Monday, March 6, 2006

CRASH!!!

Sunday afternoon was a pleasant, easy-going one as the weather was decent enough to spur on a lot of traffic on 3rd Avenue. With the sun out and the temperatures comfortable, there were a lot of people out and about, and a few of those strolling about actually managed to stop in for a pint or two.

Some of the people I managed to meet throughout the day included a group of lovely young ladies who I suspect met up for some function and ended up at the bar by chance. They ended up staying for a few hours and after engaging in some good conversation with a few of them, I got the sense that they were pretty cool and down to earth. Two girls in particular were from Connecticut (I think) and they were in town for a concert. They were one of the last of the group to leave and they were actually pretty nice. While they were chillin' out, doing their thing, they also got to meet some of the regulars, ANGRY BLACK, MR. LOW-KEY, MR. PLUMBER, AFRIKA BAMBATTA, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and his main squeeze, SMURFETTE; they were able to fit right in with no problem.

There were a steady stream of small groups in and out during the course of the day and that went on up until Oscar Time. The Oscars are a weird night because you never quite know what to expect. One year you may have a large crowd of movie buffs looking to hang out at a place that's large enough to accommodate them; other years, you may have only a precious few. This year, the crowd was small but definitely into the show.

Getting back into the theme of the day: CRASH seemed to be the sentimental favorite amongst the viewing public at the bar. Imagine the pleasant shock as the small but boisterous crowd yelled with surprised glee at the annoucement of CRASH as the Oscar winner for Best Picture. It seemed that most of the people who were hanging out watching the Awards were resigned to the fact that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN was going to win the major awards, especially when ANG LEE won for Best Director. But unconventional wisdom won out and CRASH pulled the upset win.

As I mentioned before, the crowd turnout was small but energetic as there were plenty of conversation and speculation taking place throughout the night. A group of us also had some fun with our own small version of an Oscar Pool, just to keep things lively. Overall, it was a pretty good day; one full of good people and good conversations. One of the things I enjoy the most about Sundays are the conversations I have with the people that come in, whether it be with the regulars that I have grown to enjoy more and more with each passing week, or the stranger that happens to pop in, out of the blue. In most cases, I take away a unique experience that I file away in my mental rolodex, always to remember and I will never trade it away for anything. Often someone will wonder outloud why I would even bother opening up on Sundays now that the football season is over, and I share with them that sentiment and more often than not they look at me like i'm crazy. But that's cool. Until you stand in my shoes, you'll never truly understand where I am coming from, and that's okay too. Just trust me when I say I don't mind, even if there are only a few bodies in the whole place....

Enough of my ramblings... next up: THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT!

NUFF SAID