I'm Headin' for Sonoma

Way to go, Uncle Joe!

A two million dollar home in Sonoma, with a vineyard. Wow.

Well, from what I can tell the ‘vineyard’ is 12 starter Zinfandel plants out in the backyard, but that’s okay. HGTV did a good job ‘selling’ the vineyard theme, with lots of pictures of rolling hills, and dozens of acres of mature vineyards basking in the sun. So what if it they weren’t part of the house. Nice tease.

But still and all, my Uncle Joe and Aunt Cheri won the annual dream house giveaway on HGTV. Out of more than 39 million -yes, million!-entries. The episode aired Sunday (March 15) and it was pretty awesome. The build-up was a little torturous, mostly because we already knew Joe won, and I just wanted to see my uncle. It was like waiting for the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show; ‘Coming up, the Beatles!’ Screams, delirium. Forty minutes later, the Beatles finally appear.

Same here. Gotta show the fabulous house (it is fabulous). Gotta have the designer gush, the neighbor (who produces Pixar movies) comment, and follow the lady with the balloons who wouldn’t tell us where she was, as she drove around getting ready to surprise the winners.

It was all a good fun tease, and finally, just as the Beatles were about to come out, the lady with the balloons goes up a porch, knocks on the door, and my Aunt Cheri, dressed in a red Coca-Cola T-shirt comes out and the screaming and delirium commences.

Joe was behind her trying to get a word in edgewise, but the lady only wanted to talk to Cheri, who did a good ‘Omigod, I can’t believe it!’ thing, without embarrassing herself.

Joe as it turns out was the one who entered the drawing -under Cheri’s name. That’s Joe. (Cheri once told me a story about how she came home one day to find Joe hiding around a corner, down on all fours, with a big grin on his face. Cheri asked him, rightfully, I think, what the hell he was doing, and Joe laughed, and said “Shh, I’m gonna scare the dog.” That’s Uncle Joe.)

Anyway, Joe finally gets his two-cents worth in in a follow-up that you can view on HGTV’s Website. There’s even a shot of him playing guitar. Which is kinda sweet, because it was Joe that taught me how to play guitar 45 years ago. Two months before the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

So, Joe and Cheri have a fabulous house in Sonoma (they live in Florida), but funny thing is, I don’t think they drink wine.

Good time –and place- to learn.