A few days ago, I found myself craving my favorite cocktail... a kamikaze. It's a light drink that packs a wallop if you don't follow the traditional 1/3 vodka, 1/3 triple sec, 1/3 sweetened lime juice recipe.
And that's the other thing that I love about this drink. It is easy to make to taste. Don't love the sweet? Add extra vodka. Like the sweet, but don't need the buzz so much? More lime juice please!
I pulled out my glass and filled it with ice, but when I went for the vodka, I found that I had run out. The liquor store is right around the corner from my house, so I put on a pair of flip flops and started to leave.
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As I turned the knob on the front door, my youngest daughter, my shadow, and self appointed wing man of fun said, "Wait Mom! Where are you going?"
She muted iCarly and looked at me expectantly. "The liquor store."
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She turned off the TV and jumped up. "I'll come!" she cried happily.
No, my daughter does NOT think the liquor store is a magical place...she thinks the frozen yogurt store next to it is Heaven on Earth.
I shrugged and said, "Well, let's go then." We all have our vices.
As soon as we got there, she started talking about froyo. I told her that she could go get her treat and that I'd meet her in there, but she wanted to wait for me. Finding the vodka was easy, so we were at the register quickly, ready to pay and go next door.
Not so fast.
The clerk asked me for ID.
I thought he was kidding. I said, "Oh?" and I hesitated as I waited for him to laugh.
Nope.
I reached slowly into my pocket, chuckling and asking, "You said you want my ID, right?"
He was not amused. He nodded seriously and stuck his hand out, expectantly.
I was thrilled. I rifled through my wallet, looking for my drivers license, and said, "Sure! No problem at all!"
Then he heard my twelve year old daughter, say, "Mom" while laughing (at him-she knows my age) because we could both tell that this guy didn't think that I was TWENTY-ONE!
He looked her up and down and said, "Oh..." he was starting to realize, but took the ID anyway.
The next "OH!" echoed through the store as he did the math...
Over birthday cake yogurt and gummy worms, my pre-teen and I laughed about the incident, but it got me thinking about when I was younger and all of the stupid things I had done. I wasn't the craziest out there; my only brush with drinking and driving was when a serial offender jumped the divider and hit the car I was in... head on. I was driving with two other people. He sent all of us to the hospital for Thanksgiving and to physical rehabilitation for a few months. I still bear the scars and memories of that night, and great perspective.
Some of my decisions were probably ones I wouldn't want my own kids to make as they get older, but sooner or later I will have to accept that it comes with the territory. We learn through our mishaps and behavioral slips.
And that brings us to the next BOOK CLUB pick:
Thank you for joining us for WEEK 2:
THE RULES:
1. Book discussion comments are left on this site and on: http://simplystick.blogspot.com/
2. Comments should only be about the BOOK and in no way be offensive or degrading to any person or persons.
3. It's ok to jump into the club late. Join us on any day of any week. BUT if, for example, you are starting with SUKI on WEEK 3, DO NOT READ THE DISCUSSION COMMENTS. Stop after you get to the link to purchase the book or you may ruin the story for yourself. I cannot stress this enough.
WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME by David P. Perlmutter
THE SYNOPSIS:
One bad decision can change everything. As a young man, David had a good job, friends, and a comfortable lifestyle. The night that he gave in to all of his desires without a thought about the consequences, was the night when he lost it all. Like a small rock that gathers momentum as it tumbles from a mountain top, David's first mistake would spiral into a chaotic avalanche of disastrous events. This true story relays what the author describes as, "...the most terrifying time of my life."
THE REVIEW:
I love a true story. There are so many books written about how we wish things could be, or how we'd do things if only we were granted the right technology, enough money, or the perfect mate, but real life is messy, exciting, and soul changing. That's exactly what WRONG TIME, WRONG PLACE offers the reader.
On the surface, David's character appears to be a hopeless alcoholic, unable to grow up and finally conquer his bad habits, but if you wade through the sea of purposeless choices and look closely enough, the smart reader will see that David is a shining example of why thinking things through before reacting is so very important.
Many of David's reviewers have labelled the string of events, "bad luck" and they "feel sorry for him". Judge as you see fit and call it what you want, but David's brand of storytelling and style of writing easily brings a plethora of emotions to the surface. There were times when I rooted for him to change his life, only to scream at my Kindle, "David! Are you kidding me?!" a minute and a half later.
Does he finally learn his lesson? Is he living a peaceful existence now? Follow David from London to Spain and find out. You will not be let down. WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME is a real life nail biter, keeping you interested until the last page.
Join me in the discussion about this controversial story. Comment below and let me know how David's obvious frailties affected you.
ORDER THE BOOK:
ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Place-Time-ebook/dp/B008955FG2
IN PRINT: http://thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.blogspot.com/
*The winner of last's week's giveaway is ROBBIE COX. CHEERS to Robbie! Enjoy your print copy of my pick for WEEK 3!*
CF Winn is the author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES, a hilarious group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Her first novella, SUKI, has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.
