When I first started dancing, I started teaching dance at the same time. At the beginning, I know I was perceived as very uptight. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, and dance was so important to me things had to be exact. I was too busy trying to be right to be myself.
I felt so honored that a few months in I received an invitation to one of the student’s holiday party. It was a martini party that started at two in the afternoon. Being me, a friend and I arrived around 2:30 and were the first people there.
When I showed up, I was so thirsty. I was immediately asked what I wanted to drink, and I chose an appletini.
For those that don’t know (like me when I ordered it), that drink is 100% alcohol. I was presented with a HUGE martini glass filled to the brim. It was gone in about five minutes.
I was still thirsty, so I handed the glass back to my host and asked for a cosmopolitan. I got one, in a much smaller glass.
I typically don’t drink, and at that point I was down to my dancer’s weight, so the alcohol hit me hard. One thing I love about myself is that I am a fun drunk. I was chatting to people I had never met before and was not at all self-conscious. I loved it!
I was three or four drinks in when Kurt arrived to the party. As soon as he saw me he left. I wondered what that was about until he returned 10 minutes later. He grabbed my glass and put a bottle of gatorade in my hand. “Drink up, honey.”
My favorite story of the evening came from the line for the bathroom. Vertical hold had long since left me, so I was leaning heavily against the wall. I chatted to my fellow line waiters. There was a very sweet man standing next me, and I asked him if he could do me a tremendous favor.
“Um, I’m not going into the bathroom with you.”
“Oh no, not that! My sleeve got pushed up over my elbow, and I can’t get it back down. It is pinching me. Can you help?’
“Sweetie, give me your arm.”
My sleeve got pushed down and all was right with the world!
After that party, the way the members of the class treated me was night and day different. They knew that the stern looking exterior wasn’t who I really was. It’s amazing how alcohol made me human. Wait, I don’t think that is the moral I should have taken away from that story!
What type of events have been ice breakers for you to get to know people better? or Am I the only one who didn’t realize an appletini is all alcohol?
Grown Up, Now What? 
At one of your day-after parties I was a couple beers in and found myself talking corralled by a nameless obnoxious talker My now-wife and another person were also imprisoned. I found myself desperately wanting to leave, but politeness kept me seated. I asked myself, “Have I had enough booze to just leave?” A few pulls later I decided the answer was, “Yes.”
“I’m bored.” I got up and walked away. My beloved was both pissed that I’d left her there and jealous that she hadn’t thought of it first.
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Hi Andrew. I love that story!!!! I can’t stop laughing thinking about it. I was the one you came up to right after making the break away. I too was in awe of your daring escape.
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Having had a couple Vodka Tonics already tonight – I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. No – I didn’t realize an Appletini was all alcohol and I loved that you know you’re a fun drunk. I think I am too. Inhibitions are down. Giggles are prevalent (you’d think I’d been smoking pot) but no – just alcohol. I like the little bit of altered consciousness and the release of any bit of being up tight.
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I’m so glad you were in the “spirit” of my post! Normally I don’t like the sensation of altered consciousness, but on rare occasions I roll with it and have a great time! This was definitely one of those times.
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This is a fun story! Reading an “I got drunk” story without a morality lesson or the glorification of alcohol is refreshing. I did know that an appletini was pure alcohol, and out of all the martins, this is one that I have never tried!!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It was a fun evening, nothing bad happened (not even a hangover) and that party has been my annual getting drunk night for years now.
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