3 posts tagged “maker's mark”
One of my co-workers decided to lead up the project. She is competitive and was determined to not only win the Toys for Tots box, but this as well.
Her idea was to do a space-age/mod tree with a variation of the 12 days of Christmas thrown in.
Team members on both coasts were assigned numbers. While we didn't have to bring in X number of ornaments or stick with the song lyrics, our contribution had to tie in to something about us and the number we were given. At the same time, inside jokes were not permitted since having to explain something loses funny points. I was given the number 5 which made my ornament extremely easy.
As for the space-age/mod theme, she had ideas for basic decor, but was struggling with something that really said "space-age". I suggested spray painting the entire thing silver since nothing says 50's/60's Mod Christmas like an aluminum tree. That can of paint brought her concept together. Sort of.
When I saw the final tree with the pink feather boa, I didn't see "space-age" or "mod". I saw drag queen. That is what instantly popped into my mind and stuck. I really like the tree, but I would have cut back on the fabulousness a little more and kept it more simple with clean lines and basic minimal decor that you would see in a Shag painting.
The tree won. 1st place in the non-company themed division. The picture really doesn't do it justice. The tree looks damn good. The group that won the company themed competition tore their tree apart and rebuilt it as a topiary in the form of this summer's CGI French rat. It looked good, but there isn't anything Christmassy about a French rat.
As for my contribution for the number 5? A fifth of bourbon (ornament sized). I was sure that my ornament would get stolen, but so far it has remained.
And as for the Toys for Tots box? 2nd place. Now this isn't as much due to another group having a better box as it was due to the judges feeling that they needed to spread the winning wealth around.
I say to hell with that. There are winners and losers. If one team is the best in everything and they win, then so be it. We were robbed on that box and everyone knows it. Sympathy wins get no respect.
If a waiter stopped by right now to take your order, what cocktail or drink are you having?
I think Doug has just surpassed my bourbon collection. Not necessarily in quantity, but he just bought a lot of high-end Blanton's. Three of these bottles aren't even sold in the states. Bastard!
Doug is new to the world of bourbon. He would drink it on occasion, but really didn't love it like the rest of us. I saw him start to come around the night and weekend of Lipman's wedding. He and Todd came over and we broke into my single barrel stash. We would drink a bottle 3/4 of the way and then switch. I don't know why, but it just worked out that way. Maybe we subconsciously left that 1/4 for Lipman. Kinda like pouring a little bit of your 40 on the ground for your homies except this stuff wasn't going on the ground.
He didn't solidify a taste for it until the night of 4/22/06 at my wedding reception. The Maker's Mark was flowing that night. In fact, about 3x as many Maker's Mark drinks were consumed than the drink that came in #2 on our bill. Doug, who was into wine and vodka, decided he loved bourbon that night. He loved it so much he was running around telling everyone (sometimes 2 or 3 times) that he loved the bourbon.
He called me today from a liquor store somewhere in the Caribbean quizzing me on prices. Some he knew were good deals, others he wasn't so sure. Blanton's kept coming up. Blanton's is good stuff. Really good stuff. I don't know if it is the best that there is, but it's pretty damned good.
For years I've had a bottle on hand for special occasions... which really didn't have to be all that special, just an occasion. Come to think of it, I've never really purchased a bottle myself. People give them to my dad around Christmas (it's a thing to do in KY) and he usually passes them on to me. I received a bottle as a wedding present.
My buddy Kevin, old fraternity roommate and now nerd accountant, shared a bit of his Special Reserve bottle with me during a visit to his place a few years ago. The regular stuff is damned good. The Special Reserve is whatever the next step up from "damned good" is.
So Doug called me and was asking about prices on the regular bottle and then started asking about the Silver, Gold, and Straight from the Barrel versions. This is the stuff that isn't available in the states. At the time, I was so flabbergasted, I got them all mixed up. Anyway, the prices he was quoting were good for just the regular stuff... little less this stuff that isn't available. I told him he couldn't go wrong with any of it.
Well, that bastard sends me this pic. He bought everything. Damn him.
Yeah, I'm jealous. I'm not all that concerned. He owes me. He has consumed my bourbon. Now it's my turn.
I hope he paid attention to the stoppers and made sure they were all different. Probably not. n00b.
