more about monday
and now for the rest of the story:
so, even though i was feeling tired, i decided to venture out and check out the Devil's Backbone Tavern. MK said he'd drive, but his monster truck bronco only had 2 seats---- the back was just a ledge. i volunteered to sit on the ledge. what the heck--- i'd rode on the back of a golf cart w/ no headlights in the dark several weeks ago. how bad could it be? some of it was fun, but some of it was scary. the entire ride, MK raved about his truck. apparently he had just bought it the month before. he raved about the engine, raved about the speed, raved about how you had to ride w/ the windows down, and he cracked up his stereo. at first the music was appropriate--- a rockin Neil Young tune. the cd was apparently CSNY though, b/c after that 'our house' came on. hehe... it made me laugh. you don't expect to hear that kind of song blaring out of a bigass truck. MK sung it loudly though. he was excited.
as we got to the barabout what we might encounter. we were a rag tag group of patrons about to enter a potentially scary bar. the hispanic bounty hunter turned maintenance man, the houston divorcee, and me--the wannabe hardcore texan, strolled into the Backbone Tavern only to discover that we were the only 3 people there. seriously. just us 3. and the bartender.
truthfully, i liked it better that way.
the place was really small, but looked like i would have imagined an old TX bar to look like. there was a jukebox in the corner. a couple tables, and a long wooden table type contraption in the middle of the floor. i found out that that long table game is actually the TX version of shuffleboard. Now, i've only played shuffleboard in FLA. and in FLA, it's an outdoor sport, with numbers painted on concrete, and you use a big stick to slide your pucks.
In TX it's a long table w/ some pucks that you slide by hand. the surface of the table has a laquer on it, like a bowling alley lane, to make it smooth. but then you pour salt all over it. it's kind of bizarro. but kind of fun. i'd like to play more.
we talked to the bartender a bit. she said they don't really have a "busy night" there--- some nights are just busier than others. we asked if there was ever live music. she said no, which was a shame since they have an awesome, old fashioned dancehall that's connected to the Bar, but is never used, and is covered in dust. mercy. i wish i could own that place and turn it into something fun.
i asked the bartender if she knew the todd snider song about the bar. she didn't know Todd Snider.
on the price list on the wall, it listed the prices of the beers---basically domestics were 1 price, and imports were another. but then it said "reds and blues: $1.25". so i had to ask what were reds and blues. "milwaukee's best, and milwaukee's best ice" she proclaimed, as she set pulled 1 of each out the cooler and sat them on top of the bar to demonstrate.
exciting.
the other unknown quantity on the list was "setups" for $1.25, so i asked what that was too. she explained that they don't have a liquor license, but you can bring in your own bottle of liquor and they'll sell you a cup and a soda for $1.25. cool. she said they're not even allowed to sell certain kinds of beer, like Guinness, b/c the alcohol content is too high. that's just wacky. i thought i heard once that Guiness actually had a lower alcohol content than most, but maybe i'm wrong.
anyway, RM picked out a bunch of songs from the jukebox. i don't know if he was just picking songs at random, but his selections surprised me, and were really good. bob seger, joe ely, kenny rogers, patsy cline---good stuff. i asked him about, and he said he likes all kinds of music. MK and I played a game or 2 of shuffleboard, while RM sat at the bar chatting w/ the bartender. the shuffleboard game took forever. every couple turns, MK would get distracted and would go talk to the bartender or RM. the poor bartender. MK just get talking and talking and talking, often saying the same thing.
after a couple of Lone Stars, we decided to head out. it was pretty apparent the bartender was trying to close up the shop so she could go home anyway. I was ready to go home as well, but MK wanted to go to the bar next door---Rileys--a motorcyle bar.
we had tempted fate by going to the Backbone as a bunch of outsiders. i was sure that our good fortune would run out in Rileys. but i felt a little better since the guy that fixed mary's motorcycle had recommended Riley's too us as a good place to go, and he seemed like a really nice guy.
Riley's was PACKED. the jukebox was blaring, and all the windows were open, and we walked in to see a total of 7 people hanging out. 7. and 1 of them was the bartender. apparently monday night is NOT the night to go out in Wimberley. one of the 3 ladies there instantly recognized RM, and gave him a big hug. at least that was a good sign that we might not be killed. all of the patrons that were in the bar looked like people you would expect to see at a biker bar---without all the leather. except, apparently out of place, was a very attractive girl who looked to be in her 20's. not sure what her deal was, but she seemed to be hitting it off pretty good w/ a pretty big biker type fellow who looked to be at least twice her age.
most of the patrons sat at the corner of the bar. several of them played pool. a guy came in who looked like a middle school science teacher. he carried his own pool stick w/ him, he and MK talked about their issues w/ women. i pretended i was watching the football game on the tv. i hate football. i try not to tell anyone that here in the lone star state. texans love football.
the big biker guy who had the young blonde flirting w/ him came over to us.
i was sure he was going to ask if we were in the wrong place.
he didn't. he was just polite and social, asking us normal small talk questions. bikers are nice.
actually there weren't even any motorcycles in the parking lot.
at least i have a girlfriend who rides.
somehow that doesn't seem like it makes me look cool though.
we stayed there much longer than i wanted too, but MK and RM continued to buy me free beers. i tried to buy 1 round, but they protested. works for me. i'm broke. free beer is good. but i had too much of it. by the end i was pretty drunk and pretty tired. i climbed into the back of the monster truck and we headed home.
i scooped up the Gus, and hit the bed and fell asleep at 12.40.
at 1.30 i woke up and puked.
ha!
i haven't puked from beer in ages.
maybe it was chicken fried steak, or the monster truck ride, or maybe it actually was the beer.
or the combination of the 3.
but i did puke.
it was just once, and was small.
and i felt much better afterwards.
the next day i told mary that i puked.
she laughed and made fun of me for puking in TX before her.
and then it was tuesday.
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