Weekend Review

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to really talk about my weekend visit with my brother. It was busy!

On Friday, my parents and I packed up the CRV, put the dog, Buffy, in her special car seat, and headed down the road. It was a long drive, longer than usual because we had to stop more frequently to let the tiny dog walk. She was a little nervous in the car, but eventually settled down. She also did very well on her leash, I know my parents were working hard to get her ready for that.

We got to the hotel and mom took a nap while dad and I went for a brief swim in the saline pool. It was different. It still smelled like chlorine, but not as bad, and it didn't sting when you opened your eyes. I have issued opening my eyes underwater since my surgery anyway, but it was nice that it didn't burn!

We met up with my brother and Moon and they took us to a yummy Mexican place for dinner. The evening ended with plans to get an early start for Saturday, as it would involve an hour drive through the mountains to the Monterey Maple Festival.

This is the biggest thing to do out here other than the book fair. There is one road leading to Monterey from the eastern Augusta County, US 250, that was once the only east-west road to Richmond before the interstate was built. It wound through the mountains and national forests of Highland County. Just to give you an idea of how much in the middle of nowhere this place is, according to my brother, the total population of Highland County is 2500 people. This is a tiny point in Virginia, bordered on two sides by West Virginia. There are several other Maple Festivals, it's all really one big county-wide thing, but the best place is Monterey.

There were things like crafts, fresh-made pork rinds, homemade maple syrups and olive oils, local honey, and fresh, hot, unbelievably yummy maple donuts. We spent the better part of the morning here, browsed the booths, ate an early lunch, and piled back into my brother's truck with two dozen donuts.

Upon getting back to the house, we watched Monsters Vs Aliens and then had dinner at the Depot Grille in Staunton. This place is awesome. It's located at the Historic Staunton Station and the food is spectacular. My mom and I had been here once before on an earlier trip. I like Staunton (don't pronounce that U or the locals will have a fit!). It's a nice, old town.

I swam for an hour Sunday morning to try to make up for the non-Weight Watcher-friendly meals I had consumed over the last few days. We checked out and went to my brother's place in the late morning. Then we just hung out, with Animal Planet on the TV. Mom and I ran out to pick up lunch and then we were on our way back to the civilized world of Northern Virginia before 1600.

It was a fun, busy, and exhausting trip. I'm still trying to get back to my regular sleeping patterns, though it's hard because Aura is in heat (that's another story altogether).