Well, maybe not a proper ode but at the very least, hopefully, a fun blog post.
Happy Hour "fun, easy, effortless, rewarding and oh so very happy."
It isn't the act of Happy Hour-the enjoying discounted drinks, at a local watering hole between the hours of 5-7 or in some places 3-6, with 1-20 of your favorite people-it is what happens at Happy Hour that makes us so Happy. What happens, you ask in great anticipation of the answer? Everything happens! And it happens organically and in a compact period of time.
The obvious love of Happy Hour is the instant ability to decompress from the day and the fun of mixing up the weekday routine mid-week or heck Monday-Friday if you desire. The other stuff that makes it such a wonderful few hours are the connections you make, the conversations you have, the news you share and learn and the impromptu plans that come together for a trip or dinner on the spot.
At Happy Hour everyone seems to come from a place of "YES." Yes, I will try that fancy cocktail I have never heard of. Yes, I will join you for dinner. Yes, I will make a donation to your charity. Yes, I will run that race with you. Yes, I will discuss the book club before book club (which is a good thing since we don't always discuss it at book club, strange but true). Yes, I will be your new best friend. Yes, I will take your advice. Yes, I will father your child. Yes, Yes, Yes I will...(fill in the blank)! Ok, that last one maybe a stretch, but the other stuff is pretty spot on.
At Happy Hour you can get some much needed insight on any situation, you can vent, you can share, you can learn, you can forget the day or rehash every minute of it, you can appreciate the moment and the company, you can be in the moment and unplugged-it is only an hour...or two, you can be entertained by other Happy Hour groups, be completely amazed by your servers ability to keep it all straight when everyone is moving around, you can meet new folks, you can and will say "yes", you can laugh till you cry, and you can be happy.
This past week we were able to kick off 2014 with an awesome Happy Hour at Lemaire, located in the Jefferson Hotel. There is always a core group of Happy Hour attendees, sometimes it is just the two of us and other times everyone comes out to play. That was the case last week. It was so much fun to see so many great people and watch everyone interact, blend and mingle. Travel was a topic of conversation, new friendships were cemented and old ones renewed. Book club was discussed, the next race came up, the Dark and Stormy was the hit cocktail of the evening, an impromptu dinner was arranged and some great one on one chats rounded out the evening. On top of that, two birthdays were celebrated! It was a fabulous Happy Hour and before that 6:59pm last call came, we were already looking forward to the next Happy Hour.
So not a proper ode at all but most definitely a loving nod to the happiest hours of the day. Thank you Happy Hour for making us so happy!
Cheers!
K&H
P.S. Lemaire hits all the right notes earning 5 martinis! Good deals, wonderful service, clean bathrooms, a charming comfortable atmosphere and the WOW factor of the Jefferson-how lucky we are to have this gem in our backyard and it be so accessible.
P.P.S. In December we Happy Houred at 525 at the Berry Burk. They received 4 out of 5 martinis. It is so lovely to see places popping up on Grace Street and bringing her back to some her chic former glory. Keep up the good work RVA!
