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.
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| 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
18th 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 18th. We
dove out the back door to find the next stop, one of my favorites, the Kilkenny
Pub.
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| At the Lab with Keene Friend |
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| 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 3rd 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
