The Last of the Mohicans Marathon

YEAR: 1999

TRACK: Main Title from The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack by Trevor Jones, and Randy Edelman (YouTube, Spotify)

PLACE: Rzeszow, Poland

MEMORY: In my first year of college, we rented an apartment with a few girlfriends. We stayed in one weekend with one of the girls and did The Last of the Mohicans marathon. We rented the movie on a VHS tape (90s rock!) and for two days straight we had rewinded it as many times as long was the weekend. It’s no wonder that the soundtrack was stuck in my head for a very long time. I listened to it while doing laundry, eating breakfast, or taking a bath (for a while, this and The Cross of Changes by Enigma were my two favorite bathtime soundtracks). She and I also spent one “stay-in weekend” drinking pure brandy out of the bottle. I almost flooded the apartment when, successfully hang-overed and in a haze, I left the water running in the bathtub the next morning and went back to sleep. I was hours late to my mom’s Sunday dinner and once I finally got home, I had to endure her disappointed look. Anyone who has ever been in my shoes, can vouch that that kind of piercing look can prolong your hangover. I never touched any of the brandies again… That weekend had nothing to do with the Mohicans but it was the same roommate (#badinfluence), so it’s all twined together in my brain. Lesson learned: don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach – eat some fat. Especially with brandy that’s supposed to be enjoyed AFTER dinner as a digestif.

FOOTNOTES:

• Eric Schweig, who played Hawkeye’s sidekick, Uncas, is a Master Inuit Mask Carver.
• The “eat some fat before drinking alcohol” statement is backed by science. Here’s a quick breakdown of helpful foods in this healthline article. And if you’re feeling particularly nerdy, check out the BMJ’s scientific article on alcohol in the body. Cheers!