The Carousal

Craaack! The cold can of beer had been opened, a slight rise of foam bubbling from release, and the condensation dripping down the sides exposed the nature of the day - beautiful, golden, warm. The grizzled Carouser gently leaned forward from his battered lawn chair to flick a piece of errant grass cuttings from his flipflop-clad toes. The screechy whine of a red-shouldered hawk played counterpoint to the sleepy buzz of cicadas, effectively slowing down and already slothful morning. Without a turn of his head, the Carouser knew by a sharp click and audible whoop that someone's bocce ball had found its enemy. Rhythmic pinging of pennies dancing off the bases of chipped coffee cups told of a series of unsuccessful shots on goal - there would be much drinking in these players' spare time. Feeling an annoying swell of bladder and its impact on his otherwise perfect buzz, the Carouser creaked slowly to his feet and steered himself slowly across the lawn. Sweet mountain air ran through him, and his parched lips caused him to pick up his pace. Finding an open, towel-strewn bathroom inside one of the many condos nearby, he eased out his aged procreator and smiled at the thick stream he was still able to conjure. Yes, today is a good day, and the night would be even better. A quick shake of his teed-up Viking, a check of the teeth, and back to the great outdoors. It was time to throw the Frisbee.

Carousal XXXIX Update

In honor of our fallen brother, Gary, please contribute to his charity of choice:

The Wunderglo Foundation

	The father and promoter of the Carousal, Pete B., defines this annual event of camaraderie, mirth and excess as only he can.
This is the place to go to get all the dirty details of each of the previous Carousals.
	Although drinking is our main activity, we're not that shallow. Golf, scuba diving and hangovers also grace our list of activities.
Here's a list of all the Carousers, categorized by the number of Carousals they've each attended.
	Check out the list of past winners of the Carousal trophies.
Visit the Carousal Links and you'll find your way to many fun and interesting sites.
	If you're shopping for Bruno Magli shoes, talk to O.J., because our offerings are heavily weighted towards clothing, golf accessories and drinking paraphernalia.

carouse [v. kuh-ROWZ]: To carouse is to engage in boisterous, drunken revelry: "We drank round after round of that excellent brew, and caroused until daybreak." The word looks like it might be related to "arouse" or "carousel," but actually it comes from a much different source. In German, when a mug of beer is completely empty, it is "gar aus," and there is the expression "trinken gar aus" (to drink until the mug is empty). The contraction "Garaus" was used in much the same way that we might say "Bottoms up." When the expression first entered English, it was only used as an adverb: "Those poor sots drank carouse and made utter fools of themselves." Later the word became a verb, and it also became possible to have a carousal (rowdy drinking session).

carousal:
SYLLABICATION: ca-rous-al
NOUN : 1. A riotous drinking party. 2. Boisterous drunken merrymaking or revelry.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

carousal:
NOUN:1. A drinking bout: binge, brannigan, carouse, drunk, spree. Slang: bat2, bender, booze, jag, tear1.
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. 1995.

"Why do grown men want to spend a weekend alone? It's not normal."
-anonymous Carouser spousal unit

"Turn the corner and open the door, enter our world where beer is food, beer is mama, beer is courage, beer is lust (she's a twelve-packer), beer is laughter, beer is broken bones, beer is tears, beer is trusted and beer is life".
-Howard

Email your questions and comments to the Carousal Web Page Committee