Dining on the Ruston Way waterfront Sunday Tator Tot and I happened upon a halibut that was like sticking a can of pepper spray in my mouth and pulling the trigger. The fish was so staggeringly bad, it was as if the prep cooks had ordered a dump truck full of black pepper to unload in the alley, slapped the raw fish down on top of the pile, then had the truck back over it a couple of dozen times to make sure the pepper was really worked in. A uranium compote couldn\'t have blown through all that pepper. A cordite, lightning and sulfuric-acid mojo wouldn\'t have scoured my tongue clean.

A strong drink was required. Or a lobotomy. Anything capable of destroying the brain cells in which now resided any recollection of that fish. We ran over to Harbor Lights for their delicious mai tais and a bucket full of butter clams. Arriving in a glass tiki mug, the drink was all syrupy-sweet with fruit juice, garnished with neon-red cherries and orange slices, and liberally dosed with the hard stuff.

Happiness returned thanks to Harbor Lights’ tiny lounge with a view of Commencement Bay, bartender Alli’s wicked pours and the typical fun group of fellow drinkers.

The morning after, my body felt like it had been through a tropical wringer, and a truly epic hangover soon came crashing down. But life\'s a beach, right?

[Harbor Lights, 2761 N. Ruston Way Tacoma, 253.752.8600]