Just about every week a small group of friends and myself ( totalling no more than 5 ) go down to the local
pool hall for a few hours of drinking and friendly competitive
pool. The nights are filled with laughter and alcohol, pool shots of utter
brilliance and total
bullshit.
As we're all under 21 we take turns driving (0.00% alcohol limit allowed ), we take turns what the teams are, we take turns buying the rounds and we take turns breaking.
One thing remains a constant during our many visits...
The hall has undergone at least two changes in management since we started to go there just out of school. And with this change different rules and costs have been implemented.
One thing never changes, no matter how the night has gone...
The layout of the pool tables changes very few weeks, where the full-sized tables were last week they've put in more 3/4 size tables, and those darker green American tables used to be where the 3/4's were. One week we will get table service, and the next week we will have to go up to the bar for our alcohol.
One thing we always do...
The drinks of choice have changed, as they were bound to do.
Gone are the plain beers, simple, un-exotic and boring, a drink that showed that we were drinking and we were -real- men, even if we didn't consciously mean to be making that statement.
Now there are shots, and mixed drinks, Alcoholic Big M's and raspberry cruisers. The drinks are not the typical drinks of 20yr old guys, but that’s because we no longer feel the need to make statements with the drinks that we choose.
Our one 'ritual'...
... is a small block of white milk chocolate, purchased from the vending machine just before we leave.
Something simple, cheap, not all that impressive, but a ritual nonetheless. Every night we go there, the last thing we do is head down to the vending machine and purchase the small block for the ride home.
Tonight the vending machine had gone... and I fear for my life.
Written while drunk - Probably updated in the morning afternoon.