CEDAR CREEK'S COUNTRY ASS TEA

It was Riddell's birthday, so several friends met at Cedar Creek (1034 W. 20th St., 713-808-9623) for drinks after work. A few buckets of beer and some frozen Country Ass Teas later, the conversation was in full boozy swing. The topic was weird tattoos. Whose was the best? Whose was the worst? What, exactly, was the difference? It was a toss-up, but there were some memorable suggestions: the guy with a tattoo portrait of his parents on his back (probably has issues); the guy with a Ralph Lauren polo player on his ankle (needs a beating); the guy with Burt Reynolds's face inked on his calf (probably really cool); the genius with Aunt Jemima ­lying nekkid on a stack of pancakes (deserves a medal); and my personal favorite...the dude with the pelvic tattoo of an elephant's face with a cleverly placed trunk (probably lost a bet and cries himself to sleep at night). The discussion then somehow turned to baseball cards and comic books. On a related note, any and all females quickly vacated our table. Regardless, it was a fun, laid-back night, and the expansive porch at Cedar Creek was the perfect setting for some conversations that seemed hilarious and fascinating at the time, but probably were neither funny nor remotely interesting to you, the reader.

3 1/2 liters Firefly Sweet Tea vodka

1 liter lemon juice

4 cups sugar

6 1/2 liters water

Lemon garnish

Mix together and serve with ice. Careful! Recipe makes about five gallons of frozen goodness.

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