What My Mother Never Knew #10: B-Cubed

I also discovered that summer the joys of beach parties. It was pretty wild, out in the middle of nowhere, waves lapping at the shore and what seemed like an infinite supply of alcohol. It wouldn't have mattered if there was less though - my tolerance was pretty much zero. The first time I got drunk, I recall the swigs of Southern Comfort out of a bottle - the burn of the alcohol going down my throat was exhilarating. Teary eyed, I choked back a few more swigs, a beer or two and very quickly I was done - toasted. I'm sure I kissed someone - a guy I didn't know - but the kiss quickly devolved to him holding me up so that I wouldn't fall into the bonfire. The rest was a bit of a blur (well, a blackout is likely a more accurate description). As with most beach fire parties, the cops came and we scattered. Back in town I have no idea how I made it through the door without parental inebrial detection. My 12 year old would never get away with that and I've got no idea how I managed it. Having a room in the basement helped I guess. Nobody could hear me puking.

B-Cubed: Beachfires, booze and blackouts - I don't remember much of it, but I'd have sworn that it was the time of my life! Right from the start, I jumped into the experiment with total abandon. I really do wonder what my mother would have done if she'd known.

She had just started a new teaching job and was eager to impress her colleagues and make a name for herself - the whole reason for moving out West. I recall one of the staff family parties that was held in the posh faculty lounge that year. My brother had switched the signs on the punch bowls so that the kid's punch became the adult punch and vice-versa. He and I couldn't stop giggling in the car on the way home and we finally confessed. My normally liberal mother was appalled. With a furrowed brow that she only gets when she's really agitated, she mused that she thought a few of the kids were unusually wild. In fact one or two were actually rolling around the floor giggling....