Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Days 10 and 11...Drifunkmas Nears the End

What an exciting couple of days it has been! Wayyyyy back in October I happened to check the Higher Ground calendar as I often do and saw that Matisyahu would be playing there on December 27th. The timing was perfect for an overnight in Burlington and to increase Ri's live music experience. I made a reservation at the DoubleTree right across the street (pretty much) from Higher Ground. How fortunate that the adventure coincided with the 10th day of Drifunkmas! It also coincided with the Festival of Lights, so Matt decided to buy himself a ticket and meet us over there.

The last time that I stopped in to visit Dale and Joe at Adirondack Mountain Spirits Dale convinced me that I should try a Wiki Waki Woo. Apparently Joe makes them and they do wonders for the soul. Dale has actually nicknamed them "Wackjobs" because that's what people turn into when they drink them. "Hey! Perhaps that should be the 10th drink," I thought. Dale quickly produced a pen and a piece of paper and I copied down the recipe.

Wiki Waki Woo

1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Rum
1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 oz. Amaretto

Fill with equal parts cranberry juice, pineapple juice and orange juice.

In preparation for our trip, I mixed a quadruple batch and threw it in a Nalgene bottle.


By the time we made it to our hotel room after driving to Warrensburg to pick up Ri after his wrestling tournament and a trip across the new Crown Point Bridge I was ready for a cocktail. After Mike got back from finding the ice machine, I quickly gave the premixed drinks a shake and poured. Dale was NOT kidding when she said that they were so good that Joe couldn't make the drinks fast enough. These bad boys are fantastic! When Matt arrived, we didn't even let him take his coat off before he tried it.


Eventually Matt did get his coat off, but not before he gave a resounding, "Mmmmm, that is good!"


Ri, in the meantime, enjoyed the DoubleTree cookie while playing on the iPad.



This drink was definitely a huge success. Matt rated it a 9. He said that he would have given it a 10, but he came as close as possible to getting hit by a car while crossing Rt. 2 after drinking it. Mike also rated it a 9, but only because it isn't something that he would normally drink. I'm going all out and giving it a 10. It has a great fruity flavor, but it's not too sweet. It also packs a powerful punch. I join Dale in saying that this is something you should try.

That brings us to day 11....

Blue Passion

3/4 oz. spiced rum
1/2 oz. Blue Curacao
5 oz. sweet and sour mix

Combine in a shaker and mix. Pour over ice.



Mike and I both agreed that it was a little too sour, so we added more spiced rum. That did the trick. It's an interesting tasting drink. At first we thought it had a little bit of a medicinal taste, but then it morphed into tasting like a SweetTart or Smarties. Drinksmixer.com gave it a 9.8, but Mike rated it a 6.5 and I rated it a 7. It's drinkable, but that's about it.

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Longdog

According to drinksmixer.com the Longdog was invented by Steve "Longdog" Kemmo on a late night session in Milan, May 2004. Who is Steve Kemmo? According to a Google search he doesn't have much information other than just that... he invented this drink on a late night session in Milan. If anyone can find any information beyond that, feel free to share. What was the late night session of which they speak?

Longdog

2 oz. gin
2 oz. tequila
2 oz. triple sec
2 oz. fresh lime juice
2 oz. lemonade

Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and pour into a glass filled with ice.

We were lucky enough to have some folks join us on this adventure. Quite frankly, I'd have others join us on each of the twelve days, but it just doesn't seem to fit in the schedule. Tonight we were lucky enough to have Lauren, Jean and Gar join us. Mike rated this one a 7.5 "because I liked the other ones better." Jean gave it a 7 because "that's what I give everything." I gave it a 7 as well because it was a little too sour for my taste. That leaves Gar....



Enough said.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Days 7 and 8

Let me start out by saying that at this very moment in time I'm completely stuffed. We have spent the last two days eating like there was no tomorrow. Mid-afternoon snacks have included baked brie en croute, shrimp cocktail and many other fat and calorie loaded snickety snacks. What does one need to go with such snacks? A cocktail of course. Day 7 brought the following tasty treat:

Calm Monkey

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. Kahlua
2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
4 oz. milk

Pour the voda and Kahlua into a glass filled with ice. Add the Bailey's, fill the glass with milk, stir and enjoy.



Yum!!! Yum!! Yum!! This baby was so good, we had seconds. It really reminded us of a Mudslide, although I haven't had one of those in so long that I can't remember exactly what's in it. I do know that Mudslides are smooth and delicious and so was the Calm Monkey. Mike gave this one an 8.75 and I gave it a very enthusiastic 9. This drink is nothing short of dangerous. I took one sip of this and just knew that one wouldn't be enough, although when I analyzed the alcohol content I thought twice. It didn't stop me though...o.k. maybe a little. Mike and I ended up splitting the second one. We both recommend this one highly, but make sure you don't have to talk to anyone of any extreme importance after you drink it. Whew!

Day 8 brought an equally enjoyable beverage. Mike gave me two shooter glasses for Christmas today, so of course I had to use them!

Bailey's Bitch

4 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
1 oz. vodka
1/4 banana
1/2-1 oz. whipped cream

Blend Bailey's and banana until smooth. Stir in vodka. Pour into shooter glass and top with whipped cream.



We didn't have any whipped cream, so we went without it. It was delicious! Mike rated this an 8, but only after careful contemplation. He agreed it was very, very good, but that it was a shot and not a drink. The brief encounter with the taste of this drink is somewhat disappointing. It's good enough that you want to take some time to enjoy it. I also rate it an 8 for the same reason. If I have to go through the effort to get the blender out, I want to be able to enjoy the taste of it for more than two seconds.

I realize that the ingredients for these two drinks were very similar, but they were very different drinks. We're going to move away from the Bailey's/Vodka/Kahlua combination to something different. Hmmmm... wonder what it will be....

Friday, December 23, 2011

Days 5 and 6

Well, it has been a hit and a miss over the last two days. I must apologize for not reporting daily but as everyone knows, it is a busy time of year. Day 5 of 12 brought the following:

Adios Motherfucker

1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. rum
1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Blue Curacao
2 oz. sweet and sour mix
2 oz. 7-Up

Combine all but the 7-Up into a chilled glass filled with ice. Top with 7-Up and stir gently.



I must admit that when I look at this picture I'm impressed with the number of ingredients that are in it. It's either a drink you really have to shop for or one that uses up the small amounts left in the bottles in your liquor cabinet. You really don't need a lot of any one liquor in particular, but you do need a little bit of a lot of different liquors.

Mike and I both immediately loved this drink. Mike decided that it was two good drinks in a row and rated this one an 8.5 also. I had to agree with him and give it the same rating. It has a mild, refreshing sweetness to it, but there is a very good reason that it has the name that it does... one of these and that's what you feel like... adios, motherfucker. Woo, baby! This one does a number on your sobriety for sure!

As I stated previously, we had one hit and one miss. That brings me to tonight.

Grateful Dead

1 part tequila
1 part vodka
1 part rum
1 part gin
1 part Chambord

Combine all ingredients and shake. Pour over ice.



After tasting this, we were extremely shocked that this was rated a 9.7 on drinksmixer.com. We gave this one taste and weren't sure if we were going to be able to finish it. Mike thought that maybe it was one of those drinks that needed to sit for a bit and let the ice melt, but no, it wasn't. I just didn't work for either one of us. Although the portions were basically the same as the Adios Motherfucker, it just didn't work. Was it the Chambord? Who knows. Mike tried to say that it was the first losing drink until I reminded him of the Oreo Cookie Margarita from last year. We did the same thing with this drink... dumped it down the drain. Alcohol abuse at its finest. I'm sorry. We just couldn't do it. We're hoping for a more successful day tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Skip the 4 Calling Birds

I must start out by expressing my delight about the fact that the 12 Days of Drifunkmas coincide with the final days of school before Christmas break. Working in an elementary school at this time of year is truly a mixed blessing. Watching those little faces as they take great care in describing what it is that they want brings an instant smile to my face, not to mention the teary eyes that I get watching the annual 2nd grade play. On the other hand the kids are completely out of control with excitement, which makes academics nearly impossible. It's exhausting.

That being said, a refreshing beverage is greatly appreciated after work. That leads me to tonight's drink (that I'm still enjoying).

Orange Bourbon Sour

3/4 c. Bourbon
2 c. Orange Juice
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar

Combine all ingredients. Stir or shake until sugar is dissolved. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Serves 4.



This one is definitely a keeper. We had to run down to 20 Main to get some Christmas drink chips, so I made this up ahead of time. I figured it would give the sugar some time to dissolve and save me from stirring it for too long. This is the perfect beverage to mix up ahead of time to bring somewhere. I would recommend this as a beach drink due to the fact that it's tart and loaded with juice. Mike and I both liked it immediately. It was refreshing and delicious. We did adjust the recipe though, as it was a bit tart at first. Mike gave it an 8.5 and I gave it an 8 (bourbon is his liquor of choice). Give this one a try!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

On the 3rd Day of Drifunkmas My True Love Gave to Me...

...a B-53! I'm getting ahead of myself though. Now that my energy level has returned to its normal turbo-boost state, I really should share the adventures of the 2nd day. I'm a day late, but I am NOT a drink short. Day 2 brought the following refreshing beverage:

Bacardi Cocktail



3/4 oz. light rum
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
1 dash Granadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and pour over ice.

This was not the intended drink for the day, but sometimes you just have to fly by the seat of your pants. Simply stated, it was what we had in the house for mixers. This definitely was not a drink that would be considered memorable at all. It's not that it was bad, it was just too typical. It was a little too sour for my taste too. I added more Grenadine twice. I highly recommend more than just a "dash" of Grenadine. Mike and I both rated it a 5 out of 10. I don't have much more to add about this one. It was that boring, and the 3rd day's drink was soooooo much better.

The B-53 Shooter

2/3 oz. Kahlua
2/3 oz. Bailey's
2/3 oz. Vodka

Pour one at a time in that order over a spoon in a shooter glass.



Since we don't own any shooter glasses, I thought this might look pretty good in a martini glass. I took my sweet time pouring those fine liquids over the spoon to create the triple-layered yumminess and it really paid off. They were gorgeous! Mike quickly asked, "So we drink this all at once?" It really was impressive in size. We toasted to the 3rd day of Drifunkmas and pounded those bad boys. Mike gave this one a 7.5. I rated it an 8.5 because I love Kahlua... and Bailey's... and vodka. Three great tastes that taste great together. I definitely recommend this as a fun, "quick one" that will leave a fabulous taste in your mouth without any amount of burn.

Tomorrow brings the Orange Bourbon Sour. I can't wait! It serves 4. Anyone in?

Monday, December 19, 2011

Drifunkmas 2011

I can't believe that it has already been a year since last year's challenge of 12 different drinks in 12 days, but indeed it has. The beginning of Drifunkmas marks the return of my wonderful husband who has been working in Telluride for 14 long days. This year a day was added unexpectedly when the Telluride Express, scheduled to pick Mike up at 3:30 a.m. and sweep him off to the airport to return to his beloved wife, broke down. No shuttle to the airport means missed flight. His 7 o'clock arrival turned into the next day. That sure was a big disappointment to all of the Kirchners.

It didn't stop Mike and I from starting the 12 Days of Drifunkmas though. He walked in the door at 3 a.m. this morning and I was ready to pour. The first drink was The Nignog. Yeah, we kind of made it up. If you care to indulge yourselves, here is the recipe:

The Nignog

1 shot of bourbon
1 shot of light eggnog
Dash of nutmeg

Add bourbon to glass. Slowly pour in the nutmeg for a nice two-layer concoction. Top with nutmeg and slam it. You'll get a quick, flavorful burn followed by the taste of sweet eggnog. It's delicious and oh-so-easy to make.

I've decided to hold today's drink report until tomorrow. I'm pretty tired. It was a late night. Glad I arranged for a personal day today.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Lady's Challenge

It isn't news to anyone at this point that certain regions of the North Country sustained a significant amount of damage from Irene. That storm impacted so many people that all of us probably know at least one person who fell victim to it. One of the Ladies was one of them. Oof.


I must say that I was one of those "Looky-Loos" (as my family calls them) that was driving around Sunday night in extreme awe over the height of the water at Stickney Bridge. "Can you believe this?" I said to Mike. "Holy shit!" I knew in the back of my mind that it was undoubtedly going to wreak havoc on the lives of many, but I never thought that it would be THAT bad. I write this as a person who lives in a location that only dealt with flickering lights on occasion. I'm sorry. I wish everyone had been that lucky.


Sierra was one of those that was not so lucky. She lives in the lower area of Jersey. As if that isn't enough, she owns the theatre on Main Street that is conveniently located next to the river. Her house on Monday morning was a disaster. She had at least one inch of silt covering the floor in some rooms with 2-3 inches in others. It was so slimy that you had to walk very carefully through the house in an attempt to keep your backside from looking like the floor. When I first saw it, my immediate thought was, "Where in the hell do you start?"

Perhaps it was instinct on the part of Cory and Sierra, but they immediately started moving furniture outside to clear the place. We all followed suit. Once that was done it was a free-for-all. Folks just saw what needed to be done and did it. I had the very distinct pleasure of cleaning out the silt from the refrigerator and freezer. Let's just say that river water and perishables don't mix.

I understand that this is not, in any way, a unique situation that Cory and Sierra have faced. All you have to do is drive around, watch the news or check out Facebook to know that so very many have felt the wrath of this storm. Mike and I talked about how we would have handled dealing with the loss that so many others have had to deal with. I told Mike that I would be a wreck and he quickly agreed. Sierra has handled it like a champ. She admitted that she had indeed lost it at one point, but you'd never know it. She and many others in many communities have handled this situation brilliantly. The human spirit is truly amazing.

Monday, August 1, 2011

The Joys of Summer

Ahhhhhh... summer. I just love it. Except for one thing. It goes WAY too quickly. I had every intention of spending quite a bit more time writing this summer but alas, I've been too busy yet again.

It all started with summer school, which started only 11 days after the regular school year ended. Not much of a break there. Add that to the goat milking schedule, and I'm pretty much spending a lot of my time working.

That doesn't mean that I'm not having a bunch of fun as well though. I have joined Mike at the tennis center on Thursday nights for the Spirited Mixed Doubles League this summer. The league is a pleasant mix of fun, exercise and frustration. All of that combined with after-play drinks makes for a good evening. No complaints there!

We also made our annual July trek to North Beach in Burlington to enjoy some serious beach time too. I do believe it was the hottest camping we've ever done, as it was still in the 80's at 10 o'clock at night, which makes for a sweltering tent indeed.

We are truly enjoying our busy summer, but there has not been a weekend that was as interesting, entertaining and full as this last one. Saturday turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my life. It all started out with my weekly 4:45 alarm to do my a.m. shift at the farm staring down the back ends of the does....

It ended with officiating my first wedding...



It was a tremendous honor, and I would do it again in a heart beat. I have had the pleasure of singing for several ceremonies, but this was much less stressful and a great deal more intimate.

Today was another fabulous summer day, and extremely necessary. We did some obligatory grocery shopping and household chores and ended the day in the most peaceful way. We headed for the Covered Bridge to hang out at the falls.






Just look at how relaxed he is! It is now August and certainly not a time to take summer for granted. I plan to continue to focus on enjoying the activities that we can only take advantage of three months of the year.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

All Women Should Try This (at least once)!

Sorry I couldn't write about this last night while it was still fresh in my mind, but I was too tired and hadn't seen my husband all day. I thought that he might get a little annoyed if I went straight to my computer when I got home....

Last night was Ladies' Night at the Hollywood Theatre for the first time in a long time. If you've never gone to one, you just have to try it. Ladies' Night happens on a night that the theatre is usually closed and is for, obviously, women only AND it's BYOB. There is nothing like sitting in the movies and cracking open a can of beer without having to cough to cover up the sound of it being opened.

Sierra was showing "Bridesmaids" last night, and it was a perfect movie for a "ladies only" crowd. The theatre was packed! I was almost as entertained by the sight and sound of all of those women (about 80-90 of them) laughing together as I was by the movie itself.

I really wish we could have those nights more often. If you haven't gone to a Ladies' Night at the Hollywood Theatre, you don't know what you're missing!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

One of the Ladies and One of Her Missions

Years ago I decided to go for a run with a purpose other than just exercise.... What about going for a run and finishing it up with a beer? I mean really, we all get thirsty when we run. Beer is 90% water. Why not? I decided to run from my house down to 20 Main for a total of about 3.5 miles. I carried some cash and my cell phone for the trip. I got there, had a bottle of water and a beer, and called Mike for a ride home. It was a stellar experience. Right then and there I decided that I needed to share this experience with others. I mean really, what could be better than celebrating exercise with a refreshing beverage when you're done??? The Beer Run Association was born that day.

After careful consideration I decided that a charity organization was what the Beer Run Association would be. Want to raise money? Call the Beer Run Association and I'll organize a run to make money for your organization. I still anticipate that one of the major beer distributors will sponsor one of my events... how can they not?

I am currently in the midst of the beginning of my dream. Some fabulous folks in my town hold an event to make money to go towards research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that has hit more than one prominent person in our community. What better organization could I choose to start my quest? None.

On June 4th, the Beer Run Association will hold its first charity event, and I couldn't be more proud. I don't care if it's only 5 people (although I'm hoping for 10 times that amount). My idea of fun is becoming functional and that's what it's all about.

I hope that anyone reading this participates in one way or another... either volunteering for the event, participating in the motorcycle ride, shaking their groove thing at the Zumbathon that is going on at the same time or bidding on something at the silent auction.... be a part of this. It's really important.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Spring Rituals and Time Alone

It has been a somewhat unique spring this year. For the last two years I have had to opportunity to travel to Colorado to attend and work for USASA Nationals. Unfortunately my spring break this year is a week later, which prevented me from making the trek with Mike and Ri. I actually spent 8 nights completely alone in my house. I haven't spent more than one night at a time alone in my house for over 11 years! Although I was very apprehensive about how I would handle it, I must say that I did pretty damn well. I can honestly say that I enjoyed myself immensely, and that my only regret was that I was too busy with work and exercise to actually get much time at home.

Ri eventually returned from Colorado on Friday night, so I've had to start planning around someone else again. I'm not complaining though, because Ri makes me laugh (almost as much as he makes me want to pull my hair out). It was also a gorgeous weekend weather-wise, which leads me to the spring ritual which took place today.

Every year for the past few years Ri and I have done some spring roadside garbage collecting. It's awful when that snow melts and reveals all the garbage that lies below. Today was an ideal day and once again we grabbed our garbage bag and gloves to see what we could find.

I run almost the same route several times a week, so I know the first 1/2 mile stretch of road pretty well. It didn't take us long before we started loading up our bag. Ri and I chit chatted quite a bit about each item that we picked up. Most disturbing, but not surprising, were the empty cigarette packs that we found. We actually surveyed that those smokers who litter and drive that section of road prefer Marlboro to Sonoma or Gold USA, although the count was pretty close.

I realize that our final amount doesn't appear to be much, but it sure was heavy!

We did find some keepers along the side of the road that just didn't belong in the trash bag. The best one (for Ri anyway) was the road construction flag. Ri used that bad boy the entire way home.


It's always amazing how much better that stretch of road looks when we're done. I know of a few neighbors down the road who do the same thing, and I think it's fabulous. If only everyone would take a small stretch of roadside to clean up....

We're hitting Sheldrake next.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Old Friends: Why they should NOT be left behind

This past weekend was a weekend to be remembered and appreciated. You know those experiences that you have that make you just think, "I need to spend more time...." This statement could end with something like "reading" or "exercising," but for me this weekend it was "reconnecting with old friends". This weekend Mike and I reconnected with a couple that we haven't hung out with in at least 15 years. I really don't believe that I'm exaggerating with that number either.

Meet Corey and Kristen Pandolph...


You see, Corey is kind of a "big deal". He's a syndicated cartoonist. He started out as a Saranac Lake local. Need I say more? Mike, Corey and I all met in our early to late 20's when we worked at The Mirror Lake Inn. Ahh... those were the days. Anyway, the Beer Run Association was in desperate need of a logo for the Beer Run Association's 1st Annual 5k Fun Run to benefit ALS. Corey was willing to do it for a few beers.

After many failed attempts to meet, it finally worked out this weekend (Corey, please note that I did not mention any stars that might be in alignment). Corey and Kristen were meeting us at 20 for the big reunion and to see how his creative mind had met with my own vision. I believe I told him to picture a full mug of beer running toward a finish line wearing nothing but a cheesy head band and a smile. I think he got it about right.

What was the most amazing part of this whole weekend was the instant reconnection that Mike and I felt to people we hadn't seen in so long. I'm sure that collectively we have been through more than any one of us could possibly process in a single sitting, yet we are still the same people. Full of jokes, laughs and a desire to have a good time. Thank you, Corey and Kristen for your willingness to reconnect. We can't wait to see you again!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Greenhouse Grand Opening

I never realized how much I needed a day like today. It was fabulous. There is no other word for it. Here's a little background information...

Somehow, at some time, The Wiswells and the Kirchners had a conversation about gardens. Dave and Jean live in the Acres on land that is not necessarily receptive to gardens. We, on the other hand, live on very fertile farm soil. We decided that sharing is fun. Heck ya! Let's share a garden!

That leads me to today. Jean and Dave have a fabulous greenhouse and today was the day for the grand opening for the season. Jean took the day off from Whiteface and I headed over with my seeds just after lunch. I walked into the greenhouse and thought I was in heaven. It was a balmy 60 degrees in there and Jean had all the soil and containers one could possibly need. That wasn't all though. There was a place for each one of us to sit in front of a counter where we could comfortably plant and label. Oh, did I mention the snacks? Jean had beer, wine, cheese, grapes, carrots, crackers and brownies.


I SOOOO needed an afternoon of chit-chatting with the ladies, thinking of nothing but the silly conversation at that moment and putting seeds in the soil.





Thank you, Jean!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Middle-aged Women Gone Wild!

Well, not really. It probably got your attention though, didn't it?

For weeks now, my sister has been asking me to join her in, what she said, was a kick-ass Zumba class in Peru. Unfortunately I had been too busy to join her until last week. She wasn't kidding. I absolutely loved it! Needless to say, I felt the need to share this experience with others. Yup, the Ladies needed to join in on the fun!

Last night we all danced and toned ourselves to almost complete exhaustion. Everyone knows how important it is to keep hydrated, so we hit Pasquales as soon as we were done. The place was packed. We didn't care though, because it was so very nice to get out with the Ladies. It has been far too long!





Sunday, January 2, 2011

Day 12 of 12: Goal Mastered

Tonight's beverage is an interesting one indeed. I went from the raunchiness of A Big Pink Dink yesterday to the down-home goodness of a drink called Apple Sauce today.

Apple Sauce

1 oz. spiced rum
3 oz. apple sauce
4 oz. sour mix
1/4 oz. triple sec

Place 12 oz. ice in a blender. Add ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Sour mix: Bring one cup of water to a boil. Put heat on low. Stir in one cup sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool. Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup lime juice.

Wow! Delicious! This drink would make the most wonderful dessert drink. Although I have felt that the other frozen drinks that we've tried were meant for the warmer months, this one would be fabulous any time of the year. It is a very creamy, sweet drink that tastes more like apple pie than apple sauce, which is why it would make such a spectacular dessert drink. In our family, a big chunk of cheddar cheese is the perfect accompaniment for apple pie. The same held true for this glass of pure yumminess... great with a slab of cheddar to nibble on between sips.

Mike rated this drink an 8, while I gave it a 9 because of it's uniqueness. I highly recommend this drink, especially if you're entertaining, and we'll definitely have this one again.

It has been fun achieving this goal of my Individualized Entertainment Plan. As with any IEP goal, it was necessary to monitor and adjust accordingly. I enthusiastically conquered this goal and do not believe that there will be any regression. We should all have Individualized Entertainment Plans. I know that Alison, author of the Along the Au Sable blog has a plan for 2011 to focus on developing her friendships with those in the community. That is a wonderful goal indeed. We all set them and hopefully we achieve them. As with any IEP, it is ever evolving depending on the current needs of the individual. Throughout the year she and many others including myself will add and remove goals as necessary.

With my goal achieved, I feel that I need to give some kudos where kudos are due. Although I found my Any Bitch Can Drink bar book handy, drinksmixer.com was easier as far as looking things up based on the base liquor, type of drink, etc. I liked the site so much that I've added a link to it in the upper right corner.

I also need to give kudos to my friend and coworker, Carol. She's a fabulous person who shares my enthusiasm for laughing, friendships and fun.

Kudos also go to my husband. Mike has been a supportive and enthusiastic participant throughout, although I don't believe that he had to put forth too much effort at all.

It's time for a new goal. I'll be giving that some careful consideration and get back to you.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Beverages and More Ladies

As I look back on my evening last night, I can't help but smile. Ri was invited to spend the night at his cousin's house, which meant that Mike and I could actually go out and celebrate the New Year for the first time since the little bugger entered our lives. Although there are so many choices when it comes to celebrating the New Year, we had no doubts about where we were headed. Eat. Sleep. Funk! was scheduled to play down at 20 Main, which is conveniently located a few miles from the house. Trust me, there isn't much that is only a few miles from our house. It's the price you pay for living in the middle of nowhere.

Even before we knew that Ri was headed to his cousin's, I was brainstorming a way to get Mike and I down there for a little fun. The brainstorming proved unnecessary, and luck was on our side. We really hadn't considered making plans with anyone, but I decided to give Sierra and Lauren a heads up that we'd be at 20 and would love to see them. As it turned out they and their husbands made it. It has been far too long since we've had the opportunity to do that and it felt fabulous.

Those weren't all The Ladies that we saw though. It was relatively early in the evening when I just happened to glance in the direction of the door. Rhonda and Dave (Dave is not one of The Ladies, of course) walked in with a whole slew of people! What a welcome surprise that was! Apparently they had just enjoyed a movie at the Hollywood Theatre and decided to stop in for a drink. One drink led to another and so forth, and they ended up rocking in the New Year with the rest of us!


To top off the celebration, I was surprised to see my friend and coworker Caroline there as well. She made the long haul from Rainbow Lake for the festivities. I could kick myself for not catching a picture of her. I must not have been thinking at the time. Shocker.

More often than not on a Saturday night you'll see BJ behind the bar. She owns the place. Tough job. I wouldn't want it.

I think I'm through reminiscing about last night's adventures and should move on to this evening. Mike and I needed to head to my sister's to pick Ri up today. We decided it would be really silly not to share today's beverage with them. The name of this one really required sharing with others....

A Big Pink Dink

1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. grenadine
6 oz. milk

Pour rum over ice, fill with milk. Add grenadine to add a nice pink color.



It's hard not to chuckle while discussing this drink. The recipe did not call for shaking it, but we decided we had to (tee hee). Kam even made up some pink sugar to rim the glasses. We all had a little fun with A Big Pink Dink (sorry, I can't help myself).




































The ratings for this drink varied quite a bit. Lance gave it a very unenthusiastic 4, while Kam and Mike both gave it a 7. I thought it was fabulous and feel comfortable giving it an 8. Mike suggested that it would be much better if it was a blender drink. I think I would like it either way. I do recommend trying this one, if only for the fact that you can say that you have had the chance to try A Big Pink Dink.