Ah, memories

I was reminded of a Cyberspace Sarah story at dinner last night and it just made me laugh. Forgive me if you were one of the two people who heard it last night.

Our dad was the president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association last year which is only a big, fat hairy deal if you happen to publish a newspaper in Minnesota. If you don't -- big whoop. At any rate, with that particular group it is a big deal, and he was in the presidential suite at the top of a large hotel in Minneapolis. Part of his duties as president was to hold receptions in this room, complete with open bar. Now, if you've ever met our father, you know he likes to save when he can, so instead of hiring a bartender, he asked Cyberspace and me if we would like to do it. Well, we thought this was just a hoot and agreed. Our favorite local restaurateur Jill agreed to give us a quick bar tending lesson. We'd be set. Well, the week of the convention Jill went to Hawaii. I mean, who wouldn't in January, but we had not had our lesson. Not ones to panic, we thought to ourselves, "It's probably just wine and beer. How hard could that be?

Now for whatever reason Cyberspace went the day before I did and called in a panic, "It's not just beer and wine. There's a room full of alcohol here!" Now we started to panic. I started memorizing the Boston Bartender's Guide on the way down and Cyberspace looked up how to pour a shot out of those jigger things. We were still nervous. That night we stood in the empty room wondering how we were going to manage. It'll just be beer and wine we kept saying. Our first guest came in and bellied up to the bar, "I'll take CC & 7." I felt the color drain from my face and was just about to say, "What?!" when Cyberspace shouted out "CC & 7, coming right up!!" She was off like a shot, so to speak.

We did serve mostly beer and wine that night and the next. I highly doubt either one of us will look to bar tending as second career, but it was an experience. The party got shut down that first night, so it must have been good.