Brunch with the Master Chief

Finally! I got to meet up with Troy! I've been looking forward to seeing her for a while. She only lives about two hours away, but with her schedule and mine, we never seemed to make it work. Until today. I had a really great time with her and wished I could have spent more time. Unfortunately, she has to pack and get ready to deploy right after Thanksgiving.

It was funny, because it was almost like no time had passed. It was just like the old days of the Tuesday Night Supper Club, but without Bill and Doogie. We had talked all summer about going camping together. We've postponed that until next summer. Tentatively, of course, as it all depends on when Bill gets back and we leave.

It appears that life is treating her well and I am really glad to hear that. I gave her a little gift I made, my third sewing project. Sorry the picture is blurry, but you get the idea.

It's a pillowcase. I figured that it would decorate her tent a little for the holidays, yet be useful at the same time. I had a lot of fun picking out the fabric. In case you can't tell from the picture, the main body is red with ornaments, the accent strip is poinsettias and the cuff has stockings. It was fun to make and she seemed to appreciate it. What surprised me is that she told me that she still has the can coozie I knit her years ago and sent to her when she was in Iraq. She said she takes it with her on her deployments. I was really touched by that.

In other news, I finally put the foils on the Malbec I bottled a while back and put the bottles on their sides. I really hope that turns out well. I was going to start the Barolo tonight, but I decided to postpone to just before Christmas for a few reasons. First, I am not lifting heavy stuff, as my back already hurts. Yes, I know you are supposed to lift with your legs, and I try to do that, but there is no need to push it. Second, I'll let it ferment during Christmas and clarify while I'm gone for the marathon. I can turn down the heat in the house and let it "brew" in a cooler environment.

I got to talk to Bill briefly today. He looks great! Seeing him always puts a smile on my face no matter how much in pain I am or how terrible my day was. Hearing his voice makes my heart beat faster. It's more like I'm a teenager hearing from my first ever boyfriend than a mature woman hearing from my husband of almost 15 years. And you know what? I hope that feeling never goes away!