Barhopping - Layoffs, Girl from Ipanema, Flavelas

Due to cost cutting and budgetary constraints the company will need to fire some people...Management was doing away with our Policy Owner Services (POS) Department. Management decided to move the functions of POS to the Amarillo offices, where the cost of labor and cost of living was cheaper. The former employees were all given severance packages. November 20, 2012 was their last day and they decided to celebrate at TGIF.

Jackie, tall, dark and lovely was serving my favorite when there are no other favorable darkies-Guiness.

 The question of the evening was what you would do with your severance proceeds. Selena said she was going to move to Bali, Indonesia which prompted me to give the greeting of As-salamu alaykum and she replied back alaikum salam. She would be worshiped in an Islamic country like Indonesia because she was dark and voluptuous.  Selena was a bit tipsy during the evening and kept harping on me to get Ricardo's ass (my fellow office mate) to the party. I sent several harassing phone calls to Ricardo who was still at his cubicle but finally got to the party.

The most interesting use of the severance package belongs to Brian. Brian had vacationed in Brazil. On the beach of Ipanema, while having one of the best pizza, shaped into a cone, he saw Her.

Maria behind some beer.

She was with her three friends, coming from the beach, topless and going to take a shower. Brian was harpooned by Her. She came over. She smiled. They talked. She said there was going to be a party at the favela, she gave Brian the address.

The taxi wouldn't go into the favelas. Gorgeous girls left their taxis, and paid motorcycle taxi to take them into the favelas. The favelas were lit up like stars strewn across the hillside. Brian was at the appointed place waiting and dancing. She showed up around 3:00 am. They hung out until the morning hours. Brian is going back to her.

The POS party ended at around 9:30 pm. POS party started at 4:30 pm. I nightcapped at Webers. Jocelyn was seving. Formerly she was student majoring in psychology and minored in threater.

Barhopping-Purdy Effect, Spit in My Face, On Being an Nothingness

I walked into Dublin's as the Raiders game was ending. I got into a conversation with Tomas at the bar. Tomas called the Raiders, Traiders because they used to be an LA team and they betrayed us by moving to Oakland. "But if you had to be a team that came from some place that is hardcore which would you choose:  Los Angeles or Oakland?," I asked. "Oakland.", he said. "It would be like a football team, Angelenos brought over being supported like some place that was hardcore like Compton." Our conversation segued into Tomas and my itinerant ways and places we've lived and one of the places we had not lived is Compton. I noted the Purdy effect of hiring a cute bartender and greeter in Dublins. "That's to bring more guys into the door.", Tomas said. "Word!." Rene was tending bar, kinda like Irene except with out the "I". To me that sounded very Irish. I had two drinks (the other a Guiness, the Smithwick ($4.00 draft) was to pale to be for me) and bolted.

Got off at the Cypress/Lincoln Heights station walked over several blocks to La Blanc. Just football on the big screens. But they were playing a good set of oldies:  LA Woman by the Doors, House of the Rising Sun by the Animals, etc. Over the bar they had sign: "Beer: Helping Ugly People have Sex since 1862."

Mushroom chicken and orange chicken.

I walked down Broadway and needed to sober up with some food at "Five Chinese??", a small mom and pop joint. Mom and pop had 3 little boys scampering around. The littlest boy was so happy to see me, he greeted me with a smile but he had a mouthful of spit which he squeezed out between his teeth at me. I felt like reenacting the scene from Ace Ventur-Pet Detective's "Show of Affection."

I

 Jumped back on the Metro, got off on the Highland Park station, and headed for the Cave. Got checked in by Tony.

I had a Murphy's Irish Stout. Good crowd for a Sunday night, kinda expected since tomorrow was a holiday for some. The jazzy band did their instrumental version of Sublime's Santeria.

I took the 81 bus line to the Black Boar where I had another Murphy's.

I would have been good to see Brenda to top off the evening. But it ended up like Being and Nothingness.

Barhopping series - Steak n' Eggs, Too Clubby

Famished and cold. Nothing like Norm's steak and eggs to appease my hunger and sober me up.

At the Hully Gully, got checked in by having my id looked over and being frisked by security. (Shook hands with security and he looked down during the handshake.) Paid a $10.00 cover. The music was 80's and very loud. At the bar they didn't have any dark beers, and no Guiness. My natural tendency is to drink Pabst when it comes to drinking pisswater and f*ck Heineken. I was texting at the time and some lady says something about "do I always have to be connected?" When the music is this loud and my feeling for the place is le mepris because it is so clubby and not divey enough; my consolation is to text. But my reply was: "Its getting close to 1:00 am, the witching hour when they stop serving. It's best you drink up while you still can."

Barhopping series - Lost a Girl to My Best Friend, Cancer Stick Pimp, Zee & Ray

When I used to live in Downey, I'd go cruising (not in the gay-sense) and I'd see some bars that would interest me but I didn't have the balls to go in. Anarchy Library Bar is on of those bars.

Walked over from Cocktails to the Anarchy, got checked in by Bob The Bouncer (silver maned elderly fellow with a goattee) and its still too early for 9 o'clock. The DJ was still setting up. Asked the DJ the genre of music?, it would be 80's. I requested "She's Lost Control" by Joy Division and got it.

Rei (Raylene?, Rashene?) dark hair in a French Bob beauty was serving at the bar. Later, Zee another dark haired beauty would bar tend. I love the bartenders nom de guerre or nom d'artiste. Started talking to another barfly in glasses, mustache and goatee but he was very reticent. Cancer stick pimp asked us if we wanted some free cigarettes. Sure I said. Cancer stick pimp didn't have the pack on him but he would give us a coupon if we told him our e-mail address. I was about to tell him to sod off, when I conned him into bumming a cigarette off him to smoke outside. Talked and smoked with Bob and Cancer Stick Pimp. I expected to get a jag from the cig but it was so f*cking cold I couldn't feel the hit. I got the free cig and didn't have to shell out my e-mail address.

Got to talking with Reticent Barfly about women. The subject set Reticent Barfly off and he became more real and talkative. He had just lost his girl to his best friend. He called a whore.

Barhopping - Faded Glories, and Scary Paul

 I was in Downey looking to drink and socialize but the bar I wanted to go to didn't open till 8:30 pm. Downey must have zero tolerance for drunks during the day. "Puritanism and Productivity." is probably the city's motto. I cruise down Bellflower Blvd and see this hole in the wall, The Midway.

 Somehow the name is apropos since the bar is probably a relic from World War II and most of the clients look to be from "the greatest generation." I wanted to use the head and I accidently walk in on a guy who's peeing. I apologize and excuse myself. After he comes out of the head, I apologize about the door not being locked and he goes on: "Its okay, I'm only holding my Johnson in my hand." My reply back, "Well, so long as its not another man holding your Johnson. (That's a schooner-size of Newcastle for $5.00. The only dark beer they have in the place. They don't even carry Guiness.)

Iron Lion. Zion.

MaryAnn is tending bar. She has the deepest dimples I have ever seen. They are deep because of former piercings. Some older middle age guy is going on about how he used to be in a band and how much pussy he used to get. What purpose does that conversation serve? Anyways, I thought this was going to be a straight up country western bar until they started playing U2 and this gem from REM. 

On the other side of the street from the Anarchy Library Bar is as the sign says. Patricia is tending bar. Paul's been drinking for while, prepping himself before he goes to the karaoke bar, where he says there are a lot of hot women. Paul says he's never blackouted from drinking too much and he starts his story  of how he argued his way out of a drunk driving arrest.
"So why did you stop me officer..You think I was drunk...So you THINK  I was drunk..HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH SOMEONE IS DRUNK BY THINKING THEY ARE DRUNK!!!" The further he got into his story, the louder he got, the more obnoxious became and he'd get in your face. Then he goes on about how much profit can be generated as a business owner. I play myself off as the ingenu, watch the show and enjoy the ride. My take away is lose the chip on your shoulder and you'll be free.

As far as decent beers, Cocktails is the only place with a good dark brew, Arrogant Bastard Dark Ale.