The two youngest should consider themselves lucky. I have mentioned them and just might again in the future. I admit after a barrage of moans and groans I did relent and mention the Prodigal in a couple of writings. But the other two should not think I will be such a pushover in the future. With my new celebrity I am getting a backbone.
A few minutes ago I received a text message from a co worker. She had recently visited
TBC for the first time. I actually feel that my writings may have changed her life. Well at least she did say that she liked reading them. This person is one of a select few of my co workers that I actually enjoy drinking beer with. She has been on pub crawls with me. Portland Or. and Bethlehem, Pa. to name a couple. While on my Bethlehem Pub Crawl she purchased a tee shirt that said something like "Take care of Planet Earth, it is the only one with beer". If I recall the pub was a Lesbian bar. I was one of only two men in the whole place. The other guy was wearing a Scottish Skirt. So welcome.
My Dad used to lament and say if I did not "apply" myself in school that I would end up as a ditch digger. I did not know what that job entailed but from the way he turned his nose up to the prospect, I sure as hell did not want to be one. The other night while setting at the bar at my fav pub, I heard someone say that in tough economic time people still went to the pubs. Well I guess that is true. That comment reminds me of my good friend, Bub from Lancaster, Pa. setting in our motel room after a long and stressful day looking up at me as he puts his Budweiser down saying, "no wonder I drink".
Bub (Roger) is one of my "six" friends and is the one who got me to start using the term Pub.
I cannot think of a better man I have ever known. He is a Bud Man. Once while we were working in Castle Rock, Colorado, we went into a local Brew Pub. He asked what was on tap. When the waitress told him, he did not hear her say Budweiser, so he asked do you have Bud on tap? After she told him no, he asked if they had anything on tap like Bud. She said sure and went back to the bar to get our beers. I went to the washroom and when I returned the waitress was returning with our order. I looked at his beer and at it's color. I was pretty sure he would not like it. I waited for him to take one swallow and without a single word being spoken, I reached out and moved his pint glass closer to me as he went to the bar and ordered a Bud in a bottle. At least he tried.
That thought about people continuing to go to the bars during "tough" times has stuck with me and I guess has fostered a new blog .
On Tuesday (March 17) I pretty much did what I said I was going to do in an earlier blog. I stopped by around noon at O'Brien's and was asked as I came in if I was a member. Member of what? I inquired. It seems the proprietors of my local watering hole decided that a $ 5.00 charge for a yellow armband was the order of the day. I paid the tariff (since I had intentions of returning later in the day). I walked inside and "bellied up to the bar" "How are you doing today?" the bar tender questioned. "Did you say poor? Well I am sorry to hear that." he said. "No, dammit, I said "pour". I had two "pints" of Guinness and then I ordered some corned beef and cabbage. After all it WAS St. Patrick's day and, as I have previously advised, I AM of Irish decent. Now is a good time to dispel another "urban legend"lore or myth. Corned beef is not an Irish tradition. It is actually a Jewish inception. The Son's of David decided they could pickle a beef brisket and made it appear and taste like pork which was and is not Kosher. The Irish immigrants began to eat corned beef with cabbage and potatoes because: 1. They could not find Irish Bacon in the new country and 2. Corned Beef tasted somewhat like Irish Bacon and it was available and cheap. 3. Cabbage and Potatoes were abundant and inexpensive in the new country.
The Stout was good. The meat was not. In fact it was pretty much awful. My mother used to cook corned beef and cabbage when we would go on family camping trips. She cooked it over a Coleman Stove. Come on, all you really have to do it boil water. The only resemblance to corned beef was it's color. When you buy it, it already seasoned and "cooked". So I am still wondering what O'Briens (sorry Ryan) did to the meat to make it literally taste like pink shoe leather. The cabbage, on the other hand was very good. Instead of boiled potatoes I received a healthy serving of mashed potatoes. Like I said, the cabbage was good. The cost of the beers was $ 4.00 a piece and the meal was $ 10.00. I was there about one hour and I spent $ 23.00 plus I left a 3-4 dollar tip. My wife and I went back to the pub (after she got off of work). I purchased her an armband and we each had 3 pints. We stayed for about an hour and a half. We had to go upstairs and find two seats that were actually reserved for someone else. The place was pretty full. They had a couple of "home-schooled" kids playing bag pipes and drums. I probably left no less than $8.00
in tips plus I bought a cigar for about six bucks. So now my daily tab approached $70.00.I have been wanting to purchase a set of speakers to attach to my new Sony VAIO (bad mama jama) Laptop computer. I have been jonesing for the Klisph ones. Bose are nice too but I want Klisph. Had we stayed at home on St. Paddy's Day, I would have had the money for the pair.(They go for about $ 109.00 but I have found them on the internet for around $ 60 plus about $10 in shipping). In my "day" I was quite a audiophile. I am not sure that that term even is used anymore. In 1980 I spent nearly $ 2,000.00 for a stereo system. My grandmother felt generous that year and gave my wife and I a little extra money. I purchased a Luxman tuner and a Luxman amplifier. The first Mrs. The Third felt I had wasted my money on such an unknown brand. Little did she know that Luxman was essentially the "gold standard of "high end" audio equipment. I purchased a Denon CD player (CDs were pretty new on the scene at the time). A Garrad Turntable with an Audio-
Technica cartridge (It alone cost $ 200.00); a Teac reel to reel player.; a Teac cassette player; a Harmon Kardin graphic equalizer and finally two Infinity QaII speakers. It sounded really nice. All my friends loved it. The two small speakers I mentioned above when connected to my blogging machine will damn near sound as good as that "system" I once had, and a lot cheaper. I recall setting by the dance floor on Monday night at my favorite tittie Bar (Mom's) and lamenting that I had to pay $ .75 for a beer. Now I go to a pub in downtown Temple Texas (the armpit of Texas) and pay between 4 and 5 bucks for one beer. And no one gets. naked!I used to think that beers like Pearl and Hamm's and Falstaff tasted bad because they were made using cheap ingredients. Actually, they were probably made with ingredients that actually cost more than what is now used in the "major" breweries' brews.
Our economy and has truly gone to shit. That right I said SHIT. I watched our President conducts a new conference. You know he is a good speaker, but I think he is just another talking head. A black one. I really hope I am wrong. Let me say right here and right now that I am a boomer. I grew up in an age where bigotry and racial inequality was very real and very wrong. I am the last person who can say no black person received a high school diploma from Fair Park High School before me. Alma Taylor was the next graduate behind me and she was black. She was the first. As we stepped off the stage I turned and gave her a high five. People began to boo. e thought is was funny. To this day I detest the phrase " the N word" Shit that is so stupid. If you want to really agitate me all you have to do is call me a racist. I am so embarrassed about my past and the people (both friends and family) who were, indeed, racist. Dr. King said he hope to live in a world that people are not judged by the color of their skin but the content of their character. Not to make light on Martin's statement but that could aply to beer as well.
Ok, I am sorry. There I went on another ramble. Back to the tirade.
I still recall the day in 1974 when I received my first check from the pipeline company. I think the total was about $ 700.00 (for two weeks pay) I remember cashing it and received all of it in fifty dollar bills. I was rich. That was nearly 35 years ago. Thirty Five years! I rarely make that much now and I have a lot more expenses than I did then. Back then I would take an imaginary look into the future and foresee so many things. My vision of the future is becoming more and more depressing.
My current job is one I have to admit I like. I travel and although I never really look forward to the actual traveling, I do tend to enjoy it. I do get to sample beers from other parts of the country. Then again it is depressing when I get back home and I drink up the last of the beers I brought home with me. I realize it may be awhile before I will drink another Smutty Nose or Long Trial or Red Trolley. The people I work with are pretty fun to be around. Lately most are not too happy with me. The problem has been the frequency of actual work. I have been off for over a month and I learned I am not assigned to go back on the road until the 31st of March. Then I will only "be out" a week" . The next one after that (in Florida) will be at least two weeks after the one I am about to leave for.That is not a good thing. The job does not pay that well. I make more than most or at least as much as most of my fellow employees. If I ever sat down and did the math I am sure I would find a Wal-Mart greeter a fry chef at McDonald's or even a ditch digger would actually pay more than what I would make in a month. Our company has nearly 50 employees and although I have been employed there since November, 2005 only 6 employees (Roger, Lowell, Chris, Eric, Jack and Mike) have been working there longer than me. A few would argue with me on that point. But they each have quit (seeking their fortune elsewhere) and returned (with hat in hand )to the job later. I would be willing to wager than half of them do not have valid driver's licenses and the combined total of DWI's/DUI's received by the current employees exceeds over 100. I heard that one of them has nearly 20 DUI's issued to him. I find that hard to believe. We have two persons who tend to be the over all supervisors on nearly every project we are assigned. I like each of them. They are both in their early thirties and I feel both of them are really good people. Each of them are knowledgeable about our job. they are both excellent representatives with our clients and they both have, for the most part, respect from all of the employees. The purpose is to state that although my current jobs allows me to travel and absorb things outside of my little dominion, the job is about as dysfunctional as you can possibly imagine. I guess I must say ( and please do not assume I am attempting to boast) most of my fellow employees are lacking intellectually. It is if when the bosses do the hiring they look for people who have criminal records, an abundance of DUI's, years of delinquent child support, or some form of character flaw. The more flawed you are the better the chances you will work for us.
My boss (my brother in law) is actually a fine person and I admire him a lot. He has been a blessing to my wife and I. I shall always be in his debt. But, I do not know any person either alive or dead that is more un-trusting than he is. He goes by the philosophy that one should be judged by perception rather than reality. I really must leave that circus and find another career path. Perhaps a Reality Television Star.
Going back to the comment about people still flock to the bars.... I think that is true. But with the advent of "craft beers" of which I do love, I am not so sure the same synapses will hold true. I can go to the local super market and purchase a twelve pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (PBR) for less than $ 7.00 (tax included). I can purchase at that same store a six-pack of a craft beer for around $ 6.99-$9.99 plus tax. As I type this my wife just called me and informed me she purchased the last 2 six packs of Budweiser American Ale at the local 7 Eleven, for $2.99 a sixer. It seems they can't move the product and they were getting rid of it. If I go to the pub(in this case O'Brien's) I will spend at least $ 4.00 per "pint" ( equates out to 14 oz as compared to 12 oz) for a craft beer. Ok, forget beer and go to the hard stuff. A shot of well whiskey is still $ 3.00. The real pisser here is that craft beer (as a rule of thumb) actually cost less to produce. Now I admit my fav pub does have a certain ambiance. I could go to Peanuts or the Keg (both in my home town) and drink Bud Light , Miller Genuine Draft or Natty Light, for about $2.00-$ 2.50 a bottle or I can bring my own bottle of whiskey in and purchase a coke and class of ice for about a buck. Of course these bars have a certain ambiance too. Shit Hole ambiance.
So I feel something must "give" here. The current economic situation is abysmal. I see it getting better but not until it hits bottom. I am very concerned if I will be able to endure it. We still go to the pub but only drink during "happy hour". We eat out a lot less than before and our spending has all but stopped. I have applied for other jobs that are located here in my home town. there are not many of them around actually. And frankly, I have to admit if I am offered one I will accept it and "quit" my current job. The thought of it hurts actually. By me leaving and finding another job, I will in all likelihood, benefit financially.
But the pubs need to take another look at their pricing policy. For them to truly survive, I fervently believe they should work to make their experience possible considering such difficult economical times.
Buddy can you spare a dime?
The Third
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