Making Our Own Entertainment

Earth Day
Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
National Jelly Bean Day
Oklahoma Day (Oklahoma)

 

I want this clear right at the outset, although I’m not sure if the truth is an excuse or if it’s in fact more damning. Either way, alcohol was not involved.

 

Well, actually, I take that back. Alcohol was involved. Rather prominently, in fact. But not in the way you’d think.

 

What happened was this: on Saturday, Gaby had a birthday party. It was a nice little get-together, a pastry party, a stupid movie on in the background, friends chatting.

 

And then, somewhere after the pastry had all been poked at and the movie had ended, somebody—we are not naming names—announced that he was about to try something he has always wanted to do, something which involved the following:

 

1. Champagne flute
2. Rubbing alcohol
3. The fireplace

You may see where this is going.

 

Meanwhile, I was getting thirsty, what with all the pastry. And when the discussion of the coolness of flinging a champagne flute into the fireplace got underway, I decided that it would be a very, very good time to meander into the kitchen and get myself a drink. So I proceeded to do just that.

 

I had time to fill my glass and drink it down, and the living room still seemed to be in one piece. I listened to the encouragement to toss the flute into the fire rising to a climax. I looked at my glass. I refilled it.

 

From the living room there was an explosive WHOOM, a flash of orange light, and a few squeals of alarm. After that, a few more alarmed cries—there was, I surmised quickly, a bit of residual fire out in front of the fireplace, fueled by the the spilled alcohol.

 

And so I strolled out, saw the little line of flaming fuel on the stone hearth, and casually dumped my water out on it.

 

It got most of the fire out, and someone else threw a coat on the remaining bits of flame.  After that, we all stared at the fireplace for a minute.

 

“Let’s do it again!” somebody suggested.

 

This, of course, got the reaction it deserved.

 

After that, we all went back to our party with a rather impressive new story to talk over. Since it all turned out for the best, I’m rather I didn’t see the flames that were “up to here.”*  But on the other hand, even though I’m sure someone else would have put out the fire before the whole damn house burned down, I still felt kind of heroic.

 

 

*Actual values for “here” vary with accounts.

(no subject)

Aw, damn! I just realized I completely forgot to go to the Art History Association’s reception yesterday!  I am so sorry, lycheetwist! I am a terrible friend!

 

In more Amelia Is A Lousy Irresponsible Dude news, I can’t make it to the writer’s group tonight either. Oh, well. Some days you’re the Death Star … other days you’re Alderaan.

 

On the plus side, I now have a tiny pair of badly-sculpted Tom Servo earrings. They’re pretty cute, if you don’t look too closely. And I superglued my fingers together in the process of making them! So that’s something, anyway.