Bandtini – 5:00 Fridays

I’ve never been one to buy gift wrap and scented candles and popcorn and whatnots to support every kid who comes knocking on my door. I think it’s abominable to make little kids do that. Furthermore, it’s shameful to tie sales to “winning” prizes. Let’s be honest, the so called prizes are just junk from the Oriental Trading rejects section, and no parent wants that stuff in their house anyway. Kids don’t need to get involved in the sales rat race when most of them have just learned to wipe their own bottoms without leaving skidmarks. Grammar school is no place for Glengarry Glen Ross pressures.

I’m all for supporting schools, troops, tribes, teams. I do plenty to support schools and raise money. I just write a check to the PTA. I don’t need any plastic overpriced crap stuff in exchange. I don’t need to take the sales sign up sheet and four color catalog to the office to schill for my kids. Back in the day when I had to sell Girl Scout cookies I did it myself. My parents didn’t do the work for me, meaning I never won those crummy prizes. But my parents did the right thing.

There is one exception to my rule here. I buy band fruit every year from my neighbor. He comes to the door decked out in his uniform and even played a little ditty on his sax for us. I was in marching band and had to endure those same kind of scratchy uniforms trimmed in satin and a hat that never stayed put. I marched in many a parade, my trombone sliding from first to fifth position in tuneless wonder. Some girls fawn over jazz bands, rock bands, hair bands. I guess I have a soft spot for the marching band.

Well, that soft spot means that my house is overflowing with oranges right now. Luckily they’re both pretty and tasty so I can score some colorful table centerpieces until all the sweet pulpy goodness is eaten up. But at this rate, it will be Arbor Day before we get through all this vitamin C. Bird and Deal have been tossing them around like baseballs, and I’m pretty sure if the weather were warmer those oranges would do double duty as bocce balls. It’s high time I squeeze everything I can out of those oranges before one rolls under the couch, unbeknownst to me, in a game of keepaway. Lemons aren’t the only citrus fruit that get its own adage. When the band gives you oranges, make a martini!

Bandtini

3 ounces of freshly squeezed orange juice

1 ounce ginger vodka (I hear Yazi has a doozy of one in a pretty little bottle.)

1 ounce Cointreau

splash ginger ale

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add orange juice, vodka, and Cointreau. Shake. Shake. Shake. Strain into a martini glass. Add a splash of ginger ale. Garnish with an orange twist. Now keep the juicer on hand. Since it’s the middle of cold and flu season, surely the vitamin C boost can only help, right?

Cheers! And rah rah rah to marching bands everywhere!