Who Do I Think I Am??

This one's about shenanigans.

30DBC PROMPT: "Share with us your favorite St. Patrick's Day tradition. If you don't have one, think up a new one."

Hello, and what is up? The wearin' o' the green is still happenin', it seems. And it looks like you have me to blame for today...because this looks like one of the prompts I submitted at the beginning of the month. It's only fair that if I can talk smack about other prompts, I should do the same for ones I contribute.

I'm not even remotely Irish. There's no hope. The closest I'll get to being Irish might be ingesting a few pints of Guinness here and there. And I can honestly cop to having no real St. Patty's day traditions. I used to have a t-shirt with a four-leaf clover on it that said "Got Lucky" on it, which is about as close to celebrating the day as I would get. That and my limited edition green New York Mets hat.

There used to be a corner dive bar down the street from 542, The Clover Bar. It was a hole, but my friends knew a bartender. We went there often because they would serve some of our underaged friends. It was not, by any means, a classy establishment. And just like most places I stepped foot in during my roaring twenties, Clover is no longer around.

I can't say I stayed out of trouble there, but who goes into buildings of ill repute wanting to come out like a choir boy? I've probably failed to remember more events at Clover than most bars. I do, however, recall a moment spent there on a St. Patrick's Day. Although the name was Clover and there were shamrocks on the sign, there was nothing about this place that said "Irish". Same jukebox and dartboard, like every other place. Dirty old men crowded over their beers at the ends of the bar. And us.

It was probably our usual crew...me, Verno, DMFM, my sister and her boyfriend at the time, and whoever else came along with us. We usually only went on Mondays and Wednesdays...the same nights as one of the bartenders we knew. That's how I know this occurred on a Wednesday. It was more crowded, probably due to it being a drinking holiday. I don't remember the song or the exact circumstances, but I was having a good time and wanted to get my sis' attention, but was having trouble being heard. I attempted to clink the glass of her mixed drink with my bottle of Labbatt Blue. I clinked once. I clinked twice. I raised my voice, said "Cheers" and clinked again. I wound up putting my bottle clear through her drink, turning the glass to pieces. I will be paid attention to!

Like I said, Clover's long been closed. It was gutted and turned into a fancier establishment. I never went back...I wanted to remember it as the dive it always was. And I never really had a St. Patty's Day tradition again.

BCF PROMPT: "When was the first time you really felt like a grown-up (if ever)?"

Hmmm...tough call on this one. I was probably really young, maybe five or six years old. My parents divorced before I could remember, and since I was the oldest I guess I became "the man of the house" by default. When a visitor came to the door asking for such a man, I enjoyed seeing the befuddled looks when I said I was.

I think I'm having a harder time searching for that true first "adulthood" moment. I don't recall the transition or what sparked it. Maybe I really haven't grown up yet. I don't feel like I've crossed the threshold yet. Part of me still feels like a kid that doesn't know any better. But maybe I'm a little happier like that. I don't feel the creeping death of responsibility or the slithering away of certain happinesses being sucked from my soul's grown-up. And I'm ok with that.

MUSICAL BREAK!!

I think you hear me knockin'. I think I'm comin' in.

VITAL STATS:

Took yesterday off from life. Couldn't wait to get out of the house, and couldn't wait to get back home. Couldn't focus or concentrate. I'm still not totally feelin' myself today either. No energy, no motivation, and no idea what's wrong.

That said, I take a day pretty much away from the internet, and WDC makes changes? I dunno how I feel about that. I'm not a big fan of change. I don't like my cheese being moved, if you're familiar with the book. But I suppose I'll get used to it, and wonder how I ever suvived before it.

And that's all I've got for today. Gonna drag myself back home and see if I can sleep myself back into a better mood. Peace, go Sabres, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!