Drunken Cherry

For my Birthday I went on a Haunted Tour of Pikes place market run by Mercedes Yaeger.  After which I sat down to talk with her about her stories and she invited me out for drinks.  I met her at the Liberty and since I was early – Dun-dun DAH! I ordered my first alcoholic beverage at a bar.  Yes. Athena ordered a drink.  For my 28^th birthday I ordered a Liberty Fizz.

Now, to those of you who’ve known me most of my life – this is a big step.  For those of you who’ve never met me… well, I’ve been thinking for a while, that being this IS a quest for Bliss, I can’t really rule out the possibility that I might enjoy drinking.  Problem is, I despise the taste of alcohol.  It tastes like ass.  Why would anyone drink ass?

Last week Jeffy mixed me a rum and coke after I said “Argh, me wants to be a Pirate!”

Jeffy of course responded, “But, uhm… Pirates drink rum.”

While I’m sure to some degree that Jeffy was just looking for an excuse to get me drunk – I decided yes, I would have some rum and dance around like a Pirate. 

After a rum and coke I laughed like an idiot for about three hours… I even drooled. 

The point is – it DIDN”T KILL ME!

Which brings me to my next big step.  Because I’ve avoided drinking all my life, I’ve had an irrational fear of ordering a drink at a bar.  I’ve also been under the impression that because I’ve never really been initiated to the drunken fraternity – I thought one shot would push me in to: drunken-disorderly-sexually-promiscuous-thoughtless-vomiting-hook ups with the nearest semi-attractive male…

But, alas – not so.

Mercedes showed up and I’d had two sips of the drink which tasted so much like alcohol that I couldn’t finish it.  I explained with pride, “This is the first alcoholic drink I’ve ordered at a bar! – to drink!”

To which she asked, “Oh my god! Ever?”

“Yup!” I replied refraining from thumping myself on the chest with pride. “Well, I had rum and coke last week and I laughed hysterically for awhile, but this is the first time I’ve gone out with the intention of drinking.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” she said and I could tell she thought she’d have a table dancing bare-assed lunatic in her hands in short order.

Now, while I believe my cherry for sipping goes to Ambria, and first tipsy goes to Jeffy.  I hold to the resolution that first flurry of drinks goes to Justin the Bartender at Liberty. 

I’d specifically, decided that if I were going to drink at a bar, and order like a grown-up I’d do it with strangers.  I’m fully aware that goes against any sort of logic, but I didn’t like the notion of hurling in front of friends who would take pictures and likely never let me forget it.  Better a bunch of kindly strangers I might never see again.

Call it a misplaced sense of accomplishment that I was taking charge of this step, forging ahead into uncharted territory of something that has, quite frankly –scared the shit out of me for years – I was so proud of myself, that I took off the cherry necklace I was wearing and gave it to Justin with the explanation of why I was giving him my public drinking cherry.

All the bartenders were astonished that I had never been drinking. “28!?!” So he took it upon himself to show me that drinks could be made NOT to taste like alcohol.  Who knew, right? You can get drunk on candy! Sugary, sweet and sour drinks that don’t taste like ass at all!

When he’d fix a Cosmo or any other sweet drink, he’d pour the remainder in a cup and let me sip it.  While I didn’t finish the samples (except for the Lady Liberty) I did start to feel – well, different.

So I drank my water like a good girl and quit while I was ahead.

The second bartender asked about the cherry necklace and I said I only have three left to give out.  This piqued his interest and he asked what other cherries I had left to lose.  Up till then I hadn’t thought of it in those kinds of terms.  It’s just that I have three other necklaces with cherries on them, as I AM a cherry collector.  He pushed a little more and I was feeling friendly and happy, so I said, “Well, I’m not a member of the mile-high club yet.”

“Me either,” he responded. “What else, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Just being a total smart-ass I jokingly said, “A man-sandwich would be nice.”

“Yeah, but then you’ll have to give two necklaces away.”

“True.” I said.

“What you should have done,” he continued. “was have Justin be half of your man sandwich, that way you could save on cherries.”

“I didn’t even think of that.” I frowned. “But that’s only half a sandwich… who would be the other half?”

He suddenly had dishes to do. Pity.

Anyway, I had a great night out on my birthday with my first big-girl experience. Yay! And Mercedes bought the ticket with the sushi and drinks.  Thanks Mercedes for a great 28^th.  Stay tuned for the Pirate Party next weekend where Jeffy has promised to teach me a few things about Rum.

All in all I can’t say yet whether Bliss includes alcohol.  However, I am to the point in my quest where I’m trying to keep a more open mind.  Especially, of the things that have heretofore been something of which I’ve been deeply afraid.