I was making out, drinking, and smoking in the back of a school bus. What a great ride!

New Year’s Eve has long been known as the night that people get drunk and crazy, doing things they wouldn’t normally do. Still, I didn’t expect the kind of evening and next day I ended up having.

I had to bartend on New Year’s Eve, just like every other year. I started work at 9 p.m., as usual. Work was fun, and as I am allowed to drink while working, I had a good buzz going by the time we closed at 4 a.m. I had friends stop in during my shift, and we drank like there was no tomorrow.

After my shift, I scooted down to Nomad for one quick drink before they closed at five a.m. I had prepared myself for a night of drinking by wearing a cute, comfortable, sexy cocktail dress and knee-high boots. By the time I arrived at Nomad, everyone was trashed, but I was prepared to party. After my glass of wine, I decided to go to Mantra Lounge for their service industry appreciation party, which started at three a.m. I had a pass to enter in the back door, with no cover and no line to wait in, so I was thrilled.

A good friend of mine was bartending at Mantra that night, and I got another glass of wine, attempting to talk to her, but alas, she was busy. I ran into some friends and chatted with them for awhile before meeting and talking to a cute guy named Mike. (At least I think he was cute) He and I danced, kissed, drank, and danced some more before I got antsy and decided to talk to other people. I gave him my phone number and told him I was going to wander around.

And wander I did. I talked to another group of service industry friends in the martini lounge and they told me they were going to head to Victor’s. New Year’s Day is the only time the cool kids think it’s okay to go to the bar commonly referred to as “Victim’s.” So I told them I would meet them there. I got into a cab and ran over to Victor’s. It had to be eight or nine a.m. by this time, and I was feeling good.

When I got to Victor’s, I wandered around for a minute, looking for my friends, but couldn’t find them. Then I saw someone I knew standing at the bar next to a guy I had been checking out for over a year. I made my way over to my acquaintance, standing between him and cute guy. Soon I was talking to, and flirting with, the guy I had been eyeing up. His name is Mike as well. What are the odds?

Mike and his friend told me they were going to do the polar bear swim in Lake Michigan, and I volunteered to go along. I suggested we go to Steny’s and take the shuttle from there, so we did. Another cab ride, another bar. One of my customers from the night before was bartending at Steny’s on New Year’s Day, and she appeared surprised to see me awake still. We ordered a couple of drinks and stumbled to the big yellow school bus waiting for us.

Mike and I got on with our cocktails, sat in the back seat, like the cool kids do, and smoked a cigarette. We did a little kissing and someone tried to pass us a bowl (not the soup kind). I felt like a really naughty kid at that point. I was making out, drinking, and smoking in the back of a school bus. What a great ride!

When we got to the lakefront, there were people everywhere. Families were there to watch the craziness, kids and all. We ran into some friends we both knew (small world) and chatted with them before removing our coats and shoes. The boys stripped down to boxers while I made my way towards the water in my dress, alone. The next thing I know, I am waist deep in cold, January Lake Michigan water wondering what in the hell I was doing! I about-faced, and started to head back towards shore when a combination of fifteen hours of drinking, knees shaking from the cold, and a large wave waylaid my plans and I went down.

I then found myself exiting the water soaked head to toe, looking for my friends, shaking, and laughing hysterically. All in all, it was a good New Year’s. I drank for fifteen hours at five different bars, kissed two guys; both named Mike, and went swimming in a cocktail dress. I am still cleaning sand out of my apartment. My only concern is: how will I top this next year?

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