Day: July 11, 2005

I submit to you two specific reasons why I believe a conspiracy is being plotted against me on my first day back from vacation:

1. No air conditioning in the office, and
2. Internet access is sporadic and spotty. Blogs? Accessible. Yahoo? No.

I smell a plot, by those who would destroy me, trying to break my spirit! They infiltrated the Ace Hardware over lunch, when I went to buy a fan for Miss K, since she was sweating, too, and I got all the way back here to discover the fan blade was broken.

Now I ask you, and I even called Ace to ask, because it seemed so logical: would you not just accept the broken fan blade, and pull a new one from another box? In my world, when I rule it, you will be able to. But nooooo, not today! I had to take the WHOLE THING back in, even though I was literally just there. So I said “Screw it!” because I was pouring sweat and I had debated on upgrading MY fan to a Vornado, giving the Blue Wind Machine to Kristin, and rather than have to put a fan together, I upgraded, fifteen minutes after buying the cheaper fan. Perhaps the Vornado people are behind the plot.

Well, if they are, they sure make a great fan.

So, it’s ’bout that time again, waving farewell to a week of vacation, over which I accomplished nothing except turning a year older! Woohoo! F the garage and all its contents! F the craft room! F the po-lice (only the ones on motorcycles)! It’s nutters, but I missed work, I missed my daily interactions & brilliant mutterings after I hang up the phone. (“F that stupid sumbitch, whattheHELL?”) But I did enjoy the time off & am already thinking “Self, when we taking more time off?” Guess I’ll have to get some stuff done now, I don’t have the excuse, “I’m on VACATION!”

I did, actually, make one hell of a vat of Sangria last Saturday night. Here’s a picture, in all it’s sparkling glory!

There’s no way to fully recreate it, but here’s what I did:
Started with a bit of simple syrup – about 3/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup sugar, cooked until sugar dissolves & cooled – 4 bottles of cheap red wine – one container raspberry-lemonade concentrate, one can of water – one can of lemon-lime soda – 2/3 bottle peach brandy – huge assortment of cut-up fruit: cherries, oranges, lemons, limes, granny smith apples, peaches, grapes, strawberries – serve very cold over ice, with plenty of fruit & a few pours of lemon-lime soda (for fizz & to lighten it a bit – completely optional). You can add fruit juice, skip the brandy, substitute rum – judging from the 8 bajillion recipes on the internet, there are a LOT of options. If you plan ahead (we didn’t), it’s even better the next day! (The leftovers proved it!)