Thursday, December 30, 2010

Relia and the 'Parrot Store'

(I don't remember if I've mentioned this before but on the fourth level of the MOA there is a Mexican restaurant. On the outside and clearly visible from the third level is a very large parrot next to a very large bottle of Corona. She has labeled this bottle Parrot Milk. Which is easily the most poetic description of Mexican beer that I've ever heard of.)

Today I wanted to buy some beer. My love of marionberries has led me to Sam Adam's Blackberry Witbier. I'm not a prolific drinker by any means but I wanted some for New Year's Eve. Especially because I expect horribly icy roads to lock us up at home over the weekend. I decided to pick some up after I picked up Relia from preschool.
We pulled up outside and she saw some Corona signs in the window. "The parrot store! Are we getting a parrot?" No honey, we're not.
I carefully explained that I was going to pick up some beer. (Let me pause for a moment and mention that we didn't have any alcohol in the house while I grew up. We weren't aggressively teetotalin', we just didn't have it. This means that I still feel a small bit of shame when I buy booze. It also means that I have absolutely no role models for adult buying with small child in tow.) Relia had no problem with this.
Unfortunately I couldn't find it. Also unfortunate, Relia decided to narrate our entire trip at high volume. She wanted to know what I wanted and I told her 'blueberry beer'. She went up to each and every beer that had blue on the label and told the store that she found it.
Other highlights:
  • As we walked past the bottles of vodka she loudly announced 'Water'!
  • She was concerned that the St Pauli girl was 'spilling her beer'.
  • Relia was very concerned that we would leave before she sampled the liquor store's candy. Of which I could find none.
  • As we walked past the wine she told everyone about her Grandpa and tried to pick out his favorite type.
  • She was thrilled with any type of beer that had berries or fruit on it. All of it was exciting. Very exciting.
They didn't have my brand so we left empty handed. She had loudly charmed everyone there (or so I choose to believe). Later on I left her at home with the FP Gal and went to a different store by myself.
I think that will be the pattern for the future . . .

2 comments:

Kate said...

This cracks me up. Totally cracks me up. And I firmly believe that kids are better off having seen an adult in a positive drinking situation than not at all. Otherwise, it's all just so mysterious. But then again, I am a recovering alcoholic with no kids...

Alfred T. Mahan said...

Peder, that's hilarious! No doubt she *did* charm the customers and staff; this is the sort of thing that makes their day.

At least it does mine, but then, what do I know?