Friday, March 23, 2012

Lime Cordial and a Tango After the Tropics


Mr Beach House has just returned from Bris Vegas( Brisbane, Queensland for the uninitiated)  where he undertook his latest sailing campaign.  As per the program, he did well.  He  also came home with a tan, some polished muscles and for a brief period he went slightly troppo on me.  He missed us all madly, but it only takes about 24 hours before the 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' thingy wears off and you are back to arguing about the household finances and who's meant to ferry which kid where.


I have said many many times on this blog, that when I walked down the grassy knoll along to the makeshift altar where our nuptuals took place on Whale Beach, all those years ago, I was completely and utterly in love with him.  A good and most desirable starting point to a marriage, I am sure you would agree!!!!


So at the end of the big day, you get into that car.  You know the one with 'Just married' emblazoned in bold across the back window, tin cans rattling along the road as you drive of into the sunset.  After a few years of driving you pick up a few freckles.  A few more years on and you can add to that, a touch of sun burn.  But after ten years or so of driving, you've practically got sunstroke.


How do I know this????  Well it goes something like this.
Me on Tuesday night: The car needs its registration renewed by Friday.  Can you take it for a roadworthy check tomorrow?
Him: Didn't you get that done while I was away.?
Me: No didn't have time.

He's home, I've missed him and I don't feel like explaining the intricacies of why I have left this task to him.
The conversation finished and my understanding was it was agreed.



On Wednesday morning I walked out to the car and the one I thought we had agreed he'd take for the road worthy, is patiently waiting for me in the driveway.  He'd driven off in the one that has 9 months registration left on it. The clock was ticking.  The steam was slowly building.  I might just add here, that the cars have always kind of been his responsibility.  He chose them, washes them and generally takes an interest in them.  I don't have a preference nor any real interest in cars other than they go and are not bombs.

He once unbeknownst to me, left me to drive his unregistered car, when I first had the Beach House Brat.  When I realised it was unregistered, I refused to drive it until it was and so was unable to get him a father's day present in time for his first fathers day.  Lets just say it was a low point in our drive off into the sunset and as a result, I am a little touchy about getting cars registered on time these days.



So continuing on my quest to get this car registered on time, I showed up at the factory with the car in question.
Upon walking through the office door he said to me, still with an 'I've missed you after 2 weeks absence' aura about him.  'Hey darl look at this funny video', sailing related of course!!!

Me:  Yep yep It's real funny, now about this freekin car!!!!

Lets just say after 2 weeks holding the fort and running around like a blue arsed fly, picking up the slack left by him in his absence on a quest to relive some misguided sailing aspirations and still with a potentially unregistered car by Friday, unless he got off his butt and made some moves to get said road worthy, I lost it.  You could say I got a big fat dose of sunstoke right then and there.

Me:  You forgot to take the car for a pink slip!!!
Him: Well I asked you to get it serviced last week and you didn't

FYI dear reader.  A pink slip in somewhat less onerous than a service.  Windscreen wiper and brake checks and the like.  It's not a full service, but it is a prerequisite for re registration.


It continued,  the gloves were off.  All memories of a warm glow in his absentia were
now in the distant past.

 Me: You don't need a full service to pass the pink slip road worthy test.  Can't you just do it!!!   I was too busy doing all your other cr*pola last week. Like dealing with your customers, the Tax Office, the accountant, your web designer, typing up price lists for your website and let me tell you the  list goes on. And all the while, you were up there bobbing around on the ocean, just off sunny Queensland.

Him: Well that's why I gave you the mechanic's number. He said he'd come and pick up the car for the day.
Me: Ok so you're up in Queensland having a grand old time.  I have all this stuff to do for you and you want me to be without a car for a day, whilst you are away.  What if I needed to pick up one of the kids from school in an emergency?

I didn't listen to his reply.  I just drove off in the car with heaps of registration, vowing not to drive the other one until it had been renewed.


































That night he walked through the door.  I handed him a cold beer with a dash of this yummy home made lime cordial in it.  I bet as he walked up the stairs, he expected me to pounce. But I didn't. I had the car I wanted and instead of holding his hand all the way to the registry office, I just thought I'd let the cards fall where they may.  We had a nice chat and a drink out on the deck.  I wanted that warm glow back.  Later in the evening, he said to me 'Oh I'll need the little car tomorrow, I've booked it in for a pink slip'. 


Well hallelujah, he'd got the message.  He doesn't do many of the house hold tasks, and this was one I was keen that he continue to do.  The next night he brought home the pink slip.  I phoned through the credit card details on the rego this afternoon and as I peeled the registration sticker from the certificate and stuck it onto the windscreen, I felt immense relief that one of those crappy little day to day tasks that build up and seem to stifle a marriage, had been achieved.  As I looked at the blue sticker, I slumped back into the passenger's seat and laughed.  My sunstroke had been revised down to a warm glow.  Mission accomplished.  I doubt the sun will ever set on this marriage, but sometimes as we drive along, I can see a glimpse of its demise on the horizon.  Luckily he is a good enough man to know when I mean business.  Thankfully after his two weeks in the tropics our ability to resolve conflict is still intact.

Oh and if you want to make this marriage soother of a lime cordial here's the recipe

6.5 cups of water
2 cups of sugar
1 cup strained lime juice
Dissolve sugar in water over a moderate heat.
Add lime juice.
Pour into a jug then decant into sterilized bottles.
Mine's in the fridge, but if you sterilize the bottles properly there's probably no need.

It's great served with cold light ( in colour, not alcohol) beer or with soda water and a shot of gin or vodka.

The kiddos are free to drink it with water!!!!

Be seeing ya,
Today I am Partying here

26 comments :

  1. Mmmm... this is making me sooo thirsty! Love your pictures- I can't wait to make this on a warm day.

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    1. Thanks for linking up- may have to add this to the Green Feast next year!!

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  2. whatever works, right?! and i love the recipe for the marriage soother!!

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  3. How timely! I'm going through renewing my plates and it's such an aggravation! I better make have the ingredients on hand in case it doesn't go well. ~ Maureen

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  4. Wow, I felt stressed reading this. I may need that drink. Looks yummy. By the way, your posts are still not uploading on my blog list. Leahx

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  5. Oh, Carolyn!!! You crack me up!!!
    I couldn't stop reading, I wanted to know the end!!!
    LOL!!!
    And I LOVED ow after bursting in flames you received him with a smile
    and a beer in the evening... hahahaahahahahahahahaha!!!!
    Good for you!!!!
    Have a great weekend!

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  6. gorgeous photos ~ thanx for sharing them!
    and for storytelling ;)

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  7. always a time of year i don't enjoy but being able to do rego online has made it a lot easier. lovely photos!
    x

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  8. I just found you on TT&J and I love your writing! I need to make these to keep in my fridge as well:) I love limes they sound delish and I will try them this weekend when my mom arrives for a nice long visit!Please, please, if you have a sec, come link it up at Too Much Time On My Hands link party going on till Monday night:)
    xxx Kim
    http://too-much-time.com/2012/03/get-schooled-saturday-15-dont-stop-the-party.html

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  9. My mouth is watering just reading about it. It looks lovely. Happy Pink Saturday.

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  10. What a great post!! Thanks for the recipe and thanks for sharing at our Shine on Friday party!

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  11. Very tasty looking drink. Distance is supposed to make the heart grow fonder.

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  12. Oooh delicious sounding drink! Perfect for the summer!

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  13. Oh that would be great in the warm weather!

    My Pink, have a great weekend.

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  14. The secret to a coming up on 24 year marriage that I learned a long time ago:

    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    Courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference.

    I can't change my husband, but I can change the way I react to the things he does that annoy me. For example - it would be less stress on me to go and get the pink slip and get the registration than to bottle everything up and explode at him.

    That doesn't mean that he gets a free pass on all his bad behavior, but it means that it's less stress on me if I pick my battles, and car registration is not one of them (in this house at least).

    I have some limes in my kitchen at the moment. I was debating making a key lime pie, but I might just have to make some of your cordial.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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  15. Very pretty! Please come and link with me in Color Connection meme at my PINK Collection entry.

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  16. Gorgeous photos, a delicious beverage, and a charming title--it doesn't get any better than this! Thanks for linking to Foodie Friday.

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  17. I really could use a lime cordial!!
    xo Cathy

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  18. Sounds perfect for a summer drink on my deck!

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  19. From one sailors wife to another I can totally relate and thoroughly enjoyed your post. While my husband is not leaving home for weeks to sail, he is participating regularly in our local regattas on the lake during the weekends. It is spring here and the best time for sailing, also the best time to do all those household chores outside before it gets blazing hot. I feel like you with a small window of time closing in before things will just not get done. So, I can totally relate there lady! I will have to try your recipe as well..only with the beer that has alcohol. LOL! Gorgeous,gorgeous photos!

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  20. Looks so refreshing. I would love it. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, marty

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  21. That looks absolutely fantabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what you mean about husbands and their seemingly total density when it comes to what they're supposed to do around the house! :-)

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  22. Lovely and refreshing post!

    Barb

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  23. Carolyn,
    I couldn't help but look at your blog after that title! LOL You are so funny and I love your pictures and humor. I am now you newest follower!

    ♥charlotte

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  24. These look so delicious and refreshing.

    So great to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays. Hope you'll join me this week too.

    - The Tablescaper

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