Things & Stuff
I’ve uploaded a new mix to 8Tracks. You’ll also be able to find it for a while on the sidebar to the right. Happy listening!
Justin came back from the corner store last night with these beauties – a six pack of Happy Camper IPA, brewed in Santa Fe, New Mexico! Look at that lovely New Mexican flag! And can I just mention how crazy it is to have an IPA in a CAN?!
I squealed when he brought it in. Not because I’m going to drink it (I’m more of a cocktail girl), but because it’s the New Mexico flag!! On a beer!!
For those of you who don’t know, I grew up in New Mexico, and I miss it sometimes, and all it’s little quirks. Including the flag. I still remember all this from New Mexico history class, in the fourth grade:
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
Our hearts with pride o’reflow,
No matter where we go.
O, Fair New Mexico,
We love, we love you so,
The grandest state to know
New Mexico.
I. Am. A nerd. 🙂
It’s hard to talk about not working full-time. I feel guilty that I am not in my cubicle, helping to churn out work, alleviating pressure on others, doing my part to contribute to the Gross National Product. It’s hard to say that I love my life without feeling a little bad about it. But I do.
Yesterday Justin and I had breakfast at Galaxy Cafe at 9:00 a.m. We walked over to Caffe Medici for coffee afterward, then went back home. I took a nap. I had lunch with friends. I ran errands. I took photos. I made lists. I read a book. I did crossword puzzles. I worked on a new project.
Today I slept in. Justin and I had sandwiches together for lunch, and then I drove around town all afternoon. I looked for vintage glassware and plates at Goodwill, checked out the fabrics at Hancock, stopped at Parts & Labour to see what was new, dropped books off at the library. Justin had a dinner meeting, and I stayed home, glued to my computer, working on updating a website. I’ve been at it for maybe 3 1/2 hours, and I’m betting I’ll stay up most of the night working on it until I finish. And that’s okay, because tomorrow, I can sleep in, if needed.
I lose track of weekends and weekdays, because we work every day, and don’t work every day. I don’t feel bad if I stay up reading a book until 2:00 a.m. I am okay with eating dinner at 9:00 p.m. I can drink coffee at noon. Throughout the day, I answer emails, write, update websites, craft newsletters, read blogs, chat online with friends, and daydream.
My desk is right in front of a window. I can see the outdoors. In the middle of the afternoon, I might go start some laundry. I might make a kale-apple-ginger-carrot juice at 10:00 a.m. I might have a glass of Lillet while I work in the evenings. I snuggle with the kitty cats. And, best of all, I see Justin throughout the day. I get kisses and hugs throughout the day. I get to hang out with my best friend, every day.
I decided today that it’s okay that I love my life. I realize that I am very blessed to have this life right now. It may be that a year from now, I am back in a cubicle, not seeing daylight for eight or nine hours. I may only have this life for a short time. So I’m going to enjoy it. And I must also accept that we have worked hard for this life, have cultivated it, have earned it, whether it be temporary or permanent. We pay for private health insurance. We work weekends and evenings. We don’t get paid vacation or sick leave. This is the hardest part – believing that I deserve it.
Still, I must get back to my cocktail and work, even though it is midnight. 🙂
So we finally bought some Lillet blanc, so that we can make Corpse Reviver #2 cocktails at home. It’s one of the first classic cocktails we tasted, and is still one of our favorites.
The recipe is really easy to remember – equal parts (we use 3/4 ounce) of Paula’s Texas Orange (or Cointreau), Lillet blanc, gin, and lemon juice, plus a few drops of absinthe or absinthe substitute (we use Pastis). You shake it all up with ice, and strain it into a cocktail glass. I adore my vintage glass that I found at Goodwill…
…as well as my little owl timer that my sister gave me! He’s so cute, and when the time is up, he rings very nicely, just once, then winds down.
Anyway, we really like Lillet. I was excited to see that Justine’s (warning, their website is quite horrid on the eyes and almost impossible to read) has Lillet and a Lillet cocktail as an aperitif, as well as a Mauresque (pastis with orgeat syrup). Ever since I first saw Madame Suzanne make a Mauresque at The Two Windmills, I’ve wanted to try one. Come to think of it, we have pastis and orgeat syrup, so we should try making it at home! And also, we should go to Justine’s soon. (Escargot! Pork chop! Twinkle lights!)
Did I mention that I’m a hopeless Francophile? Well, I am. 🙂
Roux is very prim and proper. He likes to sit in boxes and survey his domain.
Little just flops anywhere and everywhere.
10 things that make me happy: