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So, my husband and I are both FINALLY back in our apartment in Virginia!  It was a seriously crazy couple months, with Brian's boat being unexpectedly stuck in Georgia.  It was starting to feel like we would never get here, but after 7 long weeks we are both starting to settle back into "normal" life :-)

I've been mostly keeping busy...

1.  I've had some cooking success & some less-than-success:

One of the first nights Brian was home we had a fancy steak dinner.  I haven't made a lot of steak, and my prior experiences haven't been great.  But I found a method that involves searing it first on the stove top, and then finishing it in the oven.  According to the website, this is how restaurants often cook steaks.  I've got to say, it was pretty darn good...  I'll share the step-by-step next time I make it & can take some pictures. 

I found a chicken recipe that involved breading the breasts with Ritz crackers & cheddar cheese...  The picture looked really good...  But the execution left something to be desired.  The breading didn't stick very well, so I sprinkled it on top.  While baking, it got soggy.  And then when I took the chicken out of the pan, the topping fell off...  So, we were basically left with unseasoned baked chicken breasts.  Not delicious.  

Chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies = heavenly.  Again, I will be making these again, and will post the recipe once I have some pics.  

2.  I've also been doing a lot of laundry.  Brian brought home a ton of stuff- clothes, towels, bedding, etc...  And it all smells like submarine.  They use something to treat the air on the boat (because they keep circulating the same stuff for weeks on end) and the smell of that is very unique.  It is kind of like an airplane smell, mixed with machinery, and something else stale.  It honestly isn't a horrible smell, but it isn't spring-time fresh either.  And it is hard to get out.  I've been washing --> drying --> rewashing --> redrying --> spraying with Febreeze. This seems excessive, plus it doesn't get the smell completely out.

Anyone have any tips on getting stuck-smells out of fabrics?

3.  Looking forward to a couple things this weekend:

Tonight Brian & I are shopping for Christmas decorations!!  We are for sure getting a tree & lights.  And then whatever else we decide would be good.  I can't wait to put on the Christmas music, and decorate with my husband!!!

Tomorrow night I am going to the boat to have dinner with Brian while he is on duty...  I pretty recently got decals for my car, so that I can drive down to his pier.  So, now when he's working over the weekend, we'll be able to have a meal together...  I'm also trying to decide what to bake for the crew.  I am thinking probably some sort of cookie??

That's about it for now!!  Sending everyone lots of love from VA Beach!!!