Reconnaissance in Force

It’s a very tough job but someone has to do it, as a high school friend opined yesterday. I’m speaking of pre-attack reconnaissance of important objectives. Yesterday, aided by two stalwart friends, I entered the fray by journeying back to my hometown to recon the route and march objectives of next month’s birthday pub crawl. This was time well spent and thoroughly enjoyed which was the predicted side benefit. My Favorite Panamanian followed her pub crawl routine to disappear into the tax free shopping vortex leaving me to my own devices, always a situation fraught with possibilities. Keene Friend and I walked over to Penuche’s to start the recon where the crawl will start. We gleaned some important information almost immediately as Penuche’s now opens a full hour earlier. This will allow additional gathering time, pre-crawl. We were joined in short order by the Kindergarten Friend who could only drink Shirley Temples since he was getting some vaccinations later in the afternoon.

At Our Final Stop, "Fairly Intact"

He drove us to our next stop, the venerable Lab ‘n Lager, while he continued on to get his shots. We paid close attention to the path we would have to walk on November 18^th and found it free of major obstacles (no stone unturned on a recon). Kene Friend and I conducted the Lab recon and found the place livelier than usual. There was what looked like a pub crawl involving Weight Watchers (just starting out on their crawl and WW journey from all appearances). They were having a fine time and occupied the front window booths we usually dominate on our crawl. We were exchanging texts with my son and he sent a very funny GIF, mocking his supposed surprise at our ongoing hijinks. We walked down the street to our next crawl objective, Modestman Brewery, but, since we’re not metrosexuals, only stopped to confirm times and that we would be coming on the 18^th. We dove out the back door to find the next stop, one of my favorites, the Kilkenny Pub.

At the Lab with Keene Friend

My Son's Sent GIF, Too Funny, In Context

Kilkenny remains a perfect dive bar with plenty of space and a great atmosphere. The Kindergarten Friend re-joined us here and was definitely off the Shirley Temples from then on.  Our next march objective was around the corner and marked a return to a revered old crawl location. Hennessey’s now occupies the space formerly housing Scores, of the fabled beer towers of the earliest crawls. The place was almost deserted and very excited to hear about potential November customers. I was wearing an Army hat and a guy sitting at the bar sent a free beer over to me. He regretted it when he learned I had been an officer but I assuaged his grief by mentioning that I had come up through the ranks and OCS. The bartender had lived in a house just across the street from where I grew up, well after I had moved out, but it was kind of cool.

Reunited at Killkenny's

Hennessey's

We reached the final objective, The Pour House in fairly intact shape although there may have been a few frayed edges (the autumnal air don’thca know). We learned the most devastating news of the recon here. They no longer serve “BFB”s. the first b stands for big and the last one for beer, you can fill in the blanks. The BFBs had filled the yawning chasm created by the loss of the aforementioned fabled beer towers so this was a minor blow to our morale, but, being the stalwart lads we were we rangered on. We placed our customary well lubricated call to the PCR and roundly excoriated him for saying he wasn’t coming to the crawl. We demanded to speak with his better half so she could convince him to come. A work in progress. We declared victory at this point and while the Kindergarten Friend was summoned home we extricated my Favorite Panamanian from shopping long enough that she could eat dinner with us at Margarita’s and then drive me home. The anticipation lamp is officially lit for the crawl!

Dinner Time

Two movies fell in my A-Z watch, both keepers: Glory, inspiring Civil War story and The Godfather, forgot just how good this was, towers over other gangster movies

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course