Beating the Heat Pirate Style! And a Short Update on Sober September

It's  more than 3/4 of the way into Sober September and the days couldn't be hotter. The heatwave last week made it unbearable to sleep well and staying cool was near impossible. My writing also went amiss due to this brain of mine being fried and non-functioning. Laying still in the middle of my living room floor was my only solace for several days.

Not a blue drink, but a damn fine snow cone in Hilo

The merciless weather of September has made me reminisce about my topical Hawaii vacations with their breezy beaches and turquoise ocean. It was always the perfect temperature of wonderful degrees
Fahrenheit. It makes me remember my favorite island libations that came in the form of an ice-cold Mai Tai or Blue Hawaiian. . .Oh! How about a Blue Mai Tai? Can you make one of those? Blue is the best color for a topical cocktail. There is just something magical about a blue drink. But, I digress. Sort of.

If it were just another day in another month I would have poured myself a rum-based drink try to forget the fact that my apartment air conditioner is sub par. I would slather on some SPF 100 and find myself  a tiki themed outdoor bar.

Rum has been my go-to lately for cocktails. It's warming and rich taste mixes so well so many different bases. Orange juice to classic coke, it's all delicious.It's such a magically tropical drink that privates and wahines alike love its potent power.

Mr. Chesney in his blue chair.

Recently, I stumbled upon a recipe that I thought I would share with you, dear reader. When I found out that one of my favorite country artists, Kenny Chesney, had went into the business of rum making, I got very excited and had to find out more. The brand is called  Blue Chair Rum and while I haven't tried it yet, the reviews look great. There were many recipes on the site, but only one caught my eye. It's called the "Scallywag."

Besides the fun title, what struck my fancy about it was that one of the ingredients it called for is Elderflower liqueur. This mild and slightly floral alcohol is one I highly recommend you try. It's my favorite. It takes the bite of the harshness of gin and anything it's added to taste like a warm summer day in a meadow. If you have never tried it, I highly suggest you do. St. Germain is the most recognizable brand, but I bought Thatcher's Organic Elderflower. It's great and few dollars cheaper than St. Germain so BOOM! BUY IT!

This drink is easy to make and oh so light on the palette. It's not a girly drink by any means and a "light weight" would be able to handle one without a problem. It's a cocktail that is meant to be slipped ocean side.

"The Scallywag." When I make it with gin, I call it a "Wench"

To the recipe which I list below, I made one adjustment. Instead of 2 oz of club soda, I used 4 oz. I wanted to use a highball glass instead of a tumbler because I prefer the esthetic. Also, it will take you that much longer to drink which means you get to enjoy it that much longer.

"The Scallywag"

• 1 1/2 oz. Blue Chair Bay White Rum
• 3/4 oz. St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
• 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
• splash of simple syrup
• 2 oz. club soda
• 1 dash angostura bitters

Build ingredients directly into rocks glass filled with ice. Roll it, baby. Whip some fruit on it if ya like.

Sober September - Week 1

Sunday marked my first SUCCESSFUL week of Sober September. Here is a day-by-day recap. Sorry if it's boring read. Sober people don't seem to get into as many crazy hijinks. Go figure, right?

Day 1:
This day was marked by a hang over and a Labor Day movie and dinner with James' mom and step-dad. The hang over sucked, but after wishing me a "Happy Sober September," as Carol is a avid reader of this blog, she asked me if I was pregnant. I found this very amusing. To be fair, James and I terrorize his family with the threat of a kid before marriage and I have a case of Baby Fever. Anyway, I am not pregnant. . .not yet, that is. . .

Day 2:
Easy day and I didn't want a drink. Work had no drama and after my workout at home I just sipped on diet soda and mineral water. However, I find being sober at night VERY BORING. I need to find a hobby. By 9 pm I have had my fill of Netflix, re-reading my favorite books and the internet.

Day 3:
I want a drink. I have a craving for a cocktail and it would be amazing on a hot night like this. It's Wednesday and Hump Day and it should be celebrated with a libation! Instead it's celebrated with lime flavored mineral water. Sigh.

Day 4:
Today was hard for me and took a bit of will power After work I did errand which included going to Walmart to try on a dress my boss beautifully wore to work that day. It was on sale for $5 and looked like it would be a perfect dress for James' sister's engagement party. When I tried it on, however, I looked awful. I felt wide and thick and upon removing it from my body I starred at my reflection for a moment. My stomach looked paunchy and dimpled. My bra dipped and cut into my flesh grossly. My back fat looked like it was trying to form a roll. While I rationally realized that I didn't look that bad, emotionally I felt I looked hideous. All I wanted to do after that was go home and drink until I didn't care anymore. Knowing that this wasn't an option, I coped by laying across James' lap and telling him my feelings. This helped. My cat Chaka also helped by jumping on my lap and curling up. It took a couple hours of feeling down, but feeling awful eventually went away. No drinks were drank and I won the night.

 Day 5:
Friday night usually is a drinking night for me so it felt so strange to not drink. I didn't though which was good. Again, I was bored. Again, I drank my lime flavored mineral water. God, I really need to find a new, captivating book to read or something! Nights seem too long nowadays.

Day 6:
Part of my day was doing errands. One stop on this journey was Total Wine. I had to buy a bottle of wine for a friend's husband's birthday. I walked down the aisles looking at all the prettily packaged bottles, but I wasn't in any sort of need to drink. James bought a bottle of strawberry flavored moonshine and I bought a Chilean bottle of Malbec. In the evening, I poured a glass of the moonshine for James. Some dribbled on my hand (mason jars may look adorable, but they are a pain in the ass to pour from). I almost and unthinkingly licked my hand. I caught myself in the nick of time. I resigned myself to sniffing it. James said it tasted great.

Day 7: 
Lots of dreary housework and projects. I am working on a quilt to be part of a silent auction for the Alzheimer's Association. I need to complete it by the 20th. The name of the game tonight is to stay busy. I sure wouldn't mind a tasty, cold cocktail to make me forget this heat. None shall be had. Mineral water, please.