Wednesday, April 23, 2008

DAMN, THESE DAWGS ARE BARKIN'....

I found myself doing a rare weekday double-shift at the bar yesterday and by the end of the night, my feet were not happy with me.

The early part of the day consisted of your basic dose of deliveries, phone calls from vendors, and that dreaded paperwork that keeps the bar going. Later in the afternoon, I was joined by the always-comical BOBBY DEWARS, our resident mob-wannabe; He came in to get his daily dose of the afternoon horse races and while he enjoys watching his ponies, the comments that he makes are often gems, many of which I cannot repeat here. The best part of having conversations with him is that more often than not, he's making a funny comment and doesn't even realize it.

Then came the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE matchup between LIVERPOOL and CHELSEA, two heated rivals of the English Premier League one of the best soccer leagues in the world. They were meeting in the semi-finals, to see who will be crowned the best team in Europe. There was a lot of interest in that particular match, especially since THAT DAY BARTENDER GUY is a huge LIVERPOOL supporter.

He got a rude awakening, however, when his team somehow blew a 1-0 lead with seconds left by scoring a goal on themselves. I tell ya, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Needless to say the poor guy was devastated by the turn of events. For one, it puts the pressure on his team to win on the road against CHELSEA next week; And secondly, it's going to pain him to have to pay me $20 for losing the bet we had on the game. Giddy-up!

By the time the match ended, it was time for DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS to kick in. The bar didn't fill up right away, which was just as well, because my feet were beginning to hurt already and we still had the night shift to deal with. By 7pm, the bar was filled with anxious hockey fans, ready to watch a doubleheader of Game 7's.

The beers flowed all night long, as well as the action on the ice, hardwood and baseball field.




By the time the last horn sounded, San Jose defeated Calgary 5-3, while Philadelphia defeated Washington (in overtime), 3-2. That wraps things up for Round 1 of the playoffs. Things heat up again in a couple of days when Round 2 begins.


The rest of the night went well, up until the very end when we had to "escort" an unruly drunk guy who kept trying to pester with the other patrons. The bouncer asked the guy to leave and the drunken patron began to give the bouncer crap. I then walked over the guy, grabbed him by the arm and began leading him out the door. Once he got outside, he began mouthing off at me, calling me a racist for throwing him out. Not quite sure why I get the odd ones, but they all seem to want to pull the race card on me. What's up with that? (sigh).

In any case, he tried to barge into the bar after me and was met with a firm stiff-arm that caused him to stumble back out onto the sidewalk. Let's just say he was not a happy camper.

Overall, the night itself was a great success, and in the meantime, I now sit, rubbing my feet while reflecting on the events of the day.


HAPPY TRAILS.......


It looks like Third and Long is losing another one of its regulars. The gentleman we warmly refer to as ANGRY BLACK has found a new job which requires him to relocate to Los Angeles, California. It's a great move for him, as it will further his career and brings him close to his lovely girlfriend. However, I can honestly say that he will be missed here on the East Coast by his friends, in and outside the bar. There will be an "unofficial" send-off gathering at the bar this Saturday at around 9pm or so; If you happen to be in the neighborhood and want to say your good-byes, feel free to stop by. I'm sure he'll love to see everyone, from the Sunday Brew Crew and everyone else too.


WEDNESDAY NIGHT: "Ladies Night" with $3.00 Mixed Well Drinks (for ladies only), and Coors Light Buckets, 5/$15.00 (for everyone)!



Nuff Said