I laugh about it now

I hope you do too. 

(I'm linking this to Mama Kat's writer's workshop.  

Her prompt - Last week we covered your Top 10 Life Stories…this week choose one and share all the details.)

A funny little story from my past. It needs some background first.

It’s 1983, Athens Greece and I’m a Lieutenant in the USAF. More importantly, I’m freshly divorced. That sounds like an oxymoron because divorce has nothing fresh about it. This is also my first European trip. 

A young blonde attractive female Lieutenant and a Greek restaurant (all them are Greek - Athens right?) fills out the rest of the background. 

Now this was not really a “date”. I was visiting the Athens’ Air Force unit on business and she was just hosting but she was kinda hot. Who knows maybe her commanding officer asked her to arrange a dinner. I didn’t care, the idea was more than fine with me.

We get seated at our table and are asked about drinks. I’m more of beer drinker or even whiskey but hey I’m thinking wine would be more appropriate and maybe look more sophisticated. So I order a bottle of wine. Merlot I recall. 

Out comes the waiter (did you know these wine stewards are called sommeliers - French sounds classy too) with the bottle. I don’t recall specifying a year because I don’t have a clue about years. I was convinced that she was younger than me and that was about the only age that entered my mind that night.

Then the sommelier offers me the customary taste of the wine. Does anyone ever reject the bottle of wine? What would they do with the opened bottle of wine? 

So I take a quick drink (yeah maybe I should have swirled and smelled it first). 

Immediately I gagged and a spray of wine went flying out my mouth and nose and onto the table. I don’t know if some of it hits her or not.

never spilled a drop of this one

The sommelier at this point gives me a shocked look and asks if everything is OK. 

After catching my breath, I look at him and say, “Oh it’s fine we’ll take it.” 

I was probably nervous and maybe a little jet lagged. It was embarrassing for sure. My work at the Athens station was only about a week and she never offered any more dinner suggestions. I wonder if she remembers my wine tasting fiasco. 

Serving your country does require sacrifice. 

I know you have some funny stories or jokes. I have browsed across many on my blog visits, which is why I started Lisleman’s Left-over Laughs (LLL). LLL number 3 will be the next post. Please stop by and add your link to a funny post.