In celebration of the 4th of July, I thought that it would be appropriate to discuss an American beverage, yes folks, Budweiser, as American as it gets!
I have always been a fan of 'when in rome do as the romans do'. So for the 10 years that I lived in California, Bud was the tipple of choice. I hear you all whining about how Bud is crap, and I should have been drinking all those fine crafted micro brews. Problem is, you can't buy the mirco brews at 7/11, but you sure can get Bud!
My introduction to the joys of Bud was April/1988, I was working for the Winter Olympics folks in Calgary, right in the middle of the Olympics some head hunter called me and asked if I fancied moving to San Diego. With the Olympics wrapping up in about 5 days, and the prospect of having to hunt down a new job in Calgary, I said, "hell yes, When do I leave?".
As with all of my job changes the wife was excited. Another opportunity to pack up the house and relocate to another country! Even better, I had to "book it" to San Diego, and she and the kids would follow on a few weeks later.
I had had several phone conversations with my new co-worker, although not on the payroll, and not even in the same country, I was the tech support on a couple of tricky little problems they had. During the 'small talk' I had figured out that Don was a beer drinker, likely a copious consumer of beer.
I turned up at my new job on a Monday morning, Don turned out to be a 350lb bearded mountain man from Boise, Montana, and it was clear by 9am that after we had finished working, we were going drinking!
And drinking we went! I am 140lbs dripping wet, Don was over twice my size. Being the 'new kid' I decided that I would go along with whatever he was drinking. We walk in to a bar and Don (well known) orders 2 Budweisers, then looks at me and asks what I want. Well not to appear a wimp, I say "same for me, I'll take 2". The evening degenerated from there! I have vague recolections of getting back to the hotel at some unearthly time, even worse recolections of the early wake up call. But I made it into work for 8:30. Don was looking kind of bad, in fact he looked like a peterbilt truck had run him over.
His opening comment "How the hell did you survive that?". Ah, my secret was that I had lived for 8 years in Canada, the beer in canada is between 5%-7%, Bud was 3.5%.
Don and I had a firm friendship from that day on. The rest of the team must have thought we were brothers, we were always together, and always being bad!
Don, if you read this, give me a call!!!!!!
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