Led Zeppelin or Def Leppard or Nirvana tee-shirts. Yes, the music is timeless, but find your own bands, kiddos! Do you even know what vinyl records are?
Face masks resting under noses or slung below chins. Just what good are those masks doing, anyhow? What kind of messages are they sending?
Mega-large fake eyelashes. Can these young ladies see their friends from behind these dense lashes? See their teachers? Their classwork? Their phones? (OK, maybe it’s OK if they can’t see their phones.)
Crocs. When you are so young, why not choose style over comfort?
Crocs with “charms” to decorate them. No, just no. No.
Jeans with multiple rips and holes and missing fabric. Why bother? Why not just wear shorts?
Pajama pants. Yes, I get that they are cozy and warm (heck, anything’s got to be warmer than those ripped jeans) but those should be a treat to look forward to at the end of a long day. Keep those at home!
Belly-button jewelry. Those fake diamonds in the navel look cheap and tacky, and yet I always notice them, a great example of the human phenomenon of not being able to pull our eyes away from tragedies.
Tank tops that are cut high enough to show off the aforementioned jewelry. But now that I think about it, maybe it’s better for the eyes to be drawn to the navel after all, versus being drawn to cleavage exposed by the tank tops.
Fishnet stockings. Too sexy for school, and (most) high schoolers don’t yet have the poise and swagger to be sexy.
Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Fireside Old Fashioned”.
Ingredients: Maker’s Mark, cocoa bitters, maple syrup, fresh grapefruit.
The occasion: Our annual “Christmas Date Weekend” continued with a meal at the Hotel Roanoke, built in 1882 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and therefore the most iconic hotel in the city. We had seen its Tudor grandness from the road, but this was the first time we visited. The lobbies and common areas were lushly decorated for the holidays, and so many families were strolling around. Happily, I had made reservations weeks in advance at the very-proper Regency Room, so a table was waiting. We were right next to the jazz trio and the dance floor and we did not mind at all. Supper was so delicious but the best treat was my “Snow Globe” dessert in a glass.
My rating: ***** out of 5. I love cocoa and maple flavors, as well as Maker’s Mark, but I wondered how fresh grapefruit would work in this drink. I suspect only a splash of the juice was added. Turns out, all the ingredients were carefully balanced into a rainbow of flavors–some bitter, some sweet, some refreshingly sour.
Final thoughts: The word “Fireside” in the name did not mean smoke was added, but likely meant that this concoction should be enjoyed in winter, in a cozy spot for two. Although the hotel and restaurant were very crowded on this particular Saturday night, our intimate table for two, the dim lighting, the gourmet meal, and the merry live music made for a very romantic evening.
Monica Lists 