Bar Hopping Series-The Verdugo (tortured hamster, out of a 20 year relationships, Rastapros)

Obsidian stout by deshutes brewery

American stout.  Hoppsy. I can't even taste the chocolate.. malty smooth.

The crowd looked be mostly college and a few maybe 3 or 4  older guys. One guy I recognize as a gaffer from the Black Boar and I over heard Brenda say something about her being stalked by him from the Black Boar. I don't let on I'd be doing the same thing. But I'm here for Pliny the Younger. My first question was, "Do you have Pliny the Younger." Brenda says we sold out of that within 30 minutes on Saturday. I'm devastated. I ask for the first dark bear on the list. We recognize each other but she doesn't let on and I don't let on. We play it cool.

Allagash Black. Belgian strong dark ale. Aged in Bourbon barrels. Very sweet given the high sugar content also high in alcohol 9%.

They ran out of Blind Pig but they had Pliny the Elder.

Row 2 Hill 56. American pale. Light subtle aromatic fruity. Followed by Evil Twin / Stillwater / Stone "The Perfect Crime" Black Smoked Saison. (not pictured)

  For my second beer I ask for an Allagash Black from Brenda. I wait awhile, she comes back and says, "You're having the Sculpin, right?" "No. The Allagash." "My bad, this ones on me." Brenda actually bought me a beer. My mind optimistically wonders if she has a thing for me. No bartenders ever bought me a beer since that time with Mark when we went to our first gay bar, Faultline. I should bring up the subject next time as part of my flirtation, something along the line..."since you bought me a beer. I owe you dinner. How about that French Bistro on Colorado Blvd?" type of thing.

I noticed a loud extrovert, heavy set woman talking loudly and she mentioned Frogtown. Automatically, this rings my bell because I notice she is a local, someone who was raised in the neighborhood. She mentions she's in her early 40's but she looks about mid-30's, the beer is really strong at the Verdugo for this illusion to work on me. I finally get a chance to chat her up by saying, "I haven't heard this place called Frogtown since junior high." She goes into the history of the place that it was named Frogtown because the civil corp. of engineers called it that because of a pond in the area. It was actually toads not frogs. To me the name has strong gang affiliations, FTR, and is used to denote their territory. We introduce ourselves, her name is Lissette. She starts unwinding her stories, I just try to keep up to her with stories of my own. Lisette tells of her story how when she was a kid, in Reno, Nevada, her school would allow them to bring home the school pet hamster for everyone to enjoy. When it was her turn to take home the hamster, she tortured the little creature until it died. She was fascinated every time she squeezed the dead hamster its eyes would bug out. She had to bury the dead thing, but the ground was frozen solid, so she got her hair dryer and hooked it up to an extension cord and defrosted the grown and buried the dead hamster. Now that the hamster was dead how was she going explain what happened to it. Of course, she couldn't say she tortured it to death, so she brought  the empty hamster cage to school and pretended the hamster had somehow escaped and a full on search and recovery ensued, but the hamster was never found.  Later she said she would defrost the ground where the hamster was buried just to exhume the remains and look fascinatingly at the decaying body of the hamster. She said what I would have said about her too. Serial killer totally. I followed it with my story about some junior high boys who said they got a cat..a firecracker..Lissette started talking about how she had to euthanize her pet dog. Her pet dog had gotten some type of cancer or other and she had to put it down. The vet said she could administer the coup de grace shot. So they scheduled a day for her to do it and she thought to herself I can do this, no big deal. The day of the euthanizing some nurses came balling their eyes out over having to put down a dog earlier. After seeing this, she said, "Fuck this shit. I'm not doing this. You guys can do this. I'm not going to be in the same room." The other time she had to "take care" of animal was when a sick opossum had crawled into her planter and she couldn't bring herself to pound the thing to death with a shovel. I shared my story about an opossum...and the jacuzzi...Lissette talked about the time her dog brought her a dead opossum in her backyard. The dog brought it to her like, "look ma, look what I caught." She was totally grossed out. She went to get a shovel to pickup the thing up and put it in the trash. By the time she got back the possum was gone. I guess it was playing possum. My story was about my father-in-law's dog, Cookie, killed a cat...the dead cat the the funniest expression I have ever seen on a dead cat...

Toward the end of the evening, I bummed a cigarette off her and our discussions became more intimate. She had been previously in a 20 year relationship and when the relationship ended she got a long breakup e-mail (the longest e-mail she has ever gotten). Basically, the boyfriend ended the relationship because "he needed somebody who believed in God." I thought to myself this is lamest excuse or the boyfriend had no commitment whatsoever." Then she followed it with how she had pursued someone else... and I asked if how hard she hard pursued this person..did you throw yourself at him? "Yes, very hard in that type of way." Just to get over all the crap relationship stuff she went to Jamaica with her friends. I asked her my usual travel question about taking on a lover in order to immerse oneself in the language, food and culture. She said it didn't interest her. Although, she met a pimp who had a stable of Rastapros who could be had for $60.00 a night. Dexter St. Jacque and you passed up on it. Incredible, I thought for having missed on an opportunity. We became emotionally vulnerable to the point, I thought about sleeping with her. The beers at the Verdugo are a powerful aphrodisiac.

They were playing a bunch of Elvis tunes and this one by the Buzzcocks.

Bar Hop Series - The Verdugo: A Fellow Zythophile looking for his Holy Grail

Naughty Sauce. Noble brewery. Milk stout (nitro). Coffee and nutty.

Blind Pig. American IPA.

Still Life Stout. Beachwood brewery. American Double Stout. Aromatically flowery.

Avery odio equim. Oh mein gott its sour!

Guiness at Crazy Harry and they let me eat my burger.

I drove down to The Verdugo to see Brenda and have some brews. A very good selection of brews but they didn't enforce their happy hour. Brenda works on Tuesday and Friday's.
I met Fausto a fellow zythophile and we had a good old time talking about beer. He told me of his quest for his holy grail of beers, Pliny the Younger. Its so hard to get, Russian River brewery only releases it on a limited basis. He was going off on a rumor in the Internet that the Verdugo would have it on tap. He drove all the way from Long Beach to be here. He googled it they said they would be having some this Monday. Must be some pre-promotional hype, because they weren't serving it. I just checked they'll have some this Saturday at 2pm. The other place is the Surly Goat in West Hollywood.
Fausto told me an anecdote of how he scored some at the brewery and he bought coolers of the brew on ice. He then went to another brewery where he bumped into the sommelier from the Wynn and he said he had some Pliny the Younger. The sommelier didn't believe him but Fausto brought him back a few $5.00 bottles and the sommelier was so impressed he picked up Fausto and his wife's tab at the brewery. 
The other thing that impressed me about Fausto is he said he took his porters and stouts warm. A true beer connoisseur.
I took the 84 bus line back to the Gold Line, then the Red Line. The Red line stalled at the Universal City Station because one of the trains broke down at the last stop at the North Hollywood station.  I got off at the Universal City station where I gave one of the Metro officials a piece of my angry mind. I didn't know how long before the trains would start running back to the NoHo station so I decided to take the bus. While waiting at the bus stop a black hipster guy in those big rectangular glasses offered me a toke and being under the influence of the brews with lowered inhibitions took a hit. Smelling like EndoChina, or hanging out with the Buddha or sinsemilla, I boarded the bus. One uppity guy took a whiff of me went to the other side of the bus. I hadn't done the Marley since that time with Mark. But I made it to last call at Crazy Harry's to see Kayla and have a Guiness, a famous star and some chicken tenders.

Bar Hop Series - Hermasillo and the Black Boar

I've blog about these places before, but I will usually cruise back to a place because they are my favorites based on the selection of beers, the ratio of women to men, the cuteness of the bartenders and the service. At the Hermasillo on York Blvd I had the following brews:

 Knight Changer (Nitro) , stout.

 Three. Rye American Strong Ale by Eagle Rock Brewery.

 American IPA by Eagle Rock Brewery.

Victoria at Sea, coffee and vanilla stout from Ballast Point Brewery.

Unlike the York, I like this place better for its coziness. Scott is serving-bearded guy, about five foot nine, white and lanky. Tonight the ratio of women to men is 12 to 8. I don't sit down at the first open seat. I browse the women at the bar and then take a seat. I am between 2 sets of women. The women to my left-there are three of them, one of them is leading a discussion on real estate. The two women to my right, I catch conversation about their apartment, a fleeting conversation on men they met on dates and travel. I break into their conversation with a question in order to get to know a country would you take on a lover in order to immerse yourself in the language and the culture? Christianna said no, Kara said no. Christianna's input on the question is its a guy question. Hmmm. In the larger sense its a moral/ethical, philosophical, and societal question. Is it right or wrong to sleep with someone to immerse yourself in the language and culture? Who says its wrong? The society, the American society? How does American society view women who take on a lover in order to immerse themselves in a culture? If as an American women, if you were liberated from the chains of pejorative attitudes would you take on a lover? Are you living your life the fullest by doing this? Have you ever thrown yourself at a man before? I got their names that was good enough for me. The songs they were playing Iggy and the Stooges Down on the Street, The Pixies Where is My Mind. Kristen Hersh Wave of Mutilation. The other side note: 2 motorcyclist were at the bar drinking. One brought along her girlfriend. Young and invincible. What's the quote about leaving a good looking corpse. Kara rides. I headed over to the Black Boar.

I had Young's double chocolate stout and the Steinber

I met Dave the bouncer at the door, I asked if Brenda was serving. No, Brenda no longer worked there, she left two months ago and is now working at the Verdugo Bar. I promised myself, I'm going to the Verdugo Bar. My unofficial count of the ratio of women to men is 22 women and 13 men. However, I brought this point up in a conversation with a person who was waiting for their drink and he told me she is transgender. The unofficial count is revised as 23 women and 12 men. Nearly 2 to one. For a Sunday night, it was packed. I got to talking to the DJ, he was playing Sam Cooke's Soothe Me and George Clinton's Atomic Dog.

Bar Hop Series - Dublin's, Coles, Bar 107, Los Angeles Brewing Company and Las Perlas

 I got off the Red Line. My first stop is the usual, Dublin's, just to lubricate myself towards the evening.  I got carded. I'm old enough to be your father twice over. $4.00 dollar pints of Guiness, the price makes me happy. The only place I know that serves Guiness for that price is the Canby, the Hungarian always serves the brews there.

Guiness

I was on a quest to go to a bar, I hazily remembered from a previous barhopping jaunt. My recollection of where the bar was not too strong so I took to wandering the downtown streets hoping I would bump into it. But as I wandered and I saw a bar that interested me I would naturally walk in.

Black Butte - subtle

I walked into Coles. I went down to the far end of the bar. I sat myself down next to a black girl, named Juwana, next to her was Rudy, a latino, who was firmly esconced in picking Juwana up and I was interrupting.  The conversation was about "lists" and 80's music was playing. List of favorite songs from Prince. Juwana said "Little Red Corvette". I said "Darling Nikki." Madonna was playing. Juwana named some recent Madonna song I've never heard of. I told her "Material Girl" and "Dress You Up in My Love" (because its the type song you can dance to.) Juwana laughed and said, "No guy says that!". OMG, the implications are I'm a total metrosexual. The conversation got around to other bars in the area. Rudy mention the "Down and Out", as a good place to be because towards the end of the evenings women will be three sheets into the wind and can be had very easily. He mentioned one time he was there some girl jumped on the bar and the did some type of sexy stripper dance. Rudy brought up the question "if you were stuck on a desert island and had only one movie to watch over and over again what would it be?" Rudy said, "Casino."

Abita Turbodog. I find it licoricey.

Juwana said, "When Harry met Sally." This ultimatum on the list usually suggest you like the values within the movie and therefore would like to have those value played out over and over again or reinforced. I chose something they never heard of Wong Kar-Wai's "Chungking Express", a pseudo-romantic film that has inspired others like Marianna Palk's "Good Dick" and Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation". Ben Hur was playing on the LCD and the chariot race scene came on I quiped "Looks like the 405." Juwana laughed. Rudy last question was, "If you were stuck on a desert island and had to choose on season of a TV series, what would it be?" Rudy said, "Family." Juwana, said, "Arrested Development." I asked, "What that TV show with comedy, romance, has element of a musical, you know the one with Calista Flockhart?" "Ally McBeal! I love Ally McBeal.", peeled Juwana. I said, "Ok. I gotta get outta here, because I coming off as being so gay."

I saw another bar across from Coles and it is Las Perlas but they didn't open until 10 pm.

Freshly squeezed Guiness at Bar 107.

Wandered into Bar 107. My history with Bar 107 is I was 86ed twice from the place, once for carousing a bit too much and the other I was denied entry at the door. For a bar that supposed to have a grimy dive atmosphere what's with the red velvet rope policy? This establishment has gotten so snobby, and snooty. They try to cultivate the barfly-in-the-dregs image with their black velvet painting of a naked black woman and assorted Dada artworks, reality is you better be able to walk the line. The bartender squeezed a can of Guiness into my glass, and I said "Freshly squeezed." I talked with some snotty downtowner who lived in his $1,300 apartment about the boring real estate market. Shit, I got the fuck outta there.

Yeti at Los Angeles Brewing Company.

I found the bar, I had the hazy recollection of. Its the Los Angeles Brewing Company. They have a lot of brews on tap. It was still too early and the late night crowd started seep in. Too bad I have to leave before I'm too far gone.

Wee Heavy at Las Perlas

Las Perlas is a tequila bar, but surprisingly they had a good selection of dark brews. The scene is not the type I detest because the people are a bit too dressed up. I was talking with 2 other guys and sharing my Wee Heavy (it comes in a tall bottle, almost champagne like) with them but since it was too malty the girls couldn't take it. I hung and watch the pool game.

Pool at Las Perlas.

I sobered up at my favorite Japanese cafe. I ordered the specials which I can't recollect. Where Hitomi?  She is such a cutie.

Ocha to miso.

Got the train and made it come before the 2:30 am curfew.

Bar Hopping Series - Club Reseda

I got off work early and wanted to do some pre-celebrating  before the New Year at my cousin's house. Unfortunately, Crazy Harry wasn't going to open till 6 pm. so the only alternative was to try some place new, Club Reseda. It earned my disappointment. It's just a beer and wine dive with a bad selection of brews. Typical Mexican joint and I didn't want to hang with  the patrons. Lucy was tending bar. What made the place amusing was Frank and Ray. The minute I walked in I overheard them razing the regulars of the place. Say shit like "look my grandma came in" in reference to an older, portly lady. So we got to talking about the bars around the San Fernando Valley. Ray talked about a bar in Sun Valley that had more of a real south of the border feel than Club Reseda..way south of the border. Ray said when he went to use the john some guy was offering free samples of coke from a baggie. Kinda like when they have those free samples of sausages at Costco, but instead its coke. So everytime he had to take a piss he was uncomfortable being near Mr. Coke Pusher Man. He said the placed look like it was controlled some Mexican Gangsters, La M. You could tell who were the gangsters, because of their Norteno outfits. Ray said its the first and last time he'll ever hang around there. Ray is kinda of joker with Frank being the but of his jokes. One time Ray sold Frank some grass clippings and told him it was weed. Another time Ray sold Frank some chalk, the kinda chalk used to mark the lines on the football field and told him it was coke. Frank would snort some and then two seconds later Frank's nose started to bleed.

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.