We hit the ground running! Well… maybe not running. More like crawling with ambition.
Our grand plan was to work in the garden, but at 9:30 a.m. the sky looked at our schedule and said, “Absolutely not,” and it started raining. We waited a few minutes for the rain to stop, then bravely marched off to the south forty—armed with tools, optimism, and a complete misunderstanding of the weather.
We lasted about thirty minutes before surrendering. By 10:00 a.m., the temperature was already in the 90s, the humidity was trying to steam-clean us, and we were guzzling water as if we’d just crossed the Sahara in flip-flops.
Gardening: 1. Us: 0.
Some of our growers like the temperature and humidity!
We decided to retreat indoors and do paperwork in the office until it was time to go see the heart doctor—because nothing says “fun afternoon” like forms, files, and a discussion about my old ticker.
Mary decided not to go to her painting class because she wanted to be with me when the doctor talked about my heart. Very sweet of her… until she immediately ratted me out.
She told him all about the little “episodes” I’d been having with the ticker and how I’d been using the nitroglycerin pills. I sat there looking innocent, which fooled absolutely no one.
The doctor wasn’t too concerned, but he did offer a few suggestions—mostly about the timing of certain pills before I go moving heavy objects, like the trash cans. Apparently, trash duty now requires medical clearance and strategic planning.
We arrived at his office at 1:45 p.m. and only waited a few minutes before my 2:00 appointment, which is practically a medical miracle. Mary brought him a box of vegetables—the last of the summer crop—so I’m pretty sure we paid part of the bill in produce.
We talked, he listened, and he typed like he was writing the next great American novel. He’s my age and quite funny, which makes doctor visits a little less scary and a lot more entertaining.
After we left the doctor’s office, we walked over to the Ten-Ten building so Mary could “just look” at the Halloween goodies she’d spotted on her last visit.
And by “just look,” of course, I mean she marched into that gift shop and came out with a big bag of spooky treasures for the house.
Apparently, our home was suffering from a serious shortage of Halloween décor, and Mary bravely took action.
Finally, we head out, but wait, there’s more….
We stopped by Zena’s Lebanese Restaurant, and Mary returned a large basket of unopened pita bread, which was left over from the party. We did not want to toss it. Michael happily received the offer.
Then we headed farther out on Tustin Blvd. to The Tartan Room, arriving at 3:45 pm—perfectly timed for the kitchen to open, and perfectly mistimed for our stomachs, which had apparently filed an urgent complaint.
So we did the responsible thing and ordered sliders and a quesadilla from the bar menu to prevent a full-scale hunger emergency.
And speaking of the bar, I had a gin and tonic because it was hot and I’m basically a delicate flower. Dr. Mary, maintaining her usual level of class and medical authority, prescribed herself a glass of Chardonnay.
Here are some fun Gin and Tonic trivia facts:
- Medicinal origins: The gin and tonic became popular because tonic water contained quinine, which was used to help prevent malaria.
- British Empire connection: British officers in India mixed bitter quinine tonic with gin, sugar, and lime to make it more drinkable.
- The “perfect ratio” varies: Common ratios are 1 part gin to 2 or 3 parts tonic, depending on how strong you like it.
- Tonic glows under UV light: Because of quinine, tonic water can glow blue under blacklight.
- Classic garnish: A slice of lime is the traditional garnish, though cucumber, lemon, grapefruit, rosemary, or peppercorns are also popular.
- Gin styles matter: A London Dry gin makes a crisp, juniper-forward G&T, while floral or citrus gins create a softer, more aromatic drink.
- Spain helped reinvent it: The Spanish “gin-tonic” trend popularized serving it in large balloon glasses with lots of ice and elaborate garnishes.
- Ice is important: Large, solid ice cubes melt slower, keeping the drink colder and less diluted.
- Not all tonic is the same: Premium tonics can dramatically change the flavor because they vary in bitterness, sweetness, carbonation, and botanicals.
- Juniper is essential: For a spirit to be called gin, juniper must be one of its main flavors.
We met some of the locals and jabbered with them for quite a while. We also met bartender Mary, whom we knew from Aces; it was good to see her.
Mary (the bartender) told us some bad news: our friend Skyler from Aces passed away in February from drinking. He was 31 and a high school/club baseball coach, but the booze got the better of him.
We danced a bit before going home. Mary looked like a million dollars this afternoon (as she always does), so dancing with this beauty anywhere was mandatory.
We got home just in time to go into the pool and splash around. Today was busy, and tomorrow will be the same,e except it will be a high of 103 degrees! OUCH!
