For All the World to See: June 2005

Designer Margaritas

Margaritas are, hands down, the best summer drink. They're cool, they're pretty, they're sexy, and they can be sweet or sour.

And I'm here to tell you how to make super simple designer margaritas.

Ready?

Okay. All you need is sugar, ice, tequila...and Kool-Aid.

That's right--Kool-Aid's not just for kids anymore. No sirreee.

Pick out your favorite, most intriguing Kool-Aid flavor. Ice-Blue Raspberry Lemonade, anyone? Swirling Strawberry Starfruit? Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade? You get the idea.

Make the packet of Kool-Aid (I usually don't add as much sugar as the packet calls for) as directed, and then use that as your margarita mixer. Add tequila and ice to taste...and voila!

Designer margaritas.

Let me know how it goes and how much of the pitcher you drink yourself, okay?

My Favorite Underwear

Everyone's got one: the first pair of underwear you pull out of your drawer when you've just done all your laundry and everything's clean.

The one that fits just right, regardless of what time of the month it is. The one that doesn't leave huge panty lines, or any panty lines at all. Maybe your favorite underwear is a thong.

Maybe the elastic is starting to show under the frayed edges of the leg holes. Maybe the lace that, at first, was scratchy, is now soft and doesn't annoy your skin.

It's comfort and familiarity, rolled into one.

I've got my favorite pair of underwear, but I've also got my favorite book, movie, and record album. The ones that feel the same way when I slip them on: comfortable, worn, familiar. These are the ones I take out and read/watch/listen to when I just don't have anything new that I want to read/watch/listen to. Or when I just want to visit an old friend.

A friend of mine, when he was younger, read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy thirteen times in a row. He would finish it, then start it over again immediately. The guy reads fast, so it wasn't like it took him all that long to do so...but wow.

Right now I'm reading one of my "favorites," which is how I got to thinking about how and why we revisit these faves. It's probably the tenth time I've read it, and the second time in the last four months.

So why do we go back to them, over and over? We already know what's going to happen; we already know every single note to every song, and half of the lines in the movie. And when we go back, why aren't we bored?

For me, it's because it's so well-written (book, movie, or music) that the beauty/humor/words/emotions evoked by the work strikes me anew every time. And every time, I do find something else that speaks to me.

Plus, there's something to be said for familiarity in a world that is full of surprises and disconnect. Maybe it's as simple as that: we need that connection with something familiar sometimes and this is one way we can.

So my faves? Here are three of them:

Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters
Grace | Jeff Buckley
When Harry Met Sally...

Speaking of favorite underwear, Liz Phair's the one who got me thinking about it with her song Favorite.

The Second Time's Better

Now that I've gotten past the blush and excitement of my first post, let's move onto something more interesting.

We lost power at my house yesterday when lightning struck the telephone pole in our front yard. Because we have a well, a loss of electricity doesn’t just mean no air conditioning, no computer and no microwave…it means no water. No toilet. No shower. No tap.

With three kids under nine, and 90+ degree weather, this is not what I would call fun!

However, the power’s back (hence my foray into blogging) and all is well. The air conditioning is running again…and, dammit, another thunderstorm is brewing.

Let’s pray for no more lightning strikes, shall we?

Virgin Post

At last. My own blog. When I update my website (something I plan to do in the next month), I'll link to it then.

For now, I'll suffice to say that I've popped my blog cherry and can now consider myself an experienced blogger.