Adventure: Adventures Over Dinner
Who says dinner should be boring?
#1) Local pub, dark wood, red carpet, brass fixtures, plenty of beer taps, and really decent pizza. It’s been a long day of walking and we’re hungry.
It doesn’t take long to notice the Irishmen. They’re Irish. They stand out. And the Brothers Irish like that.
The younger brother has a devil-may-care swagger and a penchant for chasing cougars. The older brother is hardened-Irish and still very connected to his military days. Upon first meeting these two, it seems as though the older brother is rather stern, level-headed, and keeping an eye on his younger, precocious sibling. With my “talk to me” sign in full-effect, we hear all about how irresponsible the younger Irishman is, how much the family depends on the older, how father has always been hard on him and is forever disappointed in the younger. They paint a family portrait for us.
A few (or five) shots in, and the portrait starts to change. They’re now drunk enough that it’s obvious who is taking care of whom. Father was apparently very hard on the oldest and the military training hasn’t done him any favors. The younger jokes a little less and checks on his brother a little more. Younger brother and the bartender both acknowledge that older brother’s had enough, but older brother still has stories to slur, so they continue entertaining us.
Cougar-chaser has a pregnant wife at home who’s not very happy with him (can’t really blame her) and General Slur is between ex-wives at the moment… it seems he has some anger management issues and a tendency toward nightmares. Father is a ripe old bastard and mother is a saint. The General tears up at the mention of his mom… there’s more to this story, but it’s time for the Brothers Irish to find a taxi. In hindsight, choosing the street level of the pub would have been a better choice, but they both manage to climb the stairs back up to the curb.
Beaux is taken aback by this amazing display and admits that this sort of thing never happens to him.
Welcome to Andrea-Land, where the words “talk to me” shine brighter than a neon Hot Doughnuts Now sign.
#2) I’m terrible at trivia. If you want to get close to the right answer, I’m the person for the job, but I hope you didn’t have any plans for that bar-cash, ‘cause you probably won’t see any. On the bright side: each pint leads to funnier questions and more confident answers (at least from where I’m sitting)!
Name the four teenage mutant ninja turtles? I got this! …and their corresponding mask colors? …hmm. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe…
How many times have I seen Toy Story?? Doesn’t matter… I will narrowly miss this one, too.
It’s so bad that the MC wanders by our table and tells me the answer to one of the questions, just to help us out.
Yep: trivia is normal, beer is good, food is delicious, and it turns out that the pub shows movies on the rooftop every week. Pretty sweet.
#3) Coffee houses in old residential buildings are my favorite. Small rooms, comfortable seating, toilets in odd locations for a business, and… gypsy jazz in the front room? Of course!
It’s cold outside but the front door is wide open. How else will you get fresh air in the place while letting everyone on the street know that this is the place to be? Besides, Mr. Falcon’s has you covered (or… blanketed). That’s right. Come on in and get your coffee, wine, beer, and a blanket to sit under while you listen to the sweet, sweet sounds of finger blisters and arm cramps forming! I rarely get to hear this kind of string work live. (These guys are amazing!)
Need to use the toilet? Feel free to wander around upstairs! No one’s going to stop you. Just be sure to come back down when you’ve reached the end of the renovations. You’ll know it when you get there. (That sign you followed means “to the back” not “up the stairs.” Honest mistake.)