dive bar crawl

thurs 3 feb 2011

i was off yesterday. i went to aries’ place to pick up my bag of stuff that didn’t sell when i tried selling to crossroads last week. i drove him to work. since i had the car, i drove around a little. realized that it was a nice day in SF–sunny and fog-free.

“what the hell am i doing driving around?”  i thought to myself.

i return the car and ride around the mission/castro/dolores park area. i have a hankering for sushi, so i go to webe sushi. eventually, i end up at buffalo (s)exchange. exciting things abound over there. did you know that they’ve made the switch from analog to digital in terms of issuing certificates for trade?

well, they’ve made the switch from analog to digital in terms of issuing certificates for trade.

wow. i bought some crap i don’t need, and also a present for aries. i hope he likes it.

i ride around some more, without a destination, without a purpose.

i tap out a message on my cell phone:
off 2nite. whos around 2drink w/ me 2nite?

i select JMcD, CJo, JNayNay, Mikeytown and hit SEND.

i wander on my bicycle, and let the streets lead me. up, down around and over. without realizing, i end up near the castro. and suddenly i have to pee like a motherfucker. *fuck* i briefly consider going into one of the many bars down there to take a leak, but decide it’d be counter-productive. i’d have to buy a drink, which will in-turn, lead me to pee some more. and the endless cycle starts.

as i ponder my conundrum, JNayNay calls.
“me me me!” is the answer to my txt.

we decide on Casanova.
it’s happy hour, and a hibiscus cooler is on special for 5 bucks! i have no idea what the hell a hibiscus cooler is, but it sounds light and refreshing. later i watch the bartendress make the drink, only to discover that it’s Stoli Ohranj and cranberry, shaken. but who cares. it’s deeeee-licious. i’m wearing my northstar at tahoe firefighters association t-shirt as i overhear 2 people debating whether or not i was an actual firefighter.

(uh, obvi, i’m totally not. they don’t make firefighters in my size. 38R. they usually come in larger sizes like XL or XXL.)

hilarious nonetheless.  some other random guy stopped me when i was at the bar and asked me, pointing to my firefighters tshirt, if i worked at northstar.

wow. i never realized the power of tshirt advertising. it’s better than facebook. (someone should harness this power stat.)  are you listening, marketing people?

soon thereafter, emmy meets us, and more drinking ensues.

and before i know it, me and JNayNay are eating chinese food at Big Lantern. it’s the best american-style chinese food in the mission! we order excellent faux-chinese dishes like sesame chicken! and they have dim sum too!  at night!  (i know, how dreadfully exciting! )

our american chinese feast comes to an end, complete with a bottle of reisling–we are sooooo luxurious.

eventually, i meet up with aries. we try to go to the Burritt Room but its too damn crowded. we walk up the hill to chelsea place.  it’s sad and depressing in there, and the korean(ish) bartendresses barely speak english. but they know enough to charge $8 for a drink the size of a thimble. capitalism at its best–ya gotta love the free market system.

we finished our shotglass-sized drinks in a few sips.

we needed somewhere divey with divebar prices, (not schmancy bar prices!)…

summer place it is!

summer place is everything you always wanted in a dive bar–weird, random decor, an old fireplace, video games. and you can smoke inside. (excellent! i can destroy my liver AND get my fill of second-hand smoke at the same time! it doesn’t get better! )

3 drinks or so later, we’re stumbling home–yet we find ourselves at the pinecrest. (didn’t i JUST have dinner with JNayNay?–yes, but that doesn’t matter now, does it?). i proceeded to order a plate of chicken wings with a side of fries.

we discussed the german tourist murder from the past summer, amongst other things.

and thats where my memory gets all swiss-cheese-y.

although, i totally had fun!  YES!