Spin Doctor

Today, my friends, we're going to try to put a positive spin on the whole "uproot your life and move from a lovely small town in the mountains to a big city near the coast where it's always 140 degrees even in winter" thing. Ummmm....So far, I don't think I'm doing so well. But it's hot here, people. Ok? REALLY hot. And I sweat. And my hair? Let's not even go there. But back to the whole positive thinking thing. Here are the top 5 things I love about Richmond (in no particular order):


1. THE CAPITAL ALE HOUSE

This is my favorite Richmond restaurant. Why is it my favorite? Because they have a soft pretzel on the appetizer menu. A BIG soft pretzel. Served warm with sweet German mustard. I could eat 3 of them by myself - but would then have trouble getting my fat tooshie out of the booth. The Ale House is really just that - a beer garden with an attached restaurant. They have something like 40 beers on tap and the beer menu is an entire phone book sized booklet that comes tucked inside your menu. The beer doesn't really interest me. But did I mention the pretzel? They do have other food - and everything I've tried has been delicious. They also have dollar burger night every Monday night. Yes. $1.00 for a cheeseburger. With all that beer drinkin' and cheap food, it's kind of like being back home in Christiansburg. Maybe that's why I like it so much.


2. THE DS PLAYGROUP

I know I've mentioned it before, but can I just tell you how miserable I would be if my kid didn't have DS? I know that sounds stupid, but man o' day am I lucky. Imagine moving to a new town where you know not a soul - and the next day you have women emailing you to introduce themselves and inviting you to special events. That's exactly what happened here. This group - and the wonderful women in it - are just the best. Instant friends for me and for Lois. And it won't surprise you to know that I already got persuaded to take a leadership role. I am the new playdate coordinator - and although the wonky Internet connection in the basement for the past week has made that job a tad bit difficult, I'm all over it. I'm so proud to be a member, so proud of my little butter bean, and so glad to be asked to help out. I know. I am such a dork. Somewhere in Charlottesville my husband is sitting in front of a computer screen shaking his head. But I LOVE THIS GROUP - can you tell?


3. UKROP'S

I've got 2 words for you. Brownie Bites. Holy chocolaty goodness, Batman! Ukrops is like the Taj-Mahal of grocery stores. And although I'm too cheap to shop there on a regular basis (it's rather expensive), the occasional visit yields a veritable treasure trove of epicurean goodness. White house rolls with white chicken salad. Chicken cobbler. Fudge tarts. (I'm feeling weak.) Not to mention, I found the elusive and much sought after liter sized Irish Cream International Delights creamer the last time I was there. I also found Alpha Bits - my most treasured, beloved, most favoritest cereal in the whole world. I thought they had stopped making it. Apparently, they just stopped shipping to Southwest Virginia. Anyway. I love this grocery store. But our bank account? Not so much.


4. MAYMONT

This place is like a historical site on crack. Maymont was the home of this old couple who left their mansion and the surrounding land to the city of Richmond when they died. So today, you can take a tour of their 33 room home and it's period furnishings - which would be a lovely way to spend a day in itself, right? But there's also an Arboretum with like 100 different species of trees, a nature center full of otters and other creatures that inhabit the James River, a nature conservancy with wildlife indigenous to the area, a children's farm where the kids can pet goats, a Japanese garden, an Italian garden, and a gift shop and cafe. It's cool as ......well, you know. And here's my favorite Maymont story. A few years ago, a chicken fell off of a Perdue truck on the Downtown Expressway. She ended up in the median and lived there for several months. The chicken became quite the story among downtown workers who would look for her each day as they made their way to work. The kind people at Maymont caught her, took her in, and sponsored a contest to give her a name. Freeda lived the rest of her days in poultry heaven at the children's farm. Isn't that a great story?


5. THIS BUNCH OF JOKERS

This bunch of jokers is part of the reason we're here. It's such a blessing to be so close to the people who love you the best. (Although living downstairs in the same house might be TOO close.) And when I see Lois laughing at the antics of her cousins, or giving my sister a high five, I know we made the right decision. And although I just listed all these things I like about Richmond, it really would have been cool if the jokers could have moved to Christiansburg. Now there's an idea.