To: Vacations.

As those Corona commercials pun-fully remind us, vacations shift our attitudes. Through disrupting comfortable monotony with new geography and new/renewed relationships, we're jolted to remember what's just so wonderful or what needs to go in our lives. Lists and promises made while away generally fade yet re-emerge in quiet moments - unexpected stay-cations. And here I find myself again, needing to raise a few glasses to my rollicking, recentering trip to Portland.

Here's to occasional, amazing over-indulgence: Bacon Bloody Mary.


Here's to enjoying the best without any snobbery: Right Turn with amazing desserts at Clyde Common.

Here's to being challenged: Salted Plum Collins

Here's to taking the time: Agua Fresca Margarita

Here's to a holistic approach: Milwaukee Mule enhanced by icy cold copper mug

cheers.

"dirty arnold palmer" sounds really dirty

The summer has me running. Working my Big Deal summer job on the 9 to 5 tip, visiting and having visitors, & meeting and greeting at happy hour o'clock. I've also just read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food so I am trying to recommit myself to cooking and eating real food. Writing letters and journals has fallen to the wayside. I have only been so-so at keeping up with the couch-to-5k training. I do, however, have these lovely slow moments reading sections of A Moveable Feast sitting thigh-to-thigh with a stranger, waking up, sunny, on the bus.

Somewhere in between it all, there's also apartment hunting happening. I have faith that we will find an excellent apartment in Pilsen. And while we're searching there's many a place we can stop and relax in Pilsen. This week it was Simone's. We popped in here twice on one day when we saw apartments nearby. At brunch we were served a banging Bloody Mary. The drink was garnished with practically an appetizer of cracker and cheese. The wasabi spiciness was right on, and I just can't get enough of this Bloody Mary with beer-back.

In the afternoon, we had the John Daly aka Dirty Arnold Palmer aka sweet tea and lemonade with a boozey kick. The base of the drink is Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka & Bourbon Whiskey. Yes, that's vodka with bourbon in it. While this drink is a little sweet for my taste, I enjoyed the one I had and it inspired me to learn more about John Daly. This golfer apparently said
"I believe nicotine plus caffeine equals protein." Michale Pollan does not agree, but I give this a smug half smile.

eating and drinking as sightseeing

My sister recently visited me in Chicago. She, like me, loves to eat and drink. The only activity that was a must on her agenda for her trip was to visit Kuma's Corner for one of their famous burgers. After the standard two hour wait, we were not disappointed. We threw back some PBRs, built our own mac'n'cheese (bacon & peas, please), and finally ordered our burgers which are all named after metal bands. Abby could barely talk after she bit into the Yob (10 ounces of beef, topped with smoked gouda, bacon, roasted red peppers, and roasted garlic mayo on a pretzel roll). Marcus and I enjoyed the Pantera and the Melvins burgers with equal enthusiasm.

I introduced my sister to Dunkin Donuts to get us going in the morning for three reasons. 1. Omaha is surprisingly lacking the D&D. 2. I love dessert at breakfast which is what those cute li'l munchkins are meant to be. 3. I really do love the coffee. What makes it so wonderful? How do they know just the right amount of cream and sugar to add? Ah, Dunkin Donuts, you win me over every time.

As soon as lunch was digested through wandering around and shopping, it was time for lunch and beers. Abby and I went to a Goose Island brewpub so we could sample some local Chicago beers.

Our two favorite beers that we sampled were the Willow Street White ("an unfiltered Belgian style wheat beer spiced with coriander and sweet & bitter orange peel") and the Matilda, another Belgian style beer with "golden sunrise color, fruity aroma, and spicy yeast flavor."

We decided to get dessert for lunch too (hey, it's vacation). Goose Island also makes some of their own sodas and offers dessert options of ice cream floats. We oohed and aahed over the grape-soda-and-salty-peanut-gelato float which tasted like a liquefied essence of an ideal PB&J.

On Abby's last night in town, we made a delicious feast composed almost entirely of goods from the farmer's market. We celebrated Abby's birthday at The Cove, a Hyde Park neighborhood bar, with enough pitchers of cheap beer to lead to impassioned arguments enveloped in love and certain hangover. Luckily, we had appropriate brunch plans the next morning.

The Publican's pristine pork products were well-accompanied with other important hangover curatives. First, they serve Intelligentsia coffee and wait staff don't want to see your cup empty. Second, they leave a big bottle of water at your table. Finally, their Bloody Marys are made with Tito's Vodka and a beer back. Yes.

I love to spend time with my sister.