A Change Gonna Come

Optimism (when life hands you lemons, make lemonade vodka)

2 oz lemonade vodka (brand: Sweet Carolina)

1 oz triple sec

3 oz cranberry juice

Frozen cranberries (get 'em at Whole Foods)

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice.  Boom! Shake shake shake the room

Pour over ice into a Collins glass  

Float three frozen cranberries in the drink.  Helps to keep it cold, and when they thaw, they're fun to squeeze in the drink for an added burst of flavor and color

We interrupt the last post (that I started writing nearly a month ago) to bring you some exciting news:

I. Got. The. Job.

!!!!!

I've been stressing at work lately and have been feeling at my wits end.  One day in particular I was feeling out of sorts and my cell phone rang from a familiar area code.  When the caller said "Alice, I apologize for taking so long to get back to you, but we would like to formally extend you an offer..." I almost wet my pants.  It was the perfect call, at the perfect time, with the perfect opportunity.  Oh and did I mention that in addition to an $11,000 salary bump, I'm also getting a signing bonus to help with my move to Chicago?

Yeah.  Who has 2 thumbs and rocks? [pointing thumbs at self] THIS GIRL!!!!

So I just got back from spending 4 days there apartment shopping, and I've narrowed it down to two awesome places.  I'll be moving in mid March and have already started planning my "bon voyage extravaganza" complete with a "Rock Kicking Party".

You know, because I'm about to kick rocks. 

When life hands you lemons, make a vodka lemonade cooler, and wait for the fruits of your labor to fall upon you.

750 miles to the left

Chi-Town (Alice's take on the old classic Chicago Cocktail)

2 oz. White Brandy (Christian Brothers makes a great, if not the only, frost white brandy)
1 oz. Lemon/Lime flavored seltzer water

1 oz. Triple Sec 

Dash of Angostura Bitters

Use a cocktail glass with a sugar rim (rub a lemon around the rim of the glass then dip it in powdered sugar). Combine ingredients (except the seltzer) in a shaker over ice. Shake it up, shake it up, shake it up, shake it.  Then strain into the glass adding the seltzer simultaneously.  The original recipe uses regular brandy and champagne, but mine is better, so there.

I know that I've been gone for a while, but I've been crazy busy.  My sister is doing really well, and that stress has been lifted.  After all of that I've decided to make some significant changes in my life.  I've been thinking about goals that I've had for a while and how I need to start making things happen, rather then daydream and live in regret.

I'm actually part of a small group of fabulous women who are generally separated by one degree or less.  We've created a list of 40x40.  Meaning 40 goals that we would like to accomplish by the time that we turn 40 years in age.  Now on my 40, I have a gang of things, but one that has been paramount is to move to Chicago.  I fell in love with the city after seeing the movie Love Jones (corny, I know), but after visiting a  few times I decided a few years ago that one day I would call Chi-town home.

So over the last few weeks I've been interviewing with a company in my coveted city.  I've had a gang of phone interviews, one face to face interview locally and I'll be out there next week for what may be a final interview! I'm super optimistic about this job - so much so I've started apartment hunting and last night I'm convinced that I found THE perfect apartment! It's in the neighborhood that I want, in my price range and has 3 of my fave architectural features - clawfoot tub, exposed brick AND hardwood floors. 

Somebody pinch me. 

The interviews have been going extremely well and at this point I think that the only thing that I could do to ruin it would be to show up late, drunk and to piddle in the middle of the conference room floor.  Since I stopped drinking malt liquor when I was 17, the chances of that happening are slim to none.  I'm trying not to jinx myself, but I also believe in willing things to happen, so I can't wait until I get the offer from my new job, so that I can call my new landlord and tell him to hold my new apartment, cuz Mama's coming. 

Now where did I put my drink?