My signature cocktail

I'm currently on a quest to find my signature drink. I do enjoy a Tito's (that's vodka, for those of you who live under a rock and don't know how amazing Texas vodka is) with orange juice and red bull in a tall glass. However, I feel like energy drinks are very young, and when I go to a bar or dinner with co-workers or people higher up, I want a drink they can respect, so my quest begins.

I don't want the drink to be too simple like a Cape Cod or something too fruity like a Cosmo. I want to steer clear of tequila. Milky or creamy drinks are also eliminated because they can only be drank at certain times and with certain things.

Martinis have their options because you can get them up or rocks, dry or dirty, olives or no, twist or no, and you can style them up different ways. However, so many people drink martinis and I want something slightly more original, a little less ordered.

Yesterday, I discovered my liking for Manhattans. This simple but manly drink starts with whiskey (preferably rye), adds a bit of vermouth (sweet or dry), and just a dash of bitters at the drinker's discretion. I had one with Maker's and sweet vermouth, a bit of bitters, up with a twist. It was quite tasty, but still unmistakably whiskey. I also asked for a rocks glass with some cherry juice in it (an idea I stole from a bar regular (real juice, not grenadine)), and I dabbed just a little bit into the drink over time. It's color and taste brightened only slightly, but amazingly.

I then went through the same process, but with Korbel brandy instead of whiskey, this time with half sweet and half dry vermouth. Same up and twist with a side of cherry juice. As long as the cherry is used sparingly, I do not feel like it would be easily criticized.

Though I do feel like I am going to experiment a bit further with this drink, I do feel like it may become my signature cocktail.

Any further suggestions?

Scott's Charm School #1: Taking Charge

You know how you look at people that are older, wiser, sometimes even just better looking. You know when you are around specific people and you feel like you're seeking their approval? You are hoping that they will not think you're weird. You are hoping that they will not blow you off. You know how they seem to be superior to you? That's because, either consciously or subconsciously, you allow yourself to think of them that way.

Some of this you might have heard before. A parent, a teacher, or a mentor might have mentioned it in the past. It's knowledge that is given, but few people grasp it: "When two people are in any form of a relationship, there is a person who is in charge." This can be explained many ways, but I want to give you my take. Let's define our terms.

"Relationship" is going to be the connection between any two people that have met and at least one remembers the other. There are special exceptions to drunken nights and random acts that go along with blacking out, but in general, at least one remembers the other.

"In charge" is going to be the person in the relationship who is superior to the other person. We will call the people in charge the "Leaders," and the people who are inferior the "Followers." Do not be confused. We are all both because we are in charge of some relationships, and not of others.

This is an issue of confidence. When making a new acquaintance (even if you have a pre-existing knowledge of that person), it is up to you to decide that you are equal to or better than that person. Do not misunderstand me; I'm not telling you to be a snot box, just to know that no one can be better than you without your permission. Acquaintanceship is the first level of a relationship, and the things that I am about to talk about apply to everyone: your girlfriend or boyfriend's parents, your potential future employer, the friend of a friend, etc.

Here are some things that you can do:

Make sure that you introduce yourself, shake hands, make eye contact, and if you stick your hand out for the shake first, you are almost automatically in charge. Shaking someones hand is a sign of respect and of respectability. Remember the person's name. It is also a sign of respect, and if they forget yours, you've gained more ground ahead of them. Be gracious about reminding them, and you're still moving forward. Smile, and appear confident, even if you're knees are clattering together. Appearing confident when you're really not is a form of confidence, is it not?

Once you have made the initial greet, be sure to stay a Leader by never being afraid to give your opinion, when it's your place, with confidence (funny that I keep using that word). Do not wait for someone else to give their opinion and then half-heartedly agree with them to seek approval. Listen intently, deliberate politely, discuss peacefully; however, never give in. If they have a point, agree to give the matter some thought, and discuss it at a later date. Sophistication is what we make of it.

From that point, always be sure to greet that person by name and with a hand shake. Make sure that you ask about something in their life that you remember, and actually listen to the answer to make further conversation in the future.

Doing these few things can make you the person in charge. It will make you the object of admiration. Be the person that people want to know, and people will know you. I know I have made it sound like these situations always take place in a formal setting, but these are guidelines for any time that you are meeting someone new. Take charge, and you'll be the Leader.

Overload?

You know when you get in a mood, and you just wanna change things, and be a better person, and do things that you don't do anymore, and some things that you've never really done? You don't even know why you want to do those things, but you decide that you should, and you buy stuff to start, and then you work at it for awhile, and you begin to wonder why you're doing it, and you wonder when the "new" is gonna wear off. This is the current list of things I'm working on:

Going to class more (tough one)
Drinking less (real tough one)
Learning Spanish
Reading more
Running (getting ready for my Marathon class)
Playing piano
Being better at both of my jobs
Spending more time with my family
Making gay friends (cause the list is short)
Eating better

Yeah, like I said, it's a lot. I'm not overwhelmed by it, but I'm wondering which ones are important to me and why. Those are the things I should focus on.

The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project is a play that depicts the life of Matthew Shepard, who was tied to a fence post, beaten, and left for dead in Laramie, Wyoming because he was gay. He died three days after the brutal beating. The show was put together by a team that traveled to the town of Laramie so that the same fate might not happen to others. To find out more about Matthew Shepard, click here.

Tyler Civic Theatre recently said that they were going to produce this show, and rehearsals have already begun. The show is being funded by Tyler Area Gays. In the past couple of weeks, people have gone to the board of TCTC, and told them that they would prefer that the show not be done because it would promote the "gay agenda." This is the letter that I wrote to TCTC in response:

To Whom It May Concern,

I understand that The Laramie Project is going to be performed at Tyler Civic Theatre in June. This is a great opportunity not only for the performers to be able to play such difficult and stretching roles, but also for the people who choose to come. They will be educated as to the effects that prejudice has had on many people, including myself. Having seen the show in the past, I must say that it had a profound impact on my life and the way that I think about the people around me.

The show is not just a play; it is the story of a young man who was killed because of the type of person that he was. He was killed because of hate, and also because of fear. People fear what they do not understand, and pulling the plug on the show would be allowing prejudice and hate to continue.

I urge you to stand up for the young man who was helpless, who was beaten, and who was left for dead. Stopping the production of this show is agreeing with Matthew Shepard’s killers. They too thought his life meant nothing.

If TCTC’s mission truly is to educate and to enrich through theatre, then this show is the perfect way to do that, and I hope that no hate or fear will stop it. Thank you for your time, and I hope that open minds will prevail.

-Scott Good

If you would also like to write them a letter, please send it to info@tylercivictheatre.com

Quote

Not sure who said it, but this is all I've got for today:

Never confuse the will of the majority with the will of God.

That's all.

260 days...

So, I've only got 260 days until I graduate, and I'm still deciding what I want to be when I grow up, but the more I talk to people about it, the more I realize that that's not such a bad thing.

I could try to find something at Southwest Airlines. While I was in Dallas on Tuesday I went to see my old team from last summer. They were all happy to see me, and many inquired as to when I would be applying at SWA. That's something that I'm obviously interested in, but it's hard to find a job there because no one really leaves...

I could do restaurant management (briefly) and hope that I can either own my own place one day or eventually become a consultant. We'll see.

Another possibility is working for a University in Career Services and getting a free Masters. I am already more than qualified for many of the positions that I've viewed at many places. Plus, FREE MASTERS!

Event planning is something I've got under my belt, and I feel like I'm pretty good at speaking in public, and with the experience that I've gotten in the last two years, I would have to say that that is something that I can pursue later in life.

The point is: I've got options. I am realistic, and I know that I won't have my dream job right off the bat, but I'm confident that I can find something enjoyable with enough money upon graduation or shortly thereafter.

On a completely different subject, I finished Up In The Air (the book), and it was incredibly anti-climactic, but it was still very good. The language is incredible, and the moral of the story is something that we only passively realize. The book faces the subject head-on. Ready to see the movie.