Today was an odd day – come on, how many times do you see the President of the United States caravan cross your path not once, but twice? Today, Barrack Obama was in Austin for a variety of reasons.  He made several visits around the town between the hours of 11 and 4 – according to the media . . . truth be told it was more like 6:30 p.m. before he finally left town.  So, Jean had a meeting in downtown Austin fairly close to the center of the advertised street closings – but all worked out fine and she had no trouble getting to and from.  However, on the way back to the office she noticed that the south lanes of 35 were closed off – hence sending the message that someone of importance would soon be on these lanes of pavement.  As she turned on 290 East towards her office she noticed a crowd of co-workers standing out front.  Immediately thinking of the immortal Bill Murray line in Stripes she pulled in, rolled down the window and stated – “what, a surprise party for me!!??” – alas, it wasn’t – they were awaiting the motorcade that included the President to pass by.  She got inside and into her office which faced the highway – yep, about 20 minutes later came a motorcycle, then another and SUV’s, then two limo’s followed by at least 40 or more motorcycles, SUV’s, EMS, SWAT and a smattering of other vehicles – still wondering who was in the white Saturn that made an appearance in the lineup.  About 3 hours later, the whole group came back the other way – just in reverse order . . . since it was raining the crowd outside was much less – but Jean had the heads up from the folks on the second floor that another drive by was happening – out her window she caught a second glance.

Since D#2 was at home awaiting the arrival of a “Mom date”, Jean left about 30 minutes early – as luck would have it her drive home was congested and all the cars that didn’t want to get caught in traffic decided to take 183 South.  In case you aren’t familiar with 183 South, it runs right past the airport . . . yep you guessed it – everyone was slowing down or even pulling over for a gander at Air Force One parked at the airport awaiting a certain passenger to return them to D.C.  After an hour and a half Jean arrived home, got changed and went on a mani/pedi date with D#2.  Much needed after the craziness of the day.

So – – – in order to bring some peace to a nutso day – will share Brian’s later – – – hint, hint – he’s gearing up for two huge events over the next two days . . . sorry, we digress – back to the wine o’ the night.  You’ve no doubt heard the story of the three wise men from the East bearing gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh . . . they were on a mission to present gifts to the newborn Savior of the world – – well, tonight we popped the cork on a gift from a wise man who was recently in the East (yes, Chicago is East of San Marcos).  You see, our dear friend Scott had a business trip in the windy city and while there had the chance to pick up several bottles of one of his favorite wines.  Please note that we’ve been hearing about this wine for months – have even tried to find it locally to no avail.  But Alas, poor Yorick! (I knew him, Horatio), we were gifted a bottle from Scott.

Tonight we opened a 2010 Franco Molino Nebbiolo . . . and while this wine is still very young – it’s delicious now and we can only imagine how good it will be in two or three years.  The nose is classic Italian, you know that earthy goodness paired with fresh fruit – mainly cherries and raspberries.  There is also a hint of cigar on the nose that is both intoxicating and inviting.  The first taste wasn’t as impressive as one might assume . . . a little too much alcohol for the first taste.  BUT, boy did this wine open up . . . after 10 minutes or so, the wine took on a different life – so much fruit and virtually no alcohol and the earthiness – while still there – had been minimized by a subtle flavor of vanilla.  This is a special wine because it exhibits amazing flavors even as it’s only three years old – imagine how wonderful it will be after laying down and napping a nap for a few years!  At under $15 a bottle, you’re not going to break the bank for a great Italian wine . . .but the key is to get it now and save it for later.  We are really hoping that Scott has a few more trips to Chi town coming up in the near future, or will at least divulge his secret wine shop!

We can’t thank our Magi enough for bringing us a gift from the East – and as we batten down the hatches for a long windy, rainy, stormy night (don’t misunderstand . . . love the rain – the hail and high winds, not so much) – we hope you rest well and as always, remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle whenever possible.