Day of Legerdemain

Bonecrusher's Arrival

I will try to adequately describe the feats accomplished yesterday in my home town as we marched around town patronizing various taverns while celebrating my birthday.  It will not be easy to fully capture just how much fun it was, my family and friends combined to create a day of comradery and fun that went way beyond my poor ability to properly acknowledge.

Starting the Day At Waxy O'Conner's

It was a very cold day but everyone bundled up and even my daughter who was battling a cold completed the march without complaint.  Yesterday had to cement her decision to move to warmer climes though.  We started the day with birthday presents where my son and the ABFA gifted me a huge new broad sword inscribed with the nickname my daughter’s early boyfriends gave me, “Bonecrusher”.  The ABFA apparently felt my puny Army sword was not impressive enough for the ritual slaying of cakes – I, of course, loved the broadsword and plan on doing some serious cleaving with it.

The Crew Stalking the Streets of Keene

We arrived in Keene where the Keene Friend had Buddy’s obligatory snack and bowl of water waiting.  We were planning on starting by having lunch at Elm City Brewery but here was a forty-five minute wait for a table so we deviated to Waxy O’Conner’s.  When I called the Cantankerous One to inform him of our change of plans his mother reported he was already walking towards Elm City.  Since she is an incredibly nice lady and her son, the Luddite, refuses to own a cell phone she drove down to police him up and deliver him to us at Waxy’s.

He immediately launched into what turned out to be a day long description of my driving abilities and certainly added his usual spice to the affair. 

Penuche's and Kindergarten Discussion

My wife lasted until the next bar – Penuche’s, before answering the siren call of TJ Maxx.  Penuche’s is right across the street from where I went to kindergarten which both kids immediately pointed out before I could (I think they’re sick of my endless family tours of Keene).  They opined that my distinct love of pub crawling may have started by early exposure to a bar – interesting theory.  Keene Friend 2 joined us as we were leaving Penuche’s.

The Lab and Lager Window Ornaments

The first downtown pub to fall victim to our predations was the Lab and Lager where we established ourselves as ornamental window dressing in some very comfortable couches.  It was a tough sun field though and we departed after the one beer across Main Street for the Cobblestone Pub.  We set up there in a booth called “the hot tub” for some arcane reason.  Keene Friend had apparently been pulling a few telephonic strings and Keene Friend 2’s former wife stopped by to say hi and join the fun for a little while. My son and Wing Man were monitoring the college football games.  

In the Cobblestone Hot Tub

Once our presence had sufficiently emptied the Cobblestone of all college age patrons we felt our work was done.  As we decamped for our next stop, McCue’s, another of Keene Friend’s telephonic machinations appeared in the form of a high school classmate who added some necessary female pulchritude to our scruffy male dominated crew, I know my daughter appreciate the addition.  She stayed with us for the rest of the crawl.  McCue’s was cavernous and fairly deserted.  Wing Man and son engaged in some spirited shuffle board contests. 

Cavernous McCue's

The sun was setting and the cold permeated as we moved up Main Street to the Pour House on Central Square.   My son spotted a ping pong table but stated there were no balls until Wing Man pointed out a dozen or so.  Some energetic games followed where Keene Friend demonstrated the prowess of his misspent youth at the Keene Rec Department. 

Pour House Ping Pong

Another frigid walk back down Main Street brought us to our final destination – Scores Sports Pub.  This awesome location has become our pub of choice in Keene was assigned the finish line in respect of that.  The plan was to wait out my wife’s shopping adventures there while being pummeled with the electromagnetic rays of the dozens of resident sports televisions.  Keene Friend, our designated walker, kept us on an even keel and Wing Man produced a tower of beer which was reduced through hard siege.  My wife eventually showed up and the crew was complete.  We declared victory and walked across Main Street for the customary dinner at Margarita’s.

Scores!

The Beer Tower I Don't Think The Lady Next Door is Impressed

Fresh from TJ Maxx

The Fam gathered Around the Tower

Bonecrusher claimed its first victim back at Keene Friend’s home where my birthday cake was sundered.  As the various members of the crew went their own way at the end of the night I felt a sense of peace at the blessing of the time they gifted me with – the best birthday presents ever.   The family and Buddy loaded up the car for the long ride home and Keene Friend gave me one last present as we pulled out – a monster Whoopy Pie!!!!

The Cake

Bonecrusher's First Cleave

I know I enjoyed the Pub Crawl last year with my son but this year with the fantastic crew we assembled truly took the fun to a different, lofty level.  I spent the afternoon in a happy haze of enjoying time spent with old friends and the kids I’m so damned proud of in the place I love best.  Best birthday.  Ever.

Can't Get Enough of the Tower