Like many people in New Orleans, my husband and I are in the midst of home restoration. While this project is underway we (my husband, son and I) reside in the carriage-house-cum-pool-house on our lot. We are right on schedule with renovations now, just about 20 months into a 6-month project, 125% into our budget and there is no end in sight.
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Because we live in a house we were planning to use only for pool users and weekend guests our entertaining capacity is exactly two. That is us. We have 2-stools, a minibar sized refrigerator and the only high-chair that fit in the confines of the space was one that clips onto our breakfast bar leaving Cheerio cantilevered off of the counter at such a precarious angle even Frank Lloyd Wright would be nervous.
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However, our limited space and temporary living conditions do not preclude us from having dinner parties. Most famously we invited everyone we knew in the neighborhood over for a BBQ exactly 4 days after we arrived from London and moved into the carriage house. Tables were made of saw horses and old doors and it took us 7 tries before we found the box that contained our wine glasses.
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So last night, when Nick’s plans to meet a friend for drinks fell thru because of illness and exhaustion, we decided Slice Pizza at our place was the natural answer. Our friend Eric came over, we had amazing Pizza, ice-cold beer and great conversation.
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The two guys were happily drinking beer and chatting about the economy and politics when I opened a bottle of wine, poured three glasses and returned to my perch on the sofa and waited. It took them a minute to switch from beer to wine, but they did. As I knew they would. Sip. Bite of pizza. Sip. “Hey – this is great wine.” Nick picked up the bottle.” “What is this?” “A Merlot from Southern France.” I answered. “Mmmm. It is really good. Where did you find it?” I stayed quiet for long enough to let them think they were drinking a small vineyard wine from Southern France and enjoying it with their gourmet dinner selection. Then I let it drop, “The wine was $9.99 from Dorignacs.” Since the conversation was largely about the poor state of the economy, it was a well-timed bit of information.
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That’s the estimated aggregate bill — so far — of the war on Iraq and the financial “rescue” package. (”And that’s without tip!” Garry Shandling quipped on Real Time with Bill Maher.) It’s a number I hope gets mentioned every time John McCain or Sarah Palin utter the words, “Where is that money going to come from?” in response to one of Barack Obama’s proposals for universal health care or alternative energy. Shandling and Maher, of all people, spoke such simple truths on the HBO program last week that I actually stopped my DVR, backed up and wrote down their words. Here they are in their entirety: 
