Monday, January 3, 2011

“MARGARITA DAY” EXPLAINED . . .

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My buddy DiscConnected posted a comment on my blog bit titled “Margarita Day – 2011”. As the whole world knows, every New Year’s Day I post something on both of my blogs about what I call “Margarita Day” and I always include the Margarita Day slogan, “A Tradition Since 1986 (Except For 1994)”.

DiscConnected had a couple of questions about this great national holiday and I answered those questions in the comment section. But I’m thinking that it’s “high” time I publicly revealed the origin of Margarita Day and the history behind that famous day’s slogan.

So, below is a reposting of DiscConnected’s comment and my response which will finally clear up the mystery and the myths surrounding this worldwide day of celebration.

DiscDude wrote:

What happened in 1994?
Were ya on the waggin?

Do Jack Daniels shots count?

Happy New Year, STMc!

The world did not end again....

Stephen T. McCarthy (that would be me) responded:

DISCDUDE ~
What happened in 1994?
Ha! It's kinda humorous because, believe it or not... well...

It was actually my Dad who started the Margarita Day tradition on January 1st in 1986. He was out and about doing things and at one point he decided to stop in at a local bar to watch one of the college football games and have a drink.

Now, Margaritas definitely were not my Pa's usual drink of choice; he was generally a beer or bourbon man. And I can't recall WHY he decided to have a Margarita that day but I think he saw someone else in the bar drinking one and on a whim it looked appealing to him. So in a very unusual moment, my Dad ordered a Margarita. In fact, I think it may have been the first Margarita he ever had. And he said the thing tasted so good and went down so nicely that he ordered a second one. And a third, and...

Well, as these things tend to happen, one drink led to another, and so on and such and such, and then suddenly in one moment it occurred to him that he was crocked! So, he called me and asked if I could come down there and pick him up because he didn't think he should be driving.

And that's how the Margarita Day tradition was born. From then on, he and I would go out every single New Year's Day and have a Margarita or two together. He passed away in 1996, but I keep the tradition alive, and intend to continue it until the day that I too pass away.

So, what happened in 1994?
Ha!-Ha! It's hard to believe but, after 8 years of having Margaritas on every New Year's Day, somehow or other we just plain FORGOT to do it in 1994. It didn't occur to either one of us that we were supposed to go out and get a Margarita. It wasn't until the next day, January 2nd, 1994, that it dawned on me that we'd neglected the tradition. I went to him and said, "Oh, my gosh, Pa! You know what we forgot to do yesterday?"
"What?" he asked. And I reminded him.
"Well, I'll be dogged!" he said. "How did that not happen?"

But we picked up where we'd left off in '95 and again in '96. And then on April 10th of 1996, at 66 years young, God called my Pa Home (the lucky guy!)

Looking back on it now, I'm kind of glad that he and I forgot to get a Margarita in '94 because it gave birth to my slogan "A tradition since 1986 (except for 1994)", which I think is really funny! When did you ever hear an advertising boast like that?

Nah, I'm afraid Jack Daniels shots don't count. You see why it must be a Margarita, right? However, "virgin" Margaritas DO count - I've gone that route a few times when the idea of a full octane Margarita didn't appeal to me.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR to you, too, McBuddy!

I think that, for me, the theme of 2011 might turn out to be "Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes".

~ Stephen

YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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6 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Stephen!

    I like your slogan for 2011 -- I think it will be mine, too. :)

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  2. LISA ~
    Thanks! And may your New Year be as good as I hope mine is!

    As for the 2011 slogan: I'm generally a "Change is bad" kinda guy, so it's not so much that I'm HOPING for changes, but just that circumstances lead me to believe that changes - whether I like 'em or not - are a-comin' to get me.

    Bless And Be Blessed, My Friend!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete
  3. I might be late but Happy New Year anyway. I think your slogan is funny too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MARJORIE ~
    You're right, you are late. Too late. It's only January 9th but 2011 has already been ruined for me. But thanks for the nice wish anyway.

    (OK, I'm only joking - sort of.)

    >>.....I think your slogan is funny too.

    I'm glad to know that someone shares my sense of humor!

    Where have you been? You're like the ONLY person who really appreciated my 'Reincarnation & The Holy Bible' series! (Most of my Christian friends couldn't even find the courage to read the danged thang! I guess they didn't have enough confidence that their Savior could save them from my logic.)

    Seriously, a "Happy New Year" to you too! May 2011 be everything you'd like it to be and even a little bit better!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, The last part of 2010 was a real crap fest. Taking a break seemed like the thing to do.

    I didn't just appreciate your reincarnation and the Holy Bible series. I thought it was brilliant! Especially since most Christians won't acknowledge it's even there. It wasn't your logic they feared. It was the truth. Just my two cents.

    Thanks for the New Year wishes. I hope the same for myself. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. MARJORIE ~
    >>.....The last part of 2010 was a real crap fest.

    Well, it's looking right now as if my 2011 is going to pick up where your 2010 left off. Everybody takes their turn, I guess.

    And, yes, I can understand what you mean by needing a blogging break. I'll be doing the same thing here before too long, and it'll be a very long break at minimum.

    >>.....It wasn't your logic they feared. It was the truth.

    Marjorie, thanks again for the kind words. What I meant by "my logic", really, was my willingness to reason Bible verses out and accept the conclusions they must logically lead to.

    For example "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man HIS blood shall be shed" (GENESIS 9:6) and "Put your sword in its place, for ALL who take the sword will perish by the sword" (MATTHEW 26:52).

    Mainstream Christians have a very strange ability to totally ignore Bible verses that might upset the apple cart of their predetermined paradigm (such as those cited above, which obviously lead to the conclusion that reincarnation MUST sometimes occur, and which have no other applicable interpretations that I can see) and then they go on their merry "acceptable" Christian way.

    They'll deny the possibility of reincarnation and yet offer no other genuinely "logical" interpretation for "challenging" verses such as those above, and they'll just pretend that those verses - straight out of their cherished "Word Of God" - don't in any way mess with "The World According To Their Pastor".

    'Intellectual Dishonesty' disturbs me, regardless of where I find it - whether it be found in the realm of religion, or politics, or science, you name it!

    How soon people tend to forget that "When we KNOW the Truth, the Truth will make us free." But we need to KNOW and ACCEPT the Truth BEFORE it can make us free!

    Anyway, thanks again, Marjorie!

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete

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