I won tickets in 1988 to see Buffet (junior year in college). Got really drunk. Margaritas, beer, vodka, tequila shots. God knows what else. I started feeling bad on the ride over to the show. I quickly got separated from the group. I wandered into the upper deck, feeling quite miserable. I just wanted to lie down for a bit. Get my barrings. So I do so. Right on a bench next to the main walkway. People kept knocking their knees into my head, or patting me on the head.
Obviously, the knees to the head just made me feel worse. And the concert had started, so I the peace and quiet I wanted so desperately was impossible. I stumbled down to the main level, realized I had to puke. The line for the men’s room was out the door. I got in line, though, and waited. The line sure seemed to move slow. My stomach was doing flips. I really had to puke now. When I got to the part where I was holding the door open for the line, I couldn’t wait anymore. Not wanting to embarrass myself (!), I leaned my head into the space between the wall and the door and threw up three times. I felt much better, so I left the bathroom.
My head hurt, so I decided that there was no point in staying at the show. I decided to walk home. I stumble out of the venue. In front of me a cute girl was stumbling along the sidewalk. She turned to me and started mumbling something. I mumbled back and walked in another direction. I had seen a school bus in the parking lot. That would be the perfect place for piece and quiet, I thought. I stumbled over, forced open the doors, and made my way to the back of the bus, where I layed down and tried to sleep. I kept thinking that I would get in trouble for being on the bus, so I decided to make my home. But not before throwing up again. Yes, on the bus.
I stumbled out of the bus, across the parking lot, and across a field. I had to cross some train tracks to get back on campus. The train tracks were down a little hill, and then slightly raised. In the gutter, rain had accumulated into little puddles. I stood in a puddle for at least a minute trying to make sure no trains were coming. I summoned up the courage and crossed.
It took me about 1/2 hour to get back to my dorm. I opened the door and saw my roomie studying with his latest lustbunny.
“I thought you were at Jimmy Buffett,” he said.
I mumbled something about being drunk and sick, and climbed into our loft, into bed. At some point that night, I threw up again. It was either a dream or just water, because I couldn’t find it in the morning.