I never!

[Safire]

I'm amused by people who say they don't get hangovers. I'm especially amused when they say that to me when they're out drinking with me, as I view that as a personal mission. And rarely have I failed to change their status as someone who doesn't get hangovers.....

You wouldn't be the first to try

[mathnerd]

Having gone out drinking with Jester more than a handful of times, I say this could be an interesting challenge.

[Jester]

You wouldn't be the first to try

I don't doubt that. But those previous attempts were missing one key element: none of those people were me.

[fireheart]

I've never done schoolies week either.

But then, I grew up in Brisbane, and Schoolies was almost always done on the Gold Coast if you happened to be a Brisbanite. My Nan lived on the Gold Coast, within walking distance of Surfers Paradise, and so I was V.E.R.Y. familiar with schoolies week.

It did not entice me.
(

South Aussies use Victor Harbor (a medium-size seaside town) for their Schoolies celebration. Mostly because every schoolkid at least ONCE has done a visit to Victor and/or Granite Island nearby as part of a school excursion or similar.

It's become a little more "Lock-in" style over the years.

[wolfie]

I'm amused by people who say they don't get hangovers. I'm especially amused when they say that to me when they're out drinking with me, as I view that as a personal mission. And rarely have I failed to change their status as someone who doesn't get hangovers.....

Not a drinker, but it's my understanding that there are 2 principal mechanisms behind hangovers:

1) Dehydration (alcohol is a diuretic).
2) Cogeners. These are "byproducts" of fermentation, and are found at higher concentrations in dark spirits than in clear spirits (gin, vodka, etc.). Since you're a rum guru, I assume you deal mainly with EXTREMELY dark spirits.

[firecat88]

I've never...
~ been to any sort of sporting event save for when my sister used to play volleyball and basketball in high school.
~ gotten a piercing anywhere except my earlobes.
~ drank more than two sips of any type of alcohol
~ been to prom. We didn't have one at my high school
~ been on a date
~ been kissed
~ been employed for any period of time (but I am working on it)
~ been on a plane by myself
~ been away from home for more than a month
~ slept over at a friend's house
~ chewed gum or broke any other sort of rules when I had braces
~ watched Breaking Bad, HIMYM, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Desperate Housewives, or lots of other shows that people seem to enjoy
~ watched any of the Austin Powers movies or things like the Scary Movie series.
~ watched any of the Saw movies
~ finished reading The Great Gatsby or the LotR trilogy

(Aaaaaand Iii've never licked a spark plug, and I've never sniffed a stinkbug, and I've never painted daisies on a big, red rubber ball. And I've never bathed in yogurt, and I don't look good in leggings...)

[solar]

I never been to Europe

I never have driven

I never have said no to someone in need (and almost paid the ultimate price for it)

[mathnerd]

I have never been arrested, though my home has been raided by the ATF.

[Jester]

Not a drinker, but it's my understanding that there are 2 principal mechanisms behind hangovers:

1) Dehydration (alcohol is a diuretic).
2) Cogeners. These are "byproducts" of fermentation, and are found at higher concentrations in dark spirits than in clear spirits (gin, vodka, etc.). Since you're a rum guru, I assume you deal mainly with EXTREMELY dark spirits.

According to my college biology professor, the main cause of a hangover, physiologically speaking, is dehydration, specifically dehydration of the brain caused by alcohol. This dehydration causes the brain to swell, pushing it against the skull, causing the headaches, lack of equilibrium, sensitivity to bright light, and other fun non-stomach things we associate with hangovers. When people suggest you drink a glass of water between each drink to avoid a hangover, they are giving you sound scientific advice.

The congeners, or impurities, are also somewhat a cause. Impurities in spirits come from the vessel they were fermented or aged in, and give spirits their color and much of their flavor. This is why clearer spirits, such as vodka, gin, and light rum, have less taste than their more colored brethren. This is also why they can give you more of a hangover.

Hangovers aside, I am a rum guy, yes. But not all rums, not even all good rums, are "extremely dark." Nor do they need to be to give rum flavor. There are tons of amber and light amber and gold rums with tons of flavor. There are even a couple of light rums that don't lack in flavor. So no, I don't deal "mainly with EXTREMELY dark spirits." As a bartender, I deal with all spirits, but even as a rum guy, I deal with all rums, from the palest of white Puerto Rican rums to the the darkest of Jamaican dark rums. Compared to vodka, most rums are dark, but compared to vodka, most THINGS are dark. Since vodka is almost always colorless and clear, other than some flavored vodkas.

I've never...

~ been on a plane by myself

Unless you're a pilot, it's unlikely you'll ever be on a plane in flight by yourself.

I've never...

~ finished reading The Great Gatsby or the LotR trilogy

LotR, awesome.

Great Gatsby...meh.

I have never been arrested, though my home has been raided by the ATF.

Bienvenidos a Miami!

[mathnerd]

Bienvenidos a Miami!

While most of my stories involving my father's hobby of shooting professional fireworks displays do, in fact, take place in Miami, that particular incident took place in the Atlanta area, during the few years his "real" job had transferred him there. I was a teenager at the time, so "my" home in this case was the home I lived in, not a home I owned.

[firecat88]

Unless you're a pilot, it's unlikely you'll ever be on a plane in flight by yourself.

Rephrase, then: I've never traveled by myself, whether by plane, car, or boat.

[bhskittykatt]

Rephrase, then: I've never traveled by myself, whether by plane, car, or boat.

Cars and boats yes, but I've never traveled by myself on a plane, either. In fact the last time I flew on a plane was when I was 7(?). I'm flying to Alabama later this year so that's gonna be interesting to figure out all the airport stuff (but I will have Hubs with me...he's NEVER flown before!).

[Jester]

Bhs, if you want any tips on how to make your airport experience easy, just let me know. Flown enough that it's never phased me, and apparently I look so bored doing it that they never pull me over for extra security searches.

[Kaylyn]

- I've never been on a plane.
- I've never ridden a rollercoaster.
- I've never eaten yogurt.
- I've never had an IV or had blood drawn. Both of these will likely change within the next year as I need to get my tummy troubles diagnosed and also might be having oral surgery. Along the same lines, I have never donated blood.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Bhs, if you want any tips on how to make your airport experience easy, just let me know. Flown enough that it's never phased me, and apparently I look so bored doing it that they never pull me over for extra security searches.

I for one would love such tips. My social anxiety comes out worst when I'm feeling trapped in a conversation and expected to answer questions about myself (can you say every security and customs agent ever). I get so stressed ahead of time about that happening, I must look really sketched out because I've never made it through an airport, even pre-911, without being pulled aside, patted down and having my bags searched. It's a coin flip if I also get put into a little room for answering more in depth questioning, and I've missed 4 flights because it took so long to clear me I had to wait for the next one.

After security I'm a really relaxed flyer, nothing the plane does or doesn't do bothers me in the slightest.