Welcome!

Have you ever gotten so comfortable in a place (local bar) where you literally know everyone’s name? A place that no matter where you are coming from, seems to be on your way home,  A place where before you even sit in the same bar stool in the same corner that you’ve sat in at least 2 times a week for the past ten years, the bartender has placed your drink of choice on a beer coaster that’s armed with a clever saying about a local microbrew that you would never pay six dollars a bottle for because you know deep down you just aren’t that awesome, a place where you walk in and despite the wretched smell of cheap beer and stale cigarette smoke you take a deep breath and feel a sense of comfort and calm after a long terrible day at a terrible job, a place where after six or seven beers you have 15 to 20 best friends that you see a few times a week, but don’t know what a single one of them does for a living, a place…eh you get the point.

This was me, well it is me.  A few weeks ago I was sitting in my usual spot sipping my usual adult beverage, and I had a “Jerry Maguire” moment. I began reminiscing about all the good, bad, and indifferent times I’ve had at this place. I thought of the early days when me and some of my best friends ( not 7 beers deep best friends)would be there all day Saturday and Sunday during football season. When I say all day, I’m talking 12:01pm until 2:38am. I thought about how before the bartenders really knew us I played “The Lido Shuffle” twelve times in a row and the bartender unplugged the juke box and flagged me. I think about the times where the bar manager would make the most horrible tasting shot she could think of and tell my cousin if he took it she would clear his tab………. Then I watched the video of him puking over the side of the outside patio. I thought of the time they hired my cousin ( yes the same one that was willing to do a shot of anything to clear his tab)and on his first night behind the bar he had to change the paper in the middle of printing out my tab. I thought of the arguments, the fights, the apologies, the few that are no longer with us, the karaoke, the shit talking during football season, the sports gambling, the shuffle board gambling, you did read that right………. We gambled on shuffle board…………… a lot!  I thought about the time when the company I was working for sent me to the Midwest for 2 years. Of course first and foremost I was going to miss my family, my parents, my son most of all, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going to miss my bar family too. I remember there being not one but two voids in my life. I felt like I was missing out on everything, I felt like I was going to be forgotten and replaced. That can be a terrible feeling when you are in a place where you have never been and don’t know anyone. At first I was excited to meet new people, make new friends, and start a new life. Well let me tell you,  it really isn’t that easy as an adult to make new friends. Think about your friends, how did you meet them? You probably met them through another friend that you’ve known for years, or through a co-worker.  Then I thought about how I kind of was forgotten, and replaced. We all enjoyed my last Saturday night karaoke shit show. We sang all of our normal Saturday night songs, “Sweet Caroline” “Rebel Yell” “Come Sail Away” “I Would do Anything for Love (But I Won’t do That), and many, many more. The night came to an end as usual, we shed a few tears hugged good bye, and then I left. In the following weeks business went on as usual, my “bar family” still went out Saturday and Sundays , They still laughed and had fun, they still sang karaoke, the nights still ended. The truth is my “bar family” didn’t make a whole lot of effort to keep in touch. I don’t resent anyone for this I certainly could have made more of an effort to stay in touch myself. It did make me suddenly realize that these people aren’t my family! They are friends. I care about them, I want them to do well in life, and I love seeing them, and when I moved back to the area we picked up right where we left off, and that should be enough.  I shouldn’t feel like I have to go there every weekend because I owe them, or the bar something.  This is the point I had my “Jerry Maguire” moment! Looking over my finances on average I spent no less than $200 a week at this place! Bottom line it is a business, it is going to carry on with or without me. The question is what would you do with an extra $200 or more a week? I realized I am missing stuff, not in this bar, but out there. There has to be more to life than sitting in the same old smoky bar night after night, right? I truly enjoy the people that go there on a regular basis, they will forever be my friends, and it’s not like I won’t ever go there. I just have to make it a point to do something unique, different, and exciting more often! My goal? Once a month.  I don’t care if it close to my home or a million miles away. So I created this as a travel blog, and I’m sure some of what I write about won’t be considered travel. I am ok with that as long as it is different, unique, exciting, and involves interesting people, which I have a habit of stumbling upon anyway. This is meant to keep me in check even if I am the only one who reads it.

So please feel free to join me on these adventures, comment, live the dream, and join…….. “Pookie in Paradise”