i started a liquid diet after Thanksgiving.  Liquid of choice?  Tanqueray.

One of the great things about this time of year in Sydney is the fresh cherries. Head up to the Kings Cross markets on a Saturday and you’;l find at least a couple of stands selling beautiful boxes of cherries.

While the fruit are quite hard to whip up into cocktails, short of making syrups or muddling handfuls and steeping them in spirits, there is another side of the proliferation of these special little fruit, Pressed Cherry Juice. The juice is made from those cherries not pretty enough to move of the shelf, luckily, these are also some of the sweetest and juiciest as well.

The juice is not a manufactured product, so expect a lot of variation between products and you’ll need to tweak the recipe to make sure you don’t just end up with Cherry tasting juice that’s alcoholic.

The Cherry Gin Sour

60mls Tanqueray 10 Gin, 10 mls pressed cherry juice, 15mls freshly squeezed lemon juice, 5mls sugar syrup. Combine all ingredients over ice in a shaker, shake, strain over a sour glass filled with fresh ice. Green garnishes look great against the deep red of the drink.

Owl City

So, finally Paramore have announced the dates for their New Zealand tour – March 4 and 5, Auckland and Christchurch. What I want to know is why are they having the Auckland gig at the Telstra Clear events centre? Seriously hard to get to much?

Owl City have been announced as openers for Cobra Starship’s Auckland gig. Now at first I had no idea who this guy was but on further investigation found he is actually super awesome. Think a young Postal Service = RAD. Single “Fireflies” is definitely worth a listen.

Also realised Cobra’s gig is the same day as The Pixies – wonder which I will go to? Probably Cobra as I think Pixies is sold out.

This Is It – finally went to see it, in its last week of viewing. MJ is amazing and it is hard to believe that he was having so many problems in the lead up to his death. I would imagine anyone doing as much dancing and singing as he was, would not have insomnia.

The biggest controversy of this week has been Adam Lambert’s performance at the American Music Awards. After searching Google and YouTube for hours and unable to find a video to show me what actually happened (thanks Dick Clark Productions making copyright claims – you make my life so easy), I came upon a crappy TiVo-ed video camera-ed version. What was supposed to be a S&M-themed performance of Lambert’s debut single “For Your Entertainment” has caused controversy because he kissed a male, fondled his back-up dancers and apparently gave the fingers to the audience (I totally didn’t see that). All I have to say is: GET OVER IT. IT’S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. As for his song, didn’t really like it, but I may buy his album, just for shits and giggles.

Oh joy. The Feelers are doing another summer tour. Yawn.

Stan won Australian Idol. If you didn’t want to know who won till Friday, tough. Not like it’s been kept a secret. TV One ran a piece on Monday, it was a trending topic on Twitter and 20/20 has a piece on Stan’s past. The media has not made it easy to avoid finding out. I’m just thankful that blond chick didn’t win, because seriously, she butchered a Fall Out Boy song a few weeks ago and didn’t deserve to win.

Loving Miley Cyrus “Party in the USA” – it’s just so catchy. But you don’t gain any cred for mentioning Jay-Z or Britney.

Also bought Gin’s album, still haven’t really listened to it, but what I have, it is really good.

The Senorita is one of the 15 Tequila based drinks in the Café Royal Cocktail Book, published in 1937. I have written the recipe as it appears in the book, which happens to be in parts, rather than ounces or ml.

1/3 Gin

1/3 Tequila

1/3 Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice

2 dashes Grenadine

Shake

In my opinion, two dashes of Grenadine doesn’t quite do the trick. I would up the Grenadine to the point where you feel it balances the acidity of the Lime or Lemon juice. I personally prefer Lime Juice is this drink and will recommend nothing less than freshly squeezed juice!

The Rio Grande is one of the 15 Tequila based drinks in the Café Royal Cocktail Book, published in 1937. I have written the recipe as it appears in the book, which happens to be in parts, rather than ounces or ml.

1/3 Italian Vermouth

1/3 Gin

1/3 Tequila

Shake

Once again, the recipe calls for the drink to be shaken, but I don’t see the point. I tried stirring the Rio Grande and in my opinion, it produces a superior drink.

If you appreciate a strong, complex drink, you’ll love this one. Don’t be shy to reach for ingredients with “balls” for this one. In my opinion, a gin with a big whack of botanicals, a rich and complex Italian Vermouth and an Agave loaded Reposado Tequila are exactly what you want.

The Rio Grande is great served in a coup and I found a twist of lemon zest to be a nice little touch.

The Holiday in a Glass: Fall to Thanksgiving Cocktails post has been updated with 250+ holiday themed cocktail recipes for the season.  If you haven’t checked that out yet I encourage you to do so.  Hot Brew: Winter & Holiday Hot Coffee Recipes contains 30+ hot coffee recipes at the moment, but is updated frequently.  Stay low calorie through the holidays and every season with Living Grand & Teenie: Low Calorie Cocktail & Drink Recipes.  The low calorie guide contains cocktails and non-alcoholic Mocktails and will be updated throughout the year.

Thanksgiving is more than family and food.  It’s also about football…

• College football tailgating shot recipes

College Football Tailgating Shots – College football teams paired with shot recipes. Teams include – Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns, Nebraska Cornhuskers and Colorado Buffaloes.

More links for football fans:

• Team drink recipe pairings for NFL Sunday football
• Football line-up drink & shot recipes
• Quick & easy game day drink recipes
• Jägermeister recipes bring variety to the bar glass

More links found on The Intoxicologist.net site in the right hand sidebar under Football & Tailgating Drinks

Contests at The Intoxicologist Facebook Fan Page

• Quick Bites: Cocktail Contest Quickies – Beamin’ Punkin recipe using Jim Beam Bourbon created by Dan Bliss of Omaha, Nebraska.  Dan entered my Jim Beam Bourbon contest in October.  Join The Intoxicologist Fan page on Facebook to enter contests.  A new one is just on the horizon after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Also in the post: Dulce Dominicana hot brew recipe using Brugal Rum.
• Scotch Cocktail Recipes: Bobby Burns & My Darling – Delicious rendition of the classic style Bobby Burns scotch cocktail using Allspice on the twist and around the rim.  Plus winner of the scotch contest; My Darling created by Bob Stafford. 

Low Calorie Living Made Easier

• Versatility on the Fly: Low Calorie Drinks from Everyday Ingredients – Four lower calorie cocktail, non-alcoholic mocktail, and shot recipes using a common ingredient; Coffee Mate.  Yes, that is what you just read.  These low calorie drink recipes are tasty enough to serve through the holidays and easy enough to whip up quickly.

Thanksgiving Cocktail Recipes & Wine

Power packed pomegranate holiday drink recipes

• Pomegranate Cocktails – National Pomegranate Month – Hot and cold cocktails with pomegranate juices from a variety of brands using an array of base spirits. PAMA Liqueur and pomegranate infused spirits have also been included for diversity and ease of cocktail creation.

Drink recipes for an inspired Thanksgiving season

• Seasonal Cocktails: Fall & Thanksgiving – 15 drink recipes for fall & Thanksgiving. Hot chocolates, ciders, espressos and coffees. Candy bar cocktails laced with chocolate and caramel with a shooter included. Champagne topped cocktail also included.

Celebrate holidays with classic style gin drink recipes

• Beefeater Gin Cocktails – 10 Beefeater Gin cocktail and martini recipes ideal for the holidays.

Dare to be adventurous: Campari holiday drink recipes

• Campari Holiday Cocktails – Enjoy cocktails that dare to be adventurous, border on sexy and ring in distinctive flavor. Drink recipes featuring 12 Campari cocktails designed by bartenders and mixologists from around the country.

                More Campari Recipes: Classic spirit of Campari mingles with rich Bourbon heritage

                Campari cocktail recipes for sophisticated summertime refreshment

Classic style martini recipes: Beefeater 24 & Plymouth Gin holiday collection

• Beefeater 24 & Plymouth Gin Holiday Recipe Collection – 11 cocktail recipes focusing upon classic and contemporary style martinis for the holiday season using Beefeater 24 Gin and Plymouth Gin.

                More Beefeater Gin Recipes: Beefeater Gin classic drink recipes

Tasting the Rockies: whiskey & bourbon seasonal cocktail recipes

• Seasonal Whiskey Warmers – Winter Slumber & Rocky Mountain Ginger Crisp cocktail recipes created by Cheri Loughlin using whiskey and bourbon as base spirit with Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur and Pumpkin Spice Liqueur highlights.

                More pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin pie recipes in a cocktail glass

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market: Affordable Holiday Entertaining – affordable wines for holiday entertaining

Classic Style Armagnac Cocktail Recipe: 14 Juillet – Delicious classic style martini cocktail for the holidays.

Cocktail Hour Apple Strudel Recipe – An Intoxicologist original for those who prefer sipping dessert over forking it.

Dessert Inspired Holiday Shot Recipes – Don’t want to bake apple pie this season?  Take a shot at these little desserts in a shot glass.

                More shot recipes: Top 10 Popular Shot Recipes

After Dinner Cocktails: Brandied Bonbon Café – If you haven’t picked up a bottle of Kahlua Coffee Cream yet, do it now and pick up several to last through the year.  It’s a limited release and it’s just that darn delicious.  Then make this cocktail; an Intoxicologist original.

Breathe Easy: Turning Leaf Wine for the Holidays – The bottles are lovely for your Thanksgiving table and the price is right at $8 per. 

Apple of My Eye Cocktails – Three more apple inspired cocktails for the holidays.  Dessert style to long term sipping refreshment.

                More apple recipes: Cocktail hour: No bake apple pie recipes

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The Intoxicologist on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon

www.discus.org – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Copyright 2009 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

Beefeater…..the name is synonymous with great gin.  It’s the first gin I tried and the one I call for when going up to a bar asking for a martini.  However, when I heard that Beefeater was coming out with a new product, Beefeater 24, I was very excited.  The distillery is not new in coming out with new and different product.  I thought though after reading a little about it, that maybe it was a marketing ploy…somehow to boost sales of regular Beefeater Gin, sorta like with the whole New Coke and Coke Classic marketing tactic, which worked out very well for the Coca-cola company.

When you taste Beefeater 24, you will know beyond the shadow of any doubt that this is NOT a marketing ploy of any sorts.  Instead, you will find that Beefeater 24 is a new and tasty product in its own right.  While Beefeater is one of the gins considered subtly flavored with juniper as compared to other gins on the market, Beefeater 24 is perhaps a little more delicate.  Balancing the flavors which make gin, mainly citrus and juniper, the addition of Sencha tea brings harmony and balance to the gin with a delicate and spicy finish.

Basing my tasting on my traditional 2:1 gin to dry vermouth ratio, I find this to be a wonderful gin.  In comparison, the same martini was made with other gins in my cabinet–Bombay, Plymouth, Hendricks–and while all lent a their own special characteristics to the drink, it was Beefeater 24 that was the favorite of the evening.

I highly recommend Beefeater 24 as a gin for experienced and new gin drinkers alike.  If you are looking for something different for your next martini, pick up a bottle or two of Beefeater 24.  Simply gorgeous.

Today I sat still.  I finished scrubbing later than intended and realised that there was no point in going home before tackling Sainsbury’s and picking up Boy the Younger from Art Club. I went into a café in Harborough that I don’t usually frequent, that has comfy chairs, ordered a hot chocolate and a bun and sat down by the window. 

I didn’t buy a paper, read a book or pretend to do things with my mobile, I just looked out of the window.  At first I felt faintly awkward, worrying that I might look like a Norma No-Mates, or as though I had been stood up, but gradually I relaxed into it. 

I’m not very good at sitting still these days; even if I’m watching television I’m very busy watching television, or I’m knitting or sewing at the same time.  I crave having nothing to do, but the problem is that there are always so many things that need doing that I rarely feel I can justify a prolonged period of inactivity.  When I visit Lady Somerset, she forces me to sit still, drink huge quantities of gin and watch amusing and diverting DVD’s, and I absolutely love it.  But I have to be told.  I need to be told.

Today I sat still all by myself.  I watched people.  I observed how people walk, how many young girls seemed to have long bodies and short legs, the difference in movement and expression between people with a purpose and people killing time.  I unnerved people out by making unsolicited eye contact and I quietly noted shop assistants going about their business unaware that they were being scrutinised..

And now I’m very busy writing about it.

Thursday, November 19, 2009
FDR’s Martini

This seemed like an appropriate cocktail after my Martin Sheen/West Wing analogy of the other day, except with a real President this time. I confess, prior to looking up how FDR and Teddy were related, I had no idea that Eleanor and Franklin were already both Roosevelts prior to marrying (they were, apparently, fifth cousins).  Teddy was actually Eleanor’s uncle.  I have absolutely no idea what that makes him to FDR.  Makes me think of the dialogue between Dark Helmet and Lone Starr in “Spaceballs”:

FDR and Teddy Roosevelt meet in another dimension

Dark Helmet:  I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.
Lone Starr:  What does that make us?
Dark Helmet:  Absolutely nothing!  Which is what you are about to become.

In The Martini Book, there is a quote above this recipe, which reads:  “FDR was a serious martini drinker [I like the guy already] and carried a martini ‘kit’ with him whever he traveled.  During the Teheran conference, he insisted on mixing one of his specialties for Joseph Stalin.  Stalin found it ‘cold on the stomach,’ but liked it.  FDR’s martini was most likely the first ‘Dirty Martini’.”

Definitely like the guy.  Although his Dirty Martini is kind of wussy as far as dirty martinis go.  2 parts gin, 1 part vermouth, 1 teaspoon olive brine, lemon twist, and a cocktail olive.  But as I’ve noted earlier, more vermouth to gin is okay with me when it’s gin.  When it’s vodka, not so much.  Me, I prefer a vodka dirty martini and I like it very dirty, as you’ve probably figured out by now, and very dry.  But I’m not FDR, and we’re talking a good … yikes, what, 70-80 years ago?  Oh dear.  Anyway, this was educational for me, reading up on FDR and his infidelities (ditto with Eleanor and hers, some of them with the same gender, but not until after he committed his).  I had no idea.  Alas, my high school history education ended somewhere between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.  Why?  Because I was taking Chemistry II, which met at the same time that the “gifted” history class met, so I ended up in the so-called bonehead history class for my senior year.  After the first quarter/semester (whichever it was – we’re going back waaaaay too far for me to remember which), my history teacher realized that everyone in the class was going out of their way to copy off my paper/tests and that I was throwing the curve way off.  So he gave me a “research” assignment to find all of the CIF championship victories for my high school dating back to something like 1898 when the school was established, which I did, to the best of my ability, given the fact that there was no internet in that day and age (1980).  That encompassed the 2nd half of my senior year and thus took the place of learning about anything beyond the early 1800’s.  I’m not sure why I know about WWI and WWII and various other things, I must have learned that in junior high on a more peripheral level and remembered it.  But I never got to learn about Teddy or FDR or Eleanor.  Or martinis.  Not that martinis would have been appropriate subject matter back in my high school day.  Now?  No idea.  But you gotta like FDR for the fact that he carried around the fixings with him.

As for the namesake drink itself – I give it a “DNS” rating.  Which stands for “Does Not Suck”.  Not quite a 4 stars but definitely a 3.75 stars.  As I mentioned before, I think I like the higher proportions of vermouth when gin is invovled but not vodka.  The lemon twist (rubbed around the rim of a chilled cocktail glass before serving, then discarded) and the olive are a nice touch.  I liked this one more than I expected I would and give FDR credit, assuming credit is due, for coming up with a good one.

Cheers,
Cathy

OK, sometimes the cocktail journey isn’t about the cocktail.  This journey was a tailgate before the Giants Falcons game today.  It was a gorgeous day that started with a martini.  I was able to get to our spot before my friends showed and I prepared a pregame martini with Bluecoat Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, and Pickle Licous olives.

A key to the tailgate martini is the plastic shaker and martini glass.  Maybe not the classiest, but certainly the sturdiest.  No accidental breakage here, which would be criminal.  It might mean missing a martini.

Tailgate Martini

No recipe today, just a message that above all, cocktails are meant to be enjoyed.

I am the world famous cocktail journalist Anna Väkeväinen – a recognized sipologist but mostly focusing on gonzo reportage. I’m so famous that sometimes replying to all the invitations and fan mail keeps me from doing the actual work: drinking. But I always get back on the track.

Without looking for it, I was asked for a date. Sober, in complete daylight and face to face. Mr T is a Sipology scholar like me, already a PhD and working at the Agency of Advancing Cocktail Culture in the Nordic Region. He looks nice. A bit funny, but nice. After a Martini workshop on Wednesday, on the street outside, he turned to face me, looked straight into my eyes and said “I have been invited to a party on Saturday, would you like to be my avec?” How could he take such a risk? Doesn’t he know the rules of this game? Doesn’t he even know about the game? I said yes.

The party turned out to be the pop star Ilkka Alanko’s 40th birthday party. When arriving to greet him, I was expecting him to express he knows my fame just as I know his. But he asked Mr. T to teel him who his beautiful company was, which was a nasty insult that celebs sometimes use on each other. To make it worse, I had to sit there all night watching him and all his rock star mates perform and suck the room dry of admiration. Mr. T seemed happy, but I was suffering. I longed to the cocktail bars, to my kindom. Began texting my friends: where are you?

Mss R replied to tell me she was going out with the artist she had met. “I told him I’m not looking for a serious relationship”, she texted. She always says that to guys with whom she wants a serious relationship. When the guys are happy with just the sex too, she says they don’t care about her. “Stupid girl”, I texted her. Tried Hilkka. She asked me to come to a party at the Opera, meaning the actual opera house. My SMS: “Hilkka, I’ve had  3 fillings of sparkling while waiting for the welcoming toast, 3 of the still, and 2 Gin Tonics: Opera is not my place.”

Decided to go to A21 and said goodbye to Mr T. He walked me out. At the door, he did that staring thing again. “I find you very interesting”, he said. “Thanks”, I said, panicking. I hope nobody ever asks me to marry them, that would be too embarrasing.
“I would like to meet you again.”
I began stepping backwards. “Yeah, let’s text each other.”
“Or maybe we could decide a date now.” (What?!!!)
“I don’t know, you know, I’ll need to check my calendar, so let’s get back”, I mumbled, ready to go.
“Okay.” And then he does the thing in the movies, comes so close I can feel his breath, and I’m petrified, and he lowers his eyes to my lips and his lips come slightly apart, and he gets closer and closer, and then he kisses me softly and it takes a long time and its wonderful. I start walking away and he is watching so hard I don’t remember how to walk and behind the corner I just smile the biggest smile, and then I giggle.

At the A21, beneath the vivid talk about cocktails and bars, I was dizzy.

Maybe every real couple needs one person that doesn’t play games? Maybe I had only met players so far. Maybe they too need someone who doesn’t play. Some other, different kind of woman. Already after one date, Mr T. had made me see myself more clearly: I am a player. Autch.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Fare Thee Well Martini

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Frozen Martini

As you guessed by my previous post (or by ANY of my previous posts!), my mind does tend to wander pretty far off-tangent at times.  So the first martini up in the bullpen tonight was the “Fare Thee Well” martini.  There is a well-known song from my childhood, sung by (among other) Burl Ives, called “Polly Wolly Doodle”, which includes the term, “fare thee well” in it.  Yes, I’m showing my age but you probably figured out I wasn’t exactly a spring chicken by now either.  Alas, I do have a tendency to remember more deviant things than the more innocent (given a choice) – not a conscience thing, it’s just the way I’m wired.  I was exposed to a lot of less than pleasant things in my childhood and I suppose the more deviant things stick with me more, unfortunately.  So, when most might think of the cute Burl Ives song in the context of ‘Fare Thee Well’, instead I think of the Blake Edwards movie, S.O.B. 

Blake Edwards is best known as the director of the Pink Panther movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Days of Wine and Roses, Operation Petticoat, 10, The Great Race, and Victor/Victoria.  But probably his most off-color movie was S.O.B., which featured “America’s Sweetheart”, Julie Andrews (also Blake Edwards wife for these past 40 years) topless – to the tune of Polly Wolly Doodle.

The movie opens with the song in its original form, innocently sung by Julie Andrews, as shown in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2PLBmxR1U8

Over the course of the movie, the “film within a film”, Nightwind, is re-shot and re-cut to what becomes an R-rated version instead and the first time in cinematic history that anyone has seen Sally Miles’ (Julie Andrews’ character) “boobies”, also a first for Julie Andrews in real life, as far as I know. 

This link is to part 9 of segments of the movie and has the ending of the climactic scene at the very beginning.  To see the lead-up, watch parts 7 and 8 first so you understand the context of Sally being pursued by the “Devil”.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PRMZrW3Zsg&NR=1.

Dancing with the Devil in the X-Rated Playroom

As further evidence that my brother and I are cut from the same DNA, when I asked him today as a quick “off the top of your head” question what he thought of when he heard the expression, “Fare Thee Well”, his answer was the same as mine.  He thought of this movie.  Great (or twisted) minds really think alike.  Or something like that!

The Devil's Reaction to Seeing Julie Andrews Topless - CLASSIC!

So after I satisfied my needs to see clips of this movie and reassure myself that the song I was thinking of was indeed, in the movie as I remembered, I mixed up my Fare Thee Well.  6 parts gin (using Bombay Sapphire now, I finished off the New Amsterdam) 1 part dry vermouth, 1 part sweet vermouth.  Lovely pink-gold shade from the vermouth.  It looked a little naked without a garnish (none is called for) so I put in a cherry, which looks good with it.  The verdict?  Better than I was expecting.  I thought after my too-much-vermouth cocktail of the other night that this would be nasty, but the sweet and the dry vermouth really do balance each other out in a way – each adds to the taste in their own unique way.  A good, no-frills martini, a bit on the sweet side, but enjoyable.  Solid 4 stars for this one. 

While I was looking up the Fare Thee Well, I also decided to mix up the Frozen Martini, namely because the Frozen required being mixed up and stuck into the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.  My only regret with this one is that, given the long wait time, I wish I had made a larger one!  I misread the instructions and mixed the gin and vermouth in the shaker and added the olives, then put the shaker in the freezer, along with a glass, to chill for the requisite time.  Apparently I was supposed to chill the olives separately, I guess on a plate or in a bowl or somewhere apart from the liquid. I’m not entirely sure how much of a difference it would have made.  After three hours in the freezer, the olives take on a consistency not unlike frozen green grapes.  Which is not a bad thing. I like frozen grapes in the right mood, they are delicious.  I can’t tell you if, frozen in a different fashion (i.e., not sitting in a bath of gin), they would be different or not.  I’ll have to experiment.

Crate & Barrel's Clio Glass. I may need these.

This was 5 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth, a good ratio for this drink, with two almond-stuffed olives, served in the well-chilled martini glass.  It was excellent.  I wouldn’t honestly have thought that the freezing would really make THAT much difference but it was soooo very smooth and drinkable – perhaps a bit too much so, I found myself wanting to finish it off before it warmed up too much just to savor the unique coldness of it.  Perhaps that’s the point, it’s almost like a shot glass served in a block of ice.  I’d give this somewhere between 4.25 and 4.5 stars – it really was good.  I found myself wanting one of those trendy martini glasses where the bowl of the glass sits in a nest of crushed ice, just to keep the drink extra cold (my peeve with these would always be that you would have to carry both parts around with you to be able to set the drink down, but as long as you’re just drinking this at a small gathering and not moving around the room, it wouldn’t be an issue).  Very tempting.  But as long as we’re on the subject of martini glasses (as if I don’t have enough of them already), ZGallerie has some gorgeous ones called Puccini that come in a beautiful peacock blue and silver … and now in a cinnamon red to boot, and, well, Santa, are you listening? 

’til the bar opens again and bottoms up,
Cathy

Until I have finished this horrendous paper on microcredit and have time to write a scathing expose on events of the past two weeks, I present you with another installation of DREAM JOURNAL:

Last night I had some crazy dreams. This could have had something to do with a) the fact I did NOT eat a 1lb bag of peppermint patties before bed (per usual) or b) that my sleep schedule has been seriously out of whack the past few days. REGARDLESS, below is a sampling of my dreams:

1. ChefHooles came into my room wearing running gear and perfect going out makeup. I asked her if she was going for a run, and she said that she was going to go running TO a party and that she had already stashed a change of clothes in the bushes outside the Blue House to change into before said party. I was confused and asked her to clarify, she told me that I was stupid.

2. I made a mixed drink of whiskey and gin and chugged it. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I think it’s a fair assumption I probably made an ass out of myself.

3.  That I was told by a significant other that we could not stay together because I refused to convert to paganism. Er?

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Desperate Martini

Despite the fact that it has been well over two decades since the tune came out, I can’t hear the word “desperate” without thinking of the old Adam Ant song, “Desperate But Not Serious”.  Don’t tell me you don’t remember it.  You do.  You may not want to admit it, but you do. Come on, let’s all sing along now …

If I ask you difficult questions
If I make improper suggestions
Would you find that a risk to your health
Would you put me up on the bookshelf
With the books and the plants?

Desperate but not serious
Your kisses drive me delirious

That did get me to wondering, whatever happened to Adam Ant?  Well, of course you have to love the internet for answering these modern mysteries.

Aren't I gorgeous?

A little different now ...

 I have to admit, I wouldn’t know the guy if I bumped into him in the grocery store.  Then again, that was probably the beauty of the early 80’s and all that makeup – even back then, if he just dressed normally, he could probably pick up his toiletries in peace.  His earlier picture reminds me a lot of Adam Lambert’s look nowadays, although I am still reserving my verdict on Lambert’s singing abilities, having only seen the American Idol finale (yes!  I am one of the few people who doesn’t actually watch the show).   I know his first album is out and on iTunes so I guess I’d better go check that out – once I stop spending so much money at BevMo, that is!

I wasn’t expecting to like this martini only because I’m not a big “berry” fan.  The Desperate Martini (namesake unknown) is 6 parts gin, 1 part dry vermouth, 1 part blackberry brandy and fresh blackberries for garnish.  Couldn’t find the fresh berries so I lived without a garnish.  See, I’m not crazy about things like jam and jellies and preserves, all of which I tend to associate with berries – blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries, and so on.  But I never really tried them in a alcoholic fashion, either. 

The Desperate Martini was a pleasant surprise.  The blackberry brandy isn’t too sweet and cuts the gin nicely, and the drink is a lovely rose-gold color. My boyfriend even liked it, and he’s not much of a sweet cocktail drinker, but he does like a good gin and tonic.  I would have this again, definitely.  4.25 stars – outstanding.

Desperate, but not serious,
Cathy

Gin & Milk, “The Hudson Valley Gentlemen”

Though the origins of the drink are unclear, its moniker has been attributed to New York State senator Knickerbocker T. Bushwick, as he has been credited with the its earliest mention in his decree “a wink of cow’s milk to strengthen yer bones and a whistle of gin for ye gallstones “ while toasting a gin & milk to the newly inaugurated president William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition of the World’s Fair in Buffalo New York.  Unfortunately the president found a bullet in his stomach shortly after the senator’s fine words, and promptly died.  The bullet apparently belonged to a Polish-American anarchist named Leo.  The bullet was not returned.  As a result of McKinley’s untimely demise, a rapid decrease in the drink’s popularity ensued under the accusation of the cocktail being “cursed”.  This was not the first time the “Hudson Valley Gentlemen” had been considered a bewitched concoction however, as it was also the drink of choice of Howard Carter and his crew during their excavations of the tomb Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and has been ascribed in many instances as a cause of the “Curse of the Pharaohs”.  It wasn’t until the mid nineties in America that the gin & milk experienced its renaissance, as the drink was portrayed in a special Friday the thirteenth episode of the sitcom Friends.  The city of New York also experienced a renaissance in the nineties, due largely impart to its positive portrayal in the sitcom Friends.

The ol’ Gin & Milk or “Hudson Valley Gentlemen” recipe:

2 oz gin (the more expensive the better, since with gin, as is the case with many things, the more it costs the higher the quality)

2 oz milk (whole and preferably cow’s, though any mammalian milk will suffice with or without the addition of chocolate or strawberry)

Lots of ice, great ice

8 marshmallows, why not?

Chill an old-fashioned or Tom & Jerry Welches juice glass with ice.  In a separate glass mix milk and gin.   Add ice and miniature marshmallows (optional) and stir to chill.  Remove ice from old-fashioned or juice glass and add gin and milk mixture.  Enjoy, sing, dance.

Llegué a Bizarro y me paré delante del guardia de la puerta. Ya no había gente entrando, mas bien saliendo. Me pidió identificación y yo lo miré a la cara. Ya me conocía. Había entrado otras veces con Daniel. Me miró un rato y los ojos le brillaron, como a los gatos.

Adelante -me dijo.

Adentro todo estaba teñido con una luz roja que me tranquilizaba. No como aquellos faroles de luces de la calle, y los focos de los autos que cegaban mis ojos, tan molestos. El lugar estaba repleto. La gente bailaba algún éxito que sonaba mucho en la radio, otra de esas canciones pegajosas que a todos les gustaban porque se dejan escuchar fácil.

Tonight is gonna be a good night, cause tonight is gonna be a good good night

No era una buena noche. Había dejado de comer por tanto tiempo que comenzaba a ver venas en vez de personas. Los veía caminar como si tuvieran trajes de luces de neón, caminos brillantes que recorrían sus cuellos, brazos, piernas, caminos que servían de guía para mis bajos instintos. Hombres, mujeres, en ese momento no había distinción, yo solo veía comida. Traté de controlarme. No era un buen lugar para una masacre. Miré alrededor y no encontré ojos en los cuáles descansar mi vista, ojos brillantes que me llamaran, ojos conocidos, ojos de algún otro vampiro, extraño en esta multitud.

Oye, quieres bailar – gritó alguien en mi oído. Volteé a mirar. Sus venas dibujaban lineas brillantes hermosas, de un color rojo intenso que no había visto en días. Podía ver la sangre corriendo como un río, bajando por su mentón, cayendo sobre sus hombros, delineando su cuello, contorneando sus brazos. Acercó su mano a mi cintura y la acarició largamente. Me eché a reír. Pobre infeliz que debe haberme visto entrar tambaleándome, pensando que podría aprovecharse de mi. Aun tan débil como me encontraba, podría tener una fiesta en él fácilmente. Pero no era para lo que había venido.

No – exclamé, lo aparté y caminé lejos de todo esa sangre hasta la cabina del dj. Toqué la puerta. Me abrió un hombre de rasgos asiáticos, flaco, pálido, de mirada vacía. Al verme su expresión cambió y los ojos le brillaron también.

Hola Janela -me dijo y sonrió mostrandome sus dientes filudos.

¿Puedo pasar?

Claro, aquí siempre eres bienvenida.

En este mundo conocía a todos gracias a Daniel. Gin era tan antiguo como él y era otro vampiro que podía camuflarse bien en el mundo de los humanos. Ahora era Dj en una de las discotecas mas populares. Entré a la cabina y cerré la puerta detrás de mi. Era un cuarto pequeño, con una computadora con miles de pistas de discos interminable, y una ventana desde donde veía la pista de baile en su apogeo donde apenas podía entran Gin que era muy alto.

Siéntate -me dijo y me mostró una silla a su lado.

¿No te da miedo mostrar tus dientes acá?

A ellos les gusta – sonrió nuevamente y se acercó tanto a mi que creí por un segundo que saltaría para morderme – los humanos son tan estúpidos. ¿Que se te ofrece?

Busco a Daniel.

¿Daniel? Lo vi ayer acá. Entró solo y se fue a la parte trasera, ya sabes. Luego tomamos algo, hablamos, lo de siempre. Se fue justo antes del amanecer. ¿Por qué?

No ha regresado.

Ah… ¿cuanto tiempo lleva desaparecido?

Un par de días.

¿Y no lo había hecho antes?

¿Desaparecerse sin decirme nada? No, nunca.

Bueno, siempre hay una primera vez para todo.

¿Que mierda quiere decir eso?

Oye, no te molestes conmigo… Dile eso a él cuando regrese… Así es Daniel, desaparece, va a otro lugar, se despeja la mente y luego regresa.

Pero, ¿porque no me dijo nada?

Él nunca le dice nada a nadie. Así es él. O lo aceptas o lo dejas.

Gin podría tener razón. La impulsividad de Daniel tenía dos caras. Una cara amable en la que podía despertarse cualquier noche y hacer algo extraordinario y divertido; y otra cara grotesca, donde podía enojarse y desaparecer.

No es personal, Janela. Ya regresará. Búscate algo que hacer. – y volvió a acercarse a mi y puso una mano en mi pierna- Podemos hacer algo juntos, ya casi acabo acá.

No tengo ganas.

Ah, por favor. No me vas a venir con que eres muy fiel. Daniel no lo és. Te ves débil. Deja que te cuide hasta que él regrese.

Estaba tan cansada. Cerré los ojos y sentí los brazos de Gin rodeándome.
Creo que dormí varias horas.

Al despertar Gin estaba encima de mi. Ya no estabamos en la cabina del dj, sino en un cuarto bien arreglado, limpio, decente, normal, casi humano… nada como mi guarida. Me tomó un tiempo darme cuenta que él ya estaba dentro de mi, empujando cada vez más fuerte. Apenas sentía algo, y definitivamente no era placer. Dejé que lo hiciera un rato más, no tenía ganas de pelearlo. Cerré los ojos nuevamente.

La primera vez que vi a Daniel fue algo extraordinario. Había ido a un bar con algunas personas, gente que conocí en mi vida pasada. Crucé miradas con él al otro lado del bar y senti que no había nadie más. Era él o nada. Él también sentía lo mismo. Se acercó a mi y hablamos por horas. Daniel es alto, tiene el pelo marrón oscuro, grandes ojos, y no parece un vampiro. Se puede confundir con la gente. No es pálido, ni parece estar muerto. Me sorprendió su seguridad, su manera de ser, era como una roca donde apoyarse, donde confiar el peso de la vida.

Ese mismo día hicimos el amor y fue aún mejor. Nunca había sentido algo como eso. En ese momento tenía un novio que ya no recuerdo quién es. Toda esa vida está tan lejos ahora. Pero hacer el amor con Daniel fue diferente, fue algo que nunca olvidaré. Fue como ser virgen de nuevo. Era tan distinto a lo que yo había estado acostumbrada. Sentí que había estado esperándolo toda mi vida, que recién en ese instante, él dentro de mi, yo abrazada a él, ahí empezaba a vivir realmente.

Gin terminó y se tiró a un lado, agotado.

Me levanté de la cama y abrí ligeramente la cortina sin ver. Un rayo de luz atravesó la habitación. Era de día. Todavía me quedaba esperar a la noche para regresar a casa.

Y Daniel, ¿cuanto le faltaría a él para regresar?

While the name may be misleading, you may have noticed I don’t do a whole lot about whiskey. Its not that I don’t love it. I do! And just to show you how much, I felt it extremely important to attend the Pittsburgh Whiskey and Fine Spirits Festival this past weekend. A whirlwind of whiskey, rum, gin, tequila, even absinthe.

To get a good representation or the multitude of liquors, My Man and I made a goal of trying 20 liquors within the three hour limit. It seems a little crazy, but trust me, we made good use of the dump buckets. Well, I made a good use of the dump buckets. My Man is a trooper, even through the worst of the bunch.

Here we go..

First off, we started with a classic: Jameson.

So, here we are with some of the highest quality liquors, so I go for the Gold. A good first choice! A turpentine smell, tasting of oak, smoke, tangy and smooth. My Man said it tasted of “salt spray,” to which I agreed. I said it had a vegetal aftertaste. He did not agree.

Next we tried the Feckin Irish Whiskey.

Even though the t-shirt was appreciated (hear that, Jameson?), the whiskey did not live up. While smelling of maple syrup and brown sugar, the mouth did not match. Mostly I tasted wheat and bile. Moving on to Tomatin.

The Tomatin Highland scotch whiskey 15 year ripped my mouth apart. Lemon pith and turpentine. Seriously, it hurt.

Rebel Reserve. Who can resist that name? Smoke and brown sugar and the nose and mouth with flowers and herbs. My Man pointed out it tasted like carnations (ain’t he swell?) and I definitely agree. Not bad, not great. Staying loyal to the fun name.

Moving to a new fine spirit. A love of my life, a component to the favorite mixed drink. Tequila. Patron Reposado. Perhaps one of the finest tequilas I’ve had. It tasted of salt and pepper and fresh grass. Very delicious.

A comparison must be had. A friend recommended the El Mayor as one of the best tequilas he’s ever had. In the interest of tequila fairness, we tried the reposado as well. More salt, pepper and some lemon and lime. It was fine, but really… no comparison.

Yes. I’m a sucker for awesome names. Don’t pretend you aren’t! And the pink hair sells it. The Kraken Spiced Rum: Sweet with hints of vanilla and spice. It was pretty alcoholy. When they said its made to mix, they were right. Much better with coke and pretty enjoyable!

So, the next guy from Philadelphia Distilling promised me an interview, so you don’t get his dashing picture yet. He makes three of wonderful liquors, all in Pennsylvania, and I dutifully tried two. The first? Bluecoat gin!

It deserves an exclamation point! Evergreen, tons of juniper, a splash of citrus and extremely smooth. I’m in love.

The Vieux Carre absinthe. Well, seriously. I’ve only tried about 3 or 4. So here are my not so expert opinions. I tasted citrus, liquorish and.. Kraft Mac & Cheese. Who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese? Pretty good, would have actually liked less water added in (here’s how you prepare absinthe).

Back to the Whiskey Festival basics. Macallan 18.

Subtle peat, grapefruit, milk chocolate and caramel. Lovely and what you would expect out of a quality scotch.

Yes…. Its still going. As far as I can tell, we are on track for 20. And, as there are 10 spirits tried here, I write this blog, so I will break for sleep and write up the rest tomorrow.

Jameson Irish Whiskey Gold

Price: $62.99

Me: B/B+  My Man: B

Feckin Irish Whiskey

Price: $23.99

Me: C-  My Man: F

Tomatin Highland Scotch Whiskey

Price: $62.99

Me: D  My Man: D

Rebel Yell Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

Price: $24.99

Me: C   My Man: C

Patron Reposado Tequila

Price: $49.99

Me: A-  My Man: A

El Mayor Reposado Tequila

Price: $36.49

Me: B-  My Man: C

The Kraken Black Spice Rum

Price: $15.99

Me: B-  My Man: B-

Bluecoat Gin

Price: $26.99

Me: A-  My Man: A

Vieux Carre absinthe

Price: $54.99

Me: B  My Man: C

Macallan Highland Scotch Whiskey

Price: $139.99

Me: B+  My Man: B

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Daydream

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Dirty Martini

Title caught your attention, didn’t it?  Too bad the Daydream Martini did not capture mine.  This was made with citrus vodka, triple sec and orange juice and bar sugar.  Frankly, it tasted like a sweet screwdriver, owing to the triple sec and the extra sugar.    I drank it and I think that is pretty much all that I can say about that one.  In a previous post, Cathy expressed her views on the infamous screwdriver, and that very much echoes my thoughts so I will move on.

I spent a good part of Sunday at our church, corralling 13-14 years olds in an outreach activity for their youth group, a senior Thanksgiving lunch.   My daughter, however, was absent as she was at a high school open house with her father.   Somehow I ended up on the Youth Group Advisory Board.   This used to happen to me a lot, I “volunteered” for things, like chairing the entire school auction.   I used to do this because I was desperate to keep my son at the school and I thought that if I involved myself in these things, they couldn’t possibly kick him out, right?   Well, they still complained about him; he is a great kid, but Catholic schools are simply not set up for exuberant children who think outside of the box, or who happen to have ADHD and are dyslexic.   Go figure, charity does not necessarily begin at school.   After many tears, much research and a bunch of good luck, we found the right school for my son and he is successful and happy.

And I am still “volunteering” for things.   Heavy sigh.   I actually don’t mind the Youth Group, I do it for my daughter certainly, but also because of the woman who runs it.  She does so much for the church and the school, she deserves help—or whatever meager assistance I can lend.  Needless to say, after this event, I was looking forward to my cocktail(s).   The Daydream failed to impress, but  I liked the gin dirty martini.    Normally I am not a huge fan of dirty martinis, but this one passed muster.   Maybe it was the Bombay Sapphire.   Hiccup.

It will be a busy week, thanks for sharing part of yours with us and thanks stopping by,

Sue

Monday, November 16, 2009
Deep Sea Martini

Monday, November 16, 2009
Eat My Martini

Like Sue’s omnipresent comment, I’m not sure why either of these cocktails has the name that they do.  The Deep Sea Martini is 6 parts gin, 2 parts dry vermouth, 1/2 teaspoon Pernod, 1 dash orange bitters.  Now I will confess, after enough experiences thus far with Pernod (and all of them unpleasant or at least less than desirable), I did use slightly less Pernod.  Maybe if I’d used the full compliment, this drink would have been a bright yellow … but probably not.  It wasn’t THAT much less.  And anyway, I have no desire to have my martini looking like a radioactive urine sample.  After the previous experience with a very un-dry martini, I also cut back on the vermouth for this by about 25%.  Drink ended up being a pale yellow with a hint of orange from the bitters – and actually, it wasn’t half-bad!  Probably the first time you’ll hear me say that about any drink including Pernod.  Possibly the last.  We’ll see.  It looked a little naked with no garnish, maybe an elusive lemon twist would have served that purpose, but it didn’t really need one, to be honest.  I liked this – I think I’ve hit on the right amount of Pernod to use to accentuate but not overpower, at least in my book.  3.75 stars for this – not quite a 4 star but it is close, and if you like the taste of licorice or just the hint of it, give this a try.

My next martini for the evening was titled, “Eat My Martini”.  Mind you, this has nothing to do with the Devil, I was just looking for a catchy blog title.    This cocktail consists of 6 parts honey vodka, 1 part amontillado sherry, and an almond-stuffed olive.  Hooray for the fact that I found that honey vodka recently, I think it’s going to be getting a workout.  Now I’ve never really consumed sherry before (as a drink), to my knowledge – I’ve used it a few times in cooking but that’s about  it.  I do like port, so I was curious if these two were similar.  While searching for the amontillado sherry in BevMo, I happened upon one half of a pair of what I gathered were two good-looking older brothers taking their wheelchair-bound Mom out for a shopping excursion.  Well, they were either brothers are the two halves of a gay couple with somebody’s Mom.  I preferred the former interpretation, not that I’m in the market myself but, hey, a girl still likes to look, and anybody who has a Mom who wants an outing to BevMo to buy booze can’t be all bad, right?   Anyway, the non-wheelchair-pushing gentleman was pondering the sherry section, and as I stepped up and started looking for Amontillado, he asked me rather conversationally if I knew anything about sherry.  I admitted I didn’t, that I’d only bought it for the occasional recipe (and can’t even remember which recipes or if they turned out any good, for that matter), and that I tended to drink port.  I said I was looking for the Amontillado for a martini recipe (I found it).  He went on to say that he’d been watching a lot of reruns of Frasier on TV and was struck by how often Frasier and Niles seemed to enjoy a sherry after dinner, so he decided it was something he wanted to try out.  Thinking of my earlier curiosity as to whether he was there with his brother or his partner, I was tempted to ask if he felt more in common with Kelsey Grammer or David Hyde Pierce, but I figured that was a little obvious.  Then it occurred to me that if a TV show was what inspired you to drink something (as opposed to, say, a real person that you actually know recommending it to you), well, that kind of says something about a person to me.   (Thanks to Bill Sledzik’s “Tough Sledding” blog for the photo here.)  I got my Amontillado sherry and wished him the best of luck with his sherry explorations.

Back at home, I mixed this one up after I finished the Deep Sea.  It was a nice, refreshing contrast, and although I didn’t sample the sherry directly, I would note that it does remind me a lot of port, which is a good thing.  If you had told me I might like it in a martini with honey vodka a few weeks ago, however, I would have said you had bats in your belfry.  But, in the same vein as the California martini (vodka and red wine), this was very worthy.   It had the deep sweetness of a dessert wine thinned out with a softened honey vodka, and of course, the almond-stuffed olive having been soaked in it by the end of the drink is simply delicious.  4.25 stars for this one, I would definitely have it again, or perhaps try the Armada Martini from Sue’s posting of a couple weeks back, which was also vodka with amontillado sherry.  I think I read that amontillado sherry is best kept refrigerated and for no more than two weeks, so I had better get busy on that goal!

Cheers,
Cathy

As previously mentioned, several months ago we kicked up our cocktail program a notch and introduced a Classic Cocktail of the Week.  I know it’s not an original idea.  Places have been doing this for years. (A colleague accused me of stealing the idea from him. LOL!)  Not original but still a good idea for a whole bunch of reasons.

We decided to do it because we thought our Bartenders could use some training in everyone making the same drinks the same way.  There is a lot of ego in drink making!  Not wanting to bruise any, and still knowing that just like with the food menu, cocktail consistency matters.  Also, as with cuisine, being grounded in the basics is necessary before a cook/chef can go off and improvise (I say).  A bartender (aka “Bar Chef”) needs grounding in classic technique and combinations before they can go off and be a credible improvisational mixologist (I say). Finally, I don’t want my bartenders using our expensive ingredients to experiment on the public. Knowledge is power. Power to the bartender!  Okay…. I am getting a little out there with this…back on track.

So we are working our way through Classic Cocktails, one week at a time.  It goes pretty much like this: One week something fairly common (Daiquiri, Tom Collins, Whiskey Sour), one week something obscure (Aviation, Silver Fizz), or in between (Negroni, Rob Roy, Zombie), throw in an occasional forgotten cocktail (Pompadour) and before know it we have perfected at least a dozen cocktails, all classics. We have a long way to go. It’s fun!  Our bartenders are better for it. Our guests more cocktail savvy too. It’s a win-win

This week we are mixing up a somewhat obscure classic cocktail Winnie-the-Pooh would love; Bee’s Knees. Not many cocktails feature honey as a sweetener; generally it would muck-up the purity of drinks with distinct flavors (Think margaritas and daiquiris. Honey? Yuck!) However, Bee’s Knees is all about the warm, floral flavors of honey.  Honey always works well with lemon, and combined with the herbal tones of Gin, it’s a match! 

A Classic Cocktail Winnie-the-Pooh would love!

Bee’s Knees Recipe

• 2 ounces Gin
• 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice
• 3/4 ounce Honey Syrup
• Lemon peel

 Combine the Gin, Lemon juice, and Honey is a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel.  Want to get fancy? Flame the lemon peel (not essential).

Hello all!!! My affections for Devil Survivor have recently been revived! I had stopped playing before because of the whole Lucifer battle thing. I honestly couldn’t get past it. After clearing Gin & Haru’s route and Yuzu’s route twice (worst time of my life), I finally got to follow Atsuro’s and that’s where I encountered Lucy for the first time. I spent weeks—two month’s worth of them—leveling up my party to 99. After succeeding (with the exception of four demons… Haha) I still couldn’t beat that fool! So… I stopped playing for awhile. I just started again yesterday and decided to skip the damn battle. (The game soon regained its amazing, super-duper appeal shortly afterward) I’m psyched to try again, though, because I just learned that Lucy only has three forms and every time I lost, he was always on the last one. This was a major relief, seeing as I originally thought he would regenerate forever, making me lose all hope. Hah. Anywho, I’m aiming for Naoya’s route now. Yuzu’s route was just DUMB—which was not surprising, but still. I mean, running away? That girl is a moron—plus she never SHUTS UP. Gah! Not to mention Honda was a little creepy, but I mean, you can’t really blame him seeing as he lost someone so important to him, intensifying the fact that everyone within that circle was slowly going insane. I enjoyed Atsuro’s, though. He’s my super duper favorite for a non-bad guy, so it was fun kissing up and getting on his good side and stuff. Hehe. I feel bad for him sometimes, though. Naoya’s always bossing him around, telling him to shut up, calling him an idiot, etc. and he just stands there and takes it. Although, I must admit, it’s pretty funny; Naoya’s a jerk and Atsuro’s his eager little bitch. Anyway, the only thing about starting cycle after cycle is reliving those first few days over and over again. They’re so… BORING! Especially the first day and the day before. They are the WORST. How many times must I be forced to watch the prologue before they supply me with the “skip” option? I mean, seriously. And you’re letting me keep my lv. 99 demons, so what the hell do I have to catch these lv. 1 bastards again for…? Then later on, you have to start over with leveling up the humans. Oh, and I like to think of a new name for the M.C. for each cycle and eventually, one runs out of names… I wouldn’t really call that a fault, though, since that was my own choice. Mmkay, so I think I’ve ranted enough. I’m going to go play now and hopefully I’ll be done with this cycle in a couple days. Man, having to balance video gaming with school and stuff is a pain. Really makes me miss summer: Devil Survivor from Noon ’til 5 AM, every day… Beautiful moments… *sniffles*