OK, now I know I'm drunk

[RagingInMiami]

I opened a beer, started drinking it, then realized I had another half-filled beer sitting right next to it.

I'm also jamming to ZZ Top's "Jesus just left Chicago"

[Heidi]

1. That might have just been an oversight, though.

Or maybe you're just an over-achiever.

[RagingInMiami]

4. Pure drunkness

[Heidi]

5. What you need . . .

is a tall glass of my elderberry blossom syrup, spike with Proseco!

[RagingInMiami]

6. What is that?

Why do I picture a St. Bernard with a little barrel on his collar?

[Heidi]

7. No, no, no!

The St. Bernard's little barrel is full of Schapps!

But here in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, the most popular drinks are those made from local grapes, herbs, flowers, etc. Elderberry trees go into blossom every year about this time. We pick the blossoms, wash them, and then soak them for three days in a solution of sugar, water, and sliced lemons (or oranges or limes). After three days, you strain it through a cheese cloth, and voila: syrup, which you can drink with carbonated water, Proseco (like champagne) or "whatever." Also, if you leave the syrup in the refrigerator too long, it becomes a perfectly safe alcoholic beverage on its own.

[RagingInMiami]

8. If I were going to live anywhere in Switzerland

It would most definitely be in the Italian-speaking region. What you described sounds a little like "grappa".

[Heidi]

10. I can't drink grappa . . .

tastes like my paint thinners smell!

I guaran-dang-tee ya: this is the most beautiful part of Switzerland.

Here's what it looks like this morning: http://www.webticino.ch/webcam.htm

[RagingInMiami]

11. Gorgeous

And I like the Italians better than the Germans or French, so that part of the country is perfect for me.

[Heidi]

12. The language has been easier for me, too,

because it's a Latin-based language, and I spoke a little Spanish before I started learning Italian. Language is a huge issue for me, because Switzerland has four official languages, and languages are _not_ my strong suit.

[RagingInMiami]

14. I'm fluent in Spanish

And when I had been traveling throughout Europe ten years ago, I felt a welcome relief when I got to Italy. I could finally communicate.

With my Spanish and basic Italian, and their Italian and basic Spanish, we communicated perfectly.

[Heidi]

15. And the Italians probably love you in Italy, too.

One of the chief complaints that I've heard about Americans visiting Europe is that we're rude and don't even attempt to speak any of the languages, but Europeans sure aren't as adamant about the language thing as Americans are about Latinos learning to speak English. For me, understanding and being understood is the most important thing. Sounds like you've got the communication thing handled.

[RagingInMiami]

17. They totally loved me

I guess it helped that I actually look Italian (I'm Colombian-American, but I've always been told I look Italian).

It Italy, they would come up to me on the streets and start rattling off in Italian, and I would try to take it slow, and they would say "spagnolo?", which is Spanish and I would say "si".

But when I lived in Spain, they would think I was Italian because i spoke spanish with a different accent than they did.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. OK, RIM! What did I tell you?

Did you ever get to the pizza? Oh, I sure hope that you won't be too hung over on Sunday...oh, right, I mean, today!

I love ZZTop! Are they still recording, or is this something old? I remember seeing them on whatever that cable station was that played all videos, a million years ago...in the 80's, I think. My brains have turned to mush!

[RagingInMiami]

3. The pizza is still there.

I'm a night owl. I will eventually eat it.

If I'm hungover, it wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.

And it's not anything new by ZZ Top, just something I had downloaded. I really enjoy ZZ Top when they play the blues.

I'll probably move on to Johnny Cash next.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Sounds like you know how to take care of yourself, and have fun at the

same time...I saw ZZ Top on MTV; and I forget what the name was of the other music video station.

Mmm, Johnny Cash...I'm not really a fan of country music, but his voice is always wonderful to me.

[RagingInMiami]

13. I'm not a country music fan either

But I like some of it, mostly older stuff. Johnny Cash is really cool. The perfect person to listen to when you're drinking alone.

[DeAngel]

16. Lol!

That sounds like my five-doors-down dormmate. Tons of cans of beer just sitting around, some barely drunk out of. Doesn't mean you're drunk, just means you're conserving what you have! ^_^