Daddy Drinks: Gimlet

Gimlet coktail bar, originally uploaded by germeister

I mentioned previously that I'm not typically a fan of gin-based cocktails. A bittered sling is one delicious exception, and a gimlet is the other.

Where the sling is an elaborate concoction that hides the taste of gin somewhat, a gimlet is straight-up simple. All you need to get the party started is four parts gin to one part lime juice. Or, you can go old school and mix equal parts gin and juice. Make sure to use Rose's if possible.

Once you have poured your base, you can get a little fancy, but not too much. Some recipes allow up to one part simple syrup. If you're going to garnish it, a lime slice is your only option. Anything more and it's not a gimlet.

Ode

a lovely evening cruise, originally uploaded by Laura Travels

What do I love about you at four and a half months? Your adorable two bottom teeth. Your beautiful blue eyes. Your long eyelashes, and how you crinkle the corners of your eyes with a mischievous smile. The way you furrow your brow when you're sleeping or concentrating on something, just like I did when I was your age.

You love to be naked and hate getting dressed (sleeves and collars are the worst). You're learning how to stand (with assistance), and you were quick to appreciate the advantages of vertical orientation. And you love it when I sing to you, give you baths, and lift you high in the air.

I love my little girl so much, that I can't even find a Flickr photo to adequately express my feelings. And, so: here is a picture of a boat instead.

Twister

Twister Game (Nintendo Company), originally uploaded by Gen Kanai

Our baby doesn't crawl yet, won't really roll over, and she couldn't dance... but she can really shake 'em down. Yeah, she can do the twist.

I mean, seriously, she twists all over the place.  Ashley contorts her body on the changing table to grab things from the supply basket (and stuff them in her mouth, natch).  She cranes her neck backwards to watch me playing Super Mario Galaxy.  Lay her on her back, she can spin ninety degrees in under a minute.

She can really move.  I'm sure that, before we know it, she will even be able to mash-potato.

Someday

get lost, originally uploaded by JKönig

A few weeks ago, before it started snowing, we rounded up the nieces and drove into the country. The family of a friend owns orchards and it was a beautiful weekend to visit. They had three pygmy goats and yes also a miniature horse pulling a cart. We ate fresh donuts with hot apple cider.

I didn't want to leave. In fact, after the rest of the family left, we stayed for a demonstration of mashing up apples with an antique press. It does not get any sweeter than that fresh-pressed cider.

Maybe someday my family can get an acre or three, plant some food and raise a flock of chickens. Country is good for kids. That's where I grew up. Then I had a burning desire to live in the city, and now I've had my fill of that. Time to get back to basics.

Cold Season

Sick Sick Sick, originally uploaded by delinion

We're all sick. Our baby got it first with a runny nose. The congestion makes it hard for her to sleep at night, and she's more clingy during the day, I guess because she feels so gross.

Mine started in the throat and worked its way up into my head. By this morning I was aching and exhausted. I slept an extra four hours and stayed home from work. It snowed today. Awesome.

When I'm sick, my writing gets congested too. Words come more slowly. sentences shorten. At least my fingers can still communicate clearly, because my voice, it was not so good. Ashley still cries when she needs us, and I smile at her and she smiles back. We understand each other, we're taking care of each other.

Contemplation

Contemplation, originally uploaded by The Green Album

I wish I could write more often, but having a baby doesn't leave much time for contemplation. Caring for Ashely isn't something I think about. It's something I simply do. My wife would say that I don't do this enough, either.

I'm trying my best, though, usually.

When I was younger, I used to spend a lot of time thinking. I was able to be alone. Whether I was out letterboxing in the woods, riding my bicycle to work, or walking through the streets of Japan, it was soothing to reflect on my day and slowly turn ideas over in my head. Now I'm lucky to get off a weekly blog post.

Oh well. This too shall pass. For now I will enjoy my daughter's company and try to be a better dad. I can think about it in eighteen years, when she's in college.

Writing Life

95- Let's see, income for 2007: SPACE!, originally uploaded by RRRayMan!

Every November for the past four years, I have participated in NaNoWriMo. Writing 50,000 words of fiction in 30 days is always hard, but I managed to do it every year. Not this time, though.

I decided to skip it in order to focus on more important things. With everything I have going on this year, I simply don't have time to draft a novel on top of it. At least, not without doing a half-assed job of everything else.

A wise man once said, that when you get the urge to write, you should lie down until the feeling passes. If I feel tempted to exercise my typing fingers, maybe I'll just blog instead.