Vramin

I had read about these things before, but it wasn’t until a couple of days ago that I actually went and sprang for one. Got myself a pocket sized, lined reporter just to try it out, and a package of caheirs for a trip we’re going to take later this summer, to use as travel journals. I really like the reporter, so when I was in the book store yesterday I stood and fondled several different models. Wound up buying one each of the regular plain and sketch book (although I have not broken the cellophane on either yet). I’m not sure what makes them so special, but they really do make me want to write.

I found out you can order it online and have it shipped to the US from overseas. I got a bottle of a Czech variety called Absinthe Original. It tastes pretty horrible (don’t buy the crap on the bottle about it comparing with fine French cognacs), but if you mix it right it can be pretty good (the best I’ve tried so far was one shot of absinthe, one shot of rasberry/cranberry juice in a rocks glass with ice, fill to the top with ginger ale, then splash with lime juice). Research after the fact says that Spanish and French absinthes are likely superior, so I hope to try those when we visit Spain later this year. It is indeed very strong, but you don’t seem to get sloppy drunk like with regular booze. It also made me very sleepy, but pleasantly so.

Your parents were a bit pissed when I moved in to begin with.