Tag Archives: barn

And then we got the call.

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The call that we’d been waiting 7 weeks for finally came.

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And we headed down to the workshop in Biddeford to pick up our custom made bar chairs.

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It was an awful morning, snow showers at our house and rain farther south.

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So I was bound and determined our haul was going to be tightly secured and fully covered for transport.

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These babies are heavy, so when we got home the husband had to haul them all out to the Man Cave.

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Made from 120 year old reclaimed Vermont barn boards, no two are the same.

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At first the husband was upset they didn’t all match perfectly, but that’s what I love about them.

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And they may not look it, but they’re quite comfortable.

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So yes, an inaugural beer was poured. At 10:45 am.

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And consumed while seated. Don’t judge…

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Though why the darn man wasn’t smiling I have no idea. He really was happy, but I guess you’ll have to take my word on that.

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Random things.

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I don’t drink coffee, never have. But if any brand were ever to tempt me to start? This might be it.

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As previously noted, we had an electrician in to put some electrical outlets under our bar. And because we’re either cursed or the unluckiest people on earth, things did not go well. I won’t bore you with details but after 3 hours of trying… ka-Ching! …. the only option was this.

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Ugly ass exterior junction boxes… that because I let the husband supervise? Were mounted too high and now leave me unable to run the three foot long shelf I’d purchased for that spot.

Two foot long shelves it is. Grrr.

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A recent trip to our local pub found the owner munching on these. And while I utterly despise all sugar free, fake ass, wannabe chocolate? These weren’t half bad. Of course I was a few Cosmos in by then, so they may have actually tasted like cardboard. For $15 a bag, I don’t think I’m willing to check.

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Yes.

Yes they are, and bless their little souls for the good cheer they spread.

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Is it wrong?

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Is it wrong that I’m taking great pleasure from whipping my other half in our weekly Scrabble games in the Barn Mahal?

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Round after round.

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Day after day.

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Do I chortle every time it happens? Yes.

But come on… he skunks me at pool. He murders me at darts. I don’t think I’ve ever beaten him at Monopoly, Risk or chess. But when it comes to contests of trivia or anything word related?

I rule.

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And yes, I take perverse pleasure in the victories.

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A little out of my league.

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While I adore the Drinking With Chickens blog and Facebook page…

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And was thrilled that the author published a cocktail recipe book…

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Loaded with fabulous birds…

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And beautifully crafted drinks…

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I have to admit her concoctions are a little out of my bartending comfort zone.

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And as much as I’d love to dazzle our friends ( if we ever see them again post plague) with these truly gorgeous creations..

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I fear the barn bar, which will be fully stocked with assorted liquors and accompaniments, will more than likely be devoid of fresh persimmons and kumquat thyme syrup.

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Calendula blossoms and cardamom pods? That might be a bridge too far, even for me.

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Hey bartender….

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https://youtu.be/PknRSaRq6l4

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Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

While the husband was teleworking yesterday, I laid claim….

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And started bringing glasses and accessories out to the barn bar. Wine, whiskey, mule, margarita, pint and martini glasses… check! Shot glasses, strainer, muddler, shakers… check! Two more shelves need to be installed on the left, but I made a dent.

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And noticed the husband had beat me to the rubber mat and Marine Corps coasters placement.

No matter, I stashed my cheat sheets…

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And my favorite cocktail recipe books.

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And then I found a prominent spot for what I’ve been dying to add to the barn bar ever since my husband began sputtering about building one.

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No bar should be without one.

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Because Scrabble is better with a little drinkie poo.

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And if you enjoy hard cider?

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You’ve got to try this brand I just discovered at Bootleggers. The liquor store, not this guy…

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Black Widow cider.

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It’s fabulous, and is named after a deadly spider. What more could you ask?

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As for Scrabble?

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I kicked the husband’s butt again, even with three out of the four U’s.

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Floating shelves that don’t float and non existent outlets.

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Now that the bar construction was complete, it was time to outfit it. And while we’re still waiting for the chairs and wall shelves to be completed….. I wanted some shelving inside the bar for glasses and various drinking paraphernalia.

Enter the floating black shelves I found.

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If you’ve never put up floating shelves? I don’t recommend it. They look and sound lovely…. though they’re anything but for the poor schmuck who has to install them.

And I think we all know who my poor schmuck is.

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Two shelves and two hours later, my other half was less than pleased with my choice. He was even less pleased when I told him I would be buying two more.

Moving along…. the mini beverage fridge was slid into place.

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And plugged in.

Although that didn’t go well either.

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Considering the electrical outlet is on the opposite wall. This is something the husband didn’t contemplate when he bought the fridge and though I did…. I kept quiet and let him discover it all on his own.

I’m thoughtful that way.

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( The electrician will be here in two weeks to add outlets. )

And one more thing… while reading the instruction booklet for proper beverage cooling procedure? I had to laugh.

( read marked lines )

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Something tells me this unit was not made in the good ole USA.

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Because one day I might be under it.

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As previously reported, the barn bar construction is finished and now it’s just a matter of waiting for chairs.

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But on further inspection, I noticed this.

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Not visible until you’re slightly under it (which I may be some day in the near future, don’t judge) was an exposed lip of pressboard used to support the top.

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I wasn’t loving it and decided to turn it into a nice little black strip.

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What a royal pain in the ass that was.

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I didn’t paint the whole thing, just the trim edge. But it looks better.

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More finished.

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And it picks up all the other black accents in the room quite nicely.

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It took me forever, but there. Mission accomplished.

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Let the games begin.

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So now that we have a comfortable, heated and (well stocked with beer) man cave, it was time to get down to some serious board game playing. Covid social restrictions make multi player games like Pictionary and Cards Against Humanity a no go, so we searched for something fun to play with two people.

The husband won’t play Trivial Pursuit or Gin Rummy with me anymore because I wipe the floor with him every time. So we tried a game a friend had given us last year as a gift.

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Simple enough, you finish the lines from various categories… music, literature etc.

We played three games and I skunked my other half three times. Even though I gave him music questions from his favorite song.

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So we moved on to a classic, Scrabble.

It wasn’t an easy start and we didn’t have a lot to build from.

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My task was made even more difficult with letters like these.

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And these.

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And then these.

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But after a marathon four and a half hour game?

I won…. and my husband was pickled.

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We have a bar!

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An honest to goodness, sturdy and well built, fully stained and polyurethaned, ready to dance on (or fall under) bar!

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It was a long time coming but we’re pleased with the result.

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The wood grain is lovely, the top is smooth and shiny.

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And once the custom ordered chairs and shelves are ready, it will be time to get down to business.

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The business of mixing my first Barn Mahal cocktail.

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