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May Contest Image
Try your hand at coming up with a winning caption!
Greetings from Maine!
I thought I remembered how heinous moving was… and I remembered it as hell. But I am here to tell you that it’s far worse than that! The movers arrived with a van full of my studio 12 days ago, and I have still not assembled it into any kind of order. AND my laser copier is broken. Those of you who know what a dinosaur I am know that I use the old scissors-and-glue method to put captions on images… so I can’t possibly post the finalists of the June caption contest until that copier is functioning and/or replaced. I sincerely apologize for the delay, and I appreciate your patience.
Meanwhile, the image for the July caption contest is up at last! This image appeared in my line back in 1999 with the caption “golly! that was fun!” My mother thought it was pornographic. I’d like to bring this wonderful image back, but I don’t want to offend the sensibilities of my mother or of our many, many other fans who prefer not to think about sex. I think she looks as though she’s relaxing after a lovely warm soak. Or perhaps contemplating the joys of the day ahead. The perfect caption not only snags the writer a $100 gift certificate to our e-store… it may also rate inclusion in our product line!
Years ago the niece of this model called me. She told me that when her aunt was a teenager she lived on Staten Island and yearned to be a star. One day she ditched school, made her way to this photo shoot in Manhattan… and then was grounded for life. The niece promised to dig up a photo of her aunt when she was crowned the winner of her nursing home beauty contest 60 years later. (If you are out there, niece, I’m still waiting.)
Congratulations Jennifer Egan!!!
I’ve been telling people for months that Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad is the best book I’ve read in many, many years (if not ever). I was totally delighted to turn on my computer this morning and learn that her book had won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. GO JENNIFER!
I was first introduced to Ms. Egan through her book The Keep. For some reason it was on my “to read” list, but every time I picked it up and read the jacket I thought “I don’t want to read this.” Finally I read it. I loved it.
Then my husband brought home Goon Squad. I read the jacket and said “I don’t want to read this.” GREAT book.
And now I have Ms. Egan’s Emerald City waiting on my Kindle. I’m putting off reading it the way I put off eating my Halloween candy as a child. I don’t want to start because I don’t want it to be over.
The good thing about getting older: I can probably read Goon Squad as soon as my friend Mick returns it and get exactly as much delight from it as I did on the first reading.
Read Jennifer Egan!
The Pickleback
If you haven’t visited the new products page on our web store in a while, go there right now! Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day giving, we’ve added 3 fun new flasks and 2 fabulous new coaster sets.
And if you think the festivities may leave you with a bit of a hangover, you might also want to pick up a few sets of St-Patrick’s-Day-green shot glasses.
You’ll need them when you pour yourself The Pickleback! Dill pickle juice, which is full of antioxidants, healing salts, and minerals, has long been used in Poland as a cure for the common hangover. The Bushwick Country Club (in lovely Brooklyn!) christened this surprisingly delicious combo, using Old Crow bourbon and McClure’s dill pickle juice. In honor of the day, I suggest you make a small substitution:
The St. Patrick’s Day Pickleback
- 1 shot Jameson’s Irish Whiskey
- 1 shot good quality dill pickle juice (I like Bubbie’s)
Drink the Jameson’s. Now drink the pickle juice. Yum!
Let’s All Pick on Teresa McIntyre!
So, do you guys all know each other or what?
On January 8th, “Beth” posted this comment:
And, I don’t know about the rest of you Taintortots, (what do you think of that? Would someone vote for that?), but I’m really getting tired of reading Teresa McIntyre this, Teresa McIntyre that. Hey Teresa maybe you could put a cork in it for awhile? How about this for a plan? For the months of Jan, Feb, and March, I don’t want to read your name or be reminded of your brilliance. Once you’re out of the picture, (did I say that out loud?), the odds of getting the recognition I desperately need for my self esteem will certainly increase.
And then this morning, as I began to sort through all the February submissions (I have it narrowed down to 27 so far!) I found this caption that some wiseacre had submitted:
Was that you again, Beth? Well, whoever it was (and I’ll find out soon), thank you very much for making me choke on my tea this morning! Hilarious – I love starting the day with such a HUGE laugh.
And Teresa… I appreciate you even if these guys don’t.
(And Beth… I love Taintortots!)
You Know Me… Busy, Busy!
I know I owe you all a January caption contest winner… but as you can see
I’ve been quite busy.
Recipe testing for the cocktail book will hopefully be completed this
evening. I’m working on the cover this afternoon. A few rewrites tomorrow… and I promise you a winner on Monday!
Meanwhile, I invite you to try my new favorite, the Merry Widow Cocktail:
- 1 oz. gin
- 1 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz. Benedictine
- 1/2 oz. pastis
- Dash of bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a
twist of lemon. Yum!
