A Toast For Veterans Day

“Thank you” is a phrase that I don’t think I say often enough.  I really have no excuse to offer although I really do try.  But occasionally, I’ll forget to actually say thanks to people who deserve it: that grade-school teacher who sparked my love of science, or the old friend who lets me write a rambling blog on his Website, or the guy who calls me during dinner to help me save a bundle on my long distance bill…  Okay, maybe not so much the last guy.  My point is that sometimes I just need to put the brakes on whatever zaniness is distracting me and take a moment to say a proper thank you. And, Veterans Day is just the ticket.

I have a standing Veterans Day lunch date with a friend of mine who served as a Marine in the first Gulf War. We’ve known each other for 25 years, so it happens sometimes that we take each others’ friendship for granted and a few months slip by without so much as an email. So when Veterans Day rolls around, I make a special effort to set aside time to thank him and remember why it’s important to thank all those who’ve served.  Now, it’s easy to feel respect and gratitude toward those who actually get shot at (and they deserve every ounce), but I’m careful not to hold cheap the sacrifices all veterans make when deployed.  My friend, for instance, spent his time in Kuwait wrapping and unwrapping helicopters and never actually “engaged the enemy.”  However, his sacrifice was still significant. His life was put on hold when his ROTC unit was called up and then he was shipped off to the middle of a desert amid considerable doubt at the time about how messy things might get. Meanwhile, I was relaxing on a lawn chair in Santa Barbara pretending to study calculus. Ultimately, veterans are the ones doing the unpleasant things that have to be done so the rest of us can enjoy the pleasant things we have.

So, as Bourbon is a tough guy drink (according to another vet I know), I’ve busted out this Chapel Hill recipe along with a big thank you to all those who’ve served. 

                                                    Chapel Hill

                                                   Ingredients

* Ice (optional)  * 1 ½ oz. Bourbon  * ½ oz. Triple Sec  * 1 tsp. Lemon Juice  * Lemon Wedge

                                                   Preparation

Chapel Hills is a drink you can serve neat or over ice, so if you’re feeling rocky, drop in some cubes into an Old Fashion or any 6 oz. glass. Add an ounce and a half of Bourbon, a half ounce of Triple Sec and a teaspoon, or a good squirt, of lemon juice then garnish with a lemon wedge.

More recipes are available at www.30-SecondBartender.com!

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