Pub Crawl Ahead

As you may be able to gather from my blog name, I am Irish. You would never know it by my drinking habits though. There was a time, in my youth, when I was quite infamous for drinking anyone and everyone under the table, except when it came to tequila. It makes my stomach hurt, so never was my poison of choice. Now I’m the biggest lightweight on the planet, but I still enjoy a good glass of wine or an ice-old beer once in awhile. I also have been known to partake in a little Crown Royal, Jamison’s or a nice glass of scotch on the rocks once in awhile.
Recently, I went out with some coworkers after a long day a work, thinking it would be a great way to bond with the people I spend more time with than anyone else and also because I am the new kid (using that term loosely). The extra incentive is that the location chosen for this little get together is a rather new Irish pub. I just knew it was a sign that I was meant to go!
When I arrived, several of my coworkers were already there and had drinks in front of them., so I decided to stop by the bar and pick up a drink on the way to the table. I asked the bartender if she could make me a Half and Half. I love a good Guinness, but straight on is a bit heavy for me. The bartender assured me she could make me a Half and Half and would send it over to the table. When it arrived, I knew something was wrong, but being amongst new friends, I didn’t want to make a scene, so I drank it.
Later, as the group ordered another round, I asked for another Half and Half. The waitress looked oddly at me and said "You mean an Black and Tan". I assured her that what I meant was a Half and Half, and she just repeated "Yeah, a Black and Tan."
Now for you non-Irish out there, there is a distinct difference, so maybe I should explain. A Half and Half is half Guinness, a dark Irish ale, and half Harps, a lighter Irish ale. A Black and Tan, on the other hand, (which I have also been known to drink when Harps is not available) s half Guinness and half Bass, a lighter English ale. I think a Black and Tan is actually on the list of cardinal sins, given the war that still rages between the English and Irish in some parts of Ireland, but you do what you have to do sometimes.
In any case, I knew that what I was drinking was neither.
Let me state once again that this was supposedly and Irish pub that we were visiting at the time. I walked over to the bartender, a very sweet, personable young thing, and asked her what she had made for me. She said she made a Half and Half. I told her that the waitress called it a Black and Tan. She just looked surprised and said "same thing." I took a deep breath, and then explained to her the history of the two. Then I explained that what she had served me, although not terrible, was not either a Half and Half or a Black and Tan. She said it was their version of a Half and Half/Black and Tan. I took another deep breath, almost to the point of hyperventilation, and asked her what was in it. She said it was half Guinness and half Boulevard Pale Ale. Boulevard Pale Ale is a an ale from a local Kansas City brewery. I thanked her and went back to my group. When the waitress came around again, I passed on another round.
Now to some, this may not be a big deal, but for someone who doesn’t drink all that often, it became, for some odd reason, a big deal for me. I guess I’ll have to head to New York, Chicago, or Ohio. My brother and my nephew seem to have no trouble finding good Irish pubs in Columbus and Toledo. Surely somewhere in a city as large as the Kansas Cit Metro area, someone knows how to make me a proper beer. In the meantime, I guess I’ll have to do research, and that could be an adventure!

Sheeeeeeeee's Back! Ready or Not!

Well, I am tired of getting emails from everyone saying where are you, so here I am. A brief explanation of why I haven't added a posting for 3 months-I didn't feel like it! Truly, that's it!
My life has been a whirlwind of change lately. After working in education for 14 years, I decided to take the big leap and change professions. It was easier to stay in a job that I was no longer happy in than to make a leap of faith and try something else. I finally made the leap!
As some of you may have read in past postings, the past year or so has been a bit difficult for my family. My mother had a stroke, which we were very greatful did not seem to cause many effects that couldn't be fixed with hard work. Little did we know that was only a precursor to upcoming events. In November, she had a heart attack, which she described as an elephant sitting on her chest, but of course she failed to mention it until the next day because the Cubs game was on! By the next night she was in the hospital and then the triple bypass followed. I can tell you that this week, she has finally been released from cardiac rehab and seems to be doing much better, thank you!
Did I mention that two days after we brought my mother home from the hospital, we put my dad in. Then we brought him home a few days later, knowing it would be his last trip. The day before Thanksgiving, my dad was finally released from his earthbound body and is now toasting with Col. Peck, my brother George, and many old friends who passed before him with a heavenly bottle of scotch!
In the midst of all of this, my daughter got married, is expecting her first child this May, and my son disappeared into his own "I'm an adult now!" world. Yes, I suffered from empty nest syndrome (except for the dog the parents of my former boss found and somehow I ended up with, and the cat my daughter found, that I somehow ended up with) I'm not exactly sure if I get to claim empty nest syndrome- maybe just empty of people nest syndrome. Is this a reason to file a claim for disability payments so that I can stay home and enjoy my house to myself, now that I've gotten used to it? You lawyers out there, surely you can make a case for me!
Ooooops! I may have failed to mention that a few days ago, my son discovered that all of that adulthood with rent, car payments, car insurance, food, gas, yadda, yadda, yadda is not all that it is cracked up to be and magically reappeared in his bedroom. It's okay. He can legally buy alcohol now, so I can send him out for some Jamison's or Corona's now, so he has a useful purpose! Just kidding!
Anyway, I'm trying to find my new self and adjust to all of the changes in my life this last year. I've been reconnecting with old friends (EEE) and listening to old songs I used to love over the phone that my brother has dug up in the Smithsonian archives or Utube or something. I've been awaiting my granddaughter and thanking God for not deploying my daughter right after the baby comes, which was the original plan. Her husband will be deploying somewhere soon, but will get to spend a little time with the baby first, due to a medical issue that has to be resolved first. I'm feeling greatful and blessed and exhausted and confused, which makes me, I suppose, ready to enter the world again. After all, isn't that where most of us are on a daily basis?
Just one more little note: This past week, I told one of my co-workers that I would see her in the morning and she replied "I'll be here!" Well, she lied. She left work and went to water aerobics and collapsed in the shower right after. She had a brain bleed and never woke up. As I write this posting, her organs are being havested to save the lives of many other people. I will miss her!
Please remember that now is the time to say the things to the people you love. You may be young or old, healthy or ill, but for any of us, this day may be our last. I have discovered that I don't want the last words out of my mouth to be "asshole" as someone cuts me off in traffic. I want them to be something kind, not that I am not human and won't slip from time to time! Don't put off that phone call, letter, or even text or email until tomorrow. Sometimes, tomorrow never comes!
Next posting-NOT depressing! I promise!