“It’s very summerful!”says Akemi. And she’s right. Not grammatically, but certainly in the more general “Summer is finally upon us!” sense. Thus, today found me sitting in my backyard, on a lawn chair, sipping sasparilla liquor and ginger beer, reading the latest volume of The Walking Dead, whiling away the afternoon with my buddies –
Earlier this morning, I was watching the third episode of Bates Motel. At one point in the episode, two characters are being chased through a forest when they stop to catch their breath by a fallen tree. “Wait a minute,”I thought. “I KNOW that fallen tree!” And then, as the chase continued… “And I know those woods!”. I checked and, sure enough, the show is shot here. How’s that for a sign I’ve perhaps spent far, far too long scouting and shooting forest locations here in B.C.?
Yep, the more I consider it, the more I think it is time for a change. Paul and I have been very lucky. We went from animation straight to young adult live-action to action-adventure to eleven years on Stargate to a year in Toronto to a year with barely a break in between. Last year was “technically” our year off – but not really. While we didn’t do any actual producing, we did launch a comic book, wrote an SF mini-series, developed two pilots, wrote two more, and wrote a horror feature. While other projects await on deck (that feature we’ve been hired to write, that now not-so-secret series we’ll be developing based on that SF literary property) I can’t help but feel that if we really want to take that next step up in our career, Canada aint the place to be. We’re going to have to move. Sure, it’ll be a giant pain in the ass – but Akemi has suddenly changed her “Let’s get a condo!” tune after seeing some of the potential homes away from home I’ve been checking out online. And, of course, there’s the fact that we could enjoy summer weather like this all-year-round instead of two and a half months of the year!
Let’s celebrate the changing seasons (and homes) with drinks! Post your favorite overly elaborate summerful cocktail recipe!
@Joe:
Not in Chicagoland yet. I think I jinxed summer by putting a new pool up.
Are you heading to L.A. for a house hunting trip soon?
What happens to Akemi’s visa though? How complicated is that going to be for her to get another visa for the US? I guess really the only two things you would have to deal with are earthquakes, tsunamis and wildfires. I think earthquakes and tsunamis warnings you both are used, but the smoky air from the fires would get to me. But I understand about better weather.
2 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
1 oz lemon juice from the lemons picked off our tree in L.A.
1 oz honey syrup from local honey bought at the farmers market in L.A.
Shake
L.A. is key.
What you said about the forest, I feel about Canadian actors. We don’t seem to have enough, or everyone uses the same actors over, and over and over.
Don’t get me wrong, I like most of them, even Kavanagh (Ben Cotton). Just kidding Ben, in case your reading. You do great work.
FYI Joe, in case I haven’t mentioned it:
I really have enjoyed the Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson. An alternate world series based on the crew of an old destroyer and it’s crew who are somehow transported to another universe during a terrible storm in the middle of a fight with the Japanese in World War II. They find themselves in a world eerily similar but terrifyingly different, where to fall into the ocean is death and hungry ferocious animals live on land.
Speaking of The Transporter Joe, is the show dead? Do you know even? Season 1 has finished airing in America, Canada etc but nothing has been said about Season 2..
I saw that Bates Motel episode where those two kids were running through the woods too. However, I didn’t notice the familiarity of the woods. I was too distracted by the girl with the oxygen tank running like a champion sprinter. Don’t remember them stopping to catch their breath. Maybe Norman had to stop, but the girl on oxygen was fine. They made it to her car, jumped in and she drove off. I would have thought she’d have a hard time running. Guess not…
LA is definitely not summer-like all year round, but fits the description more frequently than Van. Hope you find a nice place in SoCal.
Now I wish I had some overly complicated cocktail recipe to post but I don’t. Usually it’s just hanging out by the pool with good friends and a simple mix of passion fruit rum and some fruit juice. It’s the friends that are key to maximum enjoyment of the simple drinks.
Make simple syrup with:
Zest and juice 3 oranges
grate 1 inch of ginger knob’
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Strain and cool
Tall glass full of crushed ice, sprig of fresh lemon balm.
pour 1 shot decent whiskey, scotch, or bourbon (I use Glenmorangie) over the ice,
Add simple syrup to almost fill.
Add 1 shot good vodka on top.
Drizzle with grenadine syrup.
Do not stir. Drink.
-daubermaus (chy)
Summerful is here too in the Mountain West. My yard/garden is exploding, I will have strawberries out my … ears.
My liquor collection is unnecessarily complicated for someone who doesn’t drink much anymore. My latest favorite is Agavero, a sweet tequila-damiana liqueur. Although for summer, I’ve been hitting the huckleberry vodka with ginger beer and lime… which I suppose is a Moscow, ID. Mule. I even have my own copper mug I keep stashed in the freezer.
LA… I hate LA. Mostly I associate it with smog, traffic and bad neighborhoods. And theme parks I was dragged to as a teenager. I’ve not experienced it as an adult with an income though. That has to help. San Diego and San Francisco are more my speed.
Hey, look, my laptop came home. No more squinting and fat finger fumbling a virtual keyboard. Now I have something for the cats to walk on again.
My summer favorites are pretty simple – and most involve lime: vodka gimlet, gin and tonic (with lots of limes), and Cuba Libre (rum and coke with the juice of half a lime).
@poshratpro: does that drink have a name? it sounds kind of interesting but a little too sweet for me. I may make up a batch of that orange ginger flavored simple syrup, though. Sounds tasty!
Sounds like you are finally ready to make the big move, Joe. Go for it!
Well, first off, good luck with your decisions. Moving isn’t easy, but we all have to go where the work is found. Which also explains why food-loving me ended up living in this tiny, lovely, but extremely restaurant limited town.
Joseph, Joe, still the all-knowing guru of the Vancouver restaurant scene, I come to you with a plea!
I live somewhere where my only sushi option is this place unless I make a 2.5 hour road trip into Ottawa.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g181741-d3297005-Reviews-The_Sushi_House-Pembroke_Ontario.html
It’s criminal, I tells ya! Lucky for me, I will have two glorious dinners in Vancouver next week and really need to make them count.
Can you make recommendations? We will be eating early (5-5:30ish) since we’re toting a nearly-two year old with us. I think one dinner will be in North Van (Bella sushi?) unless we get a tip on where else to go.
Please, Joe. I don’t know how many months (or years, really) it will be until I get a crack at good sushi again!
-Schuyler
P.S.: As to recipes, there’s a slightly fussy restaurant drink I used to drink involving muddled cucumber with rosewater in gin and a bit of soda. Maybe some lime. Ratios still undetermined, but it was really refreshing. Also, if you ever get to PEI, the best gin is at this artisan place called Myriad View. It’s amazing!
P.P.S.: Now there’s a thought. If you know any good Ottawa places – not just sushi, but anything. Really. Anything! – for a future road trip, that would be icing on the cake. Not like dried out fondant icing, but really, really good icing or drizzly dark ganache.
Hey Schuyler,
For sushi, I would recommend Minami in Yaletown. A little pricey, but the best sushi in town.
Haven’t been to Sushi Bella, but I do hear good things about Toshi (it’s small though) and then there’s Aki which is more traditional and in the downtown area. Also Ajisai and Zest are quite good.
As for North Van…slim pickings. People talk about Zen…
Lemon granita with Absinthe or if you prefer Absinthe & lemon sorbet
i prefer White Russians 😆
Not a cocktail, but I do like this iced tea recipe, which I find light and refreshing. It’s also pretty healthy (aside from the sugar) if you make it with green tea: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/refrigerator-brewed-sweet-iced-tea-recipe/index.html.
That’s so unfortunate that you need to leave the country to expand your career, but I guess as Canadians, we are used to seeing that, especially in the entertainment industry. Won’t you have to come back in 3 years, though, due to Akemi’s permanent residency requirements?
BTW, after reading yesterday’s blog, I took a sniff of the $100 bill (making sure that no one in the office was watching!). I must have a counterfeit, because I didn’t smell a thing.
You don’t have to live in B.C. to recognize the scenery in TV shows and movies.
As for drinks, I don’t have any mixtures to share.
Thanks for reminding me. I have to pick up my latest The Walking Dead issues. That Negan is a real dick. I can’t wait to see who they cast as he for the series. Maybe Ray Stevenson? Or how they’re going to make his colorful vocabulary TV safe. *SPOILER ALERT* Negan killing Glenn like he did was a real shocker.
Your ever favorite Moscow Mule is a great summertime drink. Which also reminds me: I’m out of ginger beer.
If you’re into margaritas, while I’m not a fan of anything Budweiser, the Limearita is really, really good for a quick out of the can margarita. More convenient than mixing your own, and quite tasty. Which reminds me…
I’m also a big fan of vodka and sprite with a twist of lime.
It’s nice that Akemi is looking forward to the trip now. I bet the dogs will love the moderate temperatures in L. A. too. How do the house prices compare? Since she is excited, does that mean you can get the money out of your house and buy larger in L. A.? A pool, a veranda, and a view of the hills.
I’d love having herbs, flowers, fruits and maybe some veggies growing all year long. You could set on your veranda in the mornings with a paper and a cup of tea/coffee… sounds heavenly. I would do that now but the bugs are starting to come out this year. Do they have those nasty mosquitos/gnats in L.A.? I bet they’ve never heard of chiggers there. Hate those things: http://www.medicinenet.com/chiggers_bites/article.htm#what_are_chiggers
Akemi: Are you going to have a garden in L. A.?
Outside drinks? Nothing special here. A margarita on special occasions but just a cup of tea on regular days.
Deni: Braving the storm? We don’t head out until Sunday morning. I hope it’s mostly over by then.
Shoulder better? My neck is better but I’m really dragging today. Low grade fever and tired. It must be an autoimmune thing. I still swam a mile and did an hour in karate class (barely). Have to buckle down and try to get some easy work done now. Hope all out there are having a good day!
Earlier this morning, I was watching the third episode of Bates Motel. At one point in the episode, two characters are being chased through a forest when they stop to catch their breath by a fallen tree. ”Wait a minute,”I thought. ”I KNOW that fallen tree!” And then, as the chase continued… “And I know those woods!”. I checked and, sure enough, the show is shot here. How’s that for a sign I’ve perhaps spent far, far too long scouting and shooting forest locations here in B.C.?
i’ve joked with my brother that various trees look familiar in SG-1, never actually recognized any though.