i didn't make it to the formal

One of my friends told me that the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants would be where she would go in high school before the big dance.

Well, I had a gift certificate and we had some fun plans in the foreign Streeterville region so we went to Ben Pao which is much like a P.F. Changs. When did I last eat at a place where I had to have one of those buzzer things while waiting for a table? Not sure.

Well, I couldn't order a respectable drink like a glass of wine, decent beer, or true martini at this establishment. I had to, of course, get an Asian Pear Saketini which includes a laundry list of ingredients:
- Grey Goose la poire
- Sake
- St. Germain
- Funkin pear puree
- Pineapple juice

The drink was just fine, you know? Ambiguously fruity and decently boozey. So many ingredients to ultimately create vanilla.

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.

Bringing it Together - April 3, 2009

Tito Beveridge used his time at the Interview Show to promote living the dream and making it happen. That is, bringing together your loves and building a life from them. Tito likes science and partying so now he makes an oh so smooth vodka out of Austin, TX.

But it's really Tim Tuten who should be my mentor. He's a co-owner of the Hideout and about to be working under Arne Duncan in the Department of Education. That's pretty much living my dream - having a hand in a fun, cozy, music-filled bar and a toe in education policy.

I believe! Soon enough you'll see me by night in own my bar complete with skee-ball, old timey juke box, and deeeelishous local food tidbits. By day, you'll find me researching and suggesting cross-the-lifespan ed policies for social justice.