So it’s been a little while. I’ve been about as busy as one person can be. Most of it good, some of it annoying. Work is steady and likeable for the most part so long as you ignore the pageant people and focus on the work itself. It’s actually pageant season if there could be such a thing. It’s this time of year that all the local pageant pick who will be going to state. Everyone is required to have photos and everyones deadlines are sometime within the next month. I’m doing a lot of retouching and output lately, with some basic headshots thrown in for good measure. I also have a wedding this coming Saturday that I’m excited about. It’ll be at the natural science mueseum here in town, so it’ll be qwirky and different.

Been trying to relax a bit more lately. I was feeling overworked and under appreciated before, but at the pase things are going there really wasn’t much time for that, so I let it go.

Home life is great as always. Lauren and I went out last night with a couple of her friends and I got pleasently mellow off a few margarittas. It probably didn’t help that they were the top-shelf variety and that typically means quantity and not quality when you’re at a bar. For once I’d like a top-notch drink to have something like El Tesoro Paradiso in it instead of Cuervo 1800 or some crap. Note to all drinkers: If you ask for a drink and don’t specify whats in it, you’re drinking crap. Why do you think everyone drinks Smirnoff? It’s not because of the quality, thats for damn sure. No, people drink that swill because that’s what they’ve been served over and over again.

My friends, let me educate you in the finer things in life. Vodka, Wiskey and Burbon and mens drinks. Tequila, Rum and most liquiors are for when you want little umbrellas in your drinks. I’m not knocking them, I was even in the mood for an umbrella drink last night, it’s just that they’re not as refined.

For vodka, there’s 3 brands to drink and 3 to run screaming from. For the best vodka on the planet you’re going to need to find some Gray Goose (the triple distilled black label, not the blue one), Monopolowa and a certain Russian brand that comes in a metal flask-like bottle and is completely unpronouncable. You won’t find it in the states, but it’s define. On the flip side, you’re going to want to throw a drink back at a bartender if they serve you Smirnoff, Absolut and anything that you can buy at a corner store for under $10, most of those have Smirnoff looking red and black labels and the bottles will probably have handels. Of course you can find perfectly drinkable things in between without breaking the bank. Level Vodka, Sky, Ikon and a little Texas label called Tito’s are all perfectly acceptable.

Stay tuned for next weeks exciting adventure, “how to buy a good cigar”.

Matt out.