I have been sticking with my vow this week: no drinking calories. Why should I spend calories on liquids when there are so many refreshing alternatives out there? I love a good cold glass of water. I have two Diet Cokes a day. Unsweetened tea? Absolutely!
But when a long week is over and I’m looking into the golden glow of the weekend, nothing tastes better than my traditional Friday Night Glass’o’wine. This tradition is over a decade long. I pour myself a glass of wine, then I make a silent toast that has some meaning for that week. Maybe it’s “Well, that’s over,” or “Here’s to my first week on the new job,” or “Here’s to adventure.” Always a nice glass, always a toast.
Now, those of you who know me know me are asking, “What makes the Friday Night Glass’o’wine different from the Monday Night Slug of Pinot, the Tuesday Can of Yuengling, the Wednesday Slurp of Shiraz or the Thursday Smidgen of Moscato?” Good question.
The Friday Night Glass’o’wine reminds me of who I’ve been throughout all the phases of my adult life. Back in the dark ages before I had children, I enjoyed the Friday Night Glass’o’wine. In the 80’s, it was a plastic cup of white zinfandel at a party. My palate broadened in the 90’s into chablis and chardonnay and the occassional red with a steak. Then I stumbled into the wine boutiques in the 00’s and tumbled headlong into the glories of French chardonnay, white burgundy, Viognier, prosecco…oh, there is nothing like a chilled and sweaty white on a Friday night. (Insert Paula Deen joke here) I learned more about reds, too. Everyone drank Merlot for a while there, until we discovered Shiraz or Pinot Noir. An old vine grenache or a tempranillo out on the patio. Maybe even port with dessert. I’ve had them all on a Friday night.
Open a bottle to celebrate the end of the week, have a couple glasses on Friday, a couple of Saturday. Then not do it again until the NEXT Friday. One bottle a week. One. A Week. Not even a magnum, just A Bottle. Then the kids came along and I didn’t have an hour to spend in the wine shop, picking out a couple of rare beauties. I grabbed a bottle where I could: Target offers sauvignon blanc in a cardboard box, Kroger sells Yellow Tail already cold, Trader Joe’s has a two buck Chuck that ain’t all that bad. As my need for wine increased, my time to explore it decreased, so now my cellar has been reduced to three bottles of Two Buck Chuck Pinot Grigio, some sake I never have opened, an Amarone I bought for last Thanksgiving, and a single serve plastic bottle of Moscato left over from the time I smuggled some in to The Great Gatsby.
I guess my point is: kids make you want to drink, but they also kill your ability to drink WELL. It all came clear for me when I saw this today:
Well, it’s Friday night and I am a stickler for tradition. I had a salad for lunch to save up some extra calories for a nice sweaty glass of ice cold Trader Joe’s pinot grigio. Bottoms up!
What will your toast be tonight?
I’ll be toasting completing another semester of graduate school. My drink of choice will be Two Buck Chuck Merlot that a friend gave me.
Way to go, Michelle! To your continued success!
Thanks, Ashley!
Oh! I have a good one for tonight but it takes a little back story. For several weeks now, my boss, or my bosses boss or whoever has made it crystal clear that they want me gone. I am very ready to move on, but on my terms and not jumping into a situation that could be even worse. Unfortunately (for them), they have backed themselves into a hole where they NEED a warm body and I am better than nothing. Also unfortunately (for them), the last two weeks have gone by flawlessly – including a glowing compliment from a patient to the higher ups. (Patient satisfaction has never been the issue). Anyway, they are now in a position of having to give me more responsibility, albeit temporarily, and giving me my dream job to do next week. I know it is killing them. So, my toast? “Here’s to not making it easy!”
REVENGE!!! I had a similar situation at a previous job. The boss heard I had gone on an interview so she tried to lame duck me to the CEO. He replied, “Well, what will you do if she does leave?” That led to them discovering that NO ONE else could do my job and we were in the middle of a huge training push, so I ended up getting a $5000 bonus in exchange for agreeing to stay through that conversion. I got the other job, lined it up to start the week after the contract deadline and walked away with a new job and a $5K bonus…thanks to her being a snot!
Karen – I am also in the ‘patient satisfaction’ business. I feel your pain! Hang tough sister!!!
Oh, bless your heart and have another glass of wine!
Take Out and Top Shot tonight with a toast (Trader Joe’s white something or another that Mister picked up) to being my best when I just am who I am.
I think I’ll toast a reminder to myself to bring Ashley a bottle of Biltmore’s Sangiovese to try. Once I get to my final destination, that is – I frown upon drinking/driving!
Oh, I love Biltmore’s Sangiovese! We tried it when we visited the estate last fall. Good choice!
I looooove Sangiovese!
Open the Amarone! One of my favorites and I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Oh, I love Amarone, but I am saving it for a nice pairing with a roasted meat. G doesn’t drink reds, so I have to wait until I have someone to share it!
My toast–To not throwing in the towel. Yet. 😉
Good one! Keep that towel.
“Friday”??
I lean towards the Chilean reds personally but tonight we will be toasting with Gazella Vino Verde – a lightly sparkling Spanish white. And the toasting will be something on the order of ‘Hurray! I have 48 hours to be the writer-person I want to be before returning to the working-person I have to be!’ Enjoy!!
I adore vinho verde! G introduced me to that a few years ago and it has become our summer favorite.
My new gluten-free (aka no beer) life has me delving into wine for the first time. Thanks to all your commenters for wine suggestions!
There’s a whole world out there to explore!
And so far, I am enjoying it undoubtedly way too much1
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