April may be the cruelest month...but February is just nasty!

January was dreary. As far as months go, January has always been motivationally challenged. Ceteris paribus (when referring to our calendar it’s always good to throw in a bit of Latin), or all other things held constant, this month of 31 days has been handed the short-end of the Gregorian stick. Imagine the pressure on January-- we have just come off six weeks of celebration with Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, and the dawn of a new year.  That's a pretty tough act to follow. Were it not for the pre-Super Bowl hype, an occasional thaw, or the new movie releases, many of us would argue that January was just phlegmatic. (observe how I tossed in a $5 word).

So "why?" you ask, doesn't January suffer from an inferiority complex? Simple--enter February. Anatomically speaking, February lies south, somewhere between your navel and the small of your back. It’s the only month with a "silent letter", the misspelled word of our Grade-school-youth, the perpetual runner-up…always 2^nd never 1^st. The month when out-of-town ground hogs take center stage, and where even the 29^th day is merely an unreliable tenant.

For those of us who remain north, having not escaped to warmer sunshine, southern breezes, and tropical cocktails…February is actually more bleak than January. Although February is numerically the shortest month of the year, here in the North Country it can be one of the longest. Historically in February, according to the National Weather Service, we can expect just under 3 feet of snow, and we are as likely to get as much rain in February as in July. Our average temperature for those 28 or 29 days will remain thirteen degrees below freezing (° F). Even February's best-known holiday (deliberately placed in the middle of the month to circumcise its clammy grip), has the bizarre association of both massacre and romance! Hooray for Valentine's Day!

Don't despair, this amorous holiday packs a powerful economic punch. All the pesticides and blight known to mankind have not killed as many flowers as this one single day. Valentine's Day is the apotheosis of American holidays, the mid-month jackpot; it is the anti-venom to February’s frostbite; it gets us through the month as Novocain gets us through a root canal. Valentine's Day: the slayer of diets, the breaker of hearts, it's Hallmark's Viagra and the spinster's great white whale. It is the restaurateurs Bull Market with au jus, and the Hostess's Twinkie. Ahhh sweet Valentine's Day. Alas, 'tis only but for a day.

Hence, I propose that every weekend in February become a cause for celebration. Gather with friends, family, co-workers, loved ones, and neighbors and revel. Host a dinner party, dust off some board games, enjoy a Monty Python movie marathon, make homemade ice cream out on the deck…HAVE FUN! And should your festivities take on a libational theme, I offer you these tips:

Host a Murder Mystery Weekend: You can purchase felonious scenarios from bookstores or toyshops. Invite several friends over for the weekend and pledge to be true to your assigned character. Extinguish the lights and illuminate the house with candles or old lanterns. Serve red wine, Bloody Marys, and shooters. Prepare a pot roast and serve Lizzie Borden's ice cream for dessert.

Throw a Beach Party: Break out the Beach Boys, blender, Bikini, Bacardi, Bugle Boys, Ban de Solé, beach blankets and anything else that begins with the letter "B" and whoop it up! Fill-up bowls with chips and serve them with fiery salsa or guacamole dip. Mix up pitchers of Surf Riders, Bikinis, Crocodile Coolers or non-alcohol Sunshine Splashes, Wavebenders, or Beach Blanket Bingos. Don't forget the frozen Margaritas, Daiquiris, and those colorful little umbrellas.

Cocktails on the 50th Floor: With soft lighting, Cole Porter playing on the stereo, and a video clip of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing up a storm, your living room can be transformed into a romantic New York Penthouse. Martinis, Manhattans, Champagne Cocktails, and the Rainbow Room's famed Planter's Punch are the order of the day.

Coffee Klatsch: Everywhere you look there's another one: a coffee bar featuring exotic and high-quality coffees. So join the fun and host a weekend get-together that will warm the spirit on a cold winter's day. Serve an assortment of dipping cookies, Italian biscotti, and cakes. Feature hot coffee drinks like Black Gold, Hot Kisses, Café L'Orange, and the venerable Irish Coffee. For those who prefer a non-alcohol drink have a luscious Iced Mocha on hand.

Be festive, indulge, and delight. Spring is just around the proverbial corner. Soon we'll be sipping "1812 Ale" from the deck of the Sackets Harbor Brew Pub, listening to outdoor concerts, swatting mosquitoes, mowing the lawn, and basking in mortgaged daylight. Winter, once again will be behind us. Oh, lest I forget to mention, this year Valentine's Day falls on Wednesday (the only day of the week with a silent letter). Coincidence, I think not.

Drink recipes and theme parties courtesy of Mr. Boston's Official Bartender's and Party Guide.

1-1/2 oz. Vodka

3 oz. Tomato or V-8 Juice

1 dash lemon Juice

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

2-3 drops Tabasco Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Shake with ice and strain into a frosted glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge. (The North Country version of this drink includes one tsp. Horseradish and a celery stalk; also the hotter the better).

1-1/2 oz. Citrus Vodka

1 oz. Melon Liqueur

3/4 oz. Triple Sec

2 oz. Sour Mix

Lemon-lime Soda

Place first four ingredients in a parfait or hurricane glass filled with ice cubes. Fill with soda and stir well. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a cherry or lime wheel. Serve with a straw (and one of little umbrellas).

3 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1/2 cup Orange Juice

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tsp. Grenadine

Shake with Ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry (and one of little umbrellas).

2 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Light Rum

1/2 oz. Milk

1 tsp. Sugar

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Shake with Ice and Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Lemon Twist.

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. Powdered Sugar

1/2 oz. Light Rum

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. For the frozen version blend with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. (Don't forget the umbrella).

4 oz. Hot Coffee

1/4 oz. Triple Sec

1/4 oz. Amaretto

1/4 oz. Irish Cream

1/4 oz. Hazelnut Liqueur

1 dash Cinnamon Schnapps

Pour all ingredients except coffee and cinnamon schnapps into an Irish coffee glass (mug works fine). Add coffee and schnapps and stir. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serve with a cinnamon stick.

1-1/2 oz. Irish

Whiskey Hot Coffee

Pour whiskey into an Irish coffee glass rimmed with sugar. You can add the whipped cream and chocolate if you prefer.

1/2 oz. Cognac

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. Grand Marnier

4 oz. Hot Coffee

Pour cognac and liqueurs into an Irish coffee glass. Add coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with grated orange rind.

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 Orange

1 tsp. Pineapple Juice

2 oz. Light Rum

1 oz. Jamaican Rum

2 dashes Triple Sec

1 dash Grenadine

Pour first five ingredients into a collins glass filled with ice. Stir until glass is frosted. Add Jamaican rum, stir, and top with Triple Sec and grenadine. Decorate with slices of orange, lemon, and pineapple. Add a cherry and a sprig of mint dipped in powdered.

3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1-1/2 oz. Blended Whiskey

Dash of Bitters (optional)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a cherry.

6 oz. Hot Coffee

1/2 oz. Crème de Menthe (white)

1 oz. Irish Whiskey

1/2 oz. Crème de Cacao (white)

Pour liqueurs and whiskey into an Irish coffee glass. Add coffee and stir. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a chocolate-covered mint.

1 Cube sugar

2 dashes Bitters

Chilled Champagne

Place sugar and bitters in a chilled Champagne flute and fill with Champagne. Add a twist of lemon peel.

2 cups Milk

1/3 cup Chocolate Syrup

1 tbsp. Instant Coffee

Combine milk, chocolate syrup, and coffee. Mix well. Pour into collins glasses filled with crushed ice. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Makes 3-4 servings.

3 oz. Pineapple Juice

3 oz. Orange Juice

1 oz. Sour Mix

1/2 oz. Grenadine

2 oz. Lemon-lime Soda

Pour over ice into a parfait glass and stir. Garnish with a pineapple slice.

1 oz. Orange Juice

1/2 oz. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Grenadine

5 oz. Ginger Ale

Shake juices and grenadine with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Top with ginger ale and stir.

3 oz. Cranberry Juice

3 oz. White Grape Juice

Club Soda

Pour ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a lime wedge