Boulder Event at WOB, Sleazy Bars, and Bad People

I had an interesting Thursday for may reasons.  Some of the events that took place that day make me feel great.  Others make we wonder if humanity is doomed.

I got a message today from a female friend that some dude she met at a bar punched her in the face last night.

So my Thursday began with preparing for a big event at a World of Beer (WOB) in St Pete.  I was very excited, as they had managed to keep some kegs back and were going to feature 9 Boulder drafts, including Killer Penguin, a barrel aged Saison, and the Hoopla Pale Ale.  josher and I left about 11:30 so that we could beat the traffic and get to Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe in Tampa and drop off some samples of Lazy Magnolia that I think would fit in really well at that concept.

We got to Ella's  around 2:00 and found they didn't open til 5.  Bummer.  So we went off to have some lunch at one of my new favorite spots, Z Grille, in St. Pete (see below).

www.zgrille.net

Nevermind the fact that this place has an obviously great ambiance, the food is awesome.  I always have the fish tacos and their WTF Fries, which are covered with cheese and drizzled with truffle oil.  Josher had the same and we both enjoyed our meals.  They also have a small but decent selection of craft beer on draft and I have seen nothing come out of the kitchen that doesn't look incredible.

After lunch we met up with John and Becca from WOB and  to get set up and were gonna head back to Ella's to see if Ernie, the owner was in and possibly have a drink or two.  We arrived right at 5 when they were opening and the crowd had already begun to develop.  This place goes from 0-60 in no time and the staff are always very friendly to us.  The Tampa Bay Rays were on the tube and the bartender was a fan, so we ended up watching the whole game over some beers and Bloody Marys.  Their Bllod Mary is awesome and quite spicy, but the promised pickled okra was not included. This is unfortunate, as I love me some pickled okra.  Nonetheless, it is a top-order Bloody Mary.

The rain started to pour so we waited a bit and the combination of this and the traffic made us late to the event, which started at 7:00.  Shana from JJ Taylor was already there and we began the giveaways, etc.  The event went great and there was a big crowd that loved Boulder beer.  I met a few people who are going to the Great American Beer Festival and we promised to meet up out there.

After the event, Josher and I decided we wanted to hit one sleazy bar before we got back home.  As it turns out, we ended up hitting 3 that night, but are all too familiar with 2 of them.  Once on the Interstate, Josher did a google search for dive bars and found "T A Slammers" in Lakeland (see below)

Crack Pipe under pool table

http://tampabay.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/neighborhood_bar/ta-slammers-lakeland/402681/content

 As soon as we pulled up to this place, we knew it fit the bill.  I try to hit as many local bars as possible when I am out and about and I have tried to change my paradigm from "bar owner" to observer.  Used to be, when  I was in a bar I concerned myself with the target audience, flow of the place, the cash register rings, etc.  These days I try to just watch the interaction of the customers and try to gain a perspective into their life experience.  This can have both positive and negative effects.  In this place, the effects made me want to crawl up to heaven and beg God for forgiveness on what we have done to his world.

One thing about dive bars that is very interesting.  The usual barriers that keep us apart, such as race and gender barriers, are transcended by drugs and the need to feel wanted.  In this sense, I find they are much further evolved than most of the rest of humanity.  Despite this admirable quality, I think perhaps the world is no better place with most of these people in it.  The crack pipe under the pool table pictured above pretty much says it all.

At one point, a lady who looked to be in her mid 40's walked in and somehow Josher immediately pegged her for the queen bee drug dealer.  I argued a bit, but after 10 minutes of observation I think he was right.    
Everyone in the place came over to her table and said "hi" in a very close manner.  She had a pitcher of beer in front of her that she never touched and her demeanor was definitely of someone doing business.  i was compelled to try to strike up a conversation with her, but Josher wouldn't let me.  I'd love to get the scoop on this woman.  My imagination makes we want to think she's running crystal meth for some biker gang out of California.  I wouldn't be in the least bit shocked if this were the case.

Despite my dogged thought on this place, I can say that our bartender was quite nice, approachable, and attentive.  As with our local dive bars, it seems a lot of the staff are doomed to deal with the people who walk in the door and do not mirror their customers' place in the world.  I find most of them to be very understanding people, even to the point that I feel bad for the crap they have to endure on a nightly basis.

Two bottled beers later and we were back on the road.

We arrived back in town around 1:00 am and stopped by Issues for a drink.  I always enjoy myself at Issues and despite their history of violence, I've never felt a bit unsafe there.  We ran into Bobert and chatted it up a bit.  Josher wanted to stop by JR's and despite my hesitance, I relented.  To say that JR's could be a sister property of  TA Slammers is an understatement.  I'm sketched out every time I'm in there.

Naturally, upon arriving, we got a front row seat to a fight in the parking lot and curiously enough got to watch another fight on the way out.  Same old story every night - here we go round again.

I woke up this morning with a headache and the foul smell of cigarette smoke and the end of western civilization on me.  Most mornings I wake up like this, I am haunted by the enduring thought that humanity has not come very far as a race.  Every late night in a bar, no matter what town I'm in, I see the same arguments and see the same fights; I hear the same conversations; I see the same tattoos.  I'm reminded of how many people really aren't adding anything to this planet and that the net product of them being here is in the red.  It's not that I feel I have made a significant difference in the world. However, one can only overhear the same person complaining about being evicted from their house while spending the pennies they have left from their Earned Income Tax Credit on Bud Lite so many times.

Oh well, this is the world that I have chosen to live in.  I embrace it to some extent, or I wouldn't continue to put myself in the middle of it.

So I get a message that one of the meatheads who were at JR's last night punched a female in the face.  the only reply I could muster to her was "what did you expect?"


         

 

 







www.zgrille.net