Deebo's Wedding Wrapup

Congratulations to Deebo. The trip to Birmingham was not kind to Nunnrey and me.

• I was supposed to fly out of Austin at the crack of dawn on Saturday connecting through Houston.  I missed my flight, and ended up going through Orlando.  Travel tip:  flights arriving/departing Orlando are full of other folks' screaming kids.
• Nunnrey, true to form, left his phone (and dignity) at some bar Saturday night.  I believe B-rad retrieved it and mailed it back to him.
• We had prearranged a cab to pick us up at 5:15am Sunday.  I slept straight through the alarms I had set on my phone, and was awoken at 5:20am by the hotel lobby letting us know our cab was waiting.  We grabbed our luggage and headed out dirty.  Here starts a disturbing trend (reference this).  Nunnrey made me ride up front with our cabby.  I don't know if the car's AC was out, or just not on, but it was kinda warm for a fella that had drank half the beer in Alabama the night before.  Anyway, the cabbie had a bunch of jokes queued up for me the entire ride to the airport.  I could have handled some silence.  At least he didn't poke me in the chest.
• On the positive side, the flights from Birmingham to Houston, and Houston to Austin & San Antonio were pretty sparse.  I guess nobody wants to wake up that early.
• I wasn't feeling quite right for the next couple of days.  I'm getting old.

Jeremiah Weed Lightning Lemonade

I decided to give this a try today. I suggest you drink it like you would your sweet tea vodka; cut it with water, and add lemon juice. It's not bad if you go that route. Don't drink it straight...

It might have some promise if you're into John Daly type drinks.

Byron Nelson Championship

I kind of hate to bump Luke's picture down the page...

I'm dragging my wife up to Irving, TX the weekend of May 27-29 to watch some golf that Saturday. I bought these tickets, and my goal will be to drink enough to make this a profitable exercise. Anybody want to join us or meet up for some off-site drinks?

Four Loko sighting

If you're looking for some Four Loko I saw plenty in Biloxi this weekend. It was at the Exxon at Popps Ferry and Pass Rd. I didn't check to see if it was 6% or 12% though.

Sweet Tea Vodka Test

We had a sweet tea vodka taste test last night. The market has quite a few entrants now, and testing them all in one sitting is more than I want to tackle. Here's our lineup:

• Firefly, Firefly Lemon, Firefly Mint
• Sweet Carolina
• Deep Eddy
• Jeremiah Weed
• Seagram's
  

Tasting notes:

Firefly

First tried 1:1 vodka to HEB Seltzer. Was a little stiff, added more seltzer. Went to 2:3 ratio.

James: Where's the football game?

Shey: (Making faces) I prefer Coors Light.

Stefanie: Sweet. Would like to taste more tea.

John: It's aight, I appreciate the sweet, sweet flavor.

James adds that the girl at the liquor store said, "good choice," regarding the Firefly.


Firefly Mint

James: Not a fan of that at all.

Shey: Tastes like the last one with a wad of spit out Wrigley's gum in it.

Stefanie: Like a Mint Julep without the whiskey disgustingness.

John: I agree about the spearmint gum taste. I can drink it, but only as a last resort.


Firefly Lemon

James: Needs more water (this was at the 2:3 ratio). Would you like a little tea with your lemon? Tastes like John's shirt would taste, I imagine. [John is wearing a yellow shirt] I'd drink 5 bottles of this to not drink the mint.

Shey: Bad aftertaste. Better than the mint.

Stefanie: Tastes like bastardized Limoncello.

John: I had high hopes for this. I'm guessing it would be better if we put another dash of water in there. It's drinkable.


Deep Eddy

At this point we adjusted the ratio. It's now 1:2 (vodka:seltzer).

James: Very strong tea taste. Not syrupy. Tastes like they left a tea bag in there for a while.

Shey: Tastes more like unsweet tea than sweet.

Stefanie: My favorite so far. Tastes like real tea.

John: Because it's not as sweet, I think I could drink more of this over the course of the day.


Sweet Carolina

James: Sweet Carolina--made in Maine. Where's the tea?

Shey: [She dumped hers out, and started drinking some water.]

Stefanie: Harsh. Not very sweet. Fail.

John: I thought I liked this stuff based on past drinking experiences. I've changed my mind.



Seagram's

James: Six samples deep, and this is still hard to drink.

Shey: That's not very good. I don't like it.

Stefanie: It might have good tea flavor, but I can't tell over the battery acid.

John: Can vodka really contribute a bad taste like this?


Jeremiah Weed

James: The aftertaste is syrupy like I took a sip of regular Coke.

Shey: Tastes like the 1st one.

Stefanie: Too sweet.

John: Might be my favorite, but I'd like to add a little more water.

Overall picks

James: Firefly
Shey: Deep Eddy
Stefanie: Deep Eddy
John: Jeremiah Weed

Shey dumped everything she didn't drink into a cup creating some kind of sweet tea vodka bar mat for James to drink after we finished.

Bros Icing Bros

I hadn't heard of Bros Icing Bros until earlier this week. Here's a story with some background. James is painting his kitchen today, so I figured he could use a good icing.


Sounded like a good flavor.



Place on doorstep and ring bell.


Enjoy the results.

Drinking Made Easy

The Austin crew has been watching Three Sheets since its inception. We decided to check out Zane's Drinking Made Easy tour stop here last night.


It was entertaining, but I think I prefer to sit on the couch and just watch Three Sheets on TV. They do drink quite a bit during the show, so that's a plus. I would have preferred more of Zane's stories over Marc Ryan's comedy (he's ok, but not what I went for).

Drank

Our original plan was to stay overnight somewhere on the way back from FL. We left around 1PM yesterday, and the Bandit in me decided to make it a non-stop trip (rolled in around 2:30 this morn). Luckily, I happened to stop at a gas station in Baton Rouge and saw they had some signs for Drank on the door. I picked up a couple cans and will report back on them after I try it out.

Also, no adverse effects from the alcohol and my meds. If anything I'd say the alcohol helped wipe out the infection.

Sunday Sales in Starkville

From The Reflector:

Beginning Sunday, Starkville residents will have the ability to purchase both beer and liquor by the drink in local restaurants.

The State Tax Commission approved Starkville Sunday liquor sales in a 2-1 vote Wednesday. Sunday beer, liquor and wine sales in restaurants approved by the Mississippi Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday beer sales in off-premise locations, including grocery and convenient stores, will begin Sept. 27. The new alcohol code takes effect immediately.

What is this teaching our youth? Back in my day it paid off to plan accordingly if you wanted a cold one on Sunday. You needed to stock-up on Saturday or include a quick drive over to West Point in your Sunday festivities. This will simply create a society of drunk, lazy students.

Welcome to post-Prohibition.

Tales From The Road Part I

It's that time of year again. Time for my yearly FL vacation. We left TX on Monday morn. Stefanie found these at a gas station in Louisiana.



Longtime readers know that I'll eat boiled peanuts shell and all, but I agree that frying them makes it easier.

Checked out the Hooters in Denham Springs, LA (right next to Bass Pro Shops).

We stayed a couple nights in Biloxi, but we didn't get into much fun. I did get to check out the Urgent Care place in B-town. I had an ingrown hair on my neck that got infected. I got a shot in the @ss, and then they cut out the offender. So, I'm now walking around with a big bandaid on my neck and instructions to:

1) Stay out of the sand
2) Stay out of the water
3) Don't drink

Now, 1 isn't a big deal to me. I can live with 2, but 3?

Anyway, we got to the condo this evening and it's pretty cool.



After some minor research I've also decided to test #3. I figure I'll drink until I feel bad. Then I'll know the limit, and can back off of it by 1.

Trashed or your money back

From the Daily Mail:

Organisers brag they will breath-test all partygoers, with the one found to be the most drunk getting free entry the following week.

Adverts for the Tuesday night special, dubbed Trashed, say it has 'one simple aim', which is to get revellers 'nailed, battered, done-in and, well, proper ****ing trashed'.

And the promotional material adds: 'If you're legal to drive at 3am, we'll refund your entry money because in our eyes you're not Trashed, so we've failed in our mission.'

I don't want to go all the way to England for this, but if any of your local bars decide to follow suit let me know so we can come check it out.

Must See TV

If you haven't seen Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel you really should. Season 2 started this week and it airs on truTV on Tuesday nights. It's about the pool party at the Hard Rock on Sundays during the summer. It's filled with everything that makes great television: drunks, douche bags, chicks in bikinis and drama.

This week they showed a group of dummies coming out to find their buddy a new chick (since he had just been dumped). The dude proclaims that he wants to find the hottest chick at the party. He ends up hooking up with some exotic looking chick with huge, fake cans. He later finds out that the chick is really a dude...or at least used to be. This doesn't stop him and he asks it out on a date.

It's also worth mentioning that the Hard Rock in Biloxi has it's own version of the party called Detox. Weekly, they put up pictures on the website. I guess times have changed since my years in B-town...looks like the place is overrun with knuckleheads wearing Ed Hardy shirts and augmented chicks running around.

JT's New Man Friend

JT insisted I get a picture with his new man friend in Katakolon.  Not sure if you can read his shirt, but it says "Just Men".

The cafe this dude worked at was good to us.  We sat there and drank Mythos beer while the wives shopped.  We had 2-3 big beers a piece and the wives shared a carafe of wine for under €20.  Not too shabby since some of the places we went were more like €7 per beer.

Weekend update

Saw a new (to me) Sweet Tea Vodka yesterday. I present Jeremiah Weed. I'll update later if it's noteworthy.



I also enlisted James's help last night to move in my new, very heavy gun safe. Our chocolate ammo is protected now.

Weekend BBQ: DOMINO Edition

Over the weekend, the MSU Track & Field team was in town for the Texas Relays.  On Saturday evening, we were invited to a BBQ in which the MSU coaches would be attending.  The BBQ itself was hosted by a local MSU alum from the 80's.  He had a bunch of his friends and family in town (I estimate there were 40+ people there), and most of them were from MSU as well.  Oh yeah, it's worth mentioning that the host and majority of attendees were Que Dogs from MSU.  

When we came strolling in it was about like you would expect...tables and chairs setup in the backyard, the game on the big screen in the living room, drinks flowing freely, plenty of Black and Milds and Swisher Sweets, and a game of bones in progress.  The host introduced us to everyone and one of the guys, Kelvin, I recognized.  I started talking with him and he said he drives the buses around for the student-athletes at MSU.  I then asked if he used to drive the shuttle from frat row onto campus and he said yeah.  Some of you lammas will probably remember him as well.

Other notes:

• We introduced them to Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.  I brought a handle of it over and it was well on it's way to being gone when we left.
• The ribs and green beans were excellent (I wouldn't have expected any less).
• We discussed at length the branding process for members getting the Omega symbol on their arms.  I told them about Eric T. and Luke getting the Lambda on their backs on a camping trip.
• Shey got a dude to show her the brands on his chest.  She was particularly interested in this guy because he was a fireman.  Coincidentally, Shey did not wear her wedding rings to the party.
• The fireman told me that the "big, light-skinned, brother" inside had brands on both of his butt cheeks.  On my way in for a drink I happened to cross paths with him and in my drunken stupor I inquired about it.  He told me he actually had two on one cheek and one on the other.  I then said, "Prove it!"  Just kidding about that last part, but in hindsight it was pretty dumb of me to ask one of the biggest dudes at the party about his butt.
• John was upset that there wasn't some sort of step-show, but I told him he would need to challenge someone if he wanted to see it.  But of course he's scurd so it didn't happen.
  
• I was not ostracized for having my sweat rag in hand.
  

All joking aside, we had a great time.  We had only planned on being there for about two hours which turned into 4+ hours by the time we left.  I can't wait for next year.  We're already planning on bringing a cooler of Boone's Farm so we can pass those around.

Founders Day Wrap Up

I'm finally feeling back to about 99% today after the long weekend of drinking in Mississippi.  What did we learn:

• Philly was very good to a few of us.  I think my winnings will be just enough to cover my deductible for the hail damage to my roof (if I need a new roof as my roofer is telling me).  I think John is buying more AR-15 equipment with his, and I guess Nunnrey will probably buy some chickens.  I'm wondering if I should add the mustache to my list of winning slot moves.
• Crunk Craig is a jerk according to the slow chicks in front of us at the golf course.  It only took one hole to realize why.  Maybe my Red Ryder will speed them up next time.
• The birthday girl (aka Trained Killa, aka Gun Cleaning Machine), Vanessa, doesn't appear to be able to drink like she used to.
• Courtney is learning the SWA Rap as we speak.  Be on the lookout for her on a future flight.  Did I mention Courtney is a NKOTB groupie?
• On Saturday night, I think that waitress from Friday night was out celebrating the large tip she earned from us.  Too bad we didn't have her the second night instead of that slow, forgetful chick we had.
• Tarkus is getting old.  His hair is gray.  He's not on any of the social networking sites and has never heard of Twitter (not that I completely understand why people use it).  When I said blog he had a puzzled look on his face.  And then he started in on the virtues of face-to-face discussions over email.
  
• I want to welcome our new authors to the blog.  I know you guys are dying to post so here are a few of the older posts you should check out first: Genesis, What's It Gonna Take and Blog Template.
  

Breaking up is hard to do.....or Is It?

Well as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After 14 wonderful years, I have ended my love affair with smoking. I am proud to announce that today is my 28th consecutive day without a cigarette. To the layperson, that is 4 weeks!

Why did I do it you ask? I honestly don't know. When it comes down to it, I love smoking. I suppose the only good answer I can come up with is that I know it is bad for me. Aside from that I love everything about it.

How did I do it you ask? Easy. 4 weeks ago I checked my luggage in at LAX as I prepared for my trip to the Philippines. Once my luggage was on it's way to the underbelly of the plane, I stepped outside, smoked my final cigarette and proceeded to board the plane bound for the land of little people. It wasn't easy but a steady diet of rice and Asian Tang sure helped. I know I know.....you are all curious to hear what I mean by Asian Tang. By Asian Tang, I mean the orange Tang drink. While on vacation, one of the resorts I stayed at tried to pawn off the powdered Tang mix as freshly squeezed Florida orange juice. I knew when I tasted it that something was up, but it wasn't until the next morning that I noticed one of the servers behind the bar mixing powdered Tang mix with water in a pitcher named “OJ”. Busted! But anyways, I digress.

So what does all this mean? It means that I must now retrain my body to function without a Marlboro in my hands. There are many things that prior to 4 weeks ago I had never experienced sober (without a cigarette). I started smoking at 15 so activities such as driving, drinking, gambling and sex are all things that I now get to enjoy smoke free. On a side note, all of those activities are much better enjoyed with a cigarette, but I'm hopeful that in time that will all change.

In closing, I am sure the time will come when I will smoke another cigarette or perhaps even a pack or two (upcoming trip to Starkville), but having experienced this 4 week hiatus, I am confident that aside from those few instances here and there that I will be able to stay the course and continue my journey of being smoke free.

Liquor Alert

If you're looking for something to alternate with your Sweet Tea Vodka. Three Olives has Root Beer vodka. I've been mixing it with Diet Sprite, and it's not too shabby.

Sparks taste test

Just had a Sparks alcoholic energy drink. It's aight if you're into Red Bull tasting stuff. I'd say it tastes a little better than Red Bull. And again, it contains 6% alcohol so it's got that going for it. Wikipedia says Joose has 9% so I guess I'll test that out too.

If you feel yourself getting a little tired while you're drinking--pick up a Sparks.

Happy New Year! Beau Knows...

For your New Year enjoyment I felt obliged to provide the latest stories heard from Beau.  You Biloxi High guys will remember Beau B. (last name the same as a previous MS governor that has a reservoir named after him in Jackson) and for the rest of you I will try to paint an accurate picture of him:

• This is the guy that lived on Nunnrey's couch for a little while in San Antonio before moving in with JT for an extended stay in Tulsa earlier this decade.
• Maybe JT or Nunnrey can clarify here, but I believe he has 3 kids from 3 different mommas.
• I believe he's been married two times before, but is currently divorced (and dating someone in a long term relationship).
• He was previously a Marine and has also served in the Army.  I believe he has also had a stint as a bounty hunter.
• Beau is a good guy and at a bar he's the type of dude you would much rather have on your side since his Marine training has taught him to kill with well over 100 different methods (and that is just with a paper clip).
• Beau has certainly made it through some tough times and lived to tell about some interesting experiences.
  

Some of my favorite one-liners from Beau (and sorry if I butcher them slightly, but you get the point):

• I get laid like a sack of fertilizer.
• I gotta be careful because I just walk into a room and b!tches get pregnant.
• When you say something is "frowned upon" do you mean they poke out their bottom lip and look upset or do you mean it is against the rules (this was more acted out rather than simply said).

Last Friday night, JT called Beau and we all met up at Treasure Bay in Biloxi for drinks.  Over the course of several hours and many beers, Beau caught us up on various happenings in his life as well as others from high school.  Here are a couple of the highlights:

• Beau's ex-wife made an appearance on Dr. Phil to explain how her life had been ruined by Beau.  Not sure if Beau was invited to the show or not, but amazingly enough Dr. Phil sided with Beau on this and told the ex that she needed to let go of the anger and move on with her life or she would be alone forever.
• While catching Beau up on Nunnrey, he told us of a story from the glory days of high school football.  Biloxi High was taking on St. Augustine in the New Orleans Superdome.  While out in the huddle, Beau noticed a short, stocky fellow running out to replace one of the other lineman.  Who was the stud coming in...it was Nunnrey.  The play was called and the huddle broke.  Nunnrey lined up on the wrong side of the ball and a timeout had to be called to prevent a penalty.  Not sure if Nunnrey got to play too much more in the Superdome game.

Wishing you all the best in 2009 (especially Beau, as he could use some good luck)!