Life is full of simple and subtle little pleasures. It’s these small wins in life that make one smile and trudge on in this crazy, mixed-up universe of ours. For some, it could be passing your midterms or it could be getting that perfect smoky eye when you’re going out for the night. For me, it’s the Zombie Walk in the still hours of the morning after Halloween parties.

However, before I went out on my adventure I made the perfect Bloody Mary. It consists of a delicate mixture of Zing Zang and Mr. T’s Bloody Mary Mix, about half and half to be precise. Additionally, it features fresh lime and lemon juice (just drop the wedges into the glass), cracked black pepper, celery salt, a few dashes of smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce and a few more dashes of Worcestershire. Oh, and you obviously can’t forget the vodka.

I recommend Absolut Peppar, but I also can’t deny the treasured Texas-born formula: Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Mix everything thoroughly and garnish with a few cubes of Cougar Gold and some spicy pickle cuts you can find at the farmers market in Moscow. This is the perfect Bloody Mary.

After making this, armed with some coffee and cigarettes, I strolled my kingdom and witnessed the Zombie Walk of those who triumphed the night before. I witnessed a whole parade of hair-flattened, makeup-smeared, headache-y champions who found their Great Pumpkin while jamming to “Monster Mash” the night before.

Although the air had a nip to it and you still wore the sexy firefighter costume or nothing under the highlander kilt, you, my party hard-y friends, are the true winners of Halloween. So hold your head high and let no shame tarnish your march home. My glass was raised to you in the morning. You earned it.

However, just like Halloween night gives way to a November morning, time marches on and there’s just another big party around the bend. Brace yourselves for the planeloads of fathers coming to spend quality time with their sons and daughters, and that inevitable question: “So how’s school going?” If the heat gets too much for you, here’s a few ideas to stall.

If you don’t already know, Andy Grammer is coming to town for Dad’s Weekend and tickets are $51.50 for general admission and $46.50 for students. It’s a reasonable price to pay for you and your pops to go a concert, on account of dad probably spending somewhere in the upper five digits to fund this educational experience for you. Meet him halfway and buy the concert tickets.

If your dad likes beer (who doesn’t), I would also recommend going to the Sigma Iota BrewFest 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Courtyard by Marriott, located at 1295 NE North Fairway Rd. Tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the door.

For those of you who are feeling classy, take dad to Merry Cellars and tip a few glasses of wine with him. Buy a bottle of wine for dinner, or a canteen of wine, or a magnum of wine, or a case!

Anyway, it has been a wonderful spooky season and on to the next drinking holiday. Stay safe out there you drunken bastards and bottoms up.