E: Ladies Night

So I've recently decided that Thursdays are the best nights to go out on the town. I've never been one to go out on a school night. My perception was that most establishments boasting "Ladies Night" don't pick up until 10:30 or 11:00 pm anyway, and that's just way too late for me. Besides, any person I'd meet out at 11 pm on a school night most likely still IS in school, or at least has a job that does not require him to be up and coherent at 7 a.m.

However, I am finding that the fun can begin way before 11 pm! Take last Thursday, for example. I went to a Chamber networking function with a co-worker after work. We mingled and had a couple drinks and by 7 pm were ready to go. Normally I would just go home, but we got a wild hair and decided to just start bar hopping and see what happened! Our first stop was a target-rich environment - a virtual indoor golf facility. Aside from the bartender, we were the only girls in the joint. Score! I was still feeling like a social butterfly (after Chamber networking, and all) so we walked in a room where 5 guys were drinking beer and playing golf. Didn't have to turn up the charm much at all before we were invited to join the game. Now, the only golf I play is mini, so you can only guess what my swing looked like. Didn't matter. They were lovin us! The leader of the group is a semi-pro golfer, who was tall, with a head full of hair and all of 25. He took a liking to me and wanted to catch up with us after the game. Because we weren't staying - tonight was all about the hopping!

Our next place is one of my new favorites. Just the right mix of people and dynamite live music. We walked in there and sat at the bar and were promptly given a raffle ticket. Ladies only raffle. 5 minutes later my friend won a $25 gift card! From there it was on to the next place, where ladies drink free. Now this was the place that you have to wait until 11 pm to see some action. And it was only 10:15. UGH. No way.

Fast forward a week to yesterday (Thursday). My same co-worker and I attended another networking event and ended up leaving to check out the virtual golf place again. We thought our new friends might be playing. No dice. Just some real young ones, and some guy at the bar with nerdy glasses that kept staring at us. So we went back to the first place, and low and behold walked right past the semi-pro golfer and his instructor! Of course we exchanged Hellos! and hugs, like we've known them all our life. And joined them for a drink. Before we left the golfer wanted to get my phone number so the 4 of us could go out. He was leaving for a tournament in another state, but would be back, he thought March 1st. He put his number into my phone and even scheduled the date on my Blackberry calendar. And while this does not qualify as a true Date Club date, (see rule #8), it is fun to see my calendar start filling up for March!

Of course this morning, my co-worker and I both felt like ass. That's what happens when you drink beer and stay out late on a school night.