Howl At The Moon

June 8, 2003

After what seemed like an hour (and it may well have been that long) waiting outside, we finally get in to the joint. I cannot tell you the last time I had to actually stand in a line to get into a place to drink booze. But – I had a blast listening to Sally and Ann talk back and forth, people watching.

My favorite line from Ann: "They can’t hear me if I’m not looking at them."

Roll call would be me, Jim and Sally (Jim’s wife), Ann (Sally’s sister) and her fiance Tim, as well as Amy and Alison.

Amy and Alison were both very nice, and I feel bad that I didn’t spend more time talking with them. It was fairly loud inside the place, so that made conversation tough. And I also consumed a good amount of alcohol, and that also made conversation tough.

Everyone was really nice, and I’m hoping I didn’t say a lot of stupid shit. I have a fuzzy recollection of the last half of the evening.

Oh, and this brings me to the picture! The shot (above) is of Jim, and the $20 bill he found on the floor by the bar. We had just walked into the place and found ourselves a nice little open/uncrowded area. Lo and behold, we’re greeted with a crisp bill.

Ah, this crazy world. You just gotta love the circularity sometimes.

Aaaaand right about here is where my decision-making skills start to go downhill. What you can’t see in this photo is the double shot of Jim Beam I’m working on, sitting on the bar behind me.

Here’s a shot of the crowd. The place was packed, and awfully loud. Instead of what I imagined as dueling pianos (two baby grands, smoky room, spotlights on the stage, each pianist switching back and forth musically and vocally), it was more a cover band. They had a drummer, and only one piano maybe? I dunno.

Still, I have to admit – the more I drank, I actually started to sing a bit. Towards the end of the night, I was trying to belt things out as loudly as I could.

Jim and Tim, standing pretty much where we found that $20.

Side note. One of the songs the band was playing was Tom Petty’s "American Girl."

However. However.

I always associate this song with The Silence of the Lambs. This song is playing in the background (on the radio) when the girl (the senator’s daughter?) meets up with Buffalo Bill for the first time. Right before he asks her help to move the sofa into the van, this song is playing in her car as she drives home.

All through college, Jim and I were always finishing each other’s sentences, picking up on the other person’s movie/cartoon/nerd references. He threw out a Simpsons line, I finished it.

As I was explaining how "American Girl" sorta creeped me out because of the movie, Jim screams out "It puts the lotion in the basket!"

I love the guy. No two ways about it. :)

Did I happen to mention that there were somewhere in the neighborhood of at least 4 (if not more) bachlorette parties in attendance? Seriously – it was ridiculous. Apparently, this is the place to go for that sort of thing.

Here’s a bunch of them all, standing near the band.

Each person here is, I believe, going to be married. They all either had boas around them, princess crowns, or plastic phalluses tucked into their shirts. Five bachlorettes total? Six? It’s just fucked up.

This would be Alison (left) and Amy (right), friends of Ann. I really should have talked with Alison more. What was I thinking? Doh!

Ann (left) and Sally (right). Big Jim in the background.

So, in my drunken brilliance, I decided that we all need to get a bucket’s worth of Hurricanes. Not for the booze mind you, but for the photo op. That’s right, I’m putting in that extra, personal sacrifice just for your viewing pleasure.

No need to thank me.

Sally, doing her "Oh wait, I need to finish this beer before I tackle the rum" gesture.

More straws = more fun. I dare you to find an exception to that rule. :)

This girl was playing "Devil Went Down to Georgia" on the violin. Oddly, I used to do this very same thing, back when Jim and I were roommates in undergrad. One of my few party tricks.

Have no doubt about it. This guy isn’t smiling because he wishes you well. He wants to fuck you up.

Sally and Ann. :)

Amy and Jim, with a rather tired looking Tim in the corner. In retrospect, I’m a bit amazed that we actually got a table.

Don’t let this picture fool you. Jim is actually about twice my height.

Tim, falling prey to the dreaded Jedi Mind Trick.

The bathroom is actually behind the stage, so there’s this epic sort of journey you
have to undergo to push your way past the sweaty, loud, drunken masses. In effect, I’m facing outward, towards the rest of the bar in this shot.

The drummer.

Yeah, I’m not sure why I took this either.

Another shot of the piano.

Back at the table, things get a bit boisterous. I think there may have been some shimmying going on.

Another moment where I decided more booze was needed. I ordered a round of Jello shots (in syringes). This one isn’t in focus, but it’s classic Jim and Sally.