Tuesday, January 10, 2012

PDR or Proper Drink Run


For you audio/video folk:

For the rest of you: (Cliffs Notes)
So over the past couple of years, I have heard a lot of people ask "What is a PDR exactly, and where did it start?"

Well, here we go...

It all started in a little city called Kawanishi, Japan while I was serving an LDS Mission. I had a companion who drank about as much soda as I did...if not more. Everyday, Aric and I would come across a new soda, fruit juice or whatever and regardless if we were thirsty or not, we had to get it...just on principle.

One night, Aric just starting saying, "I need need a C.B. (Cold Beverage,) and I threw the R (for run) after it whenever we wanted to go get a drink. Thus a CBR or Cold Beverage Run.

That is how it began...

Fast Forward 9 years, when I started working for The Summit Group in Salt Lake City, and one morning when I was feeling "The Bug," I grabbed my 44 oz. cup and asked if anyone wanted to accompany on a beverage run. After a couple weeks, 2~4 people would make a daily jaunt to either a convenience store or a restaurant with cheap refills to quench our thirsts. We sort of fazed out the C (Cold) part as some of the drinks we got were hot chocolate and coffee for some.

A couple years later, a buddy of mine at The Summit Group (Jordan Howe...now this guy has a way about him...he likes to inject everything will a certain level of refinement (whether he is serious or not.)) So one morning, as about 6 of us were heading out the door (Jordan included,) he stated that this event was "truly a Proper Beverage Run." So that is what it became known as...a PBR. Now anyone see a problem with that? A PBR does NOT stand for Proper Beverage Run in mainstream society, especially if you're talking about beverages.


So it was Twitter that actually showed me the error of my ways in hashtagging #PBR...no I do not drink Pabst Blue Ribbon. So I changed it to #PDR (Proper Drink Run.) It just sounds nice..."Hey, PDR later?"

The PDR has evolved over the years as now it encompasses all beverages (initially, drinks with alcohol were referred to as Proper Alcohol Runs but that was lame #PAR...you're gonna get a bunch of golfs tweets now(not that that is a bad thing,)) but the PDR isn't biased...so whether you're drinking a Coke Zero, or Johnnie Walker - Black on the rocks...that's a PDR.

Now here is the thing, and there has been some questions about this...it is only a real PDR if you leave you house, place of business, etc to go get a drink. For instance, say you are home watching the TV and have the need for a Diet Coke with pebble ice. You grab your keys, drive up to the 7-11 and pick up a 32 ouncer...That is a PDR. Say you go our to the bar with your buddies to grab a beer and some wings...that counts as a PDR. If you are out driving around and pull into a gas stations and grab a bottle of Dr. Pepper...PDR. If you office building has a soda fountain in it with plastic red cups...not a PDR (Scott - inside joke) and if you go into your kitchen and pour yourself a glass of milk...not a PDR.

The thing is...we all do it, it now just has a name to it. So when you go out and get a drink, know that you are making a Proper Drink Run. #PDR on Twitter

Cheers

3 comments:

Whitney said...

dude, this post made me so happy! i was part of the cold beverage run. from the beginning at TSG in the old building. i remember going down there every morning with you and scwey. then it turned into the gas station. i love PBR. it's just perfect! whenever i get a cold bev at a gas station i think of ya! :) hope you are doing good. miss our bev runs!

Paco Belle said...

Whitney...you were very much a part of the PDR process...those were the good old days! Every morning, I knew who I could count on to walk over to Skool Lunch with me and then to Chevron when we moved...good times. Next time you are in town, PDR on me

Jared J. Balis said...

Paco, I must say that I'm happy I now have an concise three letter word to describe what I commonly announced to my family as "going to sev- to get a drink." Now, I'll just shout out, PDR! When everyone asks what the hell I'm talking about, I'll just send them to your blog....you da man!