Drop that "animal beer"! Toast the Huskies with a Purple Gang Martini...

The recent successes of the University of Washington basketball team take you back, and remind you were an impoverished student. You scrimped to pay your tuition, books, ramen and rent... but astonishingly still had money for alcoholic beverages. Back in the day, you weren't particularly fussy about what you consumed so long as the State of Washington required you to be 21 years to make a purchase. Think Monarch vodka, "animal beer" or -- God forbid -- Everclear. Sometimes you are amazed that your liver is an "original part."

Now you're a grown-up and you exhibit more care when picking your alcoholic beverage. You want to celebrate the University of Washington's appearance in the Sweet Sixteen (while hoping that the team will extend its participation in March Madness) with an appropriate-themed alcoholic drink. Sure, you can whip up grape Jell-O shooters... but you feel queasy at the idea of cleaning up purple vomit off your oak hardwood floors, and rightfully so.

The Internet offers the Purple Gang Martini, an appropriate hued cocktail that piques your curiosity. The beverage derives its name from the use of Purple health/fruit/health drink flavored with a syrup that hints of blueberry, blackcurrant, pomegranate, cranberry, purple plum and black cherry. The antioxidants from the berries will assuage your guilt about drinking on a "school night". Or so you hope.

Purple Gang Martini

• 2 oz vodka

• ¾ oz PURPLE juice drink

• ½ oz triple sec

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Enjoy. And go, Dawgs. go.

The last dogs standing in March Madness

The NCAA basketball's "March Madness" tournament has weeded out 48 of the 64 entrants. Only three teams with canine mascots progressed to the Sweet Sixteen: the University of Washington, University of Tennessee, and Butler University. Viewers will see only Dubs, the Husky mascot, and Smokey, the Bluetick Coonhound of Tennessee, and Butler University's Blue the Bulldog -- or their high-energy-drink-fueled, costumed frat-boy facsimiles -- will be on the sidelines this weekend.

By comparison, the Sweet Sixteen includes three feline representatives (University of Kentucky and Kansas State University Wildcats, University of Northern Iowa Panthers).

We U-Dub partisans say, "Go, Dawgs."

We canine fanciers say, "Go, dogs."

Next action on the legislative agenda: National health care for pets

Now that Congress has passed a historic health care bill, pet owners look longingly for lawmaking with a real bite... legislation for national pet medical insurance.

Have you taken your dog to the veterinarian recently? A major illness or injury will rival the bill for a five year-old Kia Spectra. Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express would light up at the prospect of charging 19 percent interest for your dog's knee replacement surgery.

No, we're not ranting against veterinarians. A health-care professional won't get rich dispensing feline leukemia vaccinations and performing doggie vasectomies... far from it.

National pet health-care coverage is a pipe dream. Like a Beatles reunion, free Wi-Fi hotspots at national coffee chains (screw your AT&T access card, Starbuck's. How much money is enough?) and the first World Series appearance by the Seattle Mariners.

Dream on, dream on, dream on...

Good samaritans absent from Genesee Dog Park

While the state of Washington has no "good Samaritan law" requiring people to assist others in emergency situations, one would think that common sense and compassion would guide an individual's conscience to help another in need.

Not at the Genesee Dog Park around 5:30 pm on Saturday, March 13.

My beagle was chasing a black, pointy-eared dog at the park last evening. My dog suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. When I went to investigate, I saw that my beagle could not put weight on his left lower extremity. It didn't take Dr. Doolittle to figure out that he sustained a serious injury. I had no choice but to pick up my dog and carry him across the park, and then to my car parked along South Genesee Street.

There were three other dog owners -- two middle-aged men and a woman -- at the park when my dog was injured. Not one of the three offered assistance when I lugged my dog to the car. Nary a word or a gesture to open the gate as I toted my dog out of the park.

Thanks tons, creeps. (I contemplated calling you cretins, but decided it would be unfair to malign residents of any existing leper colonies.) Did you think I was engaged in some practice exercise for a Ninja Warrior cattle call? If similarly situated, I would have made some inquiry or offer of assistance if I saw another park user haul a 30-pound dog to the exit. Most decent and thoughtful people would have. I apologize for intruding in your exercises of self absorption. Thankfully, you are the exception to the group of good people who use the dog park. Unfortunately, you thoughtless losers were all that I had when my dog tore up his knee at Genesee.

Happy belated birhday, Poopie!

In the ongoing campaign of online greetings, a Happy Belated Birthday to our friend Poopie! I've been overwhelmed by the parade of birthdays that, more often than not, have been forgotten. Time for a new social secretary.

Until then, have a Mint Julep on us:

Mint Julep

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons water
• 6 to 8 mint leaves
• ½ cup finely crushed ice
• 2 ounces Bourbon

Chill a silver tumbler or julep mug. Add to chilled mug the sugar, water, and mint leaves. Using a spoon, crush mint gently. Add a scant ½ cup of finely crushed ice; pour Bourbon over the ice. Do not stir, but let stand a few minutes until the mug is frosty.

Several recipes require the preparation of a simple syrup. Which is fine for people who would prefer to spend their time whisking sugar and water -- and then wait 20 or 30 minutes for the mixture to steep. But really: Would you rather spend your time mixing a simple syrup, or imbibing? Is this a serious question?

Although you are a cat person, we know that you'll eventually come around and get a dog. We'll be waiting.

We'll catch up soon.

A kiss is still a kiss, a tie is not a draw

Long-time Mount Baker resident Tony -- official spokesman for O'Doul the Weather Collie -- conveyed his displeasure Tuesday at this blog's recent characterization of his conceded "draw" with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as a "tie." Even worse, Tony took exception to the objectionable (except in the circle of Jerry Springer guests and viewers) reference of likening a tie to "kissing your sister."

For those who tuned in late, Tony scoffed at NOAA's prediction of an El Niño winter. A long-time collie owner, Tony questioned NOAA's forecasts of a mild winter based on the amount of fur that O'Doul shed in the past three months.

A tie, Tony explained, is a time-regulated outcome in which neither party prevails. A draw, Tony said, is a stalemate in which both parties agree that victory is unlikely. Moreover, Tony noted recent snowfall in the Cascades, reports of white flakes in the city at dawn Monday and later in the morning, and frost on the windshields Tuesday morning.

O'Doul the Collie offered no comment until his weekly combing. Stay tuned.

And a belated Happy Birthday to Jersey!

A belated Happy Birthday to our friend in Tony Sopranoland. If I was thinking clearly -- always a challenge -- I would have posted this item a week ago.

Hopefully, Chris didn't buy a cake at an Italian bakery that Christopher Moltisanti frequented. (The Sopranos, Season 1, Episode 8, "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti.") If you don't remember, Joseph Gannascoli -- who later portrayed Vito Spatafore -- played a bakery patron who received preferential treatment over CRIS-to-fuh. Three hundred pound men should not wear denim, knee-length shorts.

As you are in a 1980s frame of mind, here's a recipe for Long island Iced Tea -- a beloved beverage of the era of Wall Street, Go-Gos, and Miami Vice:

Long Island Ice Tea

• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce gin
• 1 ounce white rum
• ½ ounce Triple Sec
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup of cola, or to taste
• 2 lemon wedges

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Pour the mixture, ice and all, into 2 glasses or beer mugs and top off with the cola. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve.

Almost makes you want to dig out the old Duran Duran LP. "Discord and rhyme..."

Another birthday, another vegan cake

Happy birthday to our friend in rural Pierce County!

Someday in the not-so-distant future we will have to exchange our Christmas presents -- and now your birthday gifts -- before Flag Day. Hopefully, of this year.

If we controlled Comcast, we'd air all-day marathons of Pawn Stars and America's Most Wanted in your honor. Of course, if we controlled Comcast, we'd also deep-six NBC's tape-delayed-for-primetime-TV telecasts of the Olympics for west coast viewers. We'd also remove any traces of the oxymoron known as "Fox News".

For now, have a Manhattan on us.

Manhattan

• 2 oz blended whiskey
• ½ oz sweet vermouth
• ½ oz dry vermouth
• 1 dash bitters

Swirl with ice to chill, pour into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

O'Doul the Collie and NOAA go pata a pata

As winter draws to a close, the judges are marking their scorecards to determine the outcome of the battle between O'Doul the Collie and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The federal agency predicted an El Niño winter: warm, mild (you're soaking in it). The winter shedding of canine weather prognosticator O'Doul the Collie suggested a colder, harsher season.

So, who won in the battle of the weather wonks?

• Rainfall in the greater Seattle area measured 9 inches in November -- a variance of 3.1 inches from the average 5.9 inches of precipitation. On Thanksgiving alone, 1.34 inches of rain poured down in Seattle.
• Seattleites were subjected to a cold snap in December From December 6 to December 13, the outdoor thermostat never climbed above 39 degrees. From December 5 to December 12, the daily "low" ranged from 16 to 28 degrees.
• Nearly an inch of rain fell on January 4. Four days later, the Seattle area collected 0.81 inches of precipitation. Then, the mercury rose to 59 degrees on January 18 and 60 degrees the following day.
• Federal officials estimated that the snowpack statewide eroded to 74 percent of average during January.
• In February, daily high temperature fell below 50 degrees only six times in the month. During one stretch between February 18 and February 21, the daily high ranged from 57 to 59 degrees.
• The mild climate in Vancouver necessitated that Olympic organizers import snow for the alpine events in February.
• Local drivers popped the tops of their convertibles before the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

One might argue that NOAA triumphed over the collie and the winter shedding because the El Niño winter prevailed. However, Mount Baker resident Tony -- O'Doul's caretaker and spin doctor -- counters that NOAA officials were premature in predicting an El Niño winter. First, the climate was not as mild as NOAA forecasted, Tony said. Second, the onset of mild and dry weather did not occur until January -- later than NOAA anticipated, Tony maintained.

When asked if he would concede to NOAA, Tony offered, "I'll concede to a draw."

Some authorities credit Navy football coach Eddie Erdaletz as being the first person quoted who said, "A tie is like kissing your sister." It isn't often that you see one like Tony willing to accept a tie. So egalitarian, so Canadian.

Oh, wait... Team Canada won the men's ice hockey gold medal by scoring against Team USA in overtime. In the words of Nirvana, "Nevermind."

Public transit in DC hates dogs, too

Good news, Sound Transit: You're not the only dog-hating, public-transit organization in America!

In Washington, D.C. last week on business, I traveled to Arlington Cemetery via the Metrorail rapid transit system. The second-largest subway system in the country, Metrorail also bars canines -- service dogs not withstanding -- from their trains. In fact, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bars pets from riding on the system's buses and trains. "However," the District of Columbia transit authority assures its passengers, "a pet can be transported on Metrorail and Metrobus in a secure container as long as there is no possibility that the pet can get free."

Has anybody at Metro in DC tried to stuff an Akita in a "secure container"? Get real.

Makes you appreciate our local Metro transit all the more (or resent it less): Metro permits dogs to ride its buses. For the record, I'd much prefer riding a bus with a dog than some of the passengers on routes 7, 23, 101, 124, 150, 174 and 358.