I had the weirdest nightmare.

I was at a house party at a house that was something like my grandmother's house in Marblehead, but not all that much. There was a hurricane going on, bad enough that we had to latch the trapdoor. I don't know WHAT trapdoor or why it was there, but it was blowing open, so we needed to latch it.

There was also a bar of some sort set up, and someone asked me for a "Smoky Winey", which I'd never heard of. She wandered off, and I guessed that it must have scotch in it, for "smoky", and some sort of wine. I chose sweet vermouth, which is technically a wine. As she'd wandered off, someone else decided to take the drink, and liked it. I commented that it was basically like a Manhattan, but with lots more vermouth. (Incidentally, I was wrong. It was basically like a Rob Roy with lots more vermouth.)

Then the woman came back, and I tried to look up "Smoky Winey" in my Bartender's Black Book. And I couldn't find it. That was the part with the nightmare feeling -- not being able to find the drink in the book with the sense of mounting horror and swirling terror. The book had somehow become over half ads, and I couldn't even find the section that even HAD drink recipes, and when I DID find it -- they petered out somewhere in the "N"s, and it didn't have the drink at all.

And THEN I saw that we had no ice. And we were running low on highball glasses! And the feeling of elemental terror increased. And I had to ask what was in a "Smoky Winey."

Turned out to be Scotch, white wine, and some third ingredient which I can't remember now -- can't even remember if it was a mixer or another liquor -- I think it was either vodka or ginger ale.

Also, there was an audition for a musical going on.

Seven years ago today, I did the best thing I ever did.

I love you, Lis.