Drink up!
It may be the opposite of what most people vow to do in the new year, but drinking more means never having to deprive yourself of one of life’s greatest pleasures. If you really want to go for it in 2015—we mean really pound ’em back—make it easier to achieve your goals by having the booze come to you. Two words: wine club.
Early Mountain, Pippin Hill, King Family and Veritas vineyards all have programs that ship vino directly to your door each season. And, if sometimes you’d rather not drink alone, joining the club means getting discounts on wine tastings and other purchases at the vineyard, too. Choose between a three- or six-bottle shipment each quarter, which will run you roughly $25 per bottle depending on which vineyard you choose. Consider yourself an overachiever? Join them all!
Drink less
Whether you find yourself a bit tired of the bar scene (and the constant hangover) or you think you might really have a problem, the new year is the time to make a change.
We’ll start with the strong stuff: Alcoholics Anonymous. The Charlottesville chapter has meetings available every day of the week, to members and nonmembers alike. (If you’re a nonmember, just look for the O on the meeting list to indicate a session that’s open to everyone, including students or family members of alcoholics.) Find info at jeffersonfob.wordpress.com.
Maybe you don’t have a serious problem, per se, but often feel gross after a few too many nights out and want to cut back. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, you could start drinking less by, well, not drinking at all. That’ll give you a clearer picture of how you feel emotionally and physically without alcohol in your system. Go cold turkey, or designate some days of the week as “non-drinking days.”
Keep busy. Take up a new hobby to distract you from drinking. And, as with anything, ask for support. Letting friends know you’re cutting back will help curb the peer pressure.
Expand your vocabulary
Parlez vous Français? Hablas Español? Nǐ huì shuō Pǔtōnghuà ma? (That’s phonetic Mandarin, if you couldn’t tell.) If your answer to these questions is no (but you wish it was yes), 2015 could be the year you make it happen. The global education center Speak!, located in the Glass Building on Second Street downtown, offers instruction in 11 foreign languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian, German, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin and Korean. Phew!
In addition to small group classes in Spanish, French and Italian, founder Christina Ball says the center specializes in targeted one-on-one instruction and you can do it in one of the center’s five classrooms or off site at an office or home.
“We just signed a guy up who’s in construction at UVA,” said Ball, who notes that his classes will be focused on the vocabulary he’ll need to communicate with his Spanish-speaking employees. Other students have requested focus on medical vocabulary, and families planning trips abroad have instructors come to their homes to help prepare mom, dad and kids for travel.
“Artisan educators is our new nickname for our teachers,” said Ball. “We handcraft courses to the needs of our students.”
While instruction can be expensive—around $60 an hour for private lessons—Ball notes that all full-time UVA employees who have worked at the university for a year are eligible for $2,000 in education expenses. That’s 37 hours of language instruction through Speak!.
And Ball said January is a natural time to consider learning a language. “People are thinking three or four months of winter is a good time to come,” she said.
Split like a banana
Out with the old, in with the new. Some people may look for love at the flip of the calendar, but others of us may need to sort a few things out. If it’s time for you and your partner to part ways, here are a few local resources to make the process as smooth as possible.
Children, Youth, and Family Services offers a one-time, four-hour co-parenting class. Offered at least once a month, the course provides information about helping kids adjust to parents’ separation. It’s $50, and it meets the Virginia Supreme Court’s requirements for a parenting class.
The Mediation Center of Charlottesville provides separation and divorce services, helping couples decide on things like child custody, distribution of assets and financial spousal support.
In Waynesboro, a meetup group provides social support for anyone who’s going through a separation or divorce. According to the group’s page on meetup.com, it does not provide professional support services.
Move to the beat
Folks with two left feet have it rough. Not only do they have to buy two pairs of identical shoes just to get a single pair that fits, they are the laughingstock of wedding receptions and dance clubs. Fortunately, those of you with two left feet don’t have to undergo podiatric surgery to fix your boogie-woogie woes, and the new year is the perfect time to hone those dance floor skills for spring and summer weddings. Here are a few places that might help get you started.
For nearly 40 years, The Wilson School of Dance has offered instruction to dancers of all ages in styles ranging from tap to ballet to hip hop. 3114 Proffit Rd., 973-5678.
The Charlottesville Salsa Club offers weekly dances, and is open to anyone interested in the sultry Latin dance. The Sunday night event happens weekly and starts with a lesson from 8-9pm followed by a three-hour dance party where you can put your new moves into action. cvillesalsaclub.com.
Find your inner Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers through Charlottesville Parks and Rec department’s affordable classes, which include tap as well as waltz, ballet and modern dance. Most month-long weekly sessions will cost city residents $45 and a bit more for nonresidents. 970-3260 or check the class listing online at charlottesville.org.