Paddy's on a Saturday Night

He asked me to go on a date, and I said yes. We have gone on the occasional date since we've had a son, but it's different now. We're older, too, or so they say. After fixing food for half the day, a spice cake that didn't rise because I realized this morning that I had forgotten to put in the baking soda, and running interference between a kindergartner and a first grader set of cousins, and more, we quickly changed gears, clothes, and hopped into the family mini-van to seek out a rock and roll band from Mike's high school. He remembers some of the folks in the band, and Victor, one of the drummers, came up to us between sets and recognized/remembered Mike, as well. We saw these folks at the 25-yr class reunion, and they were pretty good then, also.

We go inside this little pub or bar called Paddy's, after finding our way through the winding streets in the drizzling rain, rain that has lasted all week now in various degrees of intensity. There is a square bar in the middle of the room as you enter, with swivel seats all around and enough room to stand about 3 people deep behind all the chairs. Not much room, at all, especially when you add in a few video arcade games in the various corners or walls. Then, to the left of this room is a much smaller room, where the band has setup their equipment, across from the Lads and Lasses rooms. There was even a multi-colored disco ball hanging almost between these two rooms. We ordered our drinks, and just about then is when the band began their second set of songs for the evening. There were two lead women singers, who took turns. The first was rather small, wearing tight fit jeans and a tie-dyed tank top that had a heart in the middle design, with glitter dots all inside the smallest tie-dyed heart, and it looked like she is married to the keyboard player. I remember standing there thinking about how in the world would you be able to pull the material together to make the heart shape come out right. Then I noticed the electric guitar player also had on a tie-dyed shirt, which renewed the interest we have in doing a tie-dyed party in my hometown sometime this summer. Everyone is supposed to be gathering up their t-shirts they want to dye, and I'm bringing all the bottles and dyes, it'll be a blast!

Well, the other female singer was super-skinny, wearing tight fitting hip huggers with a wide belt, and a lacy black negligee-looking top. She had such short bleached hair, she almost had no hair. I imagine it was her girlfriend she was often gesturing to, as she finally came out and brought her forward to dance together. Some of the guys also took time to sing a song, including the electric drummer, who sang the obligatory "Play that funky music" by Wild Cherry. It was no surprise that it was this song that got the crowd moving around and the "dance floor" overcrowded. Amusing to see all the really bad guy dancers who just couldn't bend low enough or gyrate fast enough to look good. We laughed, though! There was this one guy who looked like a pot-belly marine, who stayed on the dance floor for almost the entire set. At one point, he started to raise his shirt up from the back, in a mock-strip-tease-like manner, and then we could all see the tops of his worn out whitey-tighties. Ewwwwww..... too much view for us! Funny, though, because as he walked by several of us later, he was talking to someone about "did you see my whitey-tighties?"

People watching is one of my favorite hobbies, especially when the opportunity was unplanned. Being in the market for a new haircut, I found myself scanning the crowds to see if there were any "looks" that I liked regarding hair colors or lengths or styles. Unsuccessful on this venture, but maybe next time it will work out. I'm pretty sure that I'll be cutting off most of my hair, but we'll see. It'll surely grow back if I change my mind, but it will take a year to get any substantial length. We'll see.

All I know is that all the folks at the pub looked a lot older than I feel, so they must be! There were those who kept putting their fingers to their ears as they stood too close to the speakers. Then, those who just let it all hang out and who quit dying their hair a long time ago, and those who were looking for a good time. It was easily apparent that everyone was enjoying the music, though, and that is what was most important, to go out and enjoy the evening.

We had a good evening, for a couple of hours out without having to keep the "mommy ears" tuned in, a nice break that included a few hours with the guy I love. It's strange, though, how the experience of going to listen to a band has changed so much in just a decade. No, wait, almost two decades! No, no, I'm not that much older, I don't feel it. Not today.

Then, we left after the set of music, before 1 AM, to return to the homefront, in the rain, in our family mini-van. Dodged all the many police cars that were out, perhaps because they are not interested in folks in mini-vans? Either way, it's okay, because I really like the people in and the direction of my life, and that life currently comes with the ever-so-convenient mommy-van!

Till next time....