Birthday Celebrations

Well, the Applebees plan fell through because AB closes at 9, and it took a bit too long to unbury J's car. So Whitney, Margie, and I went to the Goat. Yup. I went to a bar. Whitney bought my first drink (uh, that would also be my only drink) and cheeesecake, which actually the bartender gave me for free, 'cause it's my birthday. Also, we were the only people there. Until about five minutes before we left, some older guy came in and sat across the room.
Margie had hot chocolate, excited because apparently the $5 underage cover charge (which includes free pop all night, so it's pretty good) doesn't start until 10, and chocolate cake. Whitney had Captain & coke, and split her chocolate cake with me, as I split my cheesecake with her ('cause it was the last piece). And what did I have, you wonder?
I had something called, uhm... well... the "g" spot. (Hey, be happy I haven't gotten around to posting about the Vagina Monologues yet.) It was pretty good, except something in it tasted almost cherry-like, maybe almondy?, but a little biting, and not in the alcohol-taste kind of way. W said it may have been vanilla vodka.
Oh! What was in the drink. Yes, that would help. Vodka (although not much), chocolate liqueur, Bailey's Irish Cream, milk, and chocolate sauce. So... basically a spiked chocolate milk with ice and a cherry on top.
The only thing I feel is sleepy (which I felt before), and oddly calm. Like, I have a paper outline I need to do tonight (and yes, I'm going to do it), but I don't care. At all. Nope. Well, maybe a little... But mostly I'm just sleepy calm. I mean, it wasn't all that much alcohol, but I didn't really know what alcohol was "supposed" to do to you any way. I mean, besides make you pass out, puke, get a hangover, act all crazy, and be really really friendly.

So why am I posting this? You wouldn't think a person would post about going out to the bar in the blog that her mother, grandmother, and who knows who else reads, right? I mean, I wouldn't.

But I'm writing because I think it is dangerous to avoid talking about alcohol. It's like sex. (Follow me here, please.) If you just pretend it doesn't exist, and don't talk to your kids about it, they grow up and end up asking their college suitemates why it's fun for the female. (Yup. A suitemate asked me that last year.) Or they come up with myths like "well, he's on the swim team, and chlorene kills sperm, so I can't get pregnant."
If you don't talk about alcohol, you risk having children that think anyone who drinks is a bad person. Or who are afraid of even drinking wine. (That would be me, sort of.) So, at the Goat, Margie and I asked Whitney all sorts of questions. And she didn't know the answers to all of them, but she was able to give us some guidance. And she let me taste her Captain & Coke and she tasted my... uh... drink. And I'm hoping that in May Term, or maybe even some time when I'm out with my parents (although really, I don't want to give my dad a heart attack), I'll learn about wines. Through trying different ones at different meals. I'm not going to try every wine in the house all in one night. But through experience. Like trying different meals on the menu to see what you like and don't like. And also maybe I'll go out with Whitney or someone else I trust, in early evening situations like tonight (yeah, in the bar world, 9:30 is early evening), and try different things. So that if, say, Dave, Bär, and I went out, I would know what I like, and don't have to worry about someone else ordering something for me that I might not like, or that might have too much alcohol in it.

Also, I learned three things tonight:
1. In a drink that's got more than one ingredient, stir your drink as you go. This keeps the alcohol from settling on the bottom and getting finished all at once. Otherwise you just end up with chocolate milk at the end and start to wonder how quickly you're getting used to this alcohol stuff.
2. If you're going to have something sweet with your drink, drink first, then eat. You may not think so, wanting to have something in your stomach to absorb the drink, but sweet then drink does not taste good.
3. This probably makes a lot of sense, but I had never thought of it before. We were always taught in high school never to leave a drink unattended. But also, if someone buys you a drink, take it from the bartender yourself.

And now to write my paper and reward myself with the short story in the back of the Book. I'm not going to start it. 'Cause I'm tired. And seriously, don't matter that I'm tired. I have Book. If I start Book, I will read Book. I heart my aunt & uncle. Lots and lots and lots.

Nighty night.