where have all the drunks gone?

You would think in a town known for its Irish heritage, cold weather, and general orneriness of people, it would be hard to find a body not devoted to sweet delicious alcohol. And yet Dick and I find ourselves encountering a distressing number of teetotalers. Not that there's anything wrong with being dry, it's just that Dick and I have worked hard to cultivate a sophisticated drinking practice, and we like to exercise it regularly. Last night we found ourselves at a birthday party devoid of both alcohol and animal products. It was nice, and I had one of the best Hostess-style cupcakes I've tasted, and it was vegan. There were also kick ass ginger cookies, made with grated fresh ginger. What is it with vegans being such good bakers, anyway? It's uncanny.

Back to the subject of drinking, I saw this book at a store the other day, and immediately wanted to buy one for all the great drinkers in my life. It's a republishing of a book originally written in, I believe, the 1930's by a Scotsman who used the pseudonym Aeneas MacDonald "in deference to his mother."