I am utterly hammered ...Happy New Year + Creation of the worlds' best cocktail

 What a fucking day.  Now, correction, WHAT A FUCKING DAY.   The headline is innaccurate; the typing will not be.  Typing is prima facie evidence that I'm very tight right now which is really Q.E.D. 

Up at 0500.

At airport (RSW for RSW-CLT-PHX-SBP) at 0630 for an 0825 flight.  All good.  Except....

....Last night at 2200 I noticed a dense fog on the SWFL (SW Florida - not Single White Female, Lesbian, which was a mistake I made.  It was contextually sensible.  But on the other hand, I was sober.

At 0500 I was awake, and sober,  and it was foggier.  Driving the 35 miles north to RSW (Ft. Meyers - South West Florida international airport "RSW") it got heavier but the conversation was good and I failed to notice that.

0630 Checked in, at the gate.  The wait began.

FOG.   (30s)   FOG   (30s*)  FOG!!!!!

Imagine a bathtub.  With a leaky faucet.  And, a clogged drain.  Focus on it.  

Imaging if it is hot water dripping.  If it keeps going it will be both scalding and overflowing.  

RSW should hav,e by constitutional decree, American history , and our modern norms [especially late stage capitalist America], become a scalding hot cauldron of inconsideration (in the modern America I see. 😔)

No planes in; no planes out.  Fog that dense.

5 hours of prime time fliers trudge into the terminals.  Queues everywhere.  Gates, restaurants, vendors, newsstands.  Humanity, as varied as Florida can tolerate, everywhere.  Literally nobody can leave.  We're still foged in at 1200.  Messy.

But not ugly.  In fact a step towards restoring my faith is America, The South, Florida and elite enclaves ("You're never as young or as poor as when you visit Naples!" H/T to the best father of 5 I know!!!  BAR NONE!!!)   People talked civilly.  Even to the retard (MY word to describe ME/mySELF.  My prerogative; not yours.  All minorities reserve this right and privilege.  I cannot use it on you; nor you on me.  OK?  If not, fuck off and stop reading me (not this; ME!)  {Told ya, I'm HAMMERED.})

1330 departure to CLT, not gonna get any further.  I want to go NW, I went NE.  Ugggh.

CLT fine.  Good stuff to write about with the flight but lack of sobriety means  I need to cut back a bit for now.   I'll write more later.

Shuttle to a hotel.  Check in - good.  Room - good. 

1625...hungry as I have had a bagel today.  That's it.

Bar/Restaurant opens at 1700. 

The wonderful bartender and I chat as they open for the next half hour.  What an amazing and wonderful person.  I chat their ear off.

We talk gin.  No cocktail unions == no Gibson.  Ok, a real Martini (1/3rd Dolin Vermouth, 2/3rds Roku (by Suntory) gin, 2 dashes of bitters.)  Do NOT argue with me, it's the only fucking martini that is close to right (still wrong, should be red Vermouth).  VERRRRY GOOD.  Conversation and company with as real and decent human I have never met is evenbetter.  Wow.

Some food.

Then a house cocktail: Gin (I selected Conniption, a local product - always drink local otherwise why leave home!!!???) + Lemon + Muddled Rasberry + sumthing else good (still drunk..,sorry.  deal with it.)  {My friend, may I suggest, with a substantial and great deal of subsequent reflection: a mint sprig, muddled with the raspberry?  Not sure.  It's a hit/miss thing.}

Then we went deep.

I asked for a custom creation.  An omakase (essentially an act of faith and trust in Japanese dining.) 

Ladies & Gentleman,
Damen und Herrren,
Senores y Senoryas,
Monsieur e Mademoiselle,

I present to you the "MadamMichelle" - as powerful as a French 75 but with the sublime fragrance of Provence.

Suntory Roku Gin + Lemon Juice + Lavender Syrup +  Muddled Lemon + Lemon Twist.  Raspberry is a hammer; lavender is an iron fist enclosed in velvet.*

Prepare to fall in love.

I promise you that right now it's absolutely worth the hangover......


...And, I have a 0430 bus to cath an 0525 flight.  My hangover is gonna suck.  I had 2 drinsk (1 each trip in Malaysia) this year prior to tonight.  Tomorrow will suck.  I am 100% ok with that.

A great bartender who can hold a great conversation and craft a great cocktail....is sumthing to treasure.  My friend, I will always treasure what I remember of tonight.  It was a transformative moment.

Since I fear I may not remember, I'm writing it down!

Ohh, the AM is gonna suckkkkkkkk.