8.08.2007

We Are Not Alcoholics... We Are Irish!

My nephew Sam was recounting the time when he was at my house and picked up a drink off the counter that he thought was just soda. Imagine his surprise when he took a big swig and realized that there was Captain Morgan mixed in with that soda! Hey, that is what he gets for trying to drink a soda that is not his at Aunt Crissy's house!

He was telling this story to my mom who (surprise surprise) was drinking a beer at the time. Sam asked if he could have a taste of her beer and she obliged thinking that he would not like the taste and therefore never drink again for the rest of his life. She was trying to instill a life lesson here... Irish style.

Sam scrunched up his face and said yuck!" to which my mother was very pleased with herself... that is until she told me this story and I had to add my own two cents.

You see, when we were kids my dad would always ask us to go down to the basement fridge and bring him a beer. When we were little we did this over and over again without thinking about the liquid gold that was inside the can we were transporting. One day I asked if I could have a taste of his beer and my dad handed it to me thinking exactly the same thing my mom was thinking with Sam, "If I let her see how bad this tastes she will never want to drink again for the rest of her life!"

Yeah... that didn't work with me.

Eventually I started opening the can for my dad-as if I was being a good beer transporter-only I opened it so that I could take a swig or two before handing it over to the legal drinker in the house. I would even drink the warm backwashed beer from the bottom of his can when he was finished and I was throwing the can away! Now, that is true love for beer let me tell you.

I started to tell my mom of how my older sister and I would make Fuzzy Navels in the kitchen because the Peach Schnapps was left right on the counter for all to see... and my sister knew how to make a mean Fuzzy Navel.

As I was telling my mom this funny story she says "Mmmm, I love a fuzzy navel" to which I responded, "Me too! It was my favorite childhood drink!"

Now, I don't' want you to think that I had a childhood like Drew Barrymore or anything. I may have had a swig of beer here and there and a Fuzzy Navel or two, but I was not out at the clubs partying. Sure, I spent many a Saturday afternoon with my dad at the local American Legion bar, but they had video games and pretzels on the tables-it was a field trip!

Irish people have special dispensation from being considered alcoholics... it is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Look it up if you don't believe me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

My dad would leave a swig or two of beer in his can and give it to me if I would go get him another,too! I would get him the beer and take the first swig or two out of it. I didn't do the fuzzy navel but Mom's dacquari on Friday nights was a special treat!

Momma of 2 said...

I tried this trick out on my son (he's 2) thinking if I gave him a sip of wine he'd hate it and leave the dang glass alone. Nope, he loves the stuff. Now he points to the glass and says wine, wine, wine.

Kids can be such pains.

teresa

Biddy said...

hahaha yeah...my parents tried that one on me. DIDN'T WORK!

i actually saw a shirt the other day that said "i'm not an alcoholic, i'm irish"

xxxxxx said...

My son is 4 and loves beer. I don't let him have it anymore (I would just offer a sip). My daughters think B&J Margaritas (flavored beer) are tops.

So what? You enjoy life! Thank God, since so many people are so uptight. You're not abusing it! My mother acted like I was such a drunk for having a drink at a Christmas party (my dad was different). Get real!

Tavern life (again, my dad)was something I grew up with. Nobody thought it weird to take your kids with you to the taverns.

Anonymous said...

You are so funny. I just found your blog by accident and I laughed until I cried. I am a Catholic homeschooling mom with nine children ranging in age from two to seventeen. Thank you for the best moment of my day today. I am thinking about uprooting my family and moving to DC so we can be friends. God bless, Michelle