Gung Hay Fat Choy, people! Thursday January 22 started the year of the monkey and I made animated dancing monkeys with the children to celebrate:

I found that this was not enough celebrating. I simply had to go out and celebrate with my drunk monkey friends. Specifically Cavity, a monkey who knows how to party. The man has a karaoke machine in his house...what more can I say? Others were there, but I drank so many shots that I forgot their nicknames. Damn.

We start out at the Chuggin' Monkey. A nice place, with a great name. A bizarre musical mix plays in the background, though. 80s tunes, I think, and possibly all from Canada. They sound like songs I should be able to sing along to, but hell if I know the words.

Cavity suggests that we try and get a Monkey-related shot from each of the bars we visit this evening. Excellent idea. Good monkey. At the Chuggin' Monkey they have a shot called the "Three-Legged Monkey". The ingredients included banana liquer and Crown Royal. Well hello, lover. I've missed you, Crown. We toast to the new year and down 'em. Mmmmm. Smooth.

We can't properly converse in the Chuggin' Monkey, due to the loud blare of Glass Tiger and the like, so we bid our farewells and mosey on over to La Cucracha. I hate roaches, but I kind of like this bar. It is dark and seedy. They do not have a monkey shot and the bartender looks uncomfortable with the suggestion. I don't think he likes monkeys. Perhaps he has had the pox... We wear him down and he makes a shot called "The Nutty Monkey". It has Frangelico in it. It's ok, but extra nutty. I prefer more monkey in my shot. And more Crown.

We finish our night at Lovejoys. I have an on-again/off-again relationship with this place. Tonight we start out coolly, but civilly. But things improve dramatically at the bar. The bartender who will hence be known as the Zoo Keeper creates a lovely shot called the "Poo-Flinger". This is a great name for a monkey shot. Yay, Zoo Keeper...you are a master mixologist!! This is the best shot ever! All I can remember is that it has coffee liquer in it. The rest is a blur, as we have 2 of these shots each...and then it is time to go home. Nighty-night. Gung hay fat choy! Happy year of the monkey!

- Gigi 01.25.04