Women and Wine

In my youth, I once went out with three different women in the span of two weeks.  That's three first dates, all over dinner.

In the course of the meal, all three women drank wine.  (I prefer beer.)  I got all three women to talk about themselves.

And in the course of that conversation, all three women wept.


Now, before you suggest that they were crying because it was a bad date, let me say that I subsequently saw all three of these young women again.  I recall taking one of them to a party.  Another I took to an entertainment venue.  The third I saw for months -- I remember that she later broke up with me on my birthday.

The experience creeped me out, a little.  Three dates, all of whom I reduced to tears?

Later, however, I decided that there was something about talking about one's life that makes many women cry...especially under the influence of alcohol.

Am I wrong?

Guy Fawkes Day

Tonight, the 5th of November, is known as Guy Fawkes Day in England, which commemorates the failure of the gunpowder plot.  An English King suggested that the anniversary of his deliverance should be celebrated with bonfires and fireworks.  Over time, however, Guy Fawkes (the best-known conspirator of the gunpowder plot) became a folk hero in his own right.

Whatever its origins, the night of Guy Fawkes is celebrated throughout the UK.  One of the most memorable aspects of the holiday are the poems, or ditties.  One of the oldest, from 1742, is this one:

Don't you Remember,
The Fifth of November,
'Twas Gunpowder Treason Day,
I let off my gun,
And made'em all run.
And Stole all their Bonfire away.

And even though it's close to freezing outside, I'd rather be outside tonight by a bonfire, enjoying a good British beer, than inside and watching the Philadelphia Eagles lose once again on tv.