Be My Valentine

I'm stuck in Valentine, Nebraska, waiting on the weather to pass.

I noticed the storm building to my left (South), quickly stopped on the side of the road and looked at the radar. I had a few minutes before it hit me. I picked up the pace (but in case anyone asks, I absolutely kept my speed within legal limits; any evidence to the contrary is probably fake), and I made it to the nearest town with time to look for shelter.

Valentine doesn't have much, but it is certainly better than getting rained on out on the road. I'm at a gas station/McDonald’s doing what any reasonable man would do: eating their eminently superior fries.

On the bright side, this is giving me time to write a quick post and thank a friend.

I have a meager collection of whiskey, but I have a friend with a world class collection. I'll let you guess how much it's worth, but whatever number you have in mind, double it, then double it again.

He is quite generous and has allowed me to taste some of the most exclusive whiskeys one can dream of. Last time I visited him, he sent me on my way with the neat little contraption you see in the picture. It's a softish case, that holds a glass, that holds a sample of whisky. He filled it with William Larue Weller, a $1,600 dollar bottle.

I was saving it for a special occasion. Last night I shared it with a good friend I had not seen in 8 years. (That's why you see a second glass.)

The whiskey was great. The moment was better. But the chance to appreciate another person's grace towards you, now that's the best.