Monday, January 10, 2005

A remarkable evening

Picture the scene, it's 8:15 and I'm upstairs pacing about my apartment, trying to work out whether or not I should go downstairs to the bar so early in the evening. Eventually, inevitably, the bar wins out and 8:17 you could find me propping up one end of the bar drinking my free Beer Club beer. I didn't want to get too drunk — although quite how one characterises too drunk, I'm not sure — so I nursed this beer for quite a while. Then the not getting drunk plan started to go horribly wrong or things started to go horribly right, depending on your perspective. 'Cause the bar owner, who was quite well lubricated at this point, gave me a free beer, it was a Rolling Rock (or Pennsylvania water as he calls it). Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I accepted the beer gratefully and we proceeded to indulge in a spot of drunken conversation. One free beer led to another, which in turn led to another and before you knew it, it was nearing midnight and I hadn't had to pay for any of my beers. Just when I thought I might actually have to purchase a beverage, a friend turns up out of the blue and buys me a Guinness. I seem to recall there was just enough time for one more free beer from the bar owner, before the evening drew to a close.

So, four hours, quite a few beers (and remember this is an Englishman's quite a few beers) and a bar bill of zero dollars. I imagine there won't be too many evenings when I'll lead such a charmed life.

In fact this last week has been a very good week on the Ryan not having to spend a whole load of money for his chemical stimulation front. Several times I've woke up in the morning with a fuzzy head that I didn't fully pay for, financially speaking, the night before. It's all swings and roundabouts though, as these things even out at the end of the day, one way or another.

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