Day 71 - Friday With Starbuck

Friday, March 12th, 2010


OK so Friday started later than normal for me. The last couple of Fridays have found myself with Sugi at Jack's around 8:30 to 9:00 pm, just before DJ Vagabond, DJ Overflo and DJ B Rich arrive to start their setup process for the night's music.

Tonight I landed at Jack's at 10:00 pm, to meet up with Lindsay aka Starbuck (Sugi was at work and could not attend).

Let you in on a secret: I don't like going to Jack's late at night on Friday and Saturday and here's why: It's crowded as hell inside the bar.

This is good for the bar. More $ and all that. And in all fairness to Jack's, they've opened up the back patio for the past several weeks and lessened the pressure of bodies in the bar (though on some open patio nights it's still crowded as fuck inside), but I'm still not keen on 'starting late'.

Nevertheless, Lindsay picked the time and so that's when I'd arrive.

Tonight I found Ras Dank at the door and Charlie behind the bar. Jack's was full of humans and the back patio wasn't open yet (turns out it wasn't going to be opened tonight at all) and I couldn't even see Lindsay sitting at the bar for all the people inside.

I might have found her eventually, but ran into Gary and his fiancé Patty at one of the wall tables (under the Serendipity print, actually) which ended up working out for the best as that's where Lindsay and I hung out for most of the rest of the night.

Gary pointed out Lindsay to me at the bar. She was wearing a leopard print hoodie, had on a gold necklace of what looked like the outline of a dove (I wanted to check further, but didn't want to be caught basically staring at her chestal region), tight black pants and sneakers. Her fantastically blond hair was glowed like neon inside the bar and I said hello and gave her a hug as Gary and I moved up to the bar to order drinks.

That little table became our island in the sea of people in the bar, which only got more full.

At one point I went to get more beer for myself and Lindsay and spotted an open spot at the bar. Problem was there were three very tall men betwixt me and my opportunity to drink more. I sort of asked-walked through their personal space and got the spot before another pair of dudes could navigate to it. After Charlie served me up the beers I turned to go back through the tripartite gauntlet of man towers. One of them said to me, "You look like Zac Brown."

I paused, not knowing who this was. I responded to them that normally I get told I look like Yukon Cornelius. Then I said that being told I looked like Zac Brown was much cooler, even though I didn't know who the hell that was.

Pic of Zac Brown (of the Zac Brown Band), shamelessly stolen from the internetz:

On my way to a smoke break out front (that is, Lindsay smoked, I just stood there and looked awesome) I ran into the aforementioned DJs, shook hands and with them and Vagabond pointed out DJ Basura who was tearing it up. Once again it must be said that DJ Vagabond is one very friendly person. He'll chat with you and talk at length about what he does. I didn't get to talk to him all that much tonight, but he still made the time for a brief "who's who" and I appreciate it.

Outside, Lindsay and I got caught up and she tried to help me to learn to speak clothes. As woman walked in, I would tell her what I thought they were wearing and Lindsay would correct me.

I needed lots of correction. What I thought of as one of a pair of saddle bags, Lindsay said was a purse. What I thought of as a vertical striped tube top, Lindsay said was not a tube top, but just a plain old Zebra print top. Must remember that just because it's clingy (and just because the wearer has big boobs) doesn't automatically make it a tube top.

The only proud matching-clothes-to-words moment came when I correctly identified a t-shirt as a t-shirt. It was on a woman named Denise and it read "Real Women Drink Beer". Needless to say I took an instant liking to Denise.

Gary and Patty were ready to go early (they were planning to go to a wine tasting on Saturday) so they bugged out.

Back outside we met Markass (emphasis on the ass; also spelling like how he wants it pronounced) and I introduced him to Lindsay. He asked me if I was from south side. I said, no, I'm from Jack's. Markass and his buddy (the buddy I would later see peeing on the wall in the alleyway at close) talked more east side, west side, south side with two thin dudes in granola colored clothes that looked like they just came off the rack at some Santana Row store and I thought it was kind of funny how men, with a little drink in them, will posture up like that and somehow think they're being macho. Teh lolz.

I suggested to Lindsay that we go back to Taco Bravo (my treat) and she agreed. I can't remember how Charlie the bartender got word of this, but on the way to Taco Bravo Lindsay produced a $5 bill and informed me we needed to order Nachos with no onions for Charlie and we better not forget.

The food was glorious by fast food standards. The sauce was addictive. Lindsay will sip the sauce right out of the container. You might think that's gross, Dear Reader, but know this: I do it too. So there. ;)

We talked about Jack's and as it turns out the couple +1 friend next to us --and dressed not like the type I'd peg to be at Jack's-- attended the White Trash party at the bar last year. Small world.

Back at Jack's after our trip to Campbell, Lindsay and I chilled (damn near literally, it was bloody cold outside) and chatted.

I walked Lindsay to her car, then went back inside as Travis and Nicole arrived from Fat Cats.

Once inside I found Jack's to be much more empty and found Robert sitting alone at a table. I walked up and asked if I could sit next to him. He agreed and we spent the waning half hour close watching old black and white commercials which for the most part creeped me out. I could feel the bass vibrating my pants as Robert and I chatted.

Soon enough Ras Dank hollered out "BAR'S CLOSED!" and Robert and I got up to leave. I said thanks to Charlie and Jordan, thanks to Dank, thanked the DJs and walked outside. I gave Robert a farewell hug and then walked to my truck as Jorge and three buddies walk/ran to the bar to get a fast drink before closing. I hollered at Jorge to hurry it up as I walked across the street to my beautiful piece of truck machinery.

Inside my truck the cab warmed up as I spoke to Wendee on the phone for a bit. I watched the DJs load their gear, then watched a young blond woman walk confidently into the neighbor's yard to have a pee, then walk back out and into the street before her friend could wrangle her back on the sidewalk.

Blond peeing woman hailed every car that went buy as her friend finished pulling her pants up while trying to pull her hailing-hand down. Fortunately their cab arrived and the friend guided blond peeing woman's head into the cab like she'd just been arrested.

See you Saturday at Jack's! It's Sugi's pre-birthday party woohoo! Look for Me, Sugi, Wendee, Crystal and Thunder Saturday night.