My mother never drank beer, she still doesn't. So growing up, I believed beer was something men drank. I thought ladies didn't brink beer. My dad always had one when he came home from work. He would have placed the mug in the freezer the day before to insure a frozen glass. Not once do I recall my mom even taking a sip. When I got to college, I really saw women drink beer for the first time. I mean consume it. Don't get me wrong, I drank in high school like the rest of 'em. Mostly it was Zima, wine coolers and later on straight up tequila. Don't ask, I still cringe thinking about the amount of Cuervo we went through. There were typical keg parties with red plastic cups. But still we opted for the hard stuff. So it was not until college that I saw girls drink beer. It was college, we were in sororities and it was New Orleans. Drinking deserved a bold statement.
One night, my freshman year, I met an older girl; probably a Junior or Senior. She was my friend Torie's friend from high school. She stood there in tight jeans, probably Mavi jeans given the year, a tank top, holding a Bud Light, in a bottle. She took swigs straight from the bottle. She was in the basement of a fraternity house surrounded by raggedy beat up couches, a floor covered with tarp and dirty, and khaki short flip-flop wearing frat boys. But I thought she looked cool and sophisticated. To me it was not just her appearance, but the beer. From then on I made sure to order my beer in a bottle too. If only I could emulate cool.
Today I drink substantially less beer. Well, substantially less in general. I need to maintain my employment. But the bloating from it, gets to this girl. So less beer for this lady. On Saturday I saw ladies drinking beer. Like only ladies can. Jacksonville is the meeting place for the Gator Bowl; where Florida and Georgia fans converge every year for an SEC showdown, rivalry and tradition. There were a lot of fans, a lot of spirit and a lot of beer. The announcer declared that close to 85,000 people were in attendance. Most of those were outside tailgating before hand. Tents, blankets and actual tailgates open to accommodate coolers, tables, grilles and picnics. People throwing footballs, eating and drinking. I had never been to such a football game, Tulane does not do things like that. Though, it all reminded me of the parades during Mardi Gras; people, food, the weather and the beer.
Everyone was adorned in team colors. The Gators showed their pride with orange and blue, tees, shorts, hats and even sweaters when the sun went down. The Georgia fans, on the other hand, were much more lady-like. They dress for these games. I mean really dress. Black dresses with red ribbons, red heels or red jewelry. Yes they wear heels to football games. I even saw satin heels trekking through the grass into the stadium. These are true Southern ladies. They glisten. The older women had black and red Gucci scarves, black and red Burberry coats, and black and red Louis Vuitton hand bags. These were items they must have collected over years of attending Bull Dawg games. They were all drinking beer. Obviously NCAA rules prohibit such consumption in the stadium, during the game. But before hand, dresses, heels, pearls and hair do's, standing in the sun drinking beer. Gotta love the south and football and a lady who will drink beer.
Labels: Everyday Life, Trips/Travel
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Annie said:
Zima! I love it! I had forgotten about that drink, I used to drink waaaaay too much of it. that and Boone's Farm - classy, huh?
- 8:46 PM
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anne said:
Oh god, we had Boones parties. That was all you drank all night. I think it is a rite of passage.
- 5:54 AM
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JustRun said:
Wow. I knew about the Gucci and pearls. I knew about the beer and tailgating. I just didn't ever know they were combined. Wow!
- 6:14 AM
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anne said:
That's what I am saying....and they will do it in the 90 degree southern heat too.
- 6:27 AM
