Snow Day

We were just blessed with a beautiful 8.6 inches of snow in the midlands - a rarity. How peaceful to walk in the snow. Everything is hushed. The silence reminds me of visiting the Grand Canyon. It's not so much the beauty - everyone has seen pictures of the majestic canyon or the serene snowscape - but the change in atmosphere that strikes me. Tranquility and awe are things to be experienced, not seen.

So, speaking of weather, in gearing up for next week's Irish adventure (and the whole pseudo-purpose of this blog), Mel and I have been religiously checking the weather forecast. You see, dear reader, our package includes a rental car. And if there is one thing you know about both me and Mel, it's that neither of us are particularly fond of driving. Particularly in a foreign country. On the opposite side of the car. On the opposite side of the road. Monitoring the rearview mirror on the left, not right. Going clockwise around traffic circles (as if I spend much time going around traffic circles, period). So, we've decided to let the weather dictate where we go and whether or not we drive ourselves. We may pocket the $500 in additional insurance and allow the Irish rail system to do the grunt work. Today's forecast indicated FOG. And I thought the fog would be whiskey induced! The forecast changes daily, so stay tuned for the final decision.

It also occurs to me that I'm going to spend a week without cooking. Now while most people love this concept, I'm coping by spending my snow day in the kitchen. Tonight's menu: braised short ribs with a chocolate and rosemary sauce. (Giving a nod to St. Valentine and the supposed aphrodisiac qualities of both chocolate and rosemary). And what happens next? Well that depends on the effectiveness of this recipe...