It’s all DC’s fault, really.  DC takes normally caring individuals, fresh out of colleges where “see you in the dining hall” means just that, and turns them into flaky, busy-for-busyness’s-sake Metro lackeys.

Too harsh?  Perhaps.  But imagine my dismay when I come home to one night of highly anticipated relaxation after many full evenings to find that [gasp!] the one time I opened a good bottle of wine (not Two Buck Chuck, which I love, but come on), it has gone bad.

Thinking back, I now know that it has been almost two weeks since the uncorking.  Of course it’s gone bad.  I railed against DC, making me into one of these business-casual paper pushers, one of these go-home-before-the-last-Metro buzz-kills at parties, just a member of a faceless mass…no no no! Of course, I am none of those things.  No one is, entirely.

Thankfully, I got some good advice from a friend, and I’m going to pass it on to you: just make sangria! If life changes your plans and makes them vinegary and boring, stir that pot and make it something unexpected and sweet.  Not to sound too much like a self-help book, but smile.

Now for my own personal sangria recipe.  I observed a vat of sangria being made in a cave in Madrid.  Don’t believe me?  I smile at you.

In a large bowl, mix 1 part brandy, 1 part grenadine, 5 parts sugar, 5 parts lemon soda, 5 parts club soda, and a lot of wine.  Add chopped apples and oranges.  Steep, serve over ice.

Or, if you are in dire straights like I was today, just add chopped fruit, sugar, and club soda to said wine, and serve over ice.  Take a large gulp.  Enjoy.