Fuzzy Navels for All

Here's a drink that's a crowd pleaser at just about any get-together. In fact, here's the same drink three different ways.

Fuzzy Navel - Original Recipe
1 1/2 oz DeKuyper Peach Tree Schnapps
Pulp-free orange juice

Add ice to a collins or highball glass. Pour in peach schnapps. Top off with orange juice and stir.

Since most schnapps aren't very high proof, this drink isn't very strong. It does have a good flavor, though, which counts for something.

Fuzzy Navel - Bar Recipe
1 1/2 oz DeKuyper Peach Tree Schnapps
1/2 oz vodka
Pulp-free orange juice

Add ice to a collins or highball glass. Pour in peach schnapps and vodka. Top off with orange juice and stir.

This is the typical recipe that you'll get at a bar. It's got a little more kick to it, but depending on the vodka used, sometimes comes off a little sharp.

Fuzzy Navel - Top Shelf
1 1/2 oz DeKuyper Peach Tree Schnapps
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
1/2 oz vodka
Pulp-free orange juice

Add ice to a collins or highball glass. Pour in peach schnapps, Cointreau, and vodka. Top off with orange juice and stir.

This is my own recipe. It's packs even more punch, but since Cointreua is such an easy sipper, it's much more subtle. The Cointreau really blends well with the schnapps and creates a most excellent drink, in my opinion.

Mix and enjoy.

Lemon Rickey

Out of limes tonight, I decided to start mixing something new. I at least had some other key ingredients.

Lemon Rickey
1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp sugar
club soda

Squeeze a lemon into a highball glass filled with ice. Add the sugar, gin, and Cointreau. Top off with club soda and stir.

Active Sync Error 85010014 OTA with Exchange 2003

Recently, we renumbered a client's network to reduce broadcast traffic and introduced two new redundant internet connections. Everything seemed fine in the initial testing, and we all went home.

The next day, when we were sifting through the fallout tickets, there was a recurring theme--Windows Mobile devices were no longer synchronizing. During an ActiveSync over the air, they would receive error 85010014. It's a dreaded error and is usually seen when using ActiveSync 4.1 on a desktop.

I had just set this Exchange server up a few weeks ago, and ActiveSync was previously working. It appeared to stop working after the IP address for the Exchange server changed.

The server was the only Exchange server in the environment and had an SSL cert bound to the default website for mail.[domain].com. OWA and RPC/HTTPS connections were working fine.

However, when browsing to mail.[domain].com/OMA, I received a server processing error. Once I got that response, I immediate knew where to look. I navigated to IIS Manager > Web Sites > Default Web Site > exchange-oma. What is exchange-oma you ask? If follow Microsoft KB 817379 for doing single-server deployments where you have Forms-based authentication and SSL enabled on your only Exchange server, you know what I'm talking about.

In Exchange scenarios where you have both front-end and back-end servers, this isn't typically an issue. There are a number of HTTP calls that are made to the /exchange directory on the back end server, which execute normally. However, when you only have a single server deployment and apply Forms-based authentication, the /exchange directory is protected via SSL. The work-around that KB 817379 walks you through is to create a secondary virtual directory that ActiveSync devices will use for communication that does not have Forms-based authentication.

My problem was in steps 13-14 for re-creating the virtual directory under Method 2 of KB 817379. You are supposed to add an IP Address restriction for the newly created virtual directory for ActiveSync/OMA users so that all except the IP address of the server you're configuring can connect.

Once I had updated that IP address entry to reflect my server's new address. the errors went away.

Cinco de Mayo Drinks

Ahh! Summer is upon us. Today we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the day set aside to commemorate General Ignacio Seguin's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. As to how this translates to fajitas, tequila, and piñatas, I'm not quite sure.

But, who am I to argue with tradición?

Here are a few classic drinks to make your cinco sensational.

Classic Margarita
1 1/2 reposado tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur
3/4 oz fresh squeezed Mexican lime juice
Splash of orange juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass and serve with a lime wedge.

If you don't use Mexican limes, add a tsp or so of sugar.

La Paloma
1 oz blanco tequila
3/4 - 1 1/2 oz lime (depending on taste)
pinch of salt
grapefruit soda (such as Squirt)

Fill a collins or highball glass about half-way with ice cubes. Add the tequila and salt. Squeeze in the lime and then drop the rind in the glass. Top off with grapefruit soda.

Tequila Sunrise
1 1/2 oz reposado tequila
1/2 oz Rose's Grenadine
4 oz orange juice

Fill a collins or highball glass about halfway with ice and add tequila. Pour in orange juice to taste. Tip glass and pour grenadine down the inside of the glass. It should hit the bottom and begin swirling up. Garnish with a cherry and orange wheel or slice.

If anyone else has a favorite Cinco drink, feel free to share!

Summertime Drink: The La Paloma

I had the pleasure of mixing up this delightfully fresh summer drink tonight. It was kind of a dreary day, so I was trying to bring out the sun (even though it was 9:00pm). This tasty Mexican beverage is very similar to a margarita, but easier to make and more forgiving.

La Paloma (Classic)
2 oz blanco tequila
1/2 oz lime
pinch of salt
grapefruit soda (such as Squirt)

La Paloma (All-day sipper)
1 oz blanco tequila
3/4 oz lime (about 1/2 lime)
pinch of salt
grapefruit soda (such as Squirt)

Fill a collins or highball glass about half-way with ice cubes. Add the tequila and salt. Squeeze in the lime and then drop the rind in the glass. Top off with grapefruit soda.