The recent post about our shotski got a little bit of attention, and I'm still surprised we never talked about it here before. Or maybe we did, but it was too hard to find among 800 other posts.
I mentioned that we have a second version of the original surfboard drink holder- one that has six shot glasses and requires considerable more effort on the part of the shot-takers.
A reader and regular customer, Danielle, was kind enough to email us a couple pictures of the six-person shotski in action.
First step: Gather your friends and line them up.
Another friend of ours has pointed out that this trick works best when choosing friends who are all relatively the same height. I'm thinking she must have tried doing the shotski with Dave or someone almost as tall as him. Someone ended up with Dirty Banana all over themselves for sure.
Second step: Slowly and carefully lift the shotski.
Everyone who's lifting needs to be sure to lift at the same speed, and slowly tilt the shotski towards your faces. This requires some concentration and effort, to be sure. It's probably not for the clumsy. Or the ones who've been drinking all night.
Success!
Everyone enjoys the Dirty Banana goodness. Next time you're in, try the shotski. Three- and six- person versions available. We recommend starting small and working your way up!
The Cartoon Network is planning a street party on Monday, April 19, in the block of 8th Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire- in other words, right in front of The Sandbar. The event is part of a promotions campaign for the network's Adult Swim programming.
The event consists of a "College Carnival," which features carnival type booths and games, along with a couple of bands. The Whips, from Athens, GA, will headline the event. Games begin at 6:30 p.m., and the music lasts until 9:30 p.m.
The street will close at 9 a.m. that day to allow for event set-up and will reopen at midnight after clean-up is completed.
No alcohol will be served in the street, and we are not extending our patio service like we did for our anniversary party. The event is geared toward college students, but it's free for everyone to attend.
We are really excited about this event! Monday nights aren't always the most exciting, and we love a good block party. Be sure to mark your calendar.
A question came up on Twitter the other day: "What's that surfboard thing with shot glasses?" I quickly searched for a link to the blog post that explained the shotski…and found nothing.
I'm shocked and slightly sad that we've never explained the Shotski to you. I guess I took it for granted that you've all experienced it already.
The Origins of Our Shotski
Our shotski got its start many years ago when Matt still worked here. (Wow, has it really been 2 1/2 years since he was behind the bar?) Matt's parents have a little party lake house at Lake Dabinawa, and it's been an informal holiday spot for many Sandbar staff and friends. There's a bar, of course, and that's where we discovered the Shotski.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first Shotski in existence, but it's the first one we saw, and we loved it. Matt was cool with us borrowing the idea for the Sandbar. Dave found a waterski missing its mate, attached permanent shark shot glasses from Margaritaville, and the rest was history.
How It Works
The shotski is a group event. Find two friends who want to play- or bribe them- and sit or stand in a line. The three sharks hold plastic shot glasses, usually filled with Dirty Banana goodness. The plastic shot glasses are replaced every time- this is a sanitary operation. Everyone holds onto the ski, raises it together, and drinks the shot at the same time.
Here are some pictures to demonstrate the fun:
See? It's not hard.
Dave got ambitious recently and upped the challenge- he found a longer ski and put SIX shot glasses on it. Of course, he had to hang this one underneath the tiki roof over the bar, so most of the staff can't reach it. It makes cameo appearances every once in awhile.
The annual Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Parade starts tomorrow (that's March 17, if you didn't know) at 1 p.m. The action begins at South Park and heads north through downtown Lawrence, over the bridge, and through the construction in North Lawrence to end up at the Flamingo Club.
It's a long day for us. We get started early in the morning with last minute float preparations, dancing, and pizza for breakfast. By the time the parade's over, we're all worn out. Some of us go home, some party for awhile, and some of us keep going into the wee hours of the night. A few unfortunate folks- usually Dave- end up working behind the bar.
Here's a few parade and St. Patrick's Day related tips and ideas for you:
Get downtown early. Don't drive downtown if you don't have to. Bike, walk, or scooter if you can. The area is packed with people and cars.
If you're on Twitter, be sure to use the #lawstpats hashtag when you're tweeting about the parade. We're giving away some t-shirts, and the Bull 92.9 radio station is giving away some stuff too, including a $25 gift certification to Salty Iguana. Prizes awarded to random tweeters who use the hashtag.
If you're drinking, get a sober driver. Lawrence police are conducting a saturation patrol Wednesday night. (Actually, get a sober driver anytime you're drinking, not just because there's a saturation patrol.) Sandbar staff is happy to call a cab, call a friend, or as a last resort someone would probably even drive you home- it's been done before.
Looking for St. Patrick's Day themed drinks? Check these out from Fine Living Food & Drink. We don't have the ingredients to make most of them, but you can make them at home. Although, the Frozen Irish Banana sounds a little like the Dirty Banana…
Try cooking with Guinness. Our IT professional, Frank, will appreciate these recipes, courtesy of the Beeriety blog. If you like Guinness, you'll probably enjoy adding it to your food.
Use Smartphone apps to enhance your drinking experience. If you're using Android, Blackberry, Palm, or iPhone, there's an app for you courtesy of PC World. You can find a pub, play beer pong, or cure a hangover.
Our favorite friendly float rivals, the gang from Kennedy Glass, invited our crew over tonight for burgers, beers, and float viewings. After that, we've got some details to finish up. We'll see you tomorrow in downtown Lawrence!
Peach brought us a copy of the Baldwin City Signal- it featured a picture of one of our Sandbar friends!
Check out this snow sculpture (and try to ignore the horribly crooked scan):
The caption reads:
Scott Schoenberger had a little time on his hands Friday and plenty of snow to create this snow sculpture of a shark. He even took time to don fishing gear for a picture.
It should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that we know this guy.
Scott is famous around The Sandbar. He sang lead vocals on our original Hurricane song, a re-worded version of Copa Cabana that we recorded in a local studio. (Does anyone remember that version?) He's also a popular character on many of our St. Patrick's Day Parade floats. Many guys don't like to dance, but not Showtime. He lives up to his name and puts on a show.
Very creative use of the few inches of snow in his yard. Nice job, Showtime!
Blair performed this Valentine's message especially for all his Sandbar fans (except he doesn't really know about it yet). As soon as I saw this personalized video option on my new favorite website, JibJab, I knew Blair was the perfect candidate. As Dave said, JibJab stole Blair's moves for this one. I used one of JibJab's pre-existing heads for the lady so none of our female staff would be embarrassed.
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
