My Old Kentucky Home

So last night I compared my three bourbons side by side by side. I started with just the Knob Creek and Buffalo Trace, but then added Evan Williams to see how it stacked up.

The Knob Creek had a rounded fruit/vanilla taste with stronger alcohol notes than the Buffalo Trace which had a touch of the smoke you get from scotch, earthier you might say. Evan Williams, with its charcoal filtering, was the easiest of the three to drink (though that isn't necessarily a good thing), and its ease allowed me to think I picked up the sweetness of corn. I'm glad I've been using it in my eggnog, because it wouldn't really hold up to a sustained solo performance as an aperitif or digestif.

So I had grand designs to bake/make something different each of the twelve days leading up to christmas, but so far I've only made three, with 7 days to go. I made a virgin and sullied batch of eggnog on Friday, some peanut butter fudge on Sunday, and chocolate chip cookies on Tuesday. I hope to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies tonight, and in the coming days, normal fudge, bread pudding with figs, pumpkin mousse, cheese buttons, cinnamon rolls, no knead bread, raised doughnuts, pizza, and a mincemeat pie.

Grumpy.

Last night I went to El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth). I give it 3 stars outta 5. I agree with the R rating. It isn't for the squeamish (Wendy, avoid this movie, or at least, close your eyes for Ofelia's second task.) Based on the previews, I was a bit concerned that the film was going to be an Alice in Wonderland on acid, which is saying quite a bit. However, at the end I thought that I could have used more of the fantasy aspects, not that the reality was too much. Technically (as far as my amateur opinion goes), I thought the film was very well made, good sound track, special effects, editing, set design. The actors were in fine form as well. Ofelia was a better actress than Olive (of Little Miss Sunshine fame) at the same portrayed age, though Ofelia is two years older in real life, 12 to 10. Sergi Lopez and Maribel Verdu (lost?) were great previously in Dirty Pretty Things and Y Tu Mama Tambien, respectively, and are maybe even better here.

Work was not as great today as yesterday. I place the blame for this on a few things: going to bed later, annoying customers, and a computer quirk that compromised a six hundred dollar order. Getting home today, I self-medicated with a beer with my steak, then a nightcap of a gin and champagne cocktail. So I'm doing better now.

My day started out very well though. I switched from sports talk on the AM to FM, starting at the left side of the "dial" with the community radio station KZUM. Just my luck, I caught the chorus of Ring of Fire, but not just any Ring of Fire, a polka Ring of Fire, but not just any polka Ring of Fire, a Spanish polka Ring of Fire. So that was great. It was followed up by a nice quartet doing King of the Road.

That is my life. Movies, Music, and Mood Elevators.

Thursday Morning 3AM

My dream epiphany of the day is that The Simpsons and The Sopranos start their show in essentially the same way with the patriarch driving home from a day of work through their respective communities. Amazing, I know.

In other news, it isn't a good habit to bed down after 4 in the morning. I acquired this habit this past week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Culminating with my 11:30 rising on Sunday not ending til 10:40ish on Monday. The problem is going back to a sleep schedule that includes you waking up and attending work before noon. It was fine last week because while AdventSource was open, we weren't answering the phones to take orders, so I just had to process orders from the web. Now, however, the phones are back up, and I'm still on the same schedule, which is complicating when I try to break out of it by going to bed at 11:30 and wake up at 3. My other bit of advice: Share sparkling wine.