The Bender Defined (Commentary)

[royhobbs30]

I will have to admit that this may be one of my longer "benders" but not the longest one. To date I'm going on day number 15 or so, and work? Good lord, can it take a break for at least 4 days so i can continue on my bender?

I may take a break this weekend, but I highly doubt it, when you get to reach that subtle , sublime place when you're on that bender that I like to call Eden, why come off of it?? enjoy the endless bender ladies and gents..

[royhobbs30]

The 18 day bender is over. Weird morning, kindy shaky, a little irritated, a little quiet at work...what a day to take a break, freakn' monday...

[JesusLizard23]

The 18 day bender is over. Weird morning, kindy shaky, a little irritated, a little quiet at work...what a day to take a break, freakn' monday...

I am always quiet at work.

[hoverdog]

Just reminding people keep in mind during a bender you must start drinking the moment you wake up and you must black out.

[Ozz]

Wake up and start drinking till passing out every day

1 day, - a binge,
2 days in a row - a bowout,
3 days in a row - a drunk
4 days in a row-, a rip
5 days in a row- a revel
6 days in a row , a tear
7 days in a row or more, a bender

[Hardcore Stig]

I've read most of the thread but as always, there's simply too much to take it all inso I'll just post my opinion from what I've read (forgive any ignorance or repetition):

The bender should last a minimum of 7 days, it is the duration that defines it as much as the spirit, like a marathon and a sprint, both are runs to reach the end but only the marathon is the testament to endurance. We have shorter sessions, the lost weekend, the booze up, the benderette, but as with running, only one is the true long haul.

The spirit is also part of it. Drinking every day for years is not a bender, it's a lifestyle, the Bender involves a level of abandonment of regular behaviour, saying fuck you to conforrmity and breaking the bonds that regulate us, as Oggar indicates consequences are all part of the bender, it shows that caution was thrown to the wind and the moment was key.

Finally, for me, a bender should be prone to failure, to fully plan a bender is to break it's spirit. Every year, for my birth week I pledge to travel, visiting friends and pursuing the bender. I am the sole participent, the rest are simply on a night out or two but it means it's falable, it's dependent on factors out of my control but should it be achieved, I can slip into work after that week feeling a better man for it and knowing I've achieve something most those around me will never even contemplate. For that week, my legend is improved and in the future those that witnessed it will look upon events with a note of wishing, that they too could be part of the whole event, a machine rather than a cog.

[basil the great]

Thanks again for all the help with my last post. I feel welcomed. And I think a proper bender is in order. Being in my early thirties, I'm looking for some advice from a generation when this sort of thing was done right. Thanks!

[ThirstyDrunk]

I would say drinking until you do not remember nor do you care when you started. But what do I know...
I do know that there is an excellent thread entitled "The bender defined" by the huge and knowledgable Oggar in the Art of Getting Hammered forum.

[Modern Drunkard]

Some people will tell you three days, but that's just a lost weekend. Four days is a binge. Five days is a bender. Five days. It used to be eight, but we're not as tough as our grandfathers. Five days. You must drink until you collapse and start drinking the moment you wake up. While you're awake there should always be a drink within reach. Pretend it's a crucifix and you're crashing at Dracula's pad.

[Judge]

And convince your black out self to keep the credit card receipts. It may be the only way to figure out which airport your car is collecting huge fines in short term parking.

[Savage]

I missed a blackout because I was blacked out. That was a bender to remember.

[fiyah]

By day 3, I feel my soul clinging to my human shell..

By day 5, Methusaleh asks me, "dude wtf you doing here?"

[Savage]

There is a point where you can taste and hear colors. Unlike acid, this trip won't give you nasty flashbacks later.

[Sgt. HSA]

Oggar nailed it, here.

[Resident Asshole]

I've had one proper bender in my life and one almost bender. Both were in Canada ironically.

The true bender lasted 7 days.

Here are some things that happened (I didn't remember all of these at the time, had to be filled in).

Shit in the someone's bathroom whom I didn't know
Put out a boat fire, then hotwired the boat
Stole booze from the bar of a bunch of fratboys who were all bigger than me
Sex with random girl after her friends got all coked up, then walked to my ex's house not knowing where I was at all
Threw a girl off the second tier of a boat, almost hitting her head on it from 20 feet up
Broke a water slide with my head when I tried to go down it standing up
Made bartenders laugh so much they gave me 12 yr. scotch for free
Tried to sleep outside with bums just for the fun of it
Ran into a floating store with a houseboat
Almost drowned trying to swim half a mile while drunk

Now these are things that should happen when you are on a bender.