Tell My Wife I Love Her Very Much

When there isn't as much time as I would like

for roses and champagne

I rely on poets to explain

to my lover that I adore her.

That I miss her.

That we work too much and kiss too little.

That I think about crawling around with her on the floor, rolling around with her in the sand, running around with her in the hills, spinning around with her in the waves, and it makes me smile to see her face in my mind, her eyes looking into mine.

I want to tell her I love her, but I've told her so many times. I want to make it different this time, in some small way.

Remember this song, baby? My sister sang it to us at our wedding reception in Key West.



Remember the song I sang to you? My mom, laughing and crying at the same time, told me not to quit my day job. (I don't think I even had a day job!)



That was a smart thing I did, asking you to spend your life with me.

Thank you for saying yes.

I love you!

La Vita Nevosa!

On the heels of yesterday's Snow/Journey post comes more pictures from more of my loved ones in various places tenaciously enduring the blizzard of 2010.

This is my cousin Kathy in Virginia:


That shmoo to Kathy's right is actually a Toyota Prius, believe it or not.


My sister Cyndi in Dallas who started yesterday in disbelief that a tiny dusting of white would keep Texans out of their trucks, off the road and away from work watched helplessly out her office window as the city received 9.8 inches of snow before day's end. Here's more on that story. And here's a photo from Cyndi from the front line of the biggest snowfall in Dallas history:


All I can say to you cold souls is you have my respect.

And better you than me.

We'll keep an eye on all of this as long as we can...


...and if you can dig an airplane out and get enough ice off the wings, come out for a visit. I'll get you the friends and family discount at Starwood!

Keep those snow pictures coming!

Back when we used to live in Indiana we spent as much time as possible with our friends and family who kept us sane despite all the crazy happenin's back in that state.

In particular, one group of awesome folk we hung out with alot was named Eric, Maya and Rigby.

Here are the only pictures I have of Eric and Maya:



Rigby was Eric and Maya's son. He spent most of his time looking for the ball and asking where the ball was.

Here's the ball:


While Rigby was looking for the ball, Eric and Maya and Audrey and I spent our time looking for ways to move out of Indiana.

We talked a lot about how much we hated snow and how four months of dreariness and grey slush and constantly running the furnace made all the other things we didn't like about Indiana, like the crooked politicians, the coal plants, the arsenic in the air, the polluted water, the industrial pig farms, the KKK, etc, seem so much worse.

Then one day Audrey and I moved to San Francisco. A few months later Eric and Maya moved to Washington D.C. where cool people like Eric and Maya and Rigby are desperately needed.

Then two days ago Eric sent me this picture (below) of Rigby (left):


Eric is an engineer, as you can probably tell.

Then another person who moved away from Indiana, my sister Cyndi who moved to Dallas, sent me this picture of the weather in Dallas this morning:


Cyndi said only six of the 25 people in her office came in to work because of the three tenths of an inch of snow they got.

Cyndi of course went to work because it takes at least fourteen inches of snow to make a Midwesterner consider the possibility of not driving.

Anyway where I'm going with all this is that I've been thinking alot lately about snow and friends and family and how our friends the Daniel family in Chicago have been buried in snow for the past 3 months and how my dad and Audrey's family are still back in Indiana and how they have gotten a bunch of snow this year, I mean a BUNCH of snow, and how it seems to be snowing everywhere the people I know have moved to, and how it never snows in San Francisco, EVER!

Then I started thinking about how i just recently realized the band Journey is from San Francisco, and how I like a lot of Journey songs.

Then I thought I sure would like to rub this all in everybody's face somehow, I mean in a loving way.

So for all of you trapped in the drudgery of winter, wherever you are, here is a message of love to you from Audrey and me and Pico and Eli:

My Letter of Resignation

To all Ramblas Managers, Investors, Associates and Staff:

Re: Phillip Barcio

In life there are times when it falls on a person to convey news that may not be well received by the ones he or she loves. This is one of those times. So I feel it best to be direct.

I have accepted a new appointment as the General Manager of Clock Bar, Michael Mina’s lounge in the lobby of the Westin St. Francis, on Union Square. My employment with Clock Bar begins on Monday, March 1, 2010.

My time at Ramblas Tapas has been the most enriching, rewarding and entertaining experience of my professional career. It is ending sooner than I imagined it would, or would have liked.

I hope each of you with whom I have shared this wildly successful growth experience will understand that this is the necessary next step in my professional life. The opportunity at Clock Bar with which I have been presented is one which has the potential to position me to achieve the long range life goal I share with the love of my life, Audrey, to operate our own restaurant. Such a goal requires that I attain relevant, daily experience above my current position as AGM.

It is my conviction that there is no greater reward in life than knowing you have contributed positively to the emotional, spiritual and professional progress of those you hold dear. If all of you feel the same as I do about the bonds we have created with each other at Ramblas then you share my heartfelt appreciation for the unique moments we have created together, and the quantifiable success we have accomplished.

Thank you for enriching my life and helping me get better every day.

Throughout the month of February, it is my highest priority to set the stage for Ice’s success as the new Chef at Ramblas.

Remember that what we think about, we bring about. It is my hope and my expectation that each of you will focus on the positive and open your hearts to whatever new paradigm emerges as we transition together to this new place.

Avoid cynicism, remember the lessons about service and integrity that we have learned together and carry on the work we started, whether at Ramblas or in your other endeavors.

I will miss all of you, and this wonderful place, more than I can express in this font. Perhaps I should have used Times New Roman. As my dad says, “Love the ones who love you, and to the rest, succhiarlo!”

I love all of you and I hope you have gotten the chance to learn how to love me.

Phillip Barcio, Assistant Manager, Ramblas Tapas