Shiner Bock? Or a Shot of Vodka?

Beltway Bob’s is at Hard Times Café in Clarendon today. I’m starving when I arrive, and order a bowl of their frito chili pie. How fattening! DITE does the smart thing and orders a salad. I wish I had your perseverance, girl! I’m really not a huge salad fan.

We discuss heading over to Clarendon Grill afterwards, but I’m not familiar with the band that’s playing and there’s ALWAYS a cover. OFE suggests going to Silver Spring to see a band up there. WHAT??!! As much as he talks down MD, he wants to leave VA to go to MD to party? Unbelievable! I have to tag along to see the impetus for his trek. It’s a band called Leaving Texas and they’re playing at the Austin Grill in downtown Silver Spring.

Lt. U-Wh*re-A drives a small group of us up there for the band’s 10pm release party. I’m a back seat driver the whole way! She’s never been on 66 or the Beltway! How can you live in the DC area and NEVER drive on the Beltway? Well, apparently, she drives from Lorton to Chantilly and has no need to traverse the messy DC traffic. I find it humorous that I need to tell her to stay out of the left hand lane to avoid a long-a$$ haul to Dulles airport.

Downtown Silver Spring is so pretty. I totally need to hang out here more often. Maybe some of my VA friends will be willing to make the trip out here. Or maybe I need to make some MD friends…

Leaving Texas is a country-rock band and is heavily influenced by Johnny Cash. Their songs are catchy, but they sound too much like songs I know already. One has a melody that reminds me of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and another sounds like Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”. OFE is totally impressed, though, and buys an album and has it autographed.

OFE and RU-469 continue to brave the frigid weather by trekking outside for their smoke breaks. Before their third smoke break, an anglo-South African dude walks up to RU-469 and asks to smoke outside with her. Go RU-469! But why is OFE walking outside with her? Is he c*ck-blocking this dude?

After they return from their smoke break, the VA gang decides to head out. People! You came all the way out here and you’re heading out after an hour? Do as you wish. RU-469 and I are staying.

The South African dude offers to buy RU-469 a drink and she tells him she wants a Shiner Bock. I’ve already reached my 3-drink limit and tell him I don’t need anything. So what does he do? He finds out what I’m drinking from the bartender, buys me another captain and coke, and brings RU-469 a shot of vodka. What?? A shot of vodka? She didn’t ask for that! He misunderstood her request for a Shiner Bock as a shot of vodka. RU-469 refuses the shot and it sits on the table for the rest of the evening. Come on, live a little! That shot won’t hurt you!

After I finish my captain and coke, I eye the shot that’s been sitting on the table for the last ½ hour.

“Oh, what the hell! Gimme a lemon and I’ll do that shot!”

Big mistake! That stinkin’ shot puts me over the edge. RU-469 drives me home since my car is in Bethesda and cause I’m not capable at this point anyway. To make matters worse, I can’t sleep because the room starts spinning everytime I lay my head down. D*mn vodka shot! I sleep sitting upright on the sofa in order to get any sleep at all. I hate when I’m too drunk to sleep! Remind me to stay away from vodka shots at the end of an evening.