When is the "official" start to the holiday season?

Some say it's after Halloween. Others say it is the day after Thanksgiving when all the crazy shopping and sales begin. Still others say it's the first of December. I, however, have a different way of guaging the "official" start to the holiday season... It's when Sweetwater Festive Ale is being sold. Now, I don't decorate or go shopping unil later in December, but the holiday cheer begins when this delicious beer is sold. Therefore, let the holiday drinking begin! Cheers and bottoms up!

You know you're tired when...

First, I lost the key to my classroom while packing my computer to go home tonight. It had fallen behind my bag filled with my homemade Statue of Liberty costume (yes, some teachers will do almost anything to engage their students- we're studying immigration). Then I managed to lose my car keys between unlocking my car door and sitting in the seat. I still have absolutely no idea how I managed that one but it took me at least three or four minutes to find them. I checked the lock, the ignition, my purse (several times), the floor, my seats, etc. I had put them back in my purse and didn't see them the first few times I looked. I was almost scared to drive after that. I've been working 16-18 hour days this week and I am so ready for the weekend and copious beer drinking.

Cheaters... Sometimes I Am One

Okay, so I've never cheated on a man and I never will. However, sometimes I cheat on my drink of choice. Tonight is one of those nights. My fridge is sadly devoid of beer so I've made myself a Bloody Mary instead of taking a trip to the liquor store. And it's a damn good Bloody Mary if I do say so myself. Nice and spicy- I learned how to make the "perfect" Bloody Mary while working as a cocktail waitress in New Orleans where everything is extra spicey. I think it's destiny that I have something stronger than beer after my day (and night) at work. Teachers reallyl don't get paid enough. Or, rather, good teachers really don't get paid enough.

Flirting is Fun

I had forgotten how much fun flirting can be. Especially in the 21st century. Now people can flirt on cell phones via text message. As a single woman, I gotta say it's kind of fun to get a flirtatious text message while standing in line at Moe's (disclaimer: I MUCH prefer Willy's but Moe's was closer and I didn't leave work until 7:30 which is the earliest I've left this week.). I had forgotten because I've spent most of the last two and half years in two serious relationships so I have not had much opportunity to flirt except for with the former objects of my affection. Who knows how much havoc I can create now that I'm single and with no desire to be in a relationship anytime soon?! I guess I'm on my way to find out.

Two Mile Walk of Shame

Yesterday I had tentative plans to stay with a friend of a friend after the Tennessee game in Athens. However, that friend of a friend already had a full house by the time my friend got in touch with her. So faced with the choice of drinking in Athens and staying on the floor of the Howard Johnson motel where four of my friends were staying or not drinking and driving back to Atlanta after the game, I chose the floor. As did another guy friend of mine as any bed, chair, couch anywhere in Athens was already claimed by some random drunkard or another. After a day and night of drinking we headed back to the comfort of the floor. Getting to the motel was no easy task because getting a cab in Athens is a daunting task. People were flocking to any cab that drove up to the taxi stand like it was the last raft and the Titanic was going down. Therefore we did what any reasonable drunk person after a heartbreaking loss to UT would do… we hitchhiked. Believe it or not, we got picked up within one minute by a man who had just dropped off his wife at their hotel but had gone out to satisfy his craving for wings and french fries. Even though we had to go in the opposite direction, this nice man drove us to the Howard Johnson; had he not been so kind I think we’d still be waiting for a taxi. Because the floor was so enticing and comfortable, I neglected to tell the original four friends who had the room that the two moochers needed a ride back to my car in the morning. Well, they had six hours of driving ahead of them so they were up and out the door before I woke up. Which brings me to the walk of shame. I thought getting a taxi in Athens at night was hard, but I did not realize that getting a taxi on a Sunday afternoon in Athens is impossible. So off we go (we being my guy friend and me) for the two mile trek back to my car. This alone would not have been so bad, but we were clearly still in our game day clothes so we looked like two people who had gotten drunk and hooked up the night before. And my flip-flop had completely broken at the end of the night so I am walking with one flip-flop on my left foot and nothing on my right foot. We look like total idiots and just when I think it can’t get any worse, it starts to rain. At first it was a gentle rain, but then it picked up and we were soaked. For two miles we walked liked this and not one person offered us a ride. When we were literally two blocks from my car some nice guy with a mohawk offers us a ride. Although it was only two blocks, it was nice to get off the gravel and spare my poor foot more pavement pounding pain. I’m sure the church going parents of Athens had fun trying to explain why two pathetic looking people were still in their game day clothes and limping with one shoe through the rain. Now I’m home, dry, and trying to put the walk of shame behind me. At least I got some exercise today that I probably wouldn’t have gotten since I have a lot of work to do and a nice little hangover going on.