You'd think that having given notice back in December there'd be long, luxuriously lazy days of absolutely nothing in January whilst I take a much-needed, long-awaited break from the frenzy that masqueraded as "my life." You'd think that I'd have plenty of time now to cook, (try to) bake, eat, drink, live and blog an oh so delicious life. You'd think that with all that free time and available mindshare, at the very least, I could randomly select a reader's comment, quickly string together a few witless sentences that don't require any pre-meditation, and toss up a winning post.
The reality, though, is that "notice" is just that - notice. It's just a courtesy warning. A heads up. A "Hey, I don't plan on being here much longer." "Notice" is not an actual "I am D-U-N done, spinning on my 4" stiletto heel and clack-clack-clacking out of this place that has been slowly siphoning the bloodlife out of my soul right. this. very..."
Six weeks later.
While the industry standard for "much longer" is two weeks, I seem to be in some alternate industry universe where two weeks is stretched out to six weeks of actual calendar time, into which 12 weeks of workload is squozen. Let my Asian side do the physics for you: that kind of volume creates a hell of a lot of pressure. To that equation, add a brand new baby nephew who lives less than an hour away by distance, but three hours away by rush hour traffic drive-time and "busy" becomes a gross understatement. "Swamped" is being polite. I wake up before dawn, careen through the day's activities, and try to keep the hundred bazillion thoughts in my head from overheating and exploding into a gray pulpy managerial mess all over my laptop screen.
I just haven't had the time for my Delicious Life, to pick a random comment, to post the lucky winner. I'm a busy busy busybusybusy girl!
Okay!
*sigh*
Ohalrightfine! So, that's mostly true. Life is chaotically busy, but I also kind of just wanted to wait for the post to get more than seven comments so I wouldn't look and feel like a total bloser (bloser. "bloo-zer" noun. portmanteau of "blog" and "loser."), and yes! I'm not a total bloser! Just a partial one! There are actually more than seven comments!
it's on the web. it's totally legit
Now, despite what rumors may be flying around out there about my playing favorites, being susceptible to blackmail, open to bribery, and all-around inexplicable capricious biases, I played this one fairly and chose a winner at random. So as not to fall under the influence of comment campaigning, I geeked out on a random number generator, and can say that the recipient of a brand new covetous copy of In the Land of Cocktails is...
Comment #26 from sailorpikaangel, whose choice of a A Long Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Wall didn't seduce me in any way IswearonmynextCitronandsoda.
sailorpikaangel, would you mind emailing moi with your mailing address so that I can send you the book?
For everyone else, a recipe follows for sailorpikaangel's favorite cocktail, A Long Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Wall, which I love blogging out loud because I just do, okay?
A Long Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Wall
Supposedly, the name of this drink is some representation of all the ingredients, which I get with the sloe gin for "slow," Southern Comfort for "comfortable" and the vodka and orange juice for "screw"(driver), but I'm not quite sure where the "long" comes in -- perhaps the long, lean Galliano bottle? Your guesses are as good as mine.
In a tall glass filled with ice, stir together 1 part each of vodka, sloe gin, and Southern Comfort. Fill with orange juice and then float 1 part Galliano.
Anonymous says
you gave notice. you had every right to leave four weeks ago. now they're just milking it. if you give them a chance, i'm sure they will ask you to stay "just a little longer."
Anonymous says
you gave notice. you had every right to leave four weeks ago. now they're just milking it. if you give them a chance, i'm sure they will ask you to stay "just a little longer."
Craig says
Sarah smile :) (first time you heard that in your life, I bet)
Its like the reverse, saying you quit and then showing up the next day and pretending it didn't happen instead here you are quitting and giving notice and they are pretending the 2 weeks hasn't begun yet.
Anonymous says
what's the worst they are going to do to you if you have plans and leave sooner?
Fire you?
giving them the 2 weeks notice is NICE.
Don't let them push you around further! It's like they would rather have bad work out of someone than no work...
Anonymous says
what's the worst they are going to do to you if you have plans and leave sooner?
Fire you?
giving them the 2 weeks notice is NICE.
Don't let them push you around further! It's like they would rather have bad work out of someone than no work...
KT says
I feel you. I quit my job in August and my last day wasn't until the end of October.
It's one thing to be entitled to do something, but if you're leaving on good terms and you know that leaving without wrapping up your projects and getting a replacement would screw your workplace, then it's hard to be that asshole.
sarah says
anonymous: it's quite strange really, because we both know that it's not working out well for either of us, but neither i nor my company can seem to make a clean break. you'd think that they'd want to save on the overhead or something like that, huh?
craig: yeah, i guess i have to take it in stride. i mean, i don't have anywhere else to be, and they are paying me...
anonymous #2: i sonetimes wonder if getting fired isn't such a bad thing. don't you get unemployment money from the state if you get fired, but not if you leave on your own will?
kt: you QUIT!??!? wait! what are you doing now?!?! i can't tell from your blog because it's all posts from other people!
Anonymous says
if they're not milking it (since you said that it doesn't seem to be working for either side), then they are simply lazy. i agree with not leaving any current projects lingering but it sounds like that isn't the case. you may need to step in and let them know that this friday is your last day then when friday comes... fini.
Anonymous says
i think you only get unemployment if laid off? not if they fire you?
Anonymous says
i believe you are entitled to unemployment if you are laid off or fired... but not if you quit.
sailorpikaangel says
I WON?! OMG... I NEVER win anything! Thank you! I am embarrssed to have read your blog for so long and yet never left a message.. I think I'll make that one of my Chinese New Year's resolution.. to comment more on blogs I absolutely love and whose blogs are able to brighten my day after hours of being tortured by teachers who think they are teaching you something important.. *sigh* Thanks again!!
sarah says
anonymous #3: friday IS my last day. oh, this week couldn't go by any faster! the thing is, i don't HATE my job. i actually LOVE what i do, but i LOVE blogging a little bit more and want to do that instead. now if to figure out a way to make money from it...
anonymi #4 and #5: yes, i think you're right. oh well. i did the funemployment checks once before. they weren't much.
sailorpikaangel: yes. YES! you won the book! and now to send it off to you so you can make all those lovely cocktails.
also, and this is a note for everyone...if you are compelled to leave a comment, or even just want to say "hi," please do! receiving comments is like affirmation and confirmation that i'm alive :)
Anonymous says
yes, you are alive. i'm starting to feel like a stalker since i find myself checking up on you a few times a day. from anonymous 1/3/5. your outlook and edge crack me up. keep it up... and you need to try the mojito with tequila. trust me.
Anonymous says
yes, you are alive. i'm starting to feel like a stalker since i find myself checking up on you a few times a day. from anonymous 1/3/5. your outlook and edge crack me up. keep it up... and you need to try the mojito with tequila. trust me.
fanofforeheadlessbloggers says
I didn't want the damn book anyway. It's not like I'm ever going to make a mojito myself. That's what bartenders are for. Harumph.
sarah says
anonymous 1.3.5: i am planning to blog more frequently and regularly. are you ready for me?!?!
FoFB: yeah, but that is why mojitos are sucky! bar mojitos are sucky because it takes the bartender 25 minutes to make one, and if you're ordering mojitos for you and your friends, geez. you may as well shut the place down.
ANYWAY....
i have lots of gifts to give away, so let's just be patient. a cocktail recipe book is just the beginning...
condiment says
Not to be a cocktail nerd, especially about this drink, but the ``long'' refers to the tall glass of ice: it's a long drink, in the parlance.
sarah says
condiment: be a cocktail nerd!
david hong says
Ok, another plug for my friend Krystina Castella, but she has a new book out in April 2008 called:
Pops!: Icy Treats for Grownups.
The photos and the section on drink pops including martini pops are really cool.
Sarah says
It's "against the wall" because a screwdriver with Galliano is a Harvey Wallbanger.
Sarah says
It's "against the wall" because a screwdriver with Galliano is a Harvey Wallbanger.
hermz says
ah... glad you looked up the Wallbanger info and straightened that out. Now if you want to take the drink name to the extreme, you add "with a pillow" to the end of it. No one actually orders one of these, I hear, because floating cream on top of a A Long Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against a Wall tastes vile.
zowoco says
Hi, I love your blog layout, very slick!
Mmm, this has to be my drink of choice, I love the unusual addition of sloe gin, a much under-rated drink. I wonder if any other cocktails involve sloe gin, does anyone know?
I always get such a kick out of ordering this one in a low suggestive voice to the barman..