Good Girl Sangria
Inspired by the images on this post and then by the recipe linked up on this one, last week I used a one dollar garage sale find and a recipe altered for non drinkers to serve my pretend sister some fake sangria. Convoluted enough yet?
Unfortunately, there are no decent photos of the finished product to prove that this happened, but she and I know the truth. And since I am not a food blogger, that is all that really matters…
So, in case you’re interested, here is the basic formula…
Good Girl Sangria
Rural Auction Etiquette
In case you should ever find yourself invited to such a soiree, please pocket the following short list of tips. These are trade secrets I rather wish someone had shared with me ahead of time.
- Dress the part. This is a good time to be a follower and a blender-inner. Your hairstyle is also important, though for a more functional reason. Before you leave home consider securing your tangly, untamed hair, at least well enough that you do not need to constantly flip it around. Ponytail adjustments, in some circles, are taken as bids. A good option is a baseball cap and sunglasses. Your hair will stay put better and your eyelessness will help to conceal your expressions.
- While the bidding is going on, avoid carrying on conversations that are prone to be overly affirmative.
and so bob your head up and down, maybe even
blinking dramatically here and there, for effect.
where a nice looking Angus is being auctioned.
Or instead of cattle it could be a chipped
but beautiful piece of Frankoma pottery.
and ear contact with hubby.
What just happened is you kept the conversation afloat
but you also gave the appearance of a stealthy bid.
Only very merciful auction houses will let this slide more than once.
Fewer marital events kill the “open up to me, honey” mood
more quickly than the purchase of an unwanted steer.
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I have learned the hard way to not bad mouth items for auction whilst circulating through the crowd, no matter how funny you think you are. Chances are, at these intimate affairs, the sellers are nearby and they have feelings. Trash and treasure, baby. Trash and treasure.
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Don’t take your camera. Do. Not. It’s true that rural auctions are GREAT photo opportunities, among the world’s best really, but they are just not the place for clicking away. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb… And once you’re pegged as an outsider, the sharks will circle. They know how to run up your bids without hardly trying. They work in a maniacal, silent network that I am just beginning to understand. Outsider? Bad. Outsider with a CAMERA? Tourist. You’ll go home with treasures, but expensive ones.
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Beyond just not showing your emotions, also try to resist emotions in general. Getting attached too quickly or too strongly to any auction item is dangerous. It can cause you to pay too much or to chase after lesser items if you lose the good stuff. Even if you are admiring cute little baby ducks that are so dang cute oh my lord they want to come with me pleeeeaaase can we bid on them… take a deep breath and walk away without fawning. Another auction will be here before you know it. Chill baby, baby, chill…
- Pay attention to the posted buyer’s premium. This is the rate YOU pay to the auction house, on top of the price you win while bidding. Not all auctions have this, but the larger companies probably do and this can add up quickly while you shop.
- Oh, speaking of money adding up, a biggie: “Four times the money!” Exciting. This means you pay, big shocker, four times the price you bid. This happens when a set of something is up for bid, for example four tires, but the auctioneer often slips it in kind of casually. I guess the sharks know when to expect this, but you might imagine the chaos it triggers for a wide eyed, bobble headed, camera wielding tourist. This also comes in the form of two times the money, three, seven, etc. Bidder beware.
Funny Reasons to Break Up With Someone
- He smelled too much like soap.
- She was selfish. (This one was funny to me because of the ages of the kids involved. Aren’t all kids selfish?)
- I woke up bored, and I’m pretty sure he has nothing to talk about either. So I proactively called and broke up so I could get on with my day.
- I was tired of getting in trouble with my parents over him. Not worth it. (Wow, how often does THAT actually happen?)
- He came to see me at work and it really hurt my feelings. (Really?)
- She expected me to let her cows graze on my pasture, no questions asked.
- She was, like, soooo immature. And Facebook is nooo place for immaturity.
- She was a liberal.
- She was pretty and a Pom girl but I couldn’t stand her personality.
- He couldn’t give up meat.
- I finally got to ride in her Dad’s exotic sports car, which is the only reason I liked her in the first place. (Obviously this poor girl gave the milk away for free.)
T.G.I.F.!!!!
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