The Incorrigible Night Owl

March 09, 2005

In which I become a boozer and other things

And now, because it's my damned blog and I can do whatever I want, I present an entry that skips from one subject to another with no particular rhyme or reason.


I confess: I went to a bar tonight. And not only did I enter, and sit down in, said bar, I ordered a drink and consumed it in its entirety!

Now, to lend some perspective on just how monumentous this occasion, I must tell you that I am fairly certain that the last alcoholic beverage I bought and consumed in its entirety was purchased on my 21st birthday. Other than that I've had a tiny sip of various things here and there over the years and that's it. Yes, I'm quite the teetotaller, though, to the disappointment of my Baptist relatives, I have to say it has nothing to do with morals and everything to do with the fact that I hate the taste of alcohol. Well, that and the fact that getting blitzed and spending the rest of the night praying to the porcelain god has no appeal to me whatsoever.

Anyway, I was invited out to dinner by a friend. A local Italian restaurant has a martini bar in the back and that's where we met. We sat around gabbing and she talked me into ordering something. I wanted something peachy and frozen so the bartender made a special concoction that didn't appear on the menu. It was very good and I drank the whole thing. It turned out to be a fun and relaxing time. I actually felt like a human again rather than just The Mommy Formerly Known as Mary. I was also pleased to discover that the drink didn't affect me at all, so, even though I am not in practice I am still no lightweight (Hello? Have you seen me?)

Anyhow, tonight was the latest of a number of social activities to which I've been invited over the past few weeks. All the activity has really boosted my spirits. Even though there are some aspects of life which are just plain sucky right now I feel like at least I have other things going on and it helps immensely. I'd just like to give the people responsible a shout out and say thanks for including me. You know who you are. And if I seem quiet or reserved it's not that I don't want to be there or am not enjoying myself. That's just the way I am, at first. It takes me a while to get in the swing of things.


For anyone who read my last entry and were shocked, horrified, and on the verge of calling DHS to see if they will revoke custody retroactively, there is a small detail about which I had forgotten, which I will now offer up in my parents' defense. You see, before they sent me trotting merrily off to the other side of the country to stay with strangers, my dad did call the local police department, explain the situation and ask them about the family. Being a small town, the police knew the mom and kids and assured my dad that they were all upstanding citizens with no criminal records and no history of deviant sexual behavior, bootlegging, tearing the tags off mattresses, etc. So cast ye not my parental units into the hellfire, for they aren't that bad.


So, speaking of drinking and debauchery, Madalyn and I will be heading up to the city next Monday for an overnight girls' trip. (What? Your four-year-old hasn't hit the bar scene yet?)

Actually, we plan to do the ubiquitous mall/movie/meals circuit. I do plan to look around online and see if there's anything else we can hit while we are there -- something a bit more unique, perhaps. Maybe there is an exhibit that's worth seeing.

I had told her a month or so ago that we would go up to the city one day and see a movie and go to the mall. When I realized we weren't going to be out of town during spring break I decided to take my original idea and run with it. Madalyn and I get to spend so little one-on-one time anymore -- I don't think we've done more than two hours straight since JZ was born -- that I thought this would be good for both of us. Although I have to admit I think she's more excited about staying in a hotel than any of the other things we've planned. She has a thing about hotels lately. She's always asking if large buildings are hotels, and can we stay there?


And one final note: the tech who gave me my microdermabrasion today was genuinely shocked to hear that I had two kids. Her comment was, and I quote: "You don't look old enough to have two kids!" Now, I am not sure what her standards are but "not old enough to have two kids" would have to be pretty young, especially around here. I'm still kicking myself for not asking her just how old she thought I looked. Maybe when I go back next time. It was just nice to hear, especially after I'd been fussing at myself in the mirror over my recently-acquired worry lines.

Thus concludes your irregularly scheduled broadcast of minutiae.



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