Today, Wednesday, is the 6th of 7 days in my budget week. We try to stick to a certain cash figure each week, and try as I might - I always seem to spend to the last penny. I always think it’s due brilliant planning and money management on my part. He, well, he thinks it is more of the hole-burning phenomenon. Either, way with two full days left until cash flow Friday, things get a little tight on Wednesday.
Which is problematic. Because we all know that Wednesday is also Wines-day. And unlike many of my friends who amazingly always have stocked fridges and liquor cabinets, we subscribe more to the Toyota way of doing things - JUST IN TIME. We don't stock for the "just in case" situations. No, we run out, after inviting half the neighborhood over, and realizing they actually accepted, to the package store and amazingly buy "just enough" to get through the party of the moment. Kind of like my budget money, hmmmm.
So when in the mood for adult libations on Wednesday, and even worse on Thursday, we need to get creative. Yes, our first choices are generally of the Belvedere, Chopin and Ciroc varieties (Oh, sorry - we were in the mood for vodka drinks. Could we have settled for kegerator beer - sure. But since last night saw a restless night of vomit-interrupted sleep, thanks to a sick 8-year old, and today gave way to no free time at all thanks to the same named 8-year old, we felt we deserved a true "drink" drink tonight.).
So off I went to the corner store, with my very specific number of dollars in mind, and in my wallet. And what do you know; I found a bottle that was priced at the exact same figure that I was carrying. Well, two dollars fewer - since I promised said 8-year-old a Gatorade to help with his...issues.
Transaction made, I skipped home, happy to not have had to dip into credit on this second-to-last day before the budget week ends. The last day is a little easier to justify -- and perhaps if it were for an inhaler, or a humidifier, or antibiotics-- that would have been less offensive also.
Then, home again; showing my prize like a proud Momma Bear, I actually saw my purchase in the full light of the day. It looked, well, like it should have cost what it did – no bragging of triple filtering or spring fresh waters on the label. No Wine Spectator medals adorning it. But that's ok - I am Liquor Chick, and I infuse vodkas to taste better. Granted, I start with at least middle shelf vodkas, but I am pretty handy, and have been known to squeeze money from stone, after all. So why not try and infuse it?
And infuse it, I did. 90 minutes ago with the strongest, most concentrated orange peels and piths I could muster. Hey, I would trade medicinal for bitter in a heartbeat, if it at least tasted a little citrusy instead of isopropy-ish. Tick tock. Oh, and I only poured 1/3 of the bottle (roughly the exact amount that I predict we will have drunk tonight at the end of our Wednesday, which will cause me to think again about how we are like Toyota. And hey - if the vodka gets recalled, we get our measly dollars back, right?? Ya know, for things like inhalers and antibiotics....)
Check back for the results, and recipes of the less-than-fancy vodka experiment.
No comments:
Post a Comment