The Boot
Saturday night after my audition, Lesley and Keith made some wonderful chili, and we watched Kill Bill Volume 2. I’d only seen it once before, even though I’ve seen Volume 1 four or five times. After that, we went out to a German restaurant called Essen Haus. The place has a bunch of good German beers on draft, waitresses in dirndles, waiters in lederhosen, a polka band, and The Boot (more on that later). There, we met up with some of Lesley and Keith’s friends: Amber, Dave, Susan, and Brad. The polka band, which consisted of accordian, guitar/banjo, and drumset, was pretty cool. The guy’s accordian doubled as a midi controller, so he could produce all kinds of sounds — it was a little confusing until we figured out what was going on. In addition to actual polka music, they played some other songs set in a polka style. Nothing too off the wall or Richard Cheese–esque, but it was still funny. I learned the basics of polka, but didn’t want to bounce around too long with a stomach full of beer.
Speaking of beer, I must explain The Boot. The Boot is something to be enjoyed by a sizeable group of people. It’s a glass boot that holds two liters of beer. But, the physical manifestation of The Boot is secondary to the ritual involved. Once served, The Boot cannot touch the table while it still contains beer. The first imbiber flicks The Boot, drinks his or her fill, flicks once more, and passes The Boot to the next participant. This flick, drink, flick, pass progression continues until The Boot has been drained. There is some strategy involved, however. If you are the last one to drink from The Boot without finishing it (i.e. the person right after you polishes it off), you are obligated to purchase the next Boot.
With Brad as ringleader, we went through three Boots. I managed to deliver the coup de grâce to the third one, after the other Dave (who was directly before me in the rotation) bested the other two. It was a good night for Daves.
Later: the audition itself.
