Wednesday, June 3, 2020

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Dear Husband (DH) has been “working” from home since mid-March. He keeps telling me that this is what retirement will feel like, and that he cannot wait.

DH does have a man-cave of sorts set up in the basement, and I have converted a child’s former bedroom into my own little “pink room,” so we can retreat to our corners on separate levels of the house when the pandemic togetherness becomes a tad too much. DH is making incredible progress on his model railroad, by the way.

And in terms of household projects, DH has been equally productive. Just Monday he replaced the 24 year old garbage disposal, which gave up the ghost last week and left a huge puddle under the kitchen sink. (This, of course, forced me to clean the soggy mess–I threw out raggedy dishtowels, long-expired plant food, and stray plastic grocery bags. Eww. But this was still less disgusting than his task of replacing the disposal and cleaning out the goo in the pipes. Double eww.)

Since our quarantine started, DH has fixed, painted, mowed, weeded, sawed, assembled, disassembled, scrubbed, hammered, washed, ironed, and disinfected. He has proven, yet again, to be a great catch.

Today’s drink is my version of the Brandy Fix cocktail.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces brandy, 1/4 ounce anisette, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice, and 1/2 ounce simple syrup. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Add a large ice cube and garnish with a twist of lime peel.

Throwback to June 3, 2013

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1. Understood necessity of producing an ID card vs. chuckled at necessity of producing ID card

2. Waitress same age as us vs. waitress same age as our daughter

3. Checked out the beautiful people around us vs. actively noticed how many people were balder and grayer than us

4. Regarded older men with young dates as disgusting sugar-daddies vs. regarded older men with young dates as lucky bastards

5. Band played for the money vs. band played to promote a social justice cause (Save the Wetlands!)

6. Encore was glowing with cigarette lighters vs. encore was glowing with I-Phone screens

7. Smoke came from cigarettes vs. fog came from machines

8. Paid the bar tab with cash vs. paid the bar tab with a platinum card

9. Went to work the next day vs. took the next day off

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

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During the last few days, I have alternated between being righteously angry and being profoundly sad. My adult children have asked me what they could do to help the hurting people of our nation. I repeated the same advice I stated a few days ago: “If you want peace, work for justice,” as taught by Pope Paul VI.

And speaking of popes, today’s news brought word of another presidential photo opportunity: a campaign stop at the Saint John Paul II shrine in northeast Washington, DC. Archbishop Wilton Gregory labeled this visit as “baffling and reprehensible,” and I agree.

What would JP II do? In his New Year’s message of 2001, he said:

Love for one’s country is thus a value to be fostered, without narrow-mindedness but with love for the whole human family and with an effort to avoid those pathological manifestations which occur when the sense of belonging turns into self-exaltation, the rejection of diversity, and forms of nationalism, racism and xenophobia.

I am convinced that JP II would have come out into the protesting crowds and would not have hidden in a bunker. I think he would have listened to the voices expressing so much pain, and then united us in prayer for reconciliation, growth, and healing.

Today is Blackout Tuesday, social media tells me. In solidarity, I have chosen a drink with black currant liqueur.

This drink is my version of the El Diablo cocktail. Interpret that as you wish.

In a shaker with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1/2 ounce creme de cassis, and 1/2 ounce lime juice. Shake and strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Top with about 6 ounces of ginger beer. Garnish with lime slice or a candied orange wheel.

Monday, June 1, 2020

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Today marks the official start of hurricane season. (Already? Wasn’t it just March?) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting that the 2020 season will be “extremely active.” We already have had two named storms (Arthur and Bertha) and at this moment Cristobal is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA is predicting that three to six of this year’s many tropical storms could intensify into Category 3 or higher hurricanes.

For those of us living on the eastern side of the country, we know this means more than just cancelled vacation plans. (Been there, done that more than once!) It means scary winds, copious rain, property damage, power outages, even evacuations, not to mention the danger to human lives.

Come on, 2020! Give us a break!

I guess we have really pissed off Mother Earth, haven’t we?

Today’s cocktail is my version of The Hurricane. This one is strong, but hey! I feel like today, with all the bad news swirling around me, I need it!

In a shaker with ice, combine 2 ounces light rum, 2 ounce dark rum, 1 ounce lime juice, 1 ounce orange juice, 1 1/2 ounces passion fruit juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and 1 teaspoon grenadine. Shake and strain into a hurricane glass filled with fresh ice, and garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

Please drink responsibly!

Sunday, May 31, 2020

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“If you want peace, work for justice,” declared Pope Paul VI in 1972.

Now, in 2020, we have to work harder than ever.

Protest. March. Support. Boycott. Educate. Ally. Listen. Empathize. Advocate. VOTE.

I chose today’s cocktail not only because of its hopeful name, but because all the flavors in it get along so well: smoky, tart, bitter, sweet, and salty. Together, they make a wonderful drink.

This is my version of the Rising Sun cocktail.

In a shaker filled with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces mezcal, 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur (I used Luxardo), 3/4 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, 1/2 ounce lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Shake and strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a cherry or a lime twist.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

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Did you watch it? This afternoon, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley climbed into the Dragon capsule and were gloriously shot into orbit by a SpaceX rocket. Their next stop is the International Space Station.

This launch was the first one from American soil in over nine years, as well as the first time NASA handed over much of the responsibility to a private corporation. Husband has been a dedicated fan of the US space program since his early childhood, so today’s long-anticipated milestone was a special moment for him.

Did you notice that the staff members at mission control were all wearing masks and were all seated a safe distance away from each other? Did you notice that every person spoken to during the course of the broadcast was either standing far away from the interviewer or was in a remote location? These are strange times indeed.

And, did you notice, how much more diverse today’s NASA staff and spokespersons were than in the past? Women and people of color were not only featured on camera, but are–more importantly–in positions of leadership at both NASA and SpaceX. Yes! These are wonderful times indeed.

Did you notice that America is stronger if we all respect each other and peacefully work alongside each other?

Today’s drink is my version of the Astronaut cocktail.

In a shaker half-full of ice, combine 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce light rum, 1 ounce dark rum, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and 1/4 ounce lemon juice. Shake well and strain into a tall glass with several more fresh ice cubes. Top with 3-4 ounces of lime-flavored sparkling water. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Friday, May 29, 2020

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Let’s pretend that I have access to the top politician of a country in the middle of a historic crisis. Maybe I have just presented him with a cocktail. Let’s pretend that this politician has been feeling “burnt” by the media, and has been ranting about how he is not being treated fairly.

What would I say?

“Stop glorifying violence. Stop using words which carry racist undertones. Stop complaining about First Amendments violations if you do not fully understand First Amendment protections.

“Stop lying. And please, stop Tweeting.

“When a business provides me with unsatisfactory service, I stop being a customer. If you don’t approve of Twitter and Facebook, stop using them.”

And I imagine I would then take the cocktail —one with lots of ice cubes–and dump it over his head. Hey, it’s my fantasy, and I can do what I want.

Today’s drink is my version of the Burnt Orange Negroni.

In a shaker with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce bitter orange liqueur (I used Aperol), 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, 2 dashes of orange bitters, and a cut-up charred orange slice. Shake, and pour entire contents into a low-ball glass. Garnish with an additional charred orange slice. (I generously dusted thin orange slices with powdered sugar and baked them in a 200 degree oven for about an hour, and then let them dry out.)

Throwback to May 29, 2015

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1. That supper-time robo-call from the attendance office informing you that your son or daughter was not present for one or more of his/her classes today.

2. That supper-time confrontation when you ask son or daughter why he/she was ditching and what he/she was thinking at the time of that poor decision.

3. That supper-time apology you must issue the next day when you find out it was a recording error, and that he/she was indeed at school.

4. The dings and scrapes that your student’s vehicle collects in the school parking lot.

5. Waiting up late to make sure your student arrives home safely from late night functions like football games and dances.

6. Paying for prom gowns for your daughter, and then paying even more for son to rent a tuxedo that you don’t even get to keep.

7. SAT exams.

8. SOL exams.

9. Editing essays for college applications.

10. Admitting that you have forgotten most everything you have ever learned about chemistry or calculus or statistics, and that you simply cannot help with that homework assignment.

11. Summer homework.

12. The drama.

13. The eye-rolling. 

Throwback to May 29, 2012

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1. A small toad in tall grass can hold the attention of 5 year old boys for 10 minutes straight.

2. “You need to step on it if it’s a red ant.”

3. Swinging from monkey bars is more fun if you concurrently make monkey-like sounds.

4. Chasing butterflies is joyful.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

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Many months ago, I was asked to write up my Goals and Objectives for the 2019-20 school year. I was beginning my sixth year at the same job, so I wracked my brain: could I create new and unique goals that were Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely?

Professionally, all was going well until my novel goals were derailed by the novel coronavirus. Schools closed, and my daily contact with students trickled down to weekly emails just to check up on them.

My supervisor contacted me last week and suggested today for my end-of-year performance review–via Zoom, of course. She had set aside 15 minutes for us to meet. I located my Goals and Objectives, opened the document in a separate window, and waited for our meeting to begin.

Easiest review ever. One page for her to fill out. Nothing at all for me to fill out. We barely referenced my Goals and Objectives. Human Resources wanted to make the whole process quick and easy. Pass/fail, sort of, like the grades the kids were getting.

I think I passed. And I may just recycle my very detailed Goals and Objectives until next year.

Speaking of G and O, I decided that today I deserved a drink with Gin and Orange juice. This is my version of the Orange Blossom.

In a shaker full of ice, combine 1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, and 1 ounce orange juice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass, and garnish with an orange wedge.