A warm drink

Hot chocolate at night, spiked with the last of the cream bourbon.

Varvar

I went to Ukraine last year, and brought back some alcohol that I (still) haven't finished. Tonight, I had a gose from Varvar, a Ukrainian brewery. And it was delicious. I've liked everything I've had from them -- and I have one beer left. If only I could get it in the States!

You know what's good?

Warm cherry pie and chilled ice wine.

Sharing is caring

I had a socially distanced picnic this evening, and there was another group doing the same in the same park. They were kind enough to walk over to us with a bottle of margaritas, ice and glasses and offer to share their bounty.

We chatted a little, and it's the first time I've *really* talked to strangers -- at least in a non-work setting -- for months. It was a nice gesture in the midst of continuing madness.

Great Lakes

I keep forgetting about alcohol. I know, I'm doing this lockdown all wrong.

But last night, I remembered I keep wanting a beer. And I remembered to put a couple in the fridge! And then I drank one. And... the beers I have are a little old, so it wasn't the most delicious thing in the world, but it was cold and refreshing and all was well with the world.

And it was Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, too, so I got to have a Great Lakes, which cannot be gotten in these parts. Hence the age. Still, a good thing.

Wine

I opened my first bottle of quarantine wine yesterday, amazingly. It turns out wine can be tasty! Especially when paired with chocolate.

I'm so good at yoga

(This is actually veryyyyyy far from the truth.)

But the most exciting thing to happen today is that a friend who teaches yoga decided she was going to livestream classes. The timing worked today for me to hop on. And it was so nice -- it was nice to do it, but also nice to feel encouraged by a friend! I've never taken her classes before IRL, but she was great.

And then we started an email exchange when I thanked her for doing it. And it's been a long while since I've seen her, so that's great, too.

Other positive things today: what's become a weekly dinner date with some friends. A walk outside for the first time in forever. Grey skies and crisp air. A Crazy Ex-Girlfriend meme. Cooking real food (of a sort) for the who-knows-what-time in a row. Peanut butter M&Ms. (They're sure to make a repeat appearance.) Various forms of contact with various people.

And it was yesterday, but I made a super tasty martini (or two) with some hazelnut espresso vodka I brought back from Portland last year. Yum.

Drunken Stool Making

There is so much happiness in my life at the moment.  I am visiting with my sister in Takoma Park, MD, and Sister Love is always a good thing!

Last night, however, was the joy of joys that only a sibling can bring.  My sister and I have a tradition of drinking heavily and watching bad romantic comedies/teen romance movies when we visit.  Last night was no exception!

The best part of the night was in the conversation that follows.

Chrys: Do you have any tools?  I want to put together your stools...
Lauren: Oh!  Yeah! I was planning on putting those together once I got drunk!


My Family is special.
My life is happiness.

On foot

I haven't had a car for a couple weeks now, and while it's been frustrating in its own way, there's also some good that's come of it. Namely, by taking public transportation to work, I've had more time to read. I think I've gotten through five or six books so far in January; that's much faster than my normal weekday pace.

It's not the first time I've used public transportation instead of my car, but it's the first time I've done it not by choice -- and the first time for any extended period in Atlanta. Sure, MARTA leaves much to be desired route-wise and otherwise, but I have to admit that I feel a little better about myself for walking to the station and walking to work and maneuvering the lines to still go out on occasion.

Also, taking the train provides me with many more opportunities to get hit on by guys with bottles in paper bags. And those always make for good stories.

ahhh, sweet Christmas.

Several Amazing things happened this Christmas for me, which I feel that I should share.

1) I was blessed with Christmas Ale from one very awesome friend up North. Not only this, but I got to share this blessing with 3 new people. I am not sure that I have quite converted them to Great Lakes Minions yet, but I feel the seed has been planted.

2) I had an amazing "Christmas Part 2" Dinner with my family on the 27th of Reuben and Christmas Ale. A Real Cleveland Christmas despite not being able to travel up north this year.

3) My boyfriends family has completely brought me in to the fold. I recieved a "Santa Bag" from them this year. A tradition that they have had since the boys were little (mind you, the youngest boy is now 31.) Andy's sister in law also got one this year. She married in to the family 9 years ago. I felt rather special and loved.

4) My boyfriend, in a moment of weakness, has agreed to let me get a full sized tree for the house tomorrow. My slow takover of Christmas has begun.

For a Christmas Spent away from home and my family of origin (parents and sis were in Cleve with the extended family on Xmas day.) It was really quite nice and heartwarming. Even going in to work from 5-10 was kind of nice.

Hodgepodge

Yesterday, I saw a car with Christmas lights -- lit up -- strung through and around the roof rack.

There was a flock of birds that looked like an amoeba, pulsing in and out as the fowl dodged about in the wind.

In the mailbox, there was a Christmas card from our mail carrier. Also, in Sunday's paper, one from the delivery person.

Holidays are a great time for real mail. And visitors who are returning to see family. Sometimes, those visitors even have boxes of awesomeness.

Business-class flights include free alcohol.

I've just finished the first 24 hours of what will be an amazing week of delicious Indian food and fantastic friends. And a fluffy dog.

Good tidings, y'all.

Regret the error

When journalists make mistakes in their work, they're supposed to acknowledge and fix those mistakes at the next possible opportunity -- in the next day's paper, by fixing it in an online story, by announcing the mistake on-air. I can really only speak for newspapers, but most, if not all, have a space for those corrections, often on page two.

There's a great Web site that tracks corrections, called Regret the Error. It gets the name from the last sentence of many corrections, which is often the publication saying that it does, in fact, regret having made the error.

They're often entertaining and interesting reads. But I want to call your attention to the 2009 best-of list.

The funny doesn't really start until four screens down (skip the fact-checking part unless you're inherently interested in that sort of thing and start with the Correction of the Year).

I'll let you read the correction itself, which is most unfortunate. And a number of the corrections contained in the list (or more appropriately, the mistakes that were made that led to the corrections being on that list) were hysterical. But the thing that made me laugh out loud while sitting at work was a Twitter meme referring to that correction of the year. Its hashtag is #washingtonpostcorrections and in case they're off the screen by the time you search it, it includes such gems as:

• PamPF99 Please note that The Monkees are in fact believers, and not heretics as reported. The Post regrets the error. #washingtonpostcorrections
• mistabaka: Mo money does not, as was reported, bring mo problems, we regret the error. #washingtonpostcorrections
• cobrown: Snoop Dogg did not, as we reported, contract the plague. It was his chronic that was bubonic. #washingtonpostcorrections
• jsmooth995: George Clinton has assured us his roof remains intact, and he takes fire safety quite seriously. #washingtonpostcorrections
• sethlipkin There is, in fact, a mountain high enough. The Post regrets the error. #washingtonpostcorrections
• nolamomma Dr. Dre is IN Public Enemy. He is not considered by law enforcement to be A public enemy. #washingtonpostcorrections

You get the picture.

And some real corrections (from the best-of) to whet your palate:

Toronto Sun: A headline on page one of the Toronto Sun yesterday was both inaccurate and misleading. In fact, as the story reported, the mother of a boy involved in a high school fight in Keswick said her son “said something stupid.” She did not say nor imply he was stupid. The Sun regrets the error and apologizes to the boy and his family.

Los Angeles Times: Bear sighting: An item in the National Briefing in Sunday’s Section A said a bear wandered into a grocery story in Hayward, Wis., on Friday and headed for the beer cooler. It was Thursday.

Why Halloween is super, and other tales

Yesterday was the fun-filled conclusion of Cleveland Beer Week, which included much quality friend time, out-of-city visitors and adorable miniature beer steins with a doctored (to say BEER) FREE stamp logo on them. It was pretty wonderful and delicious.

But that's not why you're here, exactly (although, the fact that there's a homebrewing group called the Society of Northeast Ohio Brewers -- allowing them to get the Web site beersnobs.org -- is pretty fantastic and grin-worthy). You're here, instead, so I can tell you that when we were driving in, I saw a man driving past in white face-paint, done up like a mime. But with glasses, which makes it all the more surreal.

And so I can tell you that a friend of mine, who body paints in his free time, painted two friends and myself as a dog, a cat and a mouse one October a few years ago. We bought tails and ears and looked the part, and decided the perfect thing to do was to go out to a bar.

And can you believe that not a single person -- not the waitress, not anyone we walked past -- even mentioned our attire? Lesson learned: dress up oddly in non-October months for maximum effect. The process and the company were still entertaining, though.

Overheard

"It's a good thing I don't like cocaine as much as I like animal crackers."

Inauguration Day

Walking from work to my car, I pass a wine bar that usually plays music like this.

Today, it was blasting NPR into the sidewalk.

The Fortune Cookie Story

As per Arielle's request.....

While spending Christmas in Northeast Ohio, my family decided to take part in one of the great Jewish traditions: Chinese Food on Christmas!!!

When we got our fortune cookies, and I opened mine, Ta-Da!! There were two fortunes in it!

1) Travelling to the south will bring you unexpected happiness.
2) Be prepared to modify your plans.

Oh! I am going back home in a few days! This must mean somehting good and big will happen when I get home! Yay! I wonder what it could be!??!?!

Now, I do not normally put much stock in fortune cookies. I am NOT like Arielle in the I follow what they tell me to do. Maybe it was the Christmas Spirit. Maybe it was the Brandy Alexanders that I drank. But it seemed like I should pay attention to these fortunes.

I told Andy, my boyfriend, about my fortunes when I got home, and you could see the gears a-turning, and a look of concern on his face. Huh? This is Strange? Come to find out that he was afraid I was expecting an engagement ring.

Aye De Mi.

Boys are silly.