Age is just a number (installment uno)

The other night I was out with the girls and I have to say that I am still utterly and completely shocked by the lack of ingenuity in the area of pick up lines. A few guys at the table over asked my lovely friend for a favor: It was his friend's birthday and would she be kind enough to take a photo with him. I will say that this friend is stunning and I don't blame him for asking but, again, I just wonder what kind of lasting relationship can arise from that kind of approach. Yes, I am told that I over-think things. Her reply to him was, "Sure, if you buy us a round of shots" and so the kamikazes were on. I am not a fan of shots for many reasons but primarily because they're drunk too fast and therefore I get drunk too fast and if you know me, you know that as far as getting drunk goes I'm a sprinter. It's just in my genes - I'm a one drink wonder just like my mum. So don't be too impressed when I talk about my all nighters with the bottle (it's usually two doubles and I'm toast) - although I do have a considerable appreciation for bourbon. However, I digress. So, turns out this guy was celebrating his 35th brithday and I just sat there thinking that it was awfully collegiate to order Kamikaze shots at his age. In my effort to ignore the "old" guys, I inadvertently fell into a conversation with a guy who was trying to hit on my friend. She was talking on her cell phone and having already made the effort to come over from his table across the way decided he might as well maximize his investment and talk to me since I was sitting next to her. I think his opener was, "Hey, you come here alot?" or it might have been, "Damn it's been hot lately." But the point is it wasn't the least bit riveting or requiring a real response. In the ensuing discourse I think he mentioned something about USC, working for a production company and asking us our respective ethnicities. This is my biggest pet-peeve and perhaps I stand alone here but I hate it. Maybe it's because the usual response I get when I respond honestly is "I LOVE thai food," or worse, "I love thaiwanese food" to which I will have to smile and nod and say Thanks or So do I because I'm not sure what else to say. Then he asked us how old we were (isn't that pick-up line no-no number 1?) and I said 22 in my most ironical voice since my golden birthday is upon me in two days and I am currently going through a mild hysteria about it. His response was, "Me too." I laughed and then realized he might be serious and demanded that he prove it so he pulled out his drivers license and sure enough he was born in 1984. We both turned back to the table and knocked back our shots quick. They may be kamikazes but at least they went down easy.