The price of love

I declared bankruptcy yesterday at 4pm after collecting the dogs from the vet.

Kidding … Kind of …

It cost me $2200. No, I didn’t put the decimal point in the wrong place.

Far out!

I was talked into getting their teeth cleaned and was upsold into various extras including 12-month tick injections, but I turned down $195 per dog for anti-anxiety meds to soothe them pre-procedure and said I’d skip blood work to check their kidney function.

I was a bit angsty all day, both in anticipation of the bill (which was on a sliding scale depending on whether extractions were required) and because the dogs were having anaesthetic, which is always a bit risky in older animals.

Oh, and also because the vet said pick-up time could be anywhere between 4-6pm.

I had plans, baby. I scored an invite to the Enter the Dragon cocktail competition last night, hosted by Moutai at the very swish Park Hyatt hotel from 6pm.

Fortunately I got a call to say the fur babies were ready to be collected at 4pm. Phew on all counts.

And then DD popped in on his way home from the airport and gave me a lift to the city. Score!

It was my second year attending the Enter the Dragon competition, last year’s event was held at Sydney Opera House and featuring the most divine bespoke classical arrangements by Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

This year we had the most sublime view of the Sydney Opera House and my friends’ amazing tall ship, the Southern Swan, plus a fascinating performance by Chinese singers.

In case you haven’t heard of it, Moutai is China’s most iconic spirit and the world’s biggest selling beverage brand.

Each small bottle is priced at around $500 and they literally can’t make enough of the stuff to keep up with demand.

It has a very high alcohol content at 53% and is quite savoury, almost funky.

I sipped a little of it it straight and also in a cocktail at the event, along with my friend Sue who was my plus one.

We were hoping to be seated at a table with special guest Merrick Watts. I’m not entirely sure why he was there, but he has his own drinks brand called Posca Hydrate and is also hosting his An Idiot’s Guide to Wine: Volume 3 show at The Grand Electric, where comedy is paired with six handpicked wines.

Sadly we lucked out and were seated a few tables away from him.

The food was fab, but there was only straight Moutai to drink with it, so I snuck out to the bar and paid $44 for two glasses of chardy for us.

Pricey but delicious.

Then it was home to check on the dogs as they were still a bit dozy from the anaesthetic when I picked them up from the vet and not amenable to a toilet stop on the way home.

OK, time for me to get out of bed and head back to the city for a day in the office.

No rest for the broke and wicked.

Song of the day: Imagine Dragons “Radioactive”