I’m ready for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s sweltering hot today and I’m reading the tweets from the Humboldt Lagoon park gator about his upcoming swim get together. Almost hot enough to be tempting ; )
I always drink red. White makes me sleepy. But I must confess I never remember which of the reds I like – malbec, merlot, cab, pinot noir – it’s all the same to me. In a restaurant, I generally go for the cheapest glass. We have a friend who is a huge oenophile and I just find the whole thing totally fuddy duddy. But, I guess I’m showing my lack of class. Oh well.
Speaking of snakes: I was in the basement of our house one day – not wearing my glasses – looking for a particular item. I knew it was in a little cabinet I have down there. As I reached my hand toward the handle of one side of the cabinet, I thought to myself, “What’s that? It looks like a bike lock between the two handles on each side of the cabinet. Then I touched it and it moved!” Yes, a snake – curled through the two facing handles. Apparently I’ve never shrieked so loudly during my entire marriage – my husband thought I had come across a dead body or something!!
He graciously removed said snake to the woods next door, but every time I go to the basement now, I’m wary.
Oooh, I have a snake story myself. We live in a very old house (275 years old) with a stone foundation. One day my daughter was playing the piano in the living room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement in a mouse trap my husband had set. She called to us, “I think there’s a live mouse in the mousetrap.” Upon inspection, there was a mouse in the trap. However, he was dead. The movement was a snake eating the dead mouse. I almost fainted. I have no idea what kind of snake it was, but it was BIG. I ran out of the room screaming, put boots on my feet, and stood on a chair while my husband released the snake at the the edge of the woods by our house.
The only red I remember growing up was Magen David Concord Grape at Passover, although I’m sure my parents had something different when we went east to visit relatives and dined in The City.
Now with my sweet tooth I like the fruity whites. But most of all I like rum and vodka drinks. I’ve tried something different with each pool party we host and claim that I can now make crafted cocktails. We have impressed friends with our collection of different flavored liqueurs. My newest is maraschino liqueur. which I needed to make Beachcombers. They are basically rum, orange liqueur (any kind), said maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. And ice if you insist on diluting it.
I don’t know the Magan David Concord Grape but I know the Manichewitz red stuff. A more vile beverage has never been created. Someone brought us a bottle once and, after they left, I poured it down the drain.
@doschicos - Your story reminds me of when we were in Gatlinberg, TN and I asked a lady at the waffle place if they had real maple syrup. She replied “It must be real, they make it in the kitchen.”
Pass the white wine please…
@Marilyn, I highly recommend Deep Eddy’s grapefruit vodka for some of your fruity drinks. We mix it with cranberry and a little lime, and I think a touch of Cointreau over ice.
We went riding our bikes one moring the recent holiday weekend. When we got home, I asked my husband if he wanted some frozen fruit mixed with OJ or cranberry. We decided on both. Then we decided everything’s a little better with some Deep Eddy’s, so we dumped some in. I think it was about noon at that point, but hey, it was a holiday.
===noise of bar stool being abruptly pushed back away from bar===
I’m getting outta here. Sorry! Catch you on another day. HATE snakes.
Best thread ever. I’m laughing very time I come back.
I rarely eat waffles and pancakes in diners because I’m a maple syrup snob.
Speaking of camping, there was the time we set up our tent in the Angeles National Forest. When we opened the tent flap the next morning we were surrounded by tarantula. Apparently we’d put the tent on top of their nest. Luckily they were as appalled by us as we were by them.
@mathmom, reading that story just about justifies daydrinking. Yikes!
@mathmom , with you on maple syrup.
We once went glamping in a yurt near Big Sur, long before glamping was a thing. Great view of the Pacific Ocean, not cheap I might add. After a late night (mostly due to the noise of the, ahem, amorous neighbors in the adjacent yurt. Helpful hint: tents don’t have “walls”), we looked forward to an upmarket breakfast.
They had a make your own waffle station in the dining room, which, at that time, was very cutting edge. Imagine my disgust at discovering I had poured something on my waffles that even Aunt Jemima would shudder at.
It didn’t ruin the holiday, but it really annoyed me. Folks, don’t be cheap if you’re selling yourself as luxury!
Maple-Bourbon smash, anyone?
Last night I had dinner with a friend at a medium-scale (not upscale but not Applebee’s either) restaurant. I had a glass of white wine and again I realized 1) how little I know about wine, and 2) how much better it was than what I buy for home, from the Australian-California-whatever chain brands. I definitely need to educate myself. If I can afford to spend $10 for a glass of really yummy wine, I can afford to spend more than $10 for a bottle at home.
Absolutely @oldmom4896 . I drink very little, so I feel that I should spend a little more on the wine I drink at home. You can get a tasty bottle of wine for $15-$20.
Just an FYI that today is National Mojito Day. A wonderful summer cooler.
Our camping story was taking DH’s sister and her family camping in the Maine woods. The kids were 1, 4, and 7. They lived in Brookline and were NOT into camping. The husband was about as citified as you could get. We so wanted it to be a nice experience for them.
So of course, it POURED the entire weekend. It was miserable. We tried escaping to the camp store to get out of the rain. The baby cried so much that the employees asked us to leave. 
Needless to say, that is the only time my in-laws ever went camping with us.
Speaking of wine and rain, we are scheduled to go for an anniversary weekend away… right into the path of the tropical storm/hurricane! We are staying near botanical gardens which we were hoping to visit. Well, nay have to belly up to the bar sooner than planned. We are taking a wine blending class, so that will help drown our sorrows.
@oldmom4896 - we used to have a wine snobs thread many moons ago. Maybe its time to start another libations thread (love to read about craft drinks too!)
Not sure the bartenders at sinners alley pour the good stuff 
Snakes… lol. Our dog once found a garter snake in the yard of House1. Mr. saw the dog with the snake dangling from his snout and grabbed it. He then ran straight to the neighbors’ yard, where I was chatting with the neighbor about some garden stuff. Mr. waved the snake into our faces with excitement, “Hi Jane, do you know what kind of snake this is?” You gotta give Jane a lot of credit for keeping her cool. ?
Is it lunchtime yet for my virtual royal cocktails? 
I’m just here to learn how to drink. Oh, and also to tell @HarrietMWelsch what a profound effect she had on my childhood.
I’ll buy you a Mata Hari, @twinsmama! 
Make that Mata Haris all around.
About to host a neighborhood get together. Basically an excuse to see each other and drink during the week. ; ). We have an Italian red blend, a French Rose, and a NZ SB along with local beer and non alcoholic selections. Have a virtual one on me!