Timberline and My Liver, In Memoriam

It’s been a bit of a rough week. Monday was a day off, meaning I spent it at CC’s drinking with Seth, Mini, Madge, Jae, and two new additions. They’re the new residents at the House of Drama, Ricky and Eric. Eric used to work at Changes, and Ricky is in the Navy but getting out soon. They’re boyfriends, in love, and needing a place to live. Seth and Mini need roommates who will actually pay the rent and refrain from turning the place into a combination crackhouse/brothel/landfill. If you’ve gone down to the basement since the crazy, drunken wenches left you know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyway, when I say we spent the day drinking at CC’s, I mean only that portion for which I was conscious. I woke up around noon, called the boys, and then pulled myself together and rolled into CC’s by 1:45 pm. Nine hours later, the gang was thoroughly lubricated and ready for karaoke at Manray. I dutifully sang and staggered home. Or took a cab, I can’t honestly remember.

Tuesday it was a brief trip to Changes for $1 beers and a snarling match with Matthew before I left to go to the Crescent and drown my sorrows in a few pitchers of Mack & Jack’s. Needless to say, I was not in the best mood the next morning. The nasty messages from Matthew started right off, predictably, and I decided I’d had enough. Not fun, but apparently necessary. I took Wednesday as my day of rest and tried to dry out.

Thursday was A Night to Remember. Yes, that’s the title of a book about the Titanic, and it’s apt. Michael (from Bender Creek) invited me and some of his friends out on his boat. It was a beautiful evening, perhaps one of the last sunny and warm ones we’ll see this year. I left work early, ran over to his office, and we gathered up the boys and went down to the marina. The boat is big and comfortable, and has a well-stocked liquor cabinet. To augment that, we brought plenty of beer and a few bottles of wine. We cruised over to Seward Park, anchored, and Michael cooked us dinner. It was a lovely way to spend the evening.

Unfortunately, I forgot what happens to me when I mix wine and beer. I reach “escape velocity,” the point where I just slam drinks without thought, almost instantly. And I end up very drunk. By the time we docked, I was on the phone demanding that people meet us out, and then I insisted we all go to Manray. Not that the boys were resisting. I ended up in slurred but very deep conversations with people I didn’t know, and grabbed at least 2 boys’ butts. Not pretty. Around 1 am, as the boys headed for Neighbors, I realized I had to save myself and headed home.

The good news is, I did pretty much the same thing but to a lesser degree Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday night, I ended up watching Field of Dreams in the livingroom at 1 am (Carlos had some Spanish show on in the bedroom) and chatting with Woodsy when he came home. Paul came with him (God knows why) but Paul and I didn’t chat. Paul had lost the ability to speak, even the couple times I asked him direct questions he just smiled and waved at Woodsy. But he could still drink, by God, and drink he did. They finished their six pack before Kevin Costner got to have a catch with his dad. I love that movie.

And then we come to Sunday. Sunday I should have spent at the office. But Sunday was also the very last dance at the Timberline before it closed. I have been lukewarm on T-line since it lost the old building, but Michael started bugging me and I decided I had to go. I got there about 5:45 pm, and it was busy but not packed. I’d dreaded a line outside, but none appeared until well after I got there. Drinks were another matter, the lines were long and slow until I discovered that if you go up to the bar, smile, and tip the bartender $5 for three beers that cost $1 each, you don’t have to wait in line. It was amazing.

By the time I’d learned this little lesson, I’d consumed more than a few beers. Wendell showed up, and then we ran into Ryan (aka Tuesday Night) and his boyfriend Darren, and we all took to the dance floor. It was bittersweet. They played all the old songs, everyone cheered, everyone was happy and sad at the same time. Timberline, I’ll miss you almost as much as I miss my liver.