Sidebar: Mulled Wine

A moment ago I was lying under a pile of pillows, book in hand, starting to doze. I wanted to do something with my Saturday night, but had this feeling I had "done enough" this week: Lauren's going away party (with a beautiful sweet potato chiffon pie, cream whipped in the bathroom away from the guests), Sidetrack on Monday, SAIC grad lecture Wednesday, an all day extravaganza from the Bucktown Tree House to the Art Institute with my work friend Chelsea on Thursday, and Howard and I, in a sugar-craving frenzy, making a frozen lemon cream pie yesterday. But tonight I wanted to do something! Or have a drink.

I asked Howard: "Do you want to go to the Glenwood for a drink?"

"Sure," he said.

I closed my eyes and almost fell asleep. I wondered what it would be like to go to bed at nine and wake up at six. Would I wake up at six, or would I sleep until ten, like normal? Would I be a much more productive person? Maybe I would go to bed and lie awake thinking of all the things I should do, like work out. Like start working out. Or maybe just stretch.

Howard gasped and his eyes got big. I jolted awake.

"You've got an idea?"

"I've got an idea. Let's make mulled wine!"

He looked up a couple recipes and after a little back and forth, during which I resigned myself to a quiet night reading, we finally decided to get dressed and go around the corner for ingredients.

It's a perfect night for mulled wine. Fat soft snowflakes floating down, and they have started sticking to the grass. It's a glinting, shimmering night. A good night to stay in and sip hot spiced wine.

We poured a giant bottle of cheap wine into our big saucepan and added four cinnamon sticks, four anise stars (which are beautiful!), sixteen cloves, honey, sugar, and a whole sliced orange. Once it was hot, we poured it into a glass (for a picture), and then mugs (to drink).

Now we are going to watch Harry Potter, which Howard is SO EXCITED about. I might sort of read my book while we're watching.

The wine is really good.