Relaxing in Calistoga

For Inna's birthday, I decided to treat her to a weekend of relaxation at the delightful Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga, California.

Due to the limited availability of dining options, Inna and I made the following restaurant reservations:

• Friday, February 25, 19:45: Dinner at Evangeline, Calistoga
• Saturday, February 25, 09:00: Breakfast at Solbar, Calistoga
  
• Saturday, February 26, 13:15: Lunch at Bouchon Bistro, Yountville
• Saturday, February 26, 19:00: Dinner at Morimoto, Napa
• Sunday, February 26, 09:00: Breakfast at Solbar, Calistoga
• Sunday, February 26, 13:15: Lunch at  House of Better, Calistoga
  
• Sunday, February 26, 14:43: Wine Tasting at Castello di Amorosa

Friday, February 25, 2022

After a long drive from San Jose, we arrived in Calistoga around 19:43, just in time for the 19:45 dinner reservation at Evangeline Cajun/Creole restaurant. 

After sitting down outdoors (thankfully, there were plenty of outdoor heaters), we looked at the menu and ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Bread & Butter
  
• Boris: Butternut Squash Soup, Shrimp Etouffee
  
• Inna: French Onion Soup, Liberty Farms Duck Leg
• Drinks: Hot Tea
  
• Dessert: Tarte Tatin
  

I enjoyed my Butternut Squash Soup and the Shrimp Etouffee (though it was not as good as the one at Pappadeux's in Houston, Texas). 

Inna also enjoyed her French Onion Soup and Liberty Farms Duck Leg (though the Duck at Asa Los Gatos was better).

After dinner, we drove half a mile to Indian Springs Resort & Spa and checked into room #303 on the first floor. It overlooked the beautiful waterfall.

The horrible war in Ukraine was on our minds, and we needed to get away from all of the terrible news. When we finished arranging to unpack our suitcases, we strolled to the nearby hot-springs pool and enjoyed a pleasant evening swim!

We returned to our room at 23:30 and decided to sleep.

Saturday, February 26, 2022

In the morning, we woke at around 08:30. After showering and getting dressed, we drove to our favorite Solbar, in Solage Resort.

After sitting down indoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following breakfast items:

• Boris: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Extra Fruit, Coffee
• Inna: Lobster Omelet

I really enjoyed my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes! I have been waiting for over 7 years to eat them again! 

I wish there was another restaurant nearby in San Jose that could make them to this level of finesse. Inna's Lobster Omelet was also divine! We really enjoyed our breakfast at Solbar! What a way to start the morning!

We returned to our Indian Springs Resort & Spa and played ping-pong and a few other games on the property.

At around 12:30, we started our drive to Yountville for lunch at our favorite Bouchon Bistro. When we arrived, our table was not ready. However, after 15 minutes, we were seated inside. 

It was deafening (like the old days), and we looked at the folder napkin for our menu.

• Boris: Soup du Jour (Carrot),
  
• Inna: Soup a l'Ognion
• Entree: Croque Madame, Salade Maraichere au Chevre
• Dessert: Profiteroles
  

I enjoyed Carrot Soup (Soup du Jour) and the Croque Madame. Inna really loved her French Onion Soup. The Profiteroles were also fantastic.

After a beautiful lunch, we drove to the nearby V. Sattui Winery. However, it was hectic, so we purchased a few wine bottles instead of wine tasting. Then, we returned to Indian Springs Resort & Spa, where we sat, rested, and enjoyed our time outside.

At around 18:30, we started our drive to Napa, and I made dinner reservations at Morimoto. We arrived at 19:19, 5 minutes late for our 19:00 dinner reservation. 

However, we were offered an outdoor table around 19:30. Morimoto seemed like a trendy date spot, as I saw many couples.

After reviewing the exciting menu, we ordered the following dinner items:

• Appetizer: Spicy Tuna Taco, Green Tea
• Entree: Ish Yaki Buri Bop, Chef's Choice Sushi
  
• Dessert: Lime Ganache
  

We liked the Ish Yaki Buri Bop (fresh fish fried in a 450 Fahrenheit bowl with delicious rice). The Chef's choice of sushi was also quite tasty. The Lime Ganache was exquisite!

After dinner, we returned to our Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga and swam in the hot springs pool.

Sunday, February 27, 2022

In the morning, we woke at around 09:00. After showering and getting dressed, we drove to our favorite Solbar in Solage Resort.

After sitting down indoors, we looked at the menu and ordered the following breakfast items:

• Boris: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Coffee
• Inna: Eggs Benedict, Grapefruit Juice
  

 I loved my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and Inna's Eggs Benedict was also exceptional. After breakfast, we packed our suitcases and swam at the Indian Springs Resort & Spa. We first tried the main pool and the somewhat more relaxed adult pool.

At around 13:30, we returned to our room. We must change our swimsuits and get ready to check out the hotel. 

Once we checked out, we played pinpong and relaxed by the fire pit. Then, we decided to explore downtown Calistoga.

We stopped by the House of Better for a small lunch, ordering the following items:

• Pies: Apple Pie, Pecan Pie
• Entree: Avocado Toast
• Drinks: Mocha,Kombucha

We liked the pies - especially the Pecan Pie - and Inna enjoyed swinging on the swing. 

 

After lunch, we drove to the Castello di Amorosa Winery for wine tasting. We enjoyed touring the Castle grounds - the castle was built using European stones and looked quite authentic. After exploring the grounds, we stopped by the tasting room to sample some wines. 

Inna and I selected 6 different wines, and we tried them, starting with whites, going on to the reds, and finishing with dessert wines.

Of all the wines we tasted, we liked La Fantasia - the most and purchased 3 bottles.

 

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Inna's Birthday Dinner at Dio Deka

I made dinner reservations for Inna's birthday at Dio Deka in Los Gatos for 19:45. We arrived on time and parked on the street on Los Gatos Blvd. 

After ordering a Japanese Kiss cocktail (as Strawberry Margaritas were not available), Inna and I ordered Tzatziki with pita bread and Octopus to start our dinner.

After sitting down and looking at the menu, we ordered the following dinner items:

• Drinks: Japanese Kiss Cocktail
  
• Appetizers: Tzatziki, Octopus
• Boris: Chilean Sea Bass
• Inna: 2 Lamb Chops
• Dessert: Galaktoboureka 

 I enjoyed the Sea Bass, and Inna shared her Lamb Chops. They were delicious.

For dessert, we decided to try the Galaktoboureko with ice cream. It was also mouthwatering. We really enjoyed our time at Dio Deka. The service was fast, efficient, and quite good, thougslightlyit overpriced.

 

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Lesson 06: Tennis Overhead Lesson with Ryan Reidy

As I struggled with my consistency and power on my overhead, Ryan Reidy from 2minutetennis evaluated my serve (using Zoom) and offered excellent pointers for improvement.

Overhead Technique Improvements

 

Questions

1.  Technique Improvements
   
• Even after weeks of practice, I still make the same mistakes in all my groundstrokes.
• How long does it take to re-learn a new technique so it becomes muscle memory?
• Answer: 3 weeks
  
2. Tennis Elbow:
• What are the proper treatments for tennis elbow?
• Answer: Play with less force on the ball machine (speed = 2, alternate strokes)
  
3. Overhead:
• How do I time the initiation of the swing?
• Answer: The ball should be falling vertically
4. Forehand:
• I am not getting enough spin on the ball
• Answer: Practice on the ball machine with a much slower speed setting. Focus on a steep low-to-high transition and catch the racket with the right hand. The right hand should travel upwards "as if waving to your opponent."
  
5. Return of Serve: 
• How do I return balls with a lot of pace? 
• Answer: Use less backswing
  
• What are the keys to adding spin to fast-moving balls?
•  It is hard to swing low-to-high due to insufficient time and easy to miss-hit.
  
6. Two-handed Backhand: 
• I still lack spin and power. Where does power come from?
• Answer: Power comes from the separation of hand and body. The body turns while the hand drops and the whipping around of the hands creates power.
  
7. Slice-backhand:
• I am hitting with the racquet too open when using Continental grip. Should I change to the backhand grip? If not, where is the contact point?
8.  Serve
• I am having difficulty knocking on the birthday hat. 
• Answer: Try serving with the thumb sticking out on the right hand. The thumb should touch the right shoulder.
  

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Valentine's Dinner at Asa Los Gatos

I decided to try the highly-rated Asa Los Gatos restaurant for Valentine's Day. When researching restaurants, I was surprised that Asa was nearby in Los Gatos and unaware of its existence. 

I made reservations for Monday, February 14th, at 19:45, and we arrived on time. After being seated, we looked over the menu and ordered the following dinner items:

• Appetizer: Petite Baguette, Garlic Shrimp
• Entree: Exotic Mushroom Pasta, Liberty Duck Breast with Leg Confit
• Drinks: Riesling, Sparkling H20
• Dessert: Chocolate Bomb
  

We liked the atmosphere in the restaurant. It was not noisy, and we could talk without raising our voices. The service was prompt, and our orders came out quickly.

Our appetizers - the Garlic Shrimp and the Petite Baguette came out quickly. We really enjoyed the large shrimp and the freshly baked bread.

The Garlic shrimp was a delicious start to the dinner. We were impressed even more by the Exotic Mushroom Pasta and the Liberty Duck Breast. They were outstanding! 

 

For dessert, we shared the delicious Chocolate Bomb. It was a fantastic finish to our dinner.

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USTA Men's 40+ 3.5 Match at AVAC

Today, I played a USTA Men's 40+ 3.5 doubles tennis match against Gilroy's D3 team (Bill Warren and Harold Fite) at AVAC. My partner was Muneer Waheed, with whom I played only a few games at practice. I brought mini-croissants for dinner. Muneer played well and had reliable serves. He was especially great at the net.

The Gilroy team did not have any key weapons, but they were able to make fewer unforced errors than us.

In the first set, we were leading 4-to-0 before the Gilroy team fought back. We were tied at 6-to-6 and played a 7-point tiebreak. Unfortunately, we lost 7-to-4.

In the second set, we came back strong, winning 6-to-1.

In the 10-point tiebreak, we lost 7-to-10. My biggest issue was missing some of the critical net shots and being unable to protect the sideline. I need to learn to play better tiebreaks.

Since our match finished at 21:45, I didn't have much time to eat dinner (as I had to return home for a 22:00 business meeting).

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Lesson 05: Tennis Two-Handed Backhand Lesson with Ryan Reidy

As I struggled with my consistency and power on my Two-Handed Backhand, Ryan Reidy from 2minutetennis evaluated my technique (using Zoom) and offered excellent pointers for improvement.

 

Technique

1. Use Correct Backhand Grip:
• The right hand is on Bevel 2
• The left hand is in Bevel 7
2. The racket head height during take-back should be no higher than your head 
3. While the arms are dropping, the body turns, whipping the racket around 
4. The contact point is next to you (not in front of you)
   

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Lesson 04: Tennis Slice Backhand Lesson with Ryan Reidy

As I struggled with my consistency and power on my slice backhand, Ryan Reidy from 2minutetennis evaluated my technique (using Zoom) and offered excellent pointers for improvement.

 

Technique

1. Use Continental grip (panel 2 on index knuckle)
   
2. The right arm travels high-to-low-to-high (finishing like a one-handed backhand drive) 
3. The idea is not to give too much backspin (it will make the ball float too much). Unlike topspin, we don't want too much backspin.
4. Step into the ball for more power
5. Hit on the outside of the ball to get more angle on the shot
   

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