So I really want a beer

My kids are in bed.  I cannot leave the house. I am pretty sure it is illegal to leave your kids home alone when they are sleeping (or awake, of course!).  Even if it were not illegal to abandon your children for beer, something in me cannot leave my kids alone while I make a package run.

Making a package run is what we called going to the liquor store when I was in high school. I went to school in CT and in some parts of New England they call the liquor store a "package store".  Once a boy tried to impress me by bragging that he could get all the liquor he wanted because his dad owned the package store. I had images of the kid breaking into the local Fed Ex and ripping open boxes until he found a potent potable.

I have always had mixed feelings about the phrase "package store".  On one hand it does sound less crass than liquor store.  However it is ambiguous enough to lead some folks to think you're acquiring a package of something infinitely worse than booze.  

Generally I just say what I mean and call it the liquor store.  But on nights like this when I want a beer and cannot have it for reasons of legality (just like high school!) it is the package store.  I cannot make a package run because my kids are in bed.  I will not make one tomorrow because I will not think about drinking a beer until my kids are in bed.  I will not make one Friday night because I will be PTAing it up at the Harvest Hoedown.  I will not be able to drink another beer until the Huckle Cat & Lowly Worm have moved out of my house.  Being a mama rarely sucks, but tonight is kind of does.

I'm going to go kiss my sleeping babies to cheer myself up...