Convincing myself I still got it
March 2nd, 2022
I went out Friday night. I haven’t really gone OUT OUT since I’ve been here in Mexico, which has been a month now. I’ve realized a lot of things about myself while I’ve been here, and one of them is that I’m finally an old chunk of coal. I like to get up when the sun comes up, make some art, eat something yummy, socialize a bit, write something down, and be in bed before 9pm. It’s the life for me, yup.
Not to give myself a moniker that isn’t up to me to decide if I deserve (almost worse than someone giving themselves a nickname), but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the days of Dr.Tyler Lemco, “party animal”, are behind me. I’m often quite critical and judgemental of myself and my work, but one of the few things I can boast about confidently was my ability to put em back, and keep putting em back. That isn’t to say I don’t still have an occasional legendary performance left in the tank, but they’re definitely few and far between at this ripe old age of 33. I only break the glass if it’s an emergency.
I think I was around 27 when it started to slow down, as is probably the case with most people, I assume. But let me tell you, between 16 and 27, I kept up with some of the all time greats. I had some Andre The Giant-esque evenings that in another place and at another time, there would be books written about. I wish I jotted down more details, so that I could properly retell some of the exploits now, but on second thought, I think it’s probably best that those memories go down with the ship. These days, I smoke my joint and I watch my stories and I get to bed early enough to get my full 8–14 hours. I’ve turned down my share of late night rendezvous over the past couple years, simply because rest is just more important.
What can I say? I LOVE rest!
Quick tangent, but last summer I was seeing a girl who invited me to a cottage get-away with all of her university friends. These were all ex-sorority and ex-fraternity people, now in their mid-to-late 20’s, and they talked a big game about how hard they party and how much drinking we were going to be doing. To be frank (hello, I am Frank), I was a little worried. Worried I couldn’t keep up, worried I’d look like a fogey in front of this girl, and worried about the hangover I’d experience as a result of trying to keep up.
Long story short, by 1:30am I had put everyone to bed and spent the next two hours drinking alone in the hot tub. I felt like John Stockton showing up at the local YMCA to jump in a pick-up game against a bunch of kids who don’t know who he is. No matter how old he is, he’s still John Stockton. It was nice to know I still got it, when I need it.
I digress… Friday night was the first time I did it in Mexico. I went out for a drink when I was alone in Oaxaca Centro, but just to slowly sip a beer while doing some early-evening people-watching. I had some great fun with great people when I was staying at Playa Zicatela, but it was mostly daytime fun and we were all asleep before the news comes on. Now I’m staying in Rinconada, where I’ve been spending most of my time in a pretty cruddy Airbnb (it’s mostly outside, with mesh instead of windows, therefore it’s constantly uncomfortably hot… also, people often randomly enter unannounced to wash a towel or change a light bulb, and I have encountered numerous indoor lizards, newts, geckos, and/or salamanders. No, I do not know the difference, and no, I will not be looking it up.) mostly working and procrastinating and telling myself “you’ll read and write and paint and do yoga and meditate more at the next Airbnb.”
I met Caitlin and her co-worker/friend Rachel at a bar on Playa Zicatela around 9pm, where the tequila shots started. I also had a fishbowl-sized glass of mezcal with orange juice, which funny enough, also served as my lunch and dinner. From there, we hit the bar next door, totally swayed by one of those street barkers who get paid to drag people into the establishment. It was lady’s night, where women drank for free from plastic pink cups. As much as I argued and debated, they would not give me one of the pink cups. I found the fact that they wouldn’t let me drink for free to be in poor taste and counter-feminist.
I ended up spending 200 pesos on a small glass of mezcal with orange juice (because apparently I’m 13 years old?), while Caitlin and Rachel both got free margaritas. For anyone who isn’t familiar with pesos, a meal with an appetizer and a desert is usually 150–200 pesos, so it was a particularly pricy beverage. I guess the place needs to make money on Ladies Night somehow? I got my money’s worth by downing half of Caitlin’s drink that she didn’t want to finish, making sure none of the narcs at the bar saw me running amuck of the pink cup system. After petting several stray dogs, we swiftly left that place.
As we continued our trek along the beachfront, and after seeing the tiniest Chihuahua I have ever seen and stopping to marvel at its existence, we ended up at a pool hall. This pool hall is located on the beach, with a straw roof and no walls, and boasts about 30 or so pool tables jammed packed right up next to each other. The place is crowded every single evening, with people constantly poking and prodding each other with accidental pool cue shots while the music blares. It’s the kind of place where someone shows you to your table, takes your drink order, and then asks if you need any weed or coke. You know, a classy joint.
This is where the majority of the consumption happened, I believe. I lost track, but the beers and tequila shots were definitely flowing. Did I mention I hadn’t eaten? I also drank a Long Island iced tea at some point, and I smoked a joint while playing a round of pool. By the time we left, we were all stumbling and fumbling our words and steps. It was passed 1:30am, which is by far a 2022 personal record, and it was time to call it a night.
The ladies and I walked up the beach towards their Airbnb, where I would grab a cab home from. Along the walk, we stumbled upon an awesome band of 60+ year old men playing live rock music at a bar. They were doing Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine and, it may have been the substances in my system, but it was one of the best live performances I’ve ever been witness to. At least what I can remember of it.
I eventually got in a a cab, while Caitlin and Rachel continued on their walk. I would later find out that they ended up at some sort of trippy bar with a laser light show that sounded super cool. Meanwhile, I ended up on my own side-quest…
After getting out of the cab in Rinconada, and starting to walk back to my boiling hot Airbnb, I could hear music and the sounds of a party off in the distance. Anyone with two common cents knows that once you’ve had the drinks and are properly in the cabbage, you may as well roll around in it as long as you can. Rather than just go home, I naturally followed the sounds and ended up at a random family’s home. There was some kind of party happening in the backyard, with music blaring on the speakers and someone shouting in Spanish on a microphone. Everyone looked happy and Mexican, so I took a seat.
Essentially trespassing on someone’s property, I sat there taking in the sights and sounds of 15–20 Mexican people having a great time. I don’t much care for over-reaching generalizations, but from my limited experiences here in these specific locations, Mexican people are some of the kindest and friendliest people I’ve ever met, and not five minutes went by before someone offered me a beer. Here I was, a drunk stranger, who stumbled into their backyard and took an uninvited seat, and they weren’t even asking who I was or what I was doing there. Someone just handed me a fucking beer. Incredible.
Someone tried to spark a conversation at one point, but it didn’t go so well. I don’t know if it was the loud music or the fact that we didn’t speak the same language, but we struggled to move anywhere passed a polite greeting. I stayed for about 30–45 minutes before thanking them for their hospitality, taking my shirt off, and walking home. Along the way home, I pet three dogs. Good to know I still got it, when I need it.
