Much-Needed Release

Good Morning -

Whew - I was up late, late, late last night. The evening started innocently enough by going for happy hour drinks with my partner and a friend. We went to Cushing St. Bar and Restaurant, a place (formerly) known for its mojitos. I say "formerly" because the mojitos we had last night seemed to be of the virgin-variety (all the purity and none of the punch of the Virgens we normally discuss here). I had two and normally two cocktails will have me curled up and sleeping in the corner, but these left me nothing but minty-mouthed.

Good thing we were headed over to another friends' afterwards to play some poker, enjoy more beverages, and celebrate our friend's transition to a new job. There wasn't room at the table for both me and my partner so I started the game while she ate the Sonoran hot dog she had picked up on the way between Cushing St. and our friends' house. Before settling ourselves in our respective spots, she mixed up a batch of homemade mojitos and I am here to tell you that there was nothing virgin about these.

Perhaps it was that first round of homemade mojitos. Perhaps it was the bacon-wrapped bliss of the hot dog. Either way, we ended up staying where we started - I at the table and she mixing mojitos and providing delightful stories to the card game.

The natural checks and balances that occur when one is either paying for each beverage placed before oneself or when one is mixing each beverage placed before oneself was absent for me last night, so I was able to get quite giggly through no effort of my own. Because it was my partner behind the bar, I didn't even have to request a drink - she was quite lovingly attentive to the fullness of my glass and always made sure I was never dry (this is probably one of many reasons why I would never have butler staff - it's too easy to get good and drunk when the only effort involved in a beverage is the drinking of it).

So, I think this explains just about all you see on our Virgen today - a joker from the cards, mint leaves from the mojitos (hopefully shellacked past rotting with the magical, clear-drying door and window caulking), burlap for the homespun feel of the night, and silver thread for the bit of classy that comes with cards. The bee was on the joker but also represents the hive that these friends had in their ceiling this week (exterminators were called, some stinging occurred, caulking was applied, a hotel room was rented, and many bees met their great rewards).

All in all, it was just what I needed after a week of hot, hot, hot. Here's to friends, cards, laughs, and the occasional bout of effortless mojitos.