Wednesday night was $1 pint night at the U-bar. So I walked downtown, hit the ATM, and called my boozer friends–Janden and Kellie, the Chico Boozer All-Stars.
“What’s up Janden? Come down to the U-bar and hang out and play pool on the ‘L’ shaped table and do shots with me.”
“Can we get fucked up?”
I laughed. “Sure!”
“I’m picking Kellie up, we’ll be down in a bit.”
I walked down the stairs to the basement of the old brick building where the U-bar was located. It was 90 degrees outside, but once I got downstairs it was nice and cool. I made my way to the bar and took a seat towards the end.
“Hi, can I get 3 pints of Coors Light please?”
The bartendress looked at me funny. “Who are the other two beers for?” I sensed that she wanted to check some ID’s.
“Oh, all three are for me. Observe.”
I slammed the first pint in three gulps, sighed a hearty sigh, and placed the ice cold empty pint on the counter. That was refreshing! The second beer took me a minute or so. Then I settled in with my third pint and waited for the Chico Boozer All-Stars.
My cell phone rings and it’s The Silver Fox. I knew he wasn’t coming up. I bet he’s drunk.
“WHAT’S UP DUDE! I’m sitting in my backyard drinking beer! I’m drunk! I wish I was up in Chico with you! I’ve been depressed all day. I need a trip. I’m coming up next week for sure! I can’t take it anymore, dude. I’m close. I’m close to snappin’!”
The All-Stars show up and we do some shots of Jager. ;alksfasdjf;alskdfja There was a time when Jager was my shot of choice, but now I can’t hardly stomach it. It wasn’t even that cold. It hurt. Janden is out of cash so he goes to the ATM. He comes back and orders us another round.
“Hey dude, did you know tonight is $1 pint night?”
“Yep! That’s why I took out fifty bucks!”
We play a few rounds of pool on the ‘L’ shaped table. I talk to a girl I know for a bit. Janden picks up a girl. Kellie’s friends show up. We all hang out and socialize and play pool. Kellie sneaks out without saying goodbye–she has school in the morning.
Many rounds of shots and beers later I am definitely drunk. I’m leaning up against the bar and trying to get the bartender’s attention. Janden has two girls with him. He makes his way over to me, and all four of us do some silly mixed shot. The girls drag us out of U-bar and we go to Riff Raff.
Inside the new bar Janden and I go straight to the bartender.
“You know what dude? I think I’ve had enough to drink.”
Janden puts his head down on the bar counter top. I order two tall glasses of ice water. Janden reaches out, and promptly knocks both glasses over, spilling ice cold water and ice cubes all over his shorts. Janden is wiping the ice cubes off his lap. I think we’re dangerously close to being kicked out. I suggest we go outside and smoke.
I get into an argument with the bouncer over why I hated the movie “Troy”. Janden sees the girl he was working on for a couple hours–the one that dragged us out of U-bar. She’s sitting in some guy’s lap, kissing and whispering. I feel that Janden is angry and ready to confront her, and I’d like to avoid making a scene, so I suggest that it’s time to go.
It’s only midnight. When I get home my neighbors are partying in our parking lot. They have one of those portable steel campfire thingies. Everybody is sitting in lawn chairs and passing around a bottle of the Captain, while drinking Coronas out of their ice chest. It’s not exactly camp fire weather, but it’s nice. They ask me to stay for a bit. I do.
Then I blacked out. See what the Captain does to you? I woke up this morning to the sounds of my neighbor cutting plywood with his SkilSaw. I’m still wearing all my clothes from last night. It’s 7am.
I jump out of bed and look for my shoes. Whew! Yeah baby! My head is pounding, and I’m giggling. I’m quite pleased with myself for not losing my shoes. I shut all the windows, crank up the AC, pound a gallon of water, and sleep until noon.