Amber Alert

Amber Alert


2oz Canadian Whisky
1oz Honey Liqueur
1oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2oz Water


Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake it like it stole something.  Pour over cracked ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon, or if you want to get fancy use one of those honeycomb stick dealies.


Enjoy!


Alice where the hell have you been???


As you can imagine a LOT has happened since the offer came through and I went apartment hunting. I'm in the airport now, so I'll give a condensed version of events.  About a month before I was supposed to start my new job (2.5 weeks before I packed up a moving truck and gave Philly the heave-ho) I was informed that the department that I was to be overseeing was "restructured" and that the position that I was offered "no longer existed".


Who the fu -


What?


Livid does not even describe how I felt. Mind you, I had already placed a non-refundable deposit on my apartment, reserved and paid a deposit on a moving truck and had multiple going away parties.  All that was left was to hand in my resignation, pack up my house and hit the road. Again, I ask... WHAT??


When my anger and resentment subsided, prayer and good effin' friends set in.  I decided that with the emotional support of my friends, the financial support of my savings and the wherewith all to become a Chicagoan, I was going to go anyway.


So that's what I did.  I turned in my resignation, packed up my house and hit the road.  16 hours later (google maps lies terrible and vicious lies) I pulled in front of my building and smiled.


I was home.


Now newly unemployed and ineligible for unemployment benefits, what was I to do? uhh... get a job.  Now granted, I'm in a field that is somewhat particular, so while that doesn't necessarily mean that there are jobs a plenty, it's a small professional circle and I have a pretty good reputation.  So I started interviewing.  And while I interviewed I did some consulting that while not as much as I was used to making, helped me and the cat from surviving off of the same food.


Then nearly two months to the date of my arrival into the windy city I got an offer for an awesome job and I started this week.


So here I am in the airport (my new job requires tons of travel, which I love) on my way home.


To Chicago :-).


It was a little rough, but so worth it.  I finally shut up and put up and I couldn't be happier.

Three Times Dope

Sake Bomb

-1 shot of warm sake

-6 oz of cold domestic beer (I used Coors Light because someone left a case at my house during my last party) 

-chopsticks

Pour beer into a frosted pilsner glass. Set chopsticks parallel across the top of the glass.  Balance the sake in a shot glass on the chopsticks.  Bang on the table until the shot glass falls into the beer and chug.  Don't expect to feel like a lady when you're done.

As you can imagine I have been crazy busy and life has been a complete whirlwind.  I decided on an awesome awesome awesome condo in Hyde Park (ya know, Barack Obama and Farrakhan's hood? Yeah, that Hyde Park).  I chose this place because of the location, it has a great walk score, and because it had elements that I have always loved about my homes.  I love old fixtures and a building that has some history, but it's also very modern with stainless steel and granite everything. It also has something that I've coveted for like eva' - exposed brick. I heart exposed brick.  Don't worry kids - I'll be sure to have virtual housewarming in a few months, and I'll show the place off.

So now I have the place, and I have the date.  All's I gotta do now is just move.

Oh, and party.

I've already mentioned my Rock Kicking Party, but I've decided to do a three part extravaganza that I'm calling Three Times Dope.  It's my birthday party/girls night in/going away party all wrapped into a 3 day event that's sure to give out nothing but good memories and hangovers.  So why the sake bomb?  Part 1 is a private karaoke party at Yakitori Boy. 

mmm sake.  

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.

Hello 2010, how are ya?

Candy Cane Martini

2 oz peppermint schnapps

1 oz vodka

2 oz half and half

Sloe Gin

Combine schnapps, vodka and half and half with ice in a cocktail shaker.  Shake Shake Shake Shake, uh Shake it!

Strain into a martini glass.  Drizzle sloe gin down the side of the glass until it rests at the bottom

Garnish with a mini candy cane (I ate mine before I remembered to take the picture)

So I'm still waiting for something final about Chicago.  Things slowed down during this holiday season, because of vacations, but I'm still extremely optimistic.  In an effort not to jinx it though, I'm not going to go into it right now.

*beep ba deep beep beep ba deep beep*

Breaking news, breaking news!

 

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?