aaaaaaand CUT!

How on earth has it been over a year since I checked into Martini USA?  Grad school, that's how.  Finally DONE!  And you can believe there were some martinis during the past year, particularly a night with lemon drops and a presentation.  Or was that the year before? Oy, there's no telling what shenanigans occurred through that gin and vodka and book laden time.

I can say it was the year of the Manhattan.  Not that I made it to NYC, but I got serious about perfecting the Perfect Manhattan.  And I'm not bragging - it's an actual style of Manhattan with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth.  The first one I had was at Custom Shop.  Delicious.  Makes me want to go there tonight.  But like the rest of 30 something America I am trying to cut back in the first few weeks of the new year and show a modicum of self control for spirits and eating...so I'm eating truffles and drinking wine for dinner. There may be popcorn for dessert.  So much for yoga tonight - I made it a whopping 3 days (not counting the pizza and beer on day 1).

I am making some changes this year, though let's not call them resolutions:
1. Be grateful.  My next door neighbor's apartment caught on fire and they lost almost everything.  I'm so fortunate that nothing in my place was damaged - just a little smoky.  Grateful. Seriously.
2. Go somewhere you haven't been with someone you haven't been with before.  I spent a week in Portland, OR for New Years and haven't laughed that hard, drank so much, danced so freely, and breathed so deeply EVER.  I'm still reveling in the memory (albeit a bit depressed that I'm home).
3. Sit still.  I always thought the "granola" part of yoga was too out there for me...but I've tried 4 classes in a week's time and I have learned to breathe differently.  And that makes a big difference.  Although, so does gin...hee hee hee.

 So a belated cheers to the New Year and all the mysteries it holds! 

And since there's no martini tonight, I'll rate the upcoming year:
Optimism v Pessimism = tie
Breathing skills = 10
Search for new martinis = 100 (WHOAH - that's a first)