens and among the various buildings on the site. At ten hours, it was also the longest stretch of the group. However, there were four of us tending bar and I’ve worked the site many times over the years. I was confident we’d finish strong.
And, really, we did! It was a grind – finishing with almost 20k steps for the night. An insistent and unceasing wind made things a little tougher than they might otherwise have been, but by the time the DJ ended his set and the guests headed to the after party, we were already well on our way to getting everything back on the truck. Walking back through the dark gardens to the parking lot, I was exhausted. I didn’t get back to Akilah’s until nearly two in the morning. I crashed on the couch with Alli curled up on my feet.
This morning I was back at my regular Day Job with my selfies and aches as reminders of a busy, busy weekend.
With the world opening up again as vaccination rates rise it’s clear couples are making up for lost time and plans deferred. It’s going to be a busy summer, and that’s fine by me. These jobs are tiring, sure, but so is a good hike. And I love my brief interactions with people – whether it’s making the perfect Old Fashioned, or dropping a cherry into a Shirley Temple for someone not drinking, the actual tending of the bar, serving of the drinks, and interactions with people having one of the great nights of their lives makes the whole thing worth it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go stretch out my back….
