A Glass of Red Before Bed

Tonight I am coming to you live with a glass of wine and some beginning of the week thoughts. Recently, and by recently I mean last night, I decided to take up the very adult and very chic habit of drinking a glass of red before bed. I figure it is time to start acting my age! And this certainly makes me feel very grown up and a little bit Parisian, which I am all for. I am a) trying to acquire a taste for red wine because we all know it is the superior choice and just screams “I’m an adult!” and b) I’ve heard that a glass of wine before bed can be very beneficial when it comes to falling asleep. So here I am, adventurous as can be, always willing to try new things (especially when they don’t involve leaving my room!)

When I decided to take on this new lifestyle yesterday evening, I walked to the liquor store, picked out two bottles of red, grabbed some frozen vegan meals from the SaveOn next door (I didn’t say I was going to be pairing it with an extravagant meal), and trekked home to open the first bottle. I must say, sitting at my desk editing a paper while sipping on a glass of red wine (emphasis on the red) made me feel like a fabulous adult with a very cool career where people actually cared about my opinion on relatively important things! Needless to say, I was thriving.

Tonight is my second night adopting this new habit and so far, so good. Obviously. I don’t know why I thought this would be a challenge. I’m proud to announce that my palette is already developing a liking for the red, or maybe it is my mind tricking me into thinking that because the calming effects are oh so pleasant, but either way I am on the road to becoming a red wine person, which is a massive accomplishment. One of my biggest, I might say, in my 22 years of life. Not to be a wine snob or anything, but the $13 Cono Sur Cab Sav I bought yesterday is really something. I know it’s a little out of the price range for most of you, but if you can scrounge up some change I’d recommend giving it a try. Very high end. You can thank me later, preferably by offering me a glass of your favourite red. And I’m willing to experiment with those of different price ranges…

In all seriousness, I woke up today feeling very grateful and happy! Which is surprising considering I had two essays on my mind along with the upsetting awareness that pretty much everyone in the world is on an exciting holiday except for me. Really though, my mom and sister are in Europe, my roommate/not-so-resident bff is in Mexico, and I am just here, in my room, alone. Instead of letting that get me down, I thought about all the amazing traveling experiences I have been so privileged to have had in the past, and all the incredible traveling experiences that have yet to come (and they certainly are to come). That made me happy. And it made me happy that my sister gets to see Europe for the first time. And that my mom is getting to make a return to Europe after many many years. And that Claire gets to spend a week eating all the free food and drinking all the free drinks on a tropical beach. But then she gets to go on another tropical vacation after that one, and that is where I draw the line. I will not be happy for her when she leaves for Costa Rica. That is appalling and I will not stand for it.

Well I could go on forever but I won’t. My mom once complained that one of my blog posts was too long and if my own mother can’t get through my ramblings then who will? I hope this next week is kind to you all and that you end your days, or at least some of your days, with a glass of wine because you deserve it! Except Claire. Claire will not deserve it when she gets back from this holiday before going on the next. Someone needs to keep her in line! (Love you Claire. But stop having more fun than me. Thx.)

I foresee another blog post coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

~Tal, #1 wine expert in the family