not Cereal Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 i am beginning to wonder if i am headed down a dangerous road...this latest band i am in (for over 1 year now)is a solid, reliable group of folks. i am the new guy - but i am getting more comfortable with them and taking more risks when playing. the problem is that they like to DRINK. a LOT. i used to keep my boozing down to 3 or 4 beers a night but lately its been getting up to 7-10 at a show - to where i am considerably messy-in-the-head-feelin-good-wow by the end of the night. too add more danger to the equation i enjoy smelling the happy-tree. last night i went to bed a nostalgic, quite buzzed, feelin-good, mess. overslept for work this morning. i see other folks in bands follow this road of excess....and i wonder if i can keep it in control. i think its natural for folks in music to do this, but its definatly not healthy. i dont really remember coming home last night........... :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timrocker Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 Coaster-here's an idea: Just play one show with them where you have no intoxicants whatsoever. Order O'douls and a pint glass to be inconspicuous, it looks just like any other beer in a glass. Then listen and observe how it goes. Remember, you can always have a drink after the last set and/or when you get home. Then, see what you see and hear. Just a thought-it might shed some light. Good luck! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 I'm known to usually have a couple while gigging, but if I feel like it's getting to the point where I'm getting goofy, I quit. I've played in bands where the drummer was falling off his throne. Our drummer now used to be like that, before I met him. He's on the wagon now. If you don't want to drink, tell them you are on the wagon. Even the most hardcore alcohol pushers usually appreciate that. "WHOA, sorry dude, I didn't know...it's cool, it's cool"... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolhouse Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 It was a source of amazement to me how bad I started playing after I quit drinking. :D later, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rold Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 From experience, I can say it can get out of control pretty quick..one tends to not notice after a certain amount of and everything goes to hell. i'm with tedster on this one - have only as much as you notice yourself starting to get goofy and cut it off there until the end of the show. Get a reputation as a drunken band and you could find yourself having a hard time getting gigs.... ;) meh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zupe Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 On New Year's Eve 2000, I stopped drinking at my shows. It's not that I ever let it get out of hand (I hope), but it's really easy when audience members are coming up offering a drink. Anyway, since I started drinking only water at gigs, my singing has improved considerably (again, I hope!) and I seem to have more energy overall. Not that I put down having a drink or two, hell, I used to gig in Germany! But now I save the beers or shots for when I get home. Besides, getting a DUI arrest would TOTALLY suck for a gigging musician. It's one thing to rely on your bandmates making the gigs and rehearsals, but providing taxi service too?!?!? All this talk has made me thirsty. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 coaster, recognizing the problem is the first step to doing something about it. If you keep the thought in mind you will eventually get it under control. In two days, it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jflush Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 During a gig, have you smacked yer head on the floor yet? Damaged any Les Pauls lately? That's the next level on the slide. Ah yes, another story about the old demon alcohol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magical Pig Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 Well, let me ask you this- How do you get home? A DWI will take the fun out of your night REAL QUICK. And thats if you dont kill someone else or yourself first. A few freinds of mine have over the years went from being totally amazing players to puffy faced, alcoholic shells of their former selves...It is just soooo sad to see happen to people you care about. I've never been a big drinker but I used to smoke more weed than GOD. After I stopped for a while I really started enjoying the clearness and extra motivation I felt. And after my tolerance went down I found I would get WAY too stoned when I smoked (I only smoke the stinky green-lifes too short to smoke brown pot), so I just stopped all together. Its probably the best decision I've made in a long time. Scott Benson www.syborgstudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted January 6, 2002 Share Posted January 6, 2002 Yipes, coaster! I'm gonna have to weigh in with Magical Pig. Having been in one too many bands where somebody or other is an alcoholic or addict... had one marvelous drummer who got one too many DUI's and ended up having to leave the state. But not before he wrapped his car around a telephone pole and almost got killed. And was lucky he didn't kill someone else. Excessive drinking is just wayyy too dangerous a habit especially for gigging musicians who have to drive home. For the first time now I'm in a band where NOBODY drinks or does any drugs, and I can't TELL you how relieved we all are not to have to deal with that aspect of things. No worries whether someone will get arrested or killed or be too drunk to play, or whether anyone will drink away the night's pay (which has happened to all of us at one point or another). The buzz we get from playing together and being totally alert and in tune with each other is way more rewarding. But... you can't do anything about anybody else's habits, your question concerned your own. I started gigging out in bars when I was 14, and was not allowed to drink although my bandmates were all of drinking age. So I learned early how to stay sober even when everyone around me was drinking. It's really not that hard, you just have to stay focused on the reason you're there: the music. "Peer pressure" is bullshit. You can have a few non alcoholic drinks, maybe a couple of beers and nobody is going to care. I used to get ribbed sometimes by bandmates for not drinking but it was mostly good natured ribbing and I'd rather get ribbed a little than suffer the consequences of a drinking problem. In the end, my non-drinking never affected my relationships with bandmates - we still found plenty to relate to each other about. It's all about keeping perspective... --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricknbokker Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Been there-done that... My problem ('ludes) was that I didn't even see it coming. Everything was great. The band was hot, recording was going great, great parties... One day I got the wake-up call. Got fired from the band I founded. Lost my day job. Ended up homeless. All in one week. Heads up, man. You ARE at an advantage. Just like Matt said. Be good to yourself Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harp Heaven Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 I`ve seen my uncle die because of alcohol. I met him about 15 times in my entire life, and in 10 of those he was intoxicated. The day my sister told me of his death, I took a decision. A decision that perhaps will quench my fun with other drunk people, but I KNOW will benefit me enormously. Its just a matter of prioritizing. I`d rather be a skilled nerd than a mediocre drunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Sabbath Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Herb is good. Alcohol causes me problems, but herb is good. I've seen alcohol kill and ruin people, but herb is good. A "fatty" is always good before I play, I never drink and drive, and unlike some of my friends, I've have recorded my best playing while stoned. Good luck to you bro! peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Just to weigh in on the other side...if you're the type who can handle casual drinking, don't worry too much...the key is knowing what you are. I'm a regular drinker but a mild one, I mean I sip my beers until I have a nice little buzz and chill. I think the first step to becoming this kind of a drinker is to be picky about what you drink. I only drink fine beers (Bass Ale, Guiness, Sam Adams, etc.), I appreciate the taste, I don't just gulp down whatever's cold...I'm not quenching a unique thirst...I'm celebrating a good recipe. Some people are born compulsive, alcohol puts them over the edge and the abyss is deep...you have to know yourself regardless of what you partake in. Some people are compulsive about Sex, Coffee, Cigarettes, Weed, Codein(sp?), Aspirin, PROZAC, Heroin, you name it...alcohol can be as or in many cases more dangerous than any of these things...It can also be harmless. I enjoy a few when I jam and pace myself throughout the night...for almost 10 years it has never been even close to a problem. Your ride home the night of the gig is a prime factor in how much you should be drinking...that should be obvious. If you have to drive home yourself...you shouldn't even feel slightly off, if you do, hand someone your keys, start a nice long walk or take a taxi. My 2 cents. Cheers. [ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Steve LeBlanc ] http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 I basically don't drink. Doesn't mean I don't ever drink, doesn't mean I don't/haven't been drunk, it means I choose not to. I'm always chided for it. I'm a social ogre because of it. It does nothing for me; ruins my coordination, alters concentration. I have a room mate that turns into the Happy Irishman with one beer. Does nothing for my mood; I apparently didn't get that gene. What pisses me off to no end is that it's held against me. I don't make my life revolve around drinking. Likewise I practically have no "life" exactly, I don't habitualize bars, I don't make a practice of professionally hanging out at parties. This is obviously to my social detriment. I find it wholly alien and absurd that people need the excuse of "let's get a drink" to do anything social at all. What a farce; sitting in a loud bar, yelling at people while getting intoxicated is a "good time"? Bullshit, it's self-perceived acceptance validation. What goes on between two people is one thing; randomly getting drunk in public for no real reason other than "this is fun, I'm having "fun"", "wow, didn't we have fun last night sitting in that room getting drunk?", is idiotic. I don't need my senses wrecked to have fun; I want to have my fun fully aware, thank you. It's better that way, and it's REAL. I want *real* fun! I remember in highschool, every monday morning in homeroom everyone sitting bragging about how drunk they were. The measure wasn't how much fun they had; it was simply how trashed they were. I used to go to these parties, would play at them eventually, and think "ok... people sitting around getting drunk and stoned; they're not really conversing, they're just collectively lowering their I.Q. in the same room. Obviously a bonding experience, but what's real about it?". End of the night everyone is passed out. Maybe one clown did something "remarkably" entertaining. But generally people just hung out. They couldn't just hang out anyhow, they had to place a purpose of "getting trashed" on the event. Little did I know that attitude never goes away, how important it is to socialization. In general I don't like to be around drunk people. They're not funnier or more entertaining, they're usually quite stupid and dull. There are exceptions: a really good friend of mine turns into a combination of Tom Green meets Robin Williams, amazingly entertaining. Bars all over town used to give him drinks for free just to have him come in and do his schtick, get drunk and crazy. It was funny; it also has nearly killed him. The point though, is that while HE maybe gets more prone to being entertaining while drunk, everyone else is just getting stupid. People would go "why aren't you getting drunk?" and I'd go "why? Brian there is doing it for me....". Much more fun watching someone else be a drunk clown than turning into one. .. as an indication of this, check out this link on my web page, a joke about one of his alter egos he turns into: http://www.mindspring.com/~chipm/dickroach.htm Note a preference for underwear as head dress.... So much time and energy is spent getting drunk it's amazing, and so many friends say "man, I just don't have time to do music" - but they're in bars 3 or more times a week. Or they're sitting around drinking. Meanwhile, so many friend's lives have been wrecked because of it - it's unreal. So I'm missing a lot, but I don't miss it at the same time. I'll have my guitars distorted, but I'll take my reality undistorted, thank you. I mean, how difficult is it to be entertained in the 21st century without needing freaking alchohol? Are we so mindless and weak minded we can't figure out something different and fun to do 365 days out of the year as it is? I've got 9,000 things I want to do that's entertaining right now that I don't have time for - why sit in a bar for hours drinking? I'd have accomplished so much more by now, both musically and in life if I never had to put up with drunk and stoned people. Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolhouse Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Coaster, I made a semi-"humorous" post earlier. Upon rereading your original post it now seems inappropriate...sorry bro. Memory loss is a serious manifestation and is considered to be one of the signs of alcoholism. You're heading for a dangerous place my friend. You may already be there. I think you may not have the luxury of half measures. See if you can quit on your own.....I mean [i]quit[/i],not cut back. If not,then run don't walk to AA. They will help you. There is a notion that being UTI somehow makes you a better player,that it's part of your mojo. I call that The Big Lie. It's ruined a lot of careers. That was what I was attempting to make a joke of earlier. Thought I was playing pretty good until I heard myself sober. What isn't funny is that it ruins a lot of lives too Coaster. I know I have an abusive personality(drinks too much alcohol,coffee,etc...eats too much...and sugar!...don't [i]even[/i] go there). Don't know if I have an addictive personality. Don't wanna find out. I drink on rare(very rare)occasions. Never drink on a gig. Never drink and drive. That's been my life for the last twelve years and it has been a good one. If I hadn't made the choice,my wife would never have married me(didn't know [i]that[/i] little gem until years after the fact)and our daughter...wouldn't be. I'm a newbie but I see things. There's a whole bunch of people here that think a whole lot of you and only want good things for you. Carpe Diem dude. You know you can. later, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted January 7, 2002 Author Share Posted January 7, 2002 the thing is, i can go for days and weeks without beer and not even want any. thats not a problem. i have previously sucessfully stopped drinking period for four years when i was 19 to 23 years old (it was tough not drinking on my 21st b-day) now i am gettin close to 29 and i allow myself to drink. USUALLY at a gig, i will stay alchohol free until the last set, when i will buy 2 or 4 beers at once, set them by my amp, and drink them in the last hour and a half (our last set is almost always 11:30 to 1:00) 2 or 4 beers in an hour and a half gives a real good buzz, and its usually burned off by the time we are loaded out a couple hours later. but the thing is, the other guys in the band start the beer thing during setup, usually around 1 in the afternoon and continue to drink until 1 in the morning. its not uncommon for me to see ten, twelve, or more empty bottles next to the bass amp by the end of the night. the guitar player does mixed drinks and shots. the drummer drinks beer, but probably only 4 or 5. he's never gotten drunk or anything, but the bass player and guitar player have a heck of a buzz going by the end of the night. other drugs are used too, but i am not sure exactly who and how much. i never put anything in my nose (tried it years and years ago - decided it was something that felt a little too good and new i'd have problems with it so i never have done it again) i do like the happy tree, but $20 of it lasts about 2 months for me so i really cant be using that much of it...a little works better than a lot i have found. yesterday at the gig i was able to fend off the beer until 5pm. the bass player handed me one already opened and instead of using my head, i took it and drank it. from that point on i was never without a beer. i only spent $8 on beer (we gettem cheep at that club) but i must have had 7 of em before 1am. not TOO much, but i was buzzed really nicely. there are three empty cans of beer next to my computer today. which means i drank those after i made it home. i dont really remember drinking those, or posting here but i can see that i did! i guess i stayed up till about 4 or 5 from the looks of things (got home at 3) and tried to get to work by 9am. i didnt make it. i was an hour late, and i am pretty sure i was still a little messed up. i guess the reason i bring all this up is that i have been in bands for many years, and been in this band for over a year, and havent had a problem before. but the last three gigs i have had this has happened. i have gotten way too high from beer and happy tree and its not good. the thing is that it FEELS so good at the time and i cant stop. when i was 19 years old i found i could not stop drinking, so i quit completely. it was hard. i craved beer a long time. i dont crave beer now - only when i drink it. i need more beer. this is scary for me, i have seen my best friend really go down from the alchohol. smashed his face on a tree at 65mph. blind in one eye now. big scars all over his face from the crash. $100,000 in defaulted medical bills. i do not want that. next gig, i will try the last-set-only for beer or none at all. i havent decided yet. i am really slow today, not ill at all, just no energy. i actually pulled out an old cd i made and listened to the whole thing - i MUST have been drunk! :) :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duhduh Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by coolhouse: [b]It was a source of amazement to me how bad I started playing after I quit drinking. :D later, Mike[/b][/quote] You should really make that your signature. Thats a great one-liner! Duhduh "Meat is the only thing you need beside beer! Big hunks of meat and BEER!!...Lots of freakin' BEER." "Hey, I'm not Jesus Christ, I can't turn water into wine. The best I can do is turn beer into urine." Zakk Wylde http://www.hepcnet.net/bbssmilies/super.gif http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15_1_109.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Wow, Chip. I could have written your post, I've said/thought the exact same things so many times myself. I'm with you - I have a drink now and then if I feel like it, but I rarely feel like it because there are usually about 5700 other things that seem more interesting and/or fulfilling and/or entertaining to me. Like you, I'm also bothered by the fact that people feel they need to use alcohol as an excuse to bond or hang out with other people. It's kind of sad that a lot of people can't just say in so many words, "Hey, I enjoy your company, let's just hang out." I especially can't figure this out among musicians because to me, music is the best excuse in the world to hang out. There's nothing cooler than hanging with bandmates or friends with similar musical tastes and passions, and jamming together, or listening to tunes. Playing, listening to and talking about music seems to naturally lead to talking about personal things and opening up to each other in a way that's truly fulfilling. Yet, it seems so many musicians still need alcohol or drugs to be able to do this... that's always been a head scratcher for me. Oh well. Just thought I'd say it was nice to hear from someone else with the same perspective. --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magical Pig Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by coaster: [b] there are three empty cans of beer next to my computer today. which means i drank those after i made it home. i dont really remember drinking those, or posting here but i can see that i did! i guess i stayed up till about 4 or 5 from the looks of things (got home at 3) and tried to get to work by 9am. i didnt make it. i was an hour late, and i am pretty sure i was still a little messed up. [/b][/quote] You still never said how you got home. Dont be a lemming! If someone hands you a beer say you dont want it. Going along with the crowd and succumbing to peer pressure is totally retarded, especially if you lose your job and kill yourself or others in a car. Wake up and smell the coffee. [ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Magical Pig ] Scott Benson www.syborgstudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudyba Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by coaster: [b]but the thing is, the other guys in the band start the beer thing during setup, usually around 1 in the afternoon and continue to drink until 1 in the morning. its not uncommon for me to see ten, twelve, or more empty bottles next to the bass amp by the end of the night. the guitar player does mixed drinks and shots. the drummer drinks beer, but probably only 4 or 5. [/b][/quote] Oh my God what the hell are you guys doing at a club at 1:00 in the afternoon? Man I'd kill myself if I had to be there that early! Covers or originals! Do you really need 8-9 hours for a sound check? We played this past weekend around 11:00 and we got there arond 9:00 and thought that was early... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted January 7, 2002 Author Share Posted January 7, 2002 by the time we setup the pa (no house pa) and our gear, soundcheck and maybe play a tune or two its 5 p.m. then we break from 5 to 9, go eat dinner etc. then play 9 to 1. that 4 hour break is nice. problem is is that i work in the day and gotta find someone to cover for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magical Pig Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 So I take it you dont want to say you drove home and cant remember it? Scott Benson www.syborgstudios.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not Cereal Posted January 7, 2002 Author Share Posted January 7, 2002 yea i guess thats hard to admit, isnt it. not one of my better calls in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogfur Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 I'll bet this is hitting a lot of people closer to home than they care to admit - I know it does me. It seems that you are on the right track, though, being aware of your dangerous situation, and making inquiry as to a solution. It has always been a strange situation for me - At a casual or casino gig ( No last call here in Nevada! ) its' easy to stay straight, probably because of the situation - casino management or uptight wedding parties, etc.... But at a bar gig with a jam band I'll just go and go... I think that the guys in the band partying will sway me, and thats about as cheap an excuse for being a sloppy-assed drunk as you can come up with. :( I've seen this work both ways, though. Our drummer was concerned with his boozing at our gigs ( about a year after a DUI :eek: )so I started bringing big bottles of water or Sobes or whatever to give to him at the beginning of the gig, kind of as a show of support - I would stay straight as well, thinking I was doing him a favor. Pretty soon, well you know what happens - more people saying to me " Wow, you sound great tonight!" Intricate musical parts start coming off cleanly with little effort, just a more rewarding musical experience. My wife was not so ill-tempered ( I don't think there is ever a complete cure for this! :D ) when I got home after playing all hours of the night since I didn't reek of alcohol, and was generally alert the next day. Best of Luck to you, Dogfur [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: Dogfur ] Woof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 It sounds like you could use a total break from alcohol for a while if your concerned enough to post about it here. If your primary concern is pissing off your band mates by appearing to be high and almighty by not wanting to drink, then use an excuse like "my stomach has been giving me problems recently, so I need to take a break". If they give you shit about that, then I'd consider finding another band to play with. Seriously, if these guys can't respect that your trying to take care of your health, then they're not good for you. Good luck bro, and let us know if we can do anything to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Yeah....moderation is the key. Plus a van loaded down with gear with a musician type driving is a magnet to cops at three A.M. I stick to quality beer....no shots (sorry Jager), Guinness when I can get it....believe it or not it has less alcohol than domestic draft brands. We normally get free beer almost everywhere we play, but we sweat it out mostly anyway.....all except our singer who swills and accepts shots from the crowd (part of the act...sorta). I can't hardly tune if I'm buzzed.....so moderation and/or abstinence is my gospel. However.....in my twenties....you might catch me in a dizzying cosmic solo under the influence of.....whatever. Think Houston Texas.....1975.......OUT OF @#$%ing CONTROL! Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by strat0124: [b]Guinness when I can get it....believe it or not it has less alcohol than domestic draft brands.[/b][/quote] I believe it. Guiness is actually considered a 'lite' beer since it has less than 100 calories :D . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Sounds like a total break would be best. From the sound of it, that "run to AA" might not be a bad idea. Take control of it and don't let bullshit excuses or pressure win - the consequences are much worse than a difficult moment with the bass player with a beer. Mom is a recovered alcoholic (17 years dry, God bless her). It's not fun, but she's so much better off. I've always been too afraid of losing control to be drunk. I'll have one from time to time, though never at a gig (voice, memory, etc. - I tend to get sleepy when I drink). My current band has guys that drink a few beers spaced out over the evening and are fine. One fellow sometimes goes too far, and it makes us nuts. Chip and Lee - same problem You should hear my kids tell me about drinking in college - my son has very few friends because he has no desire to be with people whose idea of a complete evening is to go through the "drink till you throw up" cycle three times (!!!). I remember I was carrying equipment for my cousin's band in the late 70's, and the gig was one of the big 3 discos in Brooklyn (Saturday Night Fever territory). The band knew I didn't drink, and then they got disgusted because I didn't want any drugs either. They finally decided I must be a sex freak, because I had to have some vice.... Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Ratte Posted January 7, 2002 Share Posted January 7, 2002 Wow. Chip & Lee's posts were awesome, I can totally relate. I'm "not into" drinking. Bars are ok in that they're a good common meeting place set up for socializing, but drinking-as-the-point is really boring and expensive and duh, not healthy. Coffee shops would be better but they close earlier and are so goddamn pretentious and are full of that "we give generously to PBS" middlebrow vibe. "No, I don't want a 'grande', gimme a freakin' SMALL! I don't see any Italians 'round here, dumbass..." A dive bar atmosphere would be ideal... dark, murky, air hockey, pool table, crazy velvet paintings & xmas lights, Galaga, whatever w/o all the beer and sloppy drunks and frat boy bar fights. I've got a lot of friends in their 20s making insane amounts of money in the dot-com thing still, who have no real responsibilities. they're out blowing their money all week long drinking 7-10 beers a night or e-tarded out constantly or deep in a K-hole, curled up on the floor disassociating. A lot are in free-fall or coming up on it pretty quickly and it's getting scary. One friend makes 75Ka year, has a dog and an effeciency, 24 yrs old, and is constantly broke. Eating out at upscale restaurants, bottle of red wine, and then the bar afterwards and the taxi home; it adds up. That's "having a life." My social life is swell and all, but I've lost 3 girlfriends due in large part to this kinda thing. "You've got to be my drinking buddy!" "I'll feel like an alcoholic if I'm drinking and you're not!" So I go out to the bar and have a rum-and-Coke and it's alright. But it's just alright, not really 'fun' cuz the discussions just get stupider and louder as the night goes on. And then you know there's not gonna be any lovin' going on past the point where your girl is staggering and falling asleep on the way home in the taxi or the subway and you've gotta babysit and tuck her into bed. You feel like a single parent, you've become Dad. "Yes honey we're here now. I fed the dog. When does the alarm need to be set for? Let's get your shoes off. Sleep tight, I love you." "Mhhhlummrr." Perfect end to a perfect evening. Gah! There's gotta be a better way... this is the brass ring you get for turning 21, this is the big adult new-and-improved thing to do? I doubt it. G. Ratte' G. Ratte' http://www.cultdeadcow.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.