For me, summertime means lazy afternoons lying on the dock or bumming sailboat rides on Commencement Bay. So when my craving for liquid refreshment overflowed one recent evening, I gathered a few members of the League of Liberal Libations and headed to Salty’s at Redondo Beach for some waterfront atmosphere, live guitar and lots of cool drinks, including the U-Pick Lemondrop — you pick the Stoli-flavored vodka to infuse with Triple Sec and fresh lemons.

I picked orange, assuming that it is not dissimilar to my usual alcoholic trough-filler, the beloved screwdriver, and they come in one of those glasses that you cannot walk and chew gum while holding without soaking your hands. And lord knows I want to smell good for the cops later. So it’s a big “sure” from my mouth.

Somewhere in the middle of our pieces of percolating factoids splashing against each other (and never sinking in anywhere) — I feel a distinct loss. I’m barely two sips into my wobbly cocktail and not even one sheet to the wind when I realize that, hey, I don’t have any money.

Anchors Aweigh!

[Salty’s at Redondo Beach, 28201 Redondo Beach Dr. S., Des Moines, 253.946.0636]