Ireland or where Donna learns patience

Chaz's viewpoint - This story begins in mid February of 2002. We are finally able to take our dream trip to Ireland. We fly into Shannon airport, go through customs, and get our car for the week. We had been awake for about 20 hrs or so, but this was vacation, so to hell with resting. We decided to check into the first hotel, then drive into the city of Shannon and explore.

Side note - driving a manual with the steering wheel on what would be the passenger side for us Americans, plus having to remember to stay on the "wrong" side of the road is quite a learning experience. While my driving during the trip probably did wear Donna's patience thin, this is not the good part of the story.

Back to the real story... After we checked in {the beds looked tempting, but we resisted}, we went out the side door of the hotel. Low and behold, the Beer Gods smiled upon us as there was a pub. We were about to have our first Guinness. We were giddy with excitement. Later, we would realize that there was a law in Ireland requiring a pub every 100 ft or so. This was to insure that the national gross product, which relied on Guinness beer, never dropped to much. We sat at the bar and ordered two Guinness.


Now, it briefly crossed my mind that this as at about 10 in the morning, but the bartender did not bat an eye. He reached up and poured the Guinness. As the glasses filled up, our mouths began to water and hands began to shake with anticipation. The glasses were filled, the bartender picks them up, Donna and I smile at each other, and the bartender sets the glasses on a small pedestal about 3 ft from us and goes to the other end of the bar. Donna & I stare at each other, dumbfounded. What is going on? Why didn't he bring our beer? What did we do wrong? I am pretty sure that he understood we wanted to drink the Guinness not just look at them. After all, English is the primary language in Ireland.

A minute goes by!
Another minute goes by!

Finally during the third minute it happens. Donna breaks! She can't wait any longer. She must have her Guinness. We traveled several thousand miles for this and she will have, no she must have. Donna reaches up slowly, trying to be discrete. Her hand clasps the first glass. She picks it up. The bar goes deathly silent. The bartender and other patrons have noticed.

Looks of shock and outrage are on their faces. Donna realizes that she has just done something wrong, something very wrong. She sits the glass gently back down. The bartender comes back and grabs the glass from the pedestal. He pours more Guinness into them. He goes to put them back up on the pedestal, but looks at Donna and places them behind the pedestal, out of reach of impatience hands. The bartender goes back to the other end of the bar, but his eyes never leave Donna. An elderly gentleman came up and explained...

The bartender pours the beer and then lets it sit for a few minutes to let the head settle. He will do once or twice depending on the amount of the head. This is a considered a courtesy as it gives the patrons more beer for their money. Grabbing the beer before it is given is some what insulting to the bartender as you are rejecting courtesy.

As the gentleman is finishing the explanation, the bartender fills up the glasses again and brings them our way. Looking warily at Donna, he put them down in front of us and stepped back quickly, apparently expecting Donna to attach the glass with frenzy. Yet, Donna has learned her lesson and shows restraint. She waits until I have paid for the Guinness, tipping the bartender generously, of course, and am able to savor the moment with her. We do a toast to our love, clink our glasses, and enjoy the taste of a truly great beer in its native environment.

Thus Donna learned that good things do come to those that wait.