The Centurion

Day: 132

Centurion: A drinking game in which each player, armed with a shot glass, drinks a shot of beer every minute for 100 minutes.  After an hour and forty minutes each player that has succeeded in not throwing up or giving up will have consumed somewhere around 15 beers.

We decided, with no big plans for the day and a budget that has been hurting since New York, to spend our afternoon seeing if after this last month of training we could complete a Centurion.  I had complete faith in myself, Aaron seemed to think I’d be the first out, Matt and Chad had strong thoughts on winning.

Chad and I left the house just before noon to find two sixty packs and four shot glasses.  The beer was an easy find at the local Food-4-Less, but the shot glasses took us 7 stops and finally a trip out to the Las Vegas strip to find the worlds largest gift shop (seriously, its on their sign!)that sold assorted Vegas brick-a-brack and shot glasses.  We made it back to the house with everything ready just after 1 o’clock.  We all had a challenge and were mentally preparing for the onslaught that was coming.

We set up the clock, gathered around the coffee table in the living room, put on the Super Troopers DVD and were ready.

1:19pm (Local Vegas Time) – “Skol!” (Norwegian for “Cheers!”) and our first shots slid down into our belly.

1:38pm – 20 shots down and the buzz is starting to work it’s way into our day.

1:40pm – 22 shots and Aaron is starting to get a queasy look and complains about all the foam in his stomach.

1:41pm – As Matt, Chad and I drop our 23rd shots Aaron rushes to the kitchen sink for some projectile vomiting. Could very well have been one of the funniest sound I have ever heard.

1:44pm – Aaron has rinsed his mouth out and is playing catch up by slamming four in a row.

1:47pm – 29th shots and Aaron rushes to the sink again….(once again a hilarious sound echos from the kitchen)

1:50pm – Aaron concedes. We drink number 32.

2:11pm – Getting quite drunk, Matt and I power through shot 53 as Chad makes a mad rush to the bathroom.  Another sound that is just as funny reverberates down the hallway.

2:15pm – Chad powers through five in a row to catch up, as Matt and I hold strong drinking number 57.

2:34pm – Shot number 76.  The world has already starting to spin for us all and Aaron (his relative sobriety) has to keep an eye on the clock so we can stay on track of our goal.

2:49pm – 90 down and ten to go, we see our goal in sight.  The minutes are flying by, with my lack of motor function it takes me most of the time between shots just to fill my next one.

2:52pm – We slam number 93 and Matt says “Fill mine, I have to pee before the next shot”  He runs off to the bathroom. I fill both our glasses as I could hear Matt peeing down the hall, then all the sudden; “Blagghh….”

2:53pm – Matt comes back, shoots number 94 with us and admits “I was pissing, but once I saw the toilet I couldn’t keep it down.  I threw up standing, while I was pissing.”  I was impressed, he didn’t even miss a       shot.

2:59pm – Still keeping myself under control, Matt, Chad and I cheers our 100th shot!

I never threw up, making me the victor and also the one with a late afternoon hangover.  Matt and Chad came in second and third respectively, both managing to finish the mission even though they had a few digestive problems.  I felt like I just won the beer drinking Olympics.

After about half an hour Chad and I decided we were hungry and wanted to wander the strip.  We set off with about $70 bucks each and a two mile walk before us to get to the strip, we started walking in the 100 degree (40 c) weather until we got to an Arby’s and went inside to order a couple of Beef and Cheddar sandwiches. Chad’s phone rang.  It was Matt and Aaron and they were on their way with Skittles to join us, we ordered two extra sandwiches and jump into Skittles.  The next few hours flew by, but at some point Chad and I were left alone inside some casino playing craps and roulette, and drinking free goose and tonics.

After losing a little money we found a steakhouse (directly across from the tables) and had an amazing dinner of veal chops and ravioli.  After dinner we made our way back outside where we were startled to find the daylight blind us.

“Really?!” I thought. “Is it really still daytime?! Dang.”

We walked up and down Las Vegas Blvd. for an hour or so and finally got a cab back to Matt’s dad’s house.

Another day where I was asleep by 10pm.  At least I went to bed (or perhaps I should say floor) feeling like an Olympic Champion, even if I did lose a little money to the city of Las Vegas.