alcohol and petrol

One of the petrol stations that I pass on my walk to the train station each day has shut down.

They tore down the sign, uprooted the pumps, boarded up the windows and surrounded the place with a barbed wire fence.

I only went to the place twice during the brief time I had a car during my summer Christmas holiday, but each time was a little...odd.

The same guy was working there each time. He was a genial elderly gentleman, and perhaps an alcoholic.

I say this because our two interaction shared a common theme.

The first time we talked, I was getting petrol on the way to the beach, it was New Year's Eve day. I paid for my stuff, and he gave me a deck of playing cards for free.

"Thanks," I said.
"For a good New Year's Eve," he said, "jello shots and strip poker, and the jello shots are optional"

Right...

The second time I came into the place was after New Year's, and one of my purchases was lime and cracked pepper potato chips.

"These are good chips," he said.
"Yeah, I like them too," I replied.
"They are really good with Vodka," he said. "The best way to have vodka is with pepper".
"I'll remember that." I said.

The guy loved his vodka. Perhaps he loved it too much, and thus his service station had to close down. Who knows?