PostedByAerin Spruill
on Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 2:04 PM
As if the Panthers losing wasn’t overwhelming enough, around 11:15 p.m. on Sunday, I received a knock at the door of my new condo. Confused as to who would be knocking at that late hour, I was awkwardly surprised to see a couple of women, one of whom I had met in the garage a few weeks ago. It wasn’t long before they made me aware they were the HOA board. Talk about a buzzkill. The last exchange included the phrase, “Next, we’ll be calling the cops.”
Now, let’s go back to the start of the weekend. All week, the word around the office and on the street was all about the Panthers going to Super Bowl 50 and fans couldn’t contain their excitement. The boyfriend bought us t-shirts and planned to a host a party at my new spot — inviting around 20 people. Seeing as I’d already had complaints regarding my moving, my anxiety was at an all-time high. Nevertheless, the week progressed.
On Friday, amidst anticipation of starting the weekend and a potluck at work, I somehow managed to get work done early enough to make it to a high school basketball game before heading home to meet my cousin who was visiting. Exhausted and focused on saving money, my plan was to just go home and pass out early. But when I got home, I realized I hadn’t stocked the fridge with beer or wine. #bummer
So, around 11, we hopped in an Uber and headed to Hattie’s Tap and Tavern. An intimate bar right around the corner on The Plaza, I thought it would be a relaxed environment to grab a quick beer and then head home early. Instead, we were greeted with a high-intensity crowd having a blast singing along with a live band. And even though I was beyond tired, I didn’t want to waste precious weekend time. So, we grabbed another Uber and headed to The Blind Pig for a couple — or three — RBVs.
The next morning, I got up and ran a few errands before racing to Tupelo Honey Cafe — one of Southend’s favorite brunch spots — to celebrate my coworker’s birthday. By noon, she was buying us a round of drinks — that’s when I knew I was in trouble. We stayed there for a couple hours before I was convinced to go to Sycamore Brewery. A few Southern Girl Blondes later, I was finding myself in the weirdest of drunk convos sitting on a stage platform inside of a tent that was added to the patio. What’s worse? The sun was still out.
Did I mention the plan was to not get drunk and to go to bed early every night this weekend since #SB50 didn’t start until 6 p.m. on Sunday which meant a full day of drinking? Well, that plan was officially out of the window. Next, we went to Bakersfield for some Mexican grub, and a margarita, of course. Sadly, I don’t remember much about the meal and it was my first visit there. Bummer. After stuffing our faces, we headed to Fahrenheit, a rooftop restaurant and bar on Caldwell Street where I somehow managed to put down a shot of tequila — and I hate tequila.
As you can imagine, heading to Thomas Street Tavern to finish the night was easy to forget when I woke up the next morning dazed and confused. But there was no time for hangovers. The day all us Charlotteans had been waiting for had finally come — the Panthers were going to play in Super Bowl 50! Of course, this also meant the boyfriend’s party was only a few hours away. Bring on the anxiety. Outside of cleaning and ordering the pizza, the main to-do item on the list was to pick up a “#1 Keep Pounding” three-foot ice sculpture and liquor luge from Charlotte’s own, Artisan Ice Sculptures. Yeah, I said liquor luge.
Around 1 p.m., the guests started arriving and the party began. Before I knew it, more than 20 people were celebrating the Panthers in my condo and I was counting down the minutes until someone complained. And yet, the whole day passed without any drama. I was impressed by the good behavior as we managed to make it all day, two bottles of vodka and countless cases of beer without anyone throwing up or breaking anything. And once halftime came around, everyone was quite subdued.
So, you can imagine my disappointment after going all day without a hiccup, answering the door to a very unhappy HOA board making valid threats to call the cops. True life: I’m paid to party and it’s all for you. How was your Super Bowl 50 weekend in the Queen City?
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