I am always drawn to folks who don’t quite play by the rules. Not rebellious types who tear things down or light fires just to see the world burn, but the folks who see a chance to make things better and say “Why not?” The ones who make “good trouble” as John Lewis put it. We spend a lot of time going through motions and doing things because that’s the way they have always been done without taking time to stop and ask why or if there is a better way. So in the spirit of not accepting the status quid pro quo, won’t you please join me now as we stand and make the War of the Roses.
We are almost there. It can be tough sometimes, the holidays take a toll in the best of times. Even just going through the motions can be a challenge. Especially this year, with so many losses, so many things that did not work out as planned and honestly, just so many differences from our usual traditions. Getting in the holiday spirit has been hard, if not impossible, and that’s ok. As the man said, it is what it is. All the worrying in the world won’t suddenly make our hearts grow three sizes this day, so don’t beat yourself up. If you have found your good cheer, congratulations; if not, don’t worry about it. Like the song says, we will muddle through somehow. So in that spirit, please join me for this tenth of The 12 Drinks of Christmas. Sing along at home, if you like, because, “For the tenth drink of Christmas, Uncle Monkey made for me, a Pom-Pimm’s Fizz.”
There are a ton of things in life you hear about, have some idea of what they might be, but don’t really understand. There are bands I have heard of, might even have heard one of their songs, but I really know nothing about them. Well, that’s not quite true, I have preconceptions. Good example, The Tedeschi Trucks Band. I had heard the name for years, but never listened to them. Did not even want to, I knew they weren’t my kind of thing. Believe it or not, in the 80’s I was a bit of a skate rat. Skateboards, Vans, my BMX, pack of chewy sweet tarts, the whole thing. For anyone who cares, Vision Old Ghosts, Gullwing Trucks, Orange Juice Wheels, well at least until I defected to the Powell Peralta Bones Brigade. Somehow, my brain connected the Tedeschi name to skateboarding, I mean Tedeschi Trucks makes sense. So I assumed they were an old school skate punk band, in the same vein as Black Flag. As much as I love Henry Rollins, I am just not cut out for the music. Anyway, I even skipped going to see their shows because I never bothered to check them out, until a couple of years ago. Turns out, I love them. Not a little, they are exactly my kind of music. So that’s a long way to go to say, you should definitely try things or at least learn something about them before making any judgements. The same thing goes for today’s drink. I thought I knew what it was about, I had made assumptions and I was wrong. So join me as we stand and make, the Pimm’s Cup.
