Travel and rain

Sorta like "Fire and Rain"? I hope not!

We are about to embark on what will amount to 6 months of travel.  On Thursday we're headed to Texas, first to attend my cousin's wedding, and then to stay on and visit some of Robert's family. We'll also be celebrating Liel's birthday while we're away, which pleases her. Thanks to our conference schedule we've often been away from home on her birthday, and she's come to think of this as a special treat. At any rate, we'll hopefully be in Texas for 10 days.

"Hopefully" because as you've probably heard, there's this huge-ass storm headed for the east coast of the US. Because it might ruin Halloween for tens of thousands of children (or more), weather forecasters have sweetly dubbed the thing "Frankenstorm", and we're all being advised to stock up on water, food, batteries etc. Round here we lose power in a stiff wind, so it certainly does seem likely that whatever is coming will knock out our power for a little while. Oddly enough the street one block over from us almost never loses power. We'll be sitting in the dark for the second night in a row, and we'll see their lights, shining smugly. We've often wished we had friends on that block, but never met anyone who lived there until a month or so ago when Liel started taking art classes. Two siblings in her class live on that block! What luck! Now we just need to cultivate a friendship with that family...

But, back to Texas. Seems likely that our flight will be delayed, or possibly canceled. Hopefully neither! But if it has to be one delayed (and notified before we get to the airport at the crack of dawn, please!) would be much better. What happens to you when they cancel your flight anyway? They try to get you another one, right? Fortunately the wedding isn't until Saturday, so it seems likely we'll be there in time for the big event at least. *fingerscrossed*

When we get back from Robert's homeland we'll be home for 5 days (during which we'll have friends from NH stop by to visit,  get Robert and the kids the last of their India shots, and have Liel's 7 year checkup), and then we're off to Chicago for a week. When we planned that trip we weren't going to India, and now it's really stressing me out. But I know our family there will be happy to see us, so we're forging ahead. We'll be home from Chicago for 5 days (during which we'll pack like crazy and hopefully have a second Thanksgiving with Kenny and Jenny) and then we'll be off to Bangalore!

Aperol

Some dear friends recently presented me with a bottle of liquor I'd never even heard of before: Aperol. Apparently it's a lightweight version of Campari (half the alcohol), and supposed to make a mean aperitif. Plus it has rhubarb in it, and lord knows I love me some rhubarb! So I was pretty excited to try it out.

We made two different drinks using Aperol- a Negroni with the Campari replaced with Aperol, and an Aperol highball. And I couldn't drink either of them. Robert thought they were both pretty decent (he preferred the modified Negroni), but I found them way too sweet. Cloying, even. Perhaps it is the gentian.

But, in case you should find yourself in possession of a bottle of Aperol, and have a taste in drinks that aligns more closely to Robert's than to mine, I present you with both recipes :)

Aperol Negroni

1 part gin
1 part Aperol
1 part sweet vermouth

Shake over ice, strain, and serve.

You're lookin' might fine next to that fedora, Aperol!

Aperol Highball

This is really more of a suggestion than a recipe- a few fingers of Aperol, a twist of lemon, and fill the rest of the glass with club soda.

Highball! Get it? The artwork here is by my talented friend, Alux.

Vintage Cocktails: Between the Sheets

So right off the bat this cocktail has a lot going for it. I mean, the name alone makes it worth drinking, right? It's like an old school, slightly more appropriate forerunner of some of today's brazen hussy drinks, like Sex on the Beach. I mean, if you were at a drinking establishment and someone offered you a Sex on the Beach, and someone else offered you a Between the Sheets, which one would be more intriguing? Instead of coming out swinging, the name of this drink just gives you a smile and a wink.

A Between the Sheets is a close relative of one of my favorite drinks, the Sidecar. The only difference is that a Between the Sheets adds rum.

Lately I've been on a bit of a rum kick-- which is to say, I've been thinking fond thoughts, and occasionally eating, things with "rum raisin" in their name. Mostly ice cream, it's true, but I have plans for a rum raisin tapioca pudding. I even have raisins soaking in rum on my counter in preparation for this fantastic event! But I digress. My point is, rum is delicious, at least when applied correctly.

Sadly, the Between the Sheets was not a knock-out drink for me. It was fine, sure, but I've already returned to the sweet embrace of the Sidecar when I'm looking for a drink with a citrusy flavor profile. Sorry, clever sexual innuendo drink!

Robert did take some rather hilarious pictures of this cocktail though. He was very proud of himself.

Here it is, lying seductively...between the sheets.

And here it is with a couple of friends. Bears! In bed! With a naughty drink! I hope no children are reading.

Still, if you're a big rum fan, or just looking to spice up your drinking (or love) life, the Between the Sheets is certainly worth trying!

Between the Sheets

In a cocktail shaker with crushed ice combine:
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz orange liquor
1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz brandy or cognac

Shake well, strain into a lovely glass, and enjoy!

Visas, part 3

The kids and I have our visas, and I gotta tell you, it feels awesome to have that bit of paperwork done.  And it's so official! Our visas even specify that since we're only there accompanying our spouse/mother/father we are not eligible for employment, which I find rather delightful. Travisa handled everything smoothly and efficiently for all of us, despite somewhat unusual visas (especially Robert's).

Next up: luggage! We only own one large suitcase, one carry-on sized suitcase, and two huge backpacks. In other words, clearly not enough luggage to take four people to India. Buying luggage makes me very nervous though, as nearly all of it has a certain number of reviews insisting that the product in question is total crap that falls apart if you so much as look cross eyed at it. Which gives me horrible visions of arriving in India and finding broken suitcases and missing contents. Not good!

But, we have visas!