A Rock, A Raccoon and Red Wine

I can honestly say 2020 has been one year I won't be sorry to see end; and, we still have a little over 4 months to go. 2019 wasn't too great either but 2020 takes the cake. Just when you think things can't get worse or stranger they do. So that takes me to the title of this edition of my blog -- A Rock, A Racoon and Red Wine. What do these 3 things have in common? And how do they lend themselves to the strangeness of 2020? Now if you don't already know the story (and some of you close to me do) then hold on because this is one of those stories where you roll your eyes and say, "you just can't make this stuff up!"

For those of you who know me, some find it hard to believe that I'm a bit shy. Type A at work but reserved in my personal life. I had always thought it would be a great idea to join a wine club, meet new people and enjoy a common interest, but was a bit timid about doing this alone. I can also admit that I was a bit hesitant to join a consumer club and not one filled with industry professionals. Finally I saw a club that seemed interesting with a line up of wines that looked awesome. This night's line up featured a bunch of older vintages from one of Australia's premiere wineries, Clarendon Hills. A relatively young winery founded in 1990, located in McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills produces some of the region's finest wines and was one of the first, if not the first to make a single vineyard bottling. This night's tasting was a flight various 2010 bottlings including Grenaches, Syrahs and Cabernet Sauvignons -- all very highly rated.

1. 
   

I arrived at the restaurant where we were seated outdoors in the back courtyard on a lovely summer night. The group was super nice and I was happy I had ventured out. We introduced ourselves since I was the newbie, gave our dinner order and then got started tasting. So here's the RED WINE part of the tale. First wine was a bit over the hill, but the next 2 were tasting really well and I was getting excited to try the rest when...now hold on folks because the next part of the tale is well, hard to believe. What follows is the A ROCK and A RACCOON part of the tale.

1. 
   

All of a sudden, out of nowhere I get hit in the head, by a rock. Now this alone is crazy, but when you add the fact that the rock was shoved over a 6 foot wall onto my head by a raccoon now you have a story! Yes I was hit in the head by a 4-5 pound rock, shoved over a wall by a raccoon.

1. 
   

After the initial shock wore off and my head packed with ice, the restaurant's hostess ran up behind the wall with an umbrella (as if this couldn't get any more absurd) and tried to chase the raccoon away -- since he was still peering over the wall surveying the damage he had done. I think he was just up there looking and thinking to himself -- "Hey Lady, You Gonna Eat That?" Lucky for me it hit me on the top of my head and as anyone who knows me knows, I have a very hard head -- part of the DNA from both mom and dad for sure! I let a few folks at home know what happened and all checked in on me and I spoke to a neighbor who was a nurse. Head's still a bit sore, but what a tale I have to tell in the year when things just keep getting stranger and stranger. Yup, A Rock, A Raccoon and Red Wine -- what a trio. I will go back to the next tasting with the group, this won't dissuade me from doing so since what are the chances of this happening again ha!