"You want a beer? How bout a shot too?"

Of course I said yes. I wasn't about to turn down a free beer LET ALONE a shot! Now let me back up and tell you why I was offered a beer and a shot.

Last night Bro and Girl asked if I wanted to go to dinner with them, then watch their first sand volleyball game in Kent. Both Bro and Girl are really good about inviting me out with them, its just that sometimes I don't like being the third wheel. So I said, "I'll go, thanks for not minding me being the third wheel!" Then Bro said, "Well you have to admit, you are really good at it!" I love my brother, I love my brother, I love my brother...

We went to Penn Station for subs and fries. I had never been before, it was really good, don't get me wrong... but I like Jimmy John's better. After Penn Station, we headed for the bowling alley. They have 2 sand volleyball courts out front, along with a tiki bar and a few tables and chairs for spectators. We had no sooner gotten there, got a round of beers and sat down when it started to rain. Then lightning. Then POUR. So we slogged through the rain to the inside bar. The only thought in my head was 'please Erin, do not slip and fall on the pavement and bite it in front of all these people!'

Well we safely made it inside, but it was a weird crowd at the bar. An old crowd. A really ridiculously dressed up crowd for a bowling alley bar crowd. Only 2 things that made sense to us- that's where all the townies come since the students have overrun every other bar in the city, OR it was a 20 year high school reunion. But they didn't have name tags- so I'm going with the townies. Since it was so crowded, we only grabbed a beer and went to sit in the almost dead bowling alley. Bro was fascinated watching some nerd get strike after strike. Yeah, it was impressive, but the guy probably eats, breathes and sleeps bowling and uses his bowling score as a pick up line. If he ever talks to girls. And no, the teenager at the shoe return counter does not count.

Not long after we were sitting inside, more of their teammates arrived. The rain slowed, so we headed outside. The lightning had stopped and the rain had slowed down enough so they got the game going. It was Girl and a bunch of her co-workers and their significant others on the team. I bought another beer and stood at a table under an umbrella to watch the game. It was still raining, at times it was really coming down. Then I had to pee. So I slipped off my shoes, waited for a lull in the rain and jogged to the entrance awning of the bowling alley, where I saw an old friend talking with his buddy. I stopped to say hello then headed into the bathroom.

Coming out of the bowling alley, carrying my beer in a can in one hand, purse and shoes in the other I started jogging back out through the rain to my table and umbrella. Somewhere between the awning, my table and the tiki bar full of people I slipped and fell. Totally bit it. In front of like 40 people. Granted 15 of those people were playing volleyball- but still. So sitting on my butt on the wet pavement, getting rained on, with 20 or so wide eyed, open mouthed people staring at me, I said the first thing that popped into my head. "And she's SAFE!" When all else fails, throw out a baseball reference.

The bartender held out a new can of beer for me, "You want a beer?" I walked to the tiki hut, took my beer and said "Hey folks, the show was free tonight!" they laughed. Then the bartender said "How bout a shot too?" Um, I just fell on my ass in front of a ton of people- of course I want a shot too!

I have a friend, Harry, who used to call the scrapes and bruises you inevitably wake up with after a night of drinking MARIs. Miscellaneous Alcohol Related Injuries. Normally, my alcohol related injuries are miscellaneous and I have a hard time remembering exactly how they occurred. Unfortunately, this morning, I clearly remembered every detail. Oh well, good thing I don't have a problem being the headline of someone elses story. Can't you hear it now, "Oh my gosh, I was at the bar last night and some girl totally bit it!" Yeah, that's me. Some girl.