- Ted and Barney get an opportunity to run their own bar during a historic blizzard, while Marshall and Lily try to defy the odds and continue one of their cherished traditions.
- The storm of the century has hit New York in early 2009. The snowfall is supposed to last for three days, meaning that the city is at a virtual standstill for that long. Ted and Barney are supposed to meet two out- of-town college girls at MacLaren's, but without the girls' phone numbers they can only sit there and wait to see if they show up. Carl wants to close the bar early to volunteer at a shelter, and Ted and Barney convince him to let them run the bar while he's gone. The start of their stint has them living their dream as they've talked about buying a bar and never having last call. Their dates arrive, but the night doesn't end up as they envisioned. Meanwhile, one of Marshall and Lily's rituals is that whenever one goes out of town, he or she brings a 6-pack back from the visited city and the other meets her/him at the airport with a chauffeur's sign. But they decide that they've matured past such things and won't carry out this ritual upon Lily's return from Seattle. But Robin convinces Marshall to go to the airport with the sign because she's sure Lily will have the 6-pack. Meanwhile, the woman sitting next to Lily on the plane convinces her that Marshall sounds like the kind of man who will be there waiting regardless of their agreement. Will one of them be disappointed?—Huggo
- Ted and Barney set up dates with two young women in a band (Barney repeatedly pulling aside Ted to insist that he not be specific in his plans (Don't ask for their phone number as that gives them the ability to call and cancel. Dont go see their show as that makes them regular dudes... be the guys who didn't show up and whose approval they now crave (their dads))), planning to meet back at MacLaren's the next night. The next night, with a huge snow storm outside, they sit alone at the bar, waiting for the girls. Barney and Ted beg Carl (Joe Nieves) the bartender to be left in charge of the bar (they say that the first rule of bar-tending is to serve the beautiful ladies first and that convinces Carl) for the rest of the night, as Carl has charity work to attend to.
Barney tells Ted about varsity Bingo. Every year Playboy publishes the list of 50 top party schools in the USA and Barney picks 25 of them to create a Bingo card. He needs Arizona tech to complete a line and his goal for the year. Barney and Ted had a pact a few yrs ago to buy a bar. They would name it "Puzzles". No last calls at Puzzles. The girls finally show up, along with their "band," which is actually the Arizona Tech Marching Band, filling the bar with dozens of rowdy college students. Ted wants to close the bar as they promised to Carl, but Barney convinces Ted to keep it open and serve the band. After being overwhelmed with bar-tending, and a call from Carl telling them he was returning, Ted and Barney quickly direct the band upstairs to Ted's apartment to continue partying. The band members are very grateful. Barney insists they stick with the girls, saying they would give him five in a row on "party school bingo", a game Barney plays annually with Playboy's published list of top party schools.
Lily and Marshall reflect on a tradition of Lily bringing a six-pack of beer with her every time she returns from a trip, meeting Marshall at the airport. The couple had decided to end the tradition, but both soon changed their minds. First, Marshall gets Robin to drive him to the airport in the midst of the huge snowstorm (when Robin says that Lily is likely to get him the six pack anyways.. Marshall imagines that Lily will hook up with a random guy not finding him there), arguing with her about the importance of traditions in relationships. Marshall and Lily tell each what they had to eat that day, the minute they meet each other after work, followed by crazy monkey sex. They call each other at lunchtime to say I love You to each other. They get trapped on the side of the road after a snow plow covers them in snow, but they eventually get to the airport terminal. When they arrive, Lily is not there. Marshall realizes that that day's lunchtime phone call ritual between himself and Lily had been in a voicemail Lily had left to inform Marshall that her flight was canceled. Marshall had ignored the call because he felt that all of their traditions were slipping away and that it was a natural progression of their relationship to let their rituals die. Lily's plane has been grounded and will arrive in New York in 2 days (the episode runs Marshall and Lily's stories parallel to imply that they are on the same day).
Meanwhile, after realizing she wants to continue the tradition (Lily imagines that Marshall comes to pick her up, but not finding any beer, looks for a random girl that has beer), Lily panics and tries to find some micro-brew beer to give to Marshall. Arriving at the airport an hour early, she encounters Ranjit (Marshall Manesh) (who was there to pick a customer), and they drive to a local liquor store, only to find that the store only has a keg, 'Supersonic Tonic', instead of a playfully named six-pack. She treks back to the airport, only to find no Marshall.
It was a 3 day storm. Marshall went to pick Lily on Tuesday. The band came to the bar on Wednesday and Lily arrived at the airport on Thursday.
Suddenly, airport residents start playing marching band instruments to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, and Marshall emerges to greet Lily. The players are the marching band from earlier in the episode, following up on their promise to return the favor.
At the end of the episode, Ted is talking to one of the girls when they wonder where Barney and the other went. Barney then bursts out of Ted's room and proclaims "Bingo!"
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