The Day My Mother Swore...

When you are injured and stuck inside the house, it's the little things that make you smile. The thing that made me smile -- and forget my pain if for only a few minutes -- was my mother swearing.

This may sound silly. People swear everyday, I know I do a lot. But my parents do not -- and I mean EVER. In my nearly 28 years of life, I have NEVER heard my mother swear.

However, late one night this past week my mother just let one slide. She was trying to get me settled in my room and was reaching for something she needed and realized that my dad had moved it. And without missing a beat, she let loose a "DAMN!" And it stopped me dead in my tracks.

Most of us don't even think of damn as a swear word anymore -- it really isn't a big deal. But you must realize, for my mother it very much is... and she immediately started apologizing to me for her language. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't speak. My mother was so upset that she had swore, but what she didn't realize was how much it made me smile and how it just lightened my day, if for only a few minutes.

I just wanted to share... and I'm sure she'd kill me if she knew this was being told :) Good thing she doesn't read my blog -- I don't think! LOL

A World Turned Upside Down

So I have so much to say, but some of it will have to wait for another time.

Not that I think anyone ever really reads my posts, but I like to imagine there is someone out there who cares -- and to you, my imaginary reader, I apologize for my lack of posts lately.

You see, I have been in the hospital after a car accident and unable to do so. I am alive, and for that I am forever grateful, but I hesitate to say I'm okay when people ask (and so many do). In fact, I'm tired of answering the question, "Are you okay?"

Well yes, technically. I have suffered no terrible head trauma and my heart still beats... but I shattered my femur (leg bone) to bits and had to undergo serious surgery to get it repaired. I now have 12 screws and a giant metal plate in my leg and knee, as seen in this picture. I never want to walk through a metal detector again.

I also broke my foot, my collarbone, and my nose. So, no... I'm not really "okay".

I'm finally back home and pretty miserable. I've been back for a little over a week now and only 2 of my friends have stopped by to see me. I'm so lonely I just want to burst into tears half the time. I'm a social person, I not only like but NEED to be around people. And being stuck in a house with nothing to do but watch TV or play on the computer... it feels like I am being punished.

I know I'm rambling. But to be honest, writing is my only outlet. My only way to talk to someone -- anyone -- even though no one's eyes may ever look upon this page. Three weeks ago my life was so busy between work and school and reading and cooking and events with friends. And now, it is all gone. No more work. No more school. Reading is difficult, since the medicine makes everything hard to concentrate on. No more cooking, since I am stuck in a wheelchair.

I never understood how blessed my life was until this happened. I took so much for granted. Maybe that is why it happened... I don't know. I don't pretend to understand those things. But I know these things to be true: I am so thankful and happy to be alive. I am so thankful to my parents and family who have been taking care of me around the clock. And lastly, I am so lonely and really wish my friends could stop by once in a while -- if only for a few minutes. It would mean so much to me.

First wine weekend...

So this past weekend I covered a few of the closest area wineries: Barboursville, Horton, and Keswick.

These pictures were taken at the beautiful, picturesque Keswick Vineyards, a smaller boutique winery whose tasting room has only been open since 2006.

There is a serene lake on the grounds and as you can see the vines are heavy with vibrantly colored grapes.

 

Keswick grows all their own grapes, which is something that not all VA wineries can boast.

I was highly impressed with Keswick and it now ranks as one of my top choices in VA, along with Barboursville... which never disappoints.

This is the third time in my life that I've been to Horton, and I'm sad to say I'm still not impressed. Yes, they have over 40 wines to try (though they will not let you try them all) but it almost seems as though they try to feature a wine of every variety and in turn fail to produce any one wine of spectacular quality. I tried all of the red wines, and while there were some that were enjoyable... nothing really captivated me. And the staff seemed a bit bored and ready to go home...

On the other end of spectrum, Barboursville is always a fun experience. Many wines to taste for a mere $4 (and you get to keep the glass). It is worth noting that the price must have recently gone up, since all the publications from the VA wine bureau state that tasting is only $3. Still -- it's no biggie, it's worth every penny.

The staff are knowledgeable and very fun -- even when they are busy (which is almost always) they take time with every person.

So from this trip, I'd highly recommend Keswick and Barboursville. My favorite wines were the Barboursville 2005 Octagon (a Bordeaux-style blend) and the Keswick 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are the flagship wines of the respective vineyards, and for good reason..... absolutely heavenly!

Welcome to my ADHD Life

Ok so I definitely have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). They figured this out my junior or senior year of high school... a bit late in my opinion. But anywho, I'm not here to discuss that... I just thought it might be good to understand why it is I need to juggle so many things at once, because even I get a little overwhelmed with everything on my plate at times. But it is sadly necessary for me to have lots of options to choose from. Of course, I'm bad and usually put the most important (and therefore least fun) options til last and end up with a major case of procrastination...

So here's what I've got going right now...

Currently trying to plow through a novel for my literature class, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. It's really not all that bad... wouldn't be my first choice for a book, but it's a pretty easy read. However, I've never been very good at reading something just because someone said I had to. Especially when I have a better option, like....

The Lost Symbol, the new Dan Brown novel.... THIS I can't put down, it is so good! So when I should be reading the aforementioned required text, I usually find myself with this one instead.

I am ALSO reading a non-fiction book about plot and structure to help me with my own novel.

On top of all of that lovely reading.... I have the Examiner.com articles, which I should be doing much more frequently but it requires nights out on the town and lately my bosses at the restaurant have decided I should never have a night off.

Well, that's what is going on with me lately... it's crazy and I feel completely scatterbrained all the time... but I don't know how else to be :)

And because I don't already have enough distractions, my favorite shows start up again on Monday. Can we say Hooray for The Big Bang Theory and Castle!?!? :) Mmmm Nathan Fillion...

Richbrau: Richmond’s own brewpub

Richbrau: Richmond’s own brewpub

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