by Barre Thug Q and Doc McStumbles
I first met Doc McStumbles in graduate school. We quickly became friends over study sessions that always included a lot of yelling, threats, a bit of learning, and then a walk to the local Chinese bakery as a reward afterwards. That was a lot of years ago and fast forward to 2017 when I asked her to be my maid of honor. She agreed and ominously said, “Remember that I have lots of info to blackmail you with.” I told her that there would be an open bar at the wedding and that seemed to mollify her for a bit. No dirt made it into her speech at dinner.
Doc McStumbles and our legendary happy hour Fridays are the basis for this blog. I was inspired to re-recreate our gatherings using whatever I have in the house because this is what we did each Friday when 5PM rolled around. Our first happy hour involved a bottle of Australian white wine that and left Doc sleepy, me with a numb face, and Marcie Moo (our third roommate) yelling that the “room was spinning”. We looked sophisticated and classy, I’m sure. Appetizers on a budget? We had that in the form of sliced cheese from the deli. Things got fancier later with fruit but it was pretty basic in the beginning.
I talked to Doc McStumbles and she recalled this:
“Fridays in graduate school were fantastic. They were even more fantastic if school was someplace sunny and you’d spend all week trudging up a steep hill under a skewering sun with a giant book bag. There, happy hour Fridays on golden sands by crystal clear waters was your only motivation to stay awake. Those days are long gone and so are white sand beaches; however, what does remain constant is a grueling work week and massive debt. But why should that stop happy hour Fridays?
One of the lessons that stuck with me from those woebegone years is how to do happy hour right on a budget. All you really need is friends, fruit and a spirit of your choice. We four flatmates had spent the previous year in a northern town of England, called Newcastle-upon-Tyne (a story on its own), and had adopted G&T with a passion(fruit). Those Fridays we gathered in the common room, one of us would reach for the gin, and another would make sure that the limes were on hand, halved, and ready to go. We’d catch each other up on our week (that is verbally bash whoever deserved bashing, and what was new about our woefully lacking love lives, the latter being a footnote in the convo). We didn’t need a variety of happy juice – just dutifully stocked wine selection (with back ups of both red and white – who needs a rack when you know how to use what you’ve got).
While the alcohol was my happy meal those Fridays, the girls needed solid sustenance. We would have fruit skewers to accompany. Anything went so that’s how things like mangoes, limes, passion fruit, and star fruit (only the sweet ones thank-you) joined the menu.
I loved those days – one may think four girls, on a budget, in one tiny cramped apartment may be a recipe for disaster. But on those Fridays lime, liquor, and a lot of laughter was exactly what the doctor ordered.”
I was telling all of this to Barre Thug Alicia who said that she didn’t know a thing about happy hour! Shocked, I distilled it down to these three elements: DRINKS, FOOD, and FRIENDS.
For friends who don’t drink alcohol, there are sparkling water options although tonic water with lime is delicious too–it helps you avoid scurvy. Food? Skewer whatever you’ve got on hand with something festive and put it on a tray or nice plate. Open a bag of chips. Friends? Only invite those who deserve a happy hour with someone as fantastic as YOU!
Bottom line, always reserve some time with the Barre Thugs and Bisches in your life no matter how busy or cash-strapped you are. Slainte!
We’ve got stories to tell including how Doc Stumbles was assaulted by a one-eyed woman outside of a Chinese restaurant. I had to rescue her…pretty cool, huh? (She’ll dispute this story but she’s got a terrible memory.) We were lucky to survive grad school in one piece.
Did we make your happy hour festive? What are your favorite drink recipes? Leave us a comment below–we’d love to hear from you!
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Learn more about our happy place at http://www.liegebarreandpole.com/
2 Barre Thugs 