Watching the Rain Fall

Today was my 21st birthday. It started last night at midnight with my sister, who has been waiting for me to turn 21for 3 years (and is probably more excited about the prospect of my legal ability to drink than I was), picked me up to go to all those bars. Yes, all those bars open past midnight on a Sunday. In some towns perhaps. Here? No. We went to the store and bought beer and watched The Soup and Grey’s Anatomy on her tivo. This morning I slept in, receiving calls at 6:45 and 7:30 from my mom and dad respectively singing me happy birthday. Because I slept in I missed my 8am class (conscious decision) and was up and in class for my 12 noon class. After class and returning to my apartment my friend Hillary and I went downtown to a pub in the hope that they would have outdoor seating, as the weather was amazing. Before she came I had a turkey and cheese sandwich. Once we got to the pub I had jalepeno poppers, because they are amazing and it is my birthday, and why not indulge? As well as a pint of Mirror Pond and a “birthday shot” a bizzare shot called bloody sack. I don’t particularly feel capable of recounting the makeup of this shot at this time.

After my afternoon wonderfulness I went and met a sorority sister for dinner and member ed. I don’t particularly like anywhere in the MU other than Pangea and Panda Express when Pangea is closed. So I had orange chicken. And hung out with Jill.

After Chapter a few of my sorority sisters and I decided to chill on over to McMennamin’s. I don’t know if you ever had their fries. Amazing. I’d already had dinner. So I decided on splitting fries and a rich dessert with Deanna. As well as having a Ruby. Stayed with Kristin and Hillary after all others left and had a Hammerhead (For those that don’t recognize Mirror Pond, Ruby and Hammerhead, these are all Pacific NW microbrews).  I was feeling… full… and a little over indulged.

Here I must digress. If you read my earlier entries you will see I do not generally eat like…… like I am 350 lbs… It was my birthday. And I didn’t check my desire to indulge in fried, greasy foods… But my body is not used to such abuse. But I must also attest to my ability to hold my drink at least to a moderate level. When I drink slowly and chat with my friends I can consume 2 pints and only begin to feel the effects. My roomies can tell you it takes me well more to get properly drunk. I have never blacked out or vomited due to alcohol.

Combine the alcohol with the massive amounts of fried food. And my stomach wasn’t feeling particularly well. So I drank water. Hoping this would make me feel better. Such a bad idea. Let’s make the stomach a little fuller why don’t we.

Now in the US the 21st birthday marks the legal age to buy and consume alcohol. This combined with a slightly forbidden pleasure aspect of alcohol results in many 21 year olds spending their birthdays consuming alcohol in massive quantities, at very high rates. This results in many college students vomiting in many bar bathrooms.

About the time we are paying our check I begin to feel ill. I had eaten too much, drank too much (water and yummy microbrews). I figured I’d be good until I got home where I seriously considered eating my finger (to relieve the ill feeling not due to any weight issue, I assure all). But then I new I needed to at least go be near a toilet. So I get up, at which point Hillary and Kristin offer to go hold my hair or my jacket. I refuse. And as I am heading to the bathroom the waitress asks if the food was alright. I say it was, just the wrong combination. This brief pause was my big mistake. I make it just inside the bathroom doors when I am sick.  All over the floor and into the sink. A sweet girl goes to the waitress to tell her for me that I’d been sick while I clean myself up.

Meanwhile our waitress goes to Kristin and Hillary to tell them that I’m being sick in the bathroom. They assure her that they know. She looks at them like they are freaks and the worlds worst friends. Let me explain a few things about my friends and me. We are there for each other. That is not the issue. But my hair was pinned back, I did not need someone to hold my hair. I do not need someone tending me as I lose my supper. And seeing as I was not drunk in the slightest, there is no danger of me passing out.  So I hardly need tending.

I apologize to the poor waitress who comes to clean up my mess. I assure her I was not drunk just unwell. She seems to believe me as I am obviously still mostly sober, and not that deathly green color that accompanies alcohol poisoning. She does inform me however that I need to leave. Yeah… like I was hanging around.

So while I uphold the fine tradition of being sick on one’s 21st birthday, it seems to be in the tradition of the Ancient Romans more than the Americans.

A final note: I am mostly convinced that this episode was due to a poor choice in food, smelling to much fried foods and water and alcohol, but I am not willing to completely discount bad ranch dressing with the fries… probably would be feeling more ill though…