Saturday, June 13, 2009

Success in Sydney.





When the fate of humanity rests in your hands, you sometimes have to dig a little deeper. And by 'a little deeper' I mean getting up at 0700 on a Sunday morning in winter in order to make and drink a layered cocktail.

Don't get me wrong, the hurdles I had to jump over for the successful completion of this challenge were not so much mental - after all, who hasn't secretly wanted to drink a cocktail in the morning once or twice - but rather physical. The bed was warm, the fog of the previous night was settled like a fine, fuzzy dew across my tongue, and I knew I didn't have the right kind of glass for a Molokai Mike. But if the Gibson vs. Gibson experience has shown me anything, it's that the satisfaction of a successfully completed mission brings a kind of relaxation and bliss regularly only experienced by Buddhist monks and people patting really cute puppies.

With all ingredients gathered and with a glass of hot water and lemon juice in hand to flush the liver and line the gut, I began the cocktail assembly at approximately 0735 AEST. My major stumbling block was the crushing of ice - both food processor and blender failed me - until I remembered my 60s Ice-O-Matic manual ice crusher. Thank goodness for this piece of chrome and plastic excellence. It shaved the ice down to a size manageable for the blender.

But the ice wasn't the only thing I was cutting fine. At 0758, with just 2 minutes left before the allotted time, the cocktail was finally assembled (with slightly dubious layering, it has to be said) and I hurried outside to assume the position. In my non-drinking hand, I chose to hold the souvenir Head-O-State, representing America's fascination with sex and politics. At 0800, I imbibed the Molokai Mike and as the layers merged in my belly and my photographer snapped the moment, I felt at one with Gibson-US and with the world at large. However, this feeling quickly passed and I was left merely with a compulsion to go back into the heated house.

2 comments:

  1. Fine work fellow Gibson! Your precise execution of the challenges stands in stark contrast to my frantic fumbling. Do not despair though! I plan to rise from the ashes of my recent failures as a bright phoenix of victory!

    Also, two questions:
    1. What's with the hot water and lemon juice? Should I be drinking that to prime my stomach for tropical cocktails in the future?

    2. Does having one pant leg rolled up mean something? Please explain.

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  2. 1. The lemon juice is a cleansing tonic which clears the mind as well as the bloodstream. It also helps when one is trying to shake off a monstrous coffee addiction. While not necessarily essential prior to cocktail hour, it is recommended in the morning - especially on the morning of a challenge.

    2. The pantleg was unintentional, as was the lopsided nature of my morning hair. However, in hindsight it's clear that this was some kind of sign of your plight on the opposite side of the Earth. If only I had taken the time to align them, perhaps you would have succeeded in your efforts. Apologies.

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