As we all know, Saturday was Derby Day. Now, we are not Southerners and Lord knows we are not up on our horse racing.
But for some reason, it has always been our tradition to celebrate Derby Day. Could it be…
I mean is it…
do you think…
Yes! The Chief makes a mean mint julep!!
He uses Tennessee bourbon, not Kentucky, which seems inappropriate. But it's g.o.o.d. 🙂
Thanks to the hot weather (not obtaining today, no, not at all) the previous week, we had plenty of mint, not pictured here.
In fact, I forgot to record this auspicious day at all until I was suspiciously auspicious myself, if you know what I mean. Not that I could have said that. At the time.
It's a fabulous libation, I tell you!
And much appreciated after the day I had had, which involved an hour plus drive each way, pounding, repetitive Irish music, and intense sitting around on my part, punctuated by frantic bobby-pinning, safety-pinning, and shoe tying. Feis day in Step-Dancing Land, otherwise known as Celtic purgatory.
So you see how important that glass is? (Alas, we don't have the requisite silver cups. You can tell we are not comme il faut. Not even a flower-bedecked straw hat in sight…)
On to more mundane activities.
On Sunday, we found a replacement for the outside fridge that died. (Its death was unnoticed by us. It seems that the cold of the garage was chilling our food. One warmish day I couldn't help but notice that although the motor was running, the contents were…warmish. Hmmm….)
Craigslist seemed only to offer $100 models at the cheapest, so when the Chief found one for $40 in someone else's garage, he pounced.
You know us. We just have to do things cheap. And, that's okay. There is no point spending money on stuff that is going to be in the garage — and you know it's not a CAR in there I'm talking about, anyway.
I told you before, your standards are higher than mine.
It was not super clean. It was rusty. But it worked. The lady took $25 (really, she should have paid us to take it, but we needed it and she had it — so the free market ordains).
Also, the handles were on the wrong side.
Do you know what I mean? Study the above diagram of the garage of death carefully (see there on the left, down the stairs from the mudroom?) and then check that picture.
Every single day of my life (or the life of one of my slaves*cough*kids) was going to be a little worse off for having to open this fridge on the wrong side. As I've said before, I'm all about efficiency. My middle name is Conserving Steps. Names are.
So instead I made one hour out of his life quite a bit worse — he had to change the handles!
Not easy. Much cursing and throwing of broken tools. Some going to the hardware store for replacement bits.
But he did it! He's a good guy!
And I spray painted with a can of paint I just happened to have lying around! And now I have a BIG, clean, conveniently opening fridge! (I hope the rust doesn't come back, but if it does I will sand, spray with primer, which I didn't have on hand, and spray again.)
Songbirdtiff says
You saved a tremendous amount of money just buy using a little elbow grease. Love it!
Freckled Hen says
I have never had a mint julip, but unfortunately have worn a flowery straw hat. I loved your fridge story, it looks so shiny and new. Seeing mint here is ironic as yesterday I actually bought and planted mint in the garden to deter the ants that are taking over. In CT I couldn't get rid of the mint spreading like wildfire and here I actually paid for it. Thanks for your comments…they always make me smile.
Decadent Housewife says
Learn things here all the time – do you really mean that garages ARE for cars?
Leila says
Songbirdtiff: Yes, we did! at first I was sort of depressed about it and questioning the sanity of people who would pay to bring this stuff into their homes, but now I'm all set :)FH: Most years I DO buy the mint, and it kills me!! Just a few weeks later it's everywhere! DD: I'm only saying that IF you had the freakish thought that you might put a car in a garage, then perhaps you'd spend money on it…but that's only a big IF.
sue says
Yeah!!! you found one so quickly. I see that I should be glad I don't have a garage because then I would have both a basement and a garage full of junk!
Leila says
If by quickly you mean in over a month, then, yes… :)If you are wondering why I'm answering all these comments so quickly, it's because I should really be re-caulking the shower. Which I am avoiding.So, thank you for commenting!
Kelly says
Asa Kentuckian, I have to point out that Bourbon is ONLY made in Ky. If the label says made in Tennessee, then it also says whiskey. 🙂
Leila says
Oh! Kelly! This is true!I totally meant to say whiskey. And I have a bottle of bourbon too, but I kinda like the Jack Daniels in my inauthentic mint julep :)But how imprecise of me. Tsk!
Deirdre says
Mom, you make yourself sound like quite the soused homemaker there! (Don't worry folks, Derby Day is not some kind of debacle at the Lawler household. My mom is more temperate than she makes herself out to be.) Hahaha! Celtic Purgatory! That's amazing. I do not understand how he "switched the handles." I would think that such a change would involve changing the whole mechanism of the doors. ? Confused.
Anne R Triolo says
I feel so privileged to have been included in Derby Day. 🙂 We had a really nice time. And the mint Juleps WERE amazing! Are they only allowed on Derby Day? What if we had a croquet party? Would they be appropriate then as well??
Leila says
Deirdre: the handles and the hinges can go on the other side. There are holes there…of course, the screws get rusted in place…and then you have to throw your tools…but it can be done!Annie: We loved having you! I think you can have a mint julep any time, including during a croquet part! Just invite me!
Christine says
I have those bee patterned glasses, I adore them!!!
Mignon Thurow says
Mint Juleps! Leila, you are indeed a kindred spirit! Well, I have to say, it was my dream to have mint juleps at my hotter-than-blazes Texas August wedding, but, alas, frugality won the day. We had already played every frugal card in the book to have our reception at the University of Dallas where my savvy father-in-law-ex-provost worked a deal with/in spite of ARA (the hegemonic rulers of university cafeterias all over the country) for us to have a….. sort of…. “potluck” reception (read: not catered by lousy, over-priced ARA, but cooked by the loving hands of grad school and parish friends, lots of them!)—- The wine, however, had to be purchased through ARAMark, unfortunately, which they charge by the bottle, but the bourbon for my mint juleps? You must pay by the drink, not by the bottle. And I didn’t want a bar that my guests had to pay for. So… no mint juleps. And it was 113 degrees that day. Sigh…