What happened to me?

I had just gotten into bed last night, turned off the lights and pulled the covers up to my chin when my phone rang. I grumbled a bit as I reached for my glasses to see who would be so audacious as to call me after 11:30 at night. (it was 11:34) It was my cousin Paige, who is in college at Oklahoma State. I was surprised to get her call, but immediately excited that is was her. I answered and we said our hellos and then asked what was going on. She told me she was at a bar in Stillwater and needed the ingredients to make a Water Moccasin. Paige had ordered one and the bartender, not being from the Dry Bean Saloon, had no idea what was in it. In case you are wondering, a Water Moccasin is equal parts Crown Royal, sweet and sour and Peach Schnapps. It is an awesome shot! Not too hard and not too sweet.

I had gone to Fayetteville, AR in October to visit my cousin Katy and her husband Jimmy for their son Jackson's 1st birthday. Paige was in town for it too. I met all of them downtown on Dickson Street the Friday night before the party, minus Jackson who stayed with his grandparents. Dickson Street is a lot like the Northgate area of College Station. University of Arkansas is a stone's throw away, so their is lots of college activity. We had dinner at a German restaurant called the Brew Haus, which brewed its own beer. We then went in and out of several bars, each with their own unique attributes. One was a small bar with a huge metal rotating fan that spread out across the entire ceiling. One was your average sports bar. The last bar was really nothing to write home about, but they had live music and they were playing Sublime, which we all started singing as we ducked inside. I ordered a round of Water Moccasin's for everyone because I love them and figured everyone else would too, which of course they did! We had a great night. We shared several drinks and even a round of cigars. Eventually we went home a little after 1:00.

Fast forward two months, and my cousin was calling me from the bar to find out how to make this drink I had gotten for her. It certainly gave me a warm feeling inside! However, it also got me thinking. What happened to me? It was 11:30 on a Friday night and I was already in bed watching tv and half asleep. Even tonight, while I was watching the Big 12 Championship, I found myself looking at the clock and thinking to myself that it was time to go to bed. Is this a bad thing? I really don't think so, although it does make me miss nights that were so noteworthy that my friends and I refer to them by name. "White Trash Night, Northgate Crawl or the Weekend we drank Panhandle dry" are a few of the most notable. I had some good times over the last 10 years, and I'm sure the stories will continue. However, now that they do not occur with as much frequency, it has made wonder if I have lost my edge. I can still party like a rock star, or a 20 year old college student, when I go to Vegas, but then again, so can everyone. I guess the fact of the matter is we have all moved on. We do not all live in the same town anymore, which is probably the single biggest reason none of us party like we used to. That is certainly true in my case. As I get older I have also grown quite fond of my liver and the vital functions it performs for me on a daily basis. I suppose I'm not taking that for granted anymore, which my liver seems to appreciate. All in all, this is really no big deal, but definitely got me thinking about how my life has changed. So, what happened to me? I guess I grew up. I guess we all did. Nothing a trip to Vegas won't fix.