Sunday, November 20, 2005

My Cocktail Has a Sword

Mr. Goodwrench hauled me back to the Loco Lizard for more pumpkin molé Friday. I made excessive fun of the fact that the de rigueur accessories in Park City are bulky North Face down parkas (so enormously puffy that their wearers had difficulty just fitting through the door, and the servers often had to find alternate routes through the restaurant due to the solid ballast of discarded jackets clogging the aisles) and live babies. (It is my opinion that the human race is reproducing at a far more rapid rate than is really necessary, just for the sake of fashion. “Marv, you’re not listening to me! Gwyneth and Julia and Britney are sporting them! I have to have one!”)

Later I helped Mr. Goodwrench pick out some Dr. Martens at the outlet mall. (“Where are the high-tops?” “Everything in here is gawdawful. Is this supposed to be a bowling shoe?” “Look, if you don’t help me out here, I’ll be stuck in the 80’s forever.”) He paced up and down the aisle in the sleek black boots I selected, looking pensive. “There’s a funny feeling under the ball of my foot.”

“Something uncomfortable? Do they hurt?”

“No. It feels like a bubble. It’s hard to explain.”

“Well they’re AirWair. I picked up one of his ragged Sketchers, a flat, shapeless skateboard shoe, scowled at the sole. “Oh, here’s your problem. That funny feeling? That’s you not feeling the ground.” He laughed and blushed and wore the new Docs out of the store, had the cashier throw the box away with his old shoes inside.

At the restaurant, I was fairly excited to discover that the cherry and lime slice in my piña colada were skewered together by a tiny green plastic saber. I remember fiercely coveting these colorful novelties as a little girl. Dad drank non-decorous gin and tonics, so he rarely had one for me, but it seemed that Mom always remembered when she went to parties (which was extremely rare). One of the things I recall looking forward to as a child was growing up and being able to order a drink with a sword, or one of those little printed paper parasols (which also absolutely thrilled me for some reason). It never occurred to me that, as an adult, I would be able to buy them by the gross if I wanted to, or that by the time I could, I would be far more interested in the drink than its accessory. Alas, how time changes our perspective.

7 Comments:

Blogger Shepcat said...

I have a mental image now of everyone in Parka City, Utah, bundled up like Ralphie's little brother Randy in A Christmas Story.

Congratulate Goodwrench for me. Until I broke in my first pair of Docs, everywhere I went it felt like I was walking on carpet.

En garde!

November 20, 2005 at 6:41 PM  
Blogger a572mike said...

Indeed, every man should have at least one pair of Doc's in his shoe collection...

I always think of that episode of Entourage when they are at Sundance when I think of Park City...

November 20, 2005 at 7:04 PM  
Blogger A said...

Brent, thanks for not pointing out that I mistyped sabre, but you need fear no corps-a-corps from me. I know you didn't know, because I didn't either, but in the forseeable future, any mention of A Christmas Story is going to make me laugh through tears. (And believe me, you do make me laugh.) The reflective Johnny Wheelwright is correct: when someone dies, you don't lose them all at once. You lose them in pieces. You're just surprised to find how many pieces, as many, at least, as the old man's major award broke into. Dad loved that movie. Who knew life was so frah-gee-lay?

Fente

November 20, 2005 at 10:28 PM  
Blogger A said...

Entourage? I just got back to TV after a long hiatus. (Is it okay for a chick to wear Docs? Because one pair of my steel-toed boots for the plant are Docs. I had to have them so I can put Travis in his place once in a while.)

November 20, 2005 at 10:30 PM  
Blogger Mary said...

I am still enchanted by those paper parasols, despite being able to buy them in large quantities myself. Of course, I also still order Shirley Temples with confidence (to the bemusement of the waitstaff of most establishments I frequent), preferring sugar to liquor most of the time.

November 21, 2005 at 12:27 PM  
Blogger A said...

Mm, I like mine combined. I enjoy some brews but I'm a sucker for the sweetest drinks a 'tender can concoct. I'm glad I'm not the only adult still obsessed with party picks!

November 21, 2005 at 10:02 PM  
Blogger a572mike said...

Whenever I shake up a Martini, no matter if I am using Stoli, Ketel One, or my favorite Belvedere, I use a plastic sword to skewer my olives... They work good!

Oh yeah, Entourage... It's not TV it's HBO! (sorry, I couldn't help but to use their cheesy sdvertising thing)

November 22, 2005 at 10:16 PM  

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