Friday, September 09, 2005

The Happiest Hour of All

I think happy hour is an interesting phenomenon. When I was in school, happy hour made sense: drinks were cheaper, which in turn, makes you happier (and drunker (which makes you happier)). With work though, happy hour oftentimes does not even include drink or food specials. It's just a time when you can get the hell out of work and get alcohol into your body as soon as possible. A more appropriate title would be "Thank the Lord I Don't Have to go Back to that Desk for Another 10 Hours Hour."

I realize that for most people, happy hour is truly a happy time, but again, that happiness usually stems from not having to be at work coupled with the alcohol. By that account, lunch could also qualify as a mini happy hour (or half-hour). You get to leave work, get some food, relax. That's happy hour right there minus the alcohol.

And if it's the alcohol that makes your hour so happy, why not just sneak some vodka into work and drink from 2-3. Guaranteed that could be one hell of an hour, and quite possibly much more fun than sitting with coworkers who you've just spent the last 10 hours with, trying to make small talk, while not trying to seem like a raging alcoholic (I admit, getting caught drinking vodka at your desk would make you seem more like a raging alcoholic, so you should try and avoid getting caught).

I hope I don't seem to bitter about happy hour, because I'm not at all. I just think it's an intersting cultural phenomenon. In fact, I'm going to go to happy hour today, although I doubt it will last just an hour. See you at 5. . . .

10 comments:

PositiveMode said...

I think that perhaps your perspective on work starts from too negative of a "baseline". Though I suppose that's partly what makes you NegativeMode.

That being said, happy hour is cool.

NegativeMode said...

I told you, I like happy hour. I was just examining the concept. Also, I enjoy work (so far). I know that post sounded like a bitter rant, but it wasn't personal. Anyway, I must be getting to happy hour now....

Anonymous said...

lunch can't be a mini-happy hour because you have to go back to work so soon. you're not done with anything. you can't really relax.

and i really don't see how drinking in your office by yourself would be better than spending time at a bar with your co-workers unless you really dislike your co-workers. but if that's the case, go to a different happy hour than they go to. there are plenty of places that would be more than heppy to make your hour happy, unless, perhaps, you live some place like haaaarrisburg.

NegativeMode said...

Glad to see you back DJ Skuggs. Hope Asia was all it's cracked up to be.

Anonymous said...

So Bill, would you like to meet a friend of mine in Chicago?

She's a hurricane displaced law student...attending Loyola Law for the semester..and a local Chicagoan as well.

Katherine...one of Whitney's good friends as well..and yes, gorgeous.

NegativeMode said...

If you're going to use this site as some sort of blind dating service, the least you could do is post pictures of these supposedly "gorgeous" women.

PositiveMode said...

You should have expected, Matt, that your blog would ultimately devolve (evolve?) into a blind-dating service, particularly when you started posting about such hard-hitting topics as happy hour. Embrace the change, I say.

And Circe, I'm always up for meeting new people, particularly gorgeous women who live in the same city as me.

NegativeMode said...

I'm pretty sure this blog has yet to cover a "hard-hitting" topic, so it's probably not correct to say that it has devolved in that sense.

Anonymous said...

Bill, Send me your e-mail address and I will send you a picture.

Circe2020@aol.com

Katherine=think Whitney as a brunette with bright blue eyes.

NegativeMode said...

That last comment is funny Circe. I won't elaborate, but Bill knows....