Happy Thursday, Hoyas! And welcome to this week’s installment of Casual Thursday, where we try and get you ready for the weekend ahead.

Since I’m from New England, I completely understand how the cold slowly wears away at your nerves, and around this time, I tend to realize that I’ve just had enough of the cold.  Midterm stress is weighing down on everybody, Valentine’s Day has passed and Spring Break is still one more week away.  What could I possibly get me excited for this weekend, you ask?  This weekend (today, actually) marks the beginning of Major League Baseball’s spring training game schedule, and while I’m not all that excited to watch any of the games (as fun as the Red Sox beating up on Boston College may be), it means that spring is just around the corner! So while the weather might not be warm yet, I still have hope, and I have a drink and game that go perfectly with the spring weather that is sure to be here soon.

The drink of the day is a twist off of the good ole screwdriver (get it?), and is bright and springy enough to enjoy out on the beach, or inside by the fire while you hope for the snow to melt. It’s official name is the Yellow Bird, (presumably) named after the brightly colored birds flying around as the weather gets nice.  While I haven’t actually been able to find a bird that goes by this name scientifically, I’m sure they are out there somewhere.  Without further ado, your cocktail:

Yellow Bird

• Juice of half a lime
• 1.25 oz of orange juice
• 1 oz light rum
• 1 0z dark rum
• .25 oz Galliano
• Maraschino cherry for garnish

1. Squeeze the lime into a cocktail shaker with ice

2. Add all of the remaining ingredients

3. Shake well

4. Strain into a glass with crushed ice

5. Garnish with a cherry

Dizzy Bat

Of course, the fun can’t stop there.  Whether just trying to gear up for spring, or out having a good time with friends on spring break, we have a baseball themed drinking game for everyone to enjoy.  Allow me to introduce (or reintroduce) you to the game of Dizzy Bat.  This is a game that can be enjoyed by a big group for its entertainment value, but definitely requires a lot of space.  You will also need:

• Whiffle ball bat
• Beer (cans works best for the game, and serves as a perfect way to use up that oh-so-lovely Natty)

1. You will need to cut off the end of the bat handle, turning the bat into a drinking container.

2.  Then fill the bat with beer as the first brave contestant steps up.

3. They will chug the beer, while the rest of the group counts, or times, how long it takes them to finish.

4. The batter then leans over, puts their forehead on the bat, and spins around for the same length of time that it took them to drink.

5. Once finished spinning, another member of the group tosses up a crushed beer can for the participant to attempt to hit with the bat (really the only baseball element involved in this game).

6. You can either think of a point system, a penalty if they miss, or make them spin around three more times and try again.  Really, it will all be entertaining, regardless of how you want to finish the turn.

If you are still confused, check out this sterling example of a champion Dizzy Bat competitor.  Seriously though, you may want to avoid trying this on concrete, and maybe use a smaller bat.  Also, if you were too busy laughing to completely grasp the game, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that show just how you should play (kind of).

Photo: newschoolers.com, Finlandia Vodka Cup