Casey Grisez

November 5, 2022

Sticky Notes Lesson #5 - Funny Bone

I signed up for a month-long, email-based writing course from Cole Schafer of Sticky Notes, Honey Copy, and Chasing Hemingway fame.

He sends a lesson and prompt every day. I have 10 minutes to read and consider the prompt, 40 minutes to write, and 10 minutes to edit before posting publicly.

I’m posting here to not drown my Casey's Notes content. On to day 5...

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When you challenge your girlfriend to a "who can get someone to buy them a beer" contest, you're playing with fire.

When you do it at a notorious bro-bar on the Upper East Side, you're risking your relationship.

Being a college football Saturday, my girlfriend and I spent the day hopping around the bars and restaurants of the Upper East Side. Towards the end of the evening, we decided to meet some friends out at Dorrian's, one of the neighborhood's finest establishments.

The details are a little hazy, but after an hour or two of dancing and revelry, my girlfriend was feeling pretty confident, exclaiming how crazy it was that she'd never have to pay for a drink if she didn't want to. While she wasn't wrong, my own beer-fueled confidence made me think it would be a good idea to challenge her. I bet her I could get a free drink before she could get one.

She accepted. Her last words, yelled over her shoulder as she sauntered away, were, "See you in a minute with a free beer in my hand!"

In a combination of confidence, laziness, and luck, I turned to a girl with another group standing behind me. "Excuse me, I'm trying to win a bet. When's the last time you bought a guy a beer?"

After an eyeroll, "...What's the catch?"

"Literally nothing. This isn't a move. You buy a beer, I win."

"I need a refill anyway. Whaddya want?"

"The cheapest thing you can get."

She returned a minute later, handed me a Bud Light, cheersed me with her vodka soda, and turned back to her friends, I assume happy to be done with the entire encounter.

My girlfriend came back with a Bud Light of her own, stuffing change from her freshly broken $20 back into her wallet. She looked at my beer.

"You can't be serious..."

My Cheshire Cat grin told the whole story.

The best part? Someday, I get to tell my kids that I beat their mom in a "who can get someone to buy them a beer" contest.