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Went out for a drink last night, but we got started a little late - like 5pm. Norm's bar was packed so we walked around a bit, checking out and discarding several other places. At the Bramhall the bartender was conspicuously absent; whether s/he was around the corner talking to someone or what I'm not sure, but we stood for a minute or two and then walked out. I feel as though I should frequent the place since it's at the foot of our street, but they act like they don't want us in there, so I guess that's okay.
Went back to the Downtown Lounge, which is owned by the same people who own Norm's and is in the space that Norm's used to be in. I do love that space, I had forgotten. It's has a feel inside a lot like one of those 50's diners, except darker, with the walls red and a yellow ceiling.
While we were in there two guys came in with megaphones (or are they bullhorns? I don't know if there's a difference, but these seemed to be powered), and one of them spoke a word or two through his, but he wasn't obnoxious - they must have a level setting on those things.
Downtown Lounge didn't have fries, so after our first drink we went back to Norm's because fries are about all we want to eat with drinks. I mean, flatbread is just not an option, which the bartender tried to offer as an alternative.
As we walked into Norm's a couple entered from the opposite direction, just ahead of us, and the guy was dressed exactly the same as Eor - same shirt in the same shade of green, untucked, light khaki shorts, sandals. His sandals were of a different style, but anyway, freaky. I grabbed Eor's arm and asked him to stay close so I wouldn't get confused. And stubbed my toe on the bottom of his sandal in the process.
I was already rather tanked after only one drink - I'd had nothing to eat but a packet of nuts and some yoghurt with rasperries all day.
After we had our fries and another drink (in fact we ordered a third, but I was feeling really nauseus, the fries didn't quite cut it), we headed home and, at Longfellow Square, encountered a guerrilla fashion show. This is a Portland phenomenon which I've heard about but never happened to catch before, and it was truely awesome! They pulled up a U-Haul van and unpacked the band - in this case Tango Mucho Labia, who we happened to see a couple of weeks ago at the Northstar Cafe - and they played while the models walked down the unload ramp from the truck and danced (tango, I guess) first individually with a guy who could dance and then with each other. I guess that local clothing and jewelry designers hire this team to promote their stuff...? (I'm hoping someone on my f-list is more knowlegeable about this than I am.) Anyway, the music was great, the clothes were cool (amusing to me, though, that they did that thing of wearing the 'dress' with pants underneath - that used to be only in the wintertime, around here, and now it seems to have become all year and spread to the rest of the U.S.), and the announcer guys were hysterical.
They were the same guys who'd come into the Downtown lounge while we were there. They're obviously a team who's designed their look and sound, so that even their facial hair is similar - the shorter guy's pink shirt and maroon blazer was a distorted reflection of the taller guy's outfit. The taller guy does the initial 'straight' introduction of the dress and who makes it and the shorter guy echoes a few words or does something slightly different:
Taller guy: "In this fine establishment behind us there will be swing dancing in just a few minutes, with three dollar mimosas. Everyone loves to learn to dance."
Shorter guy: "I like to drink..."
So we went in and danced - very badly because we were both pretty trashed, but it was great fun. :)
And today thus far...
We went to the Mall and sat in the solarium reading while the van got inspected at Sears. We came home and made lunch. And now we're going to go plant our asses up at Discovery Park and read - Arlo Guthry is playing there, tonight, and if we want anything like a decent seat we'll have to be there very early. In fact should probably already have been there.
BTW, "Microserfs" is a very cool book!
Went back to the Downtown Lounge, which is owned by the same people who own Norm's and is in the space that Norm's used to be in. I do love that space, I had forgotten. It's has a feel inside a lot like one of those 50's diners, except darker, with the walls red and a yellow ceiling.
While we were in there two guys came in with megaphones (or are they bullhorns? I don't know if there's a difference, but these seemed to be powered), and one of them spoke a word or two through his, but he wasn't obnoxious - they must have a level setting on those things.
Downtown Lounge didn't have fries, so after our first drink we went back to Norm's because fries are about all we want to eat with drinks. I mean, flatbread is just not an option, which the bartender tried to offer as an alternative.
As we walked into Norm's a couple entered from the opposite direction, just ahead of us, and the guy was dressed exactly the same as Eor - same shirt in the same shade of green, untucked, light khaki shorts, sandals. His sandals were of a different style, but anyway, freaky. I grabbed Eor's arm and asked him to stay close so I wouldn't get confused. And stubbed my toe on the bottom of his sandal in the process.
I was already rather tanked after only one drink - I'd had nothing to eat but a packet of nuts and some yoghurt with rasperries all day.
After we had our fries and another drink (in fact we ordered a third, but I was feeling really nauseus, the fries didn't quite cut it), we headed home and, at Longfellow Square, encountered a guerrilla fashion show. This is a Portland phenomenon which I've heard about but never happened to catch before, and it was truely awesome! They pulled up a U-Haul van and unpacked the band - in this case Tango Mucho Labia, who we happened to see a couple of weeks ago at the Northstar Cafe - and they played while the models walked down the unload ramp from the truck and danced (tango, I guess) first individually with a guy who could dance and then with each other. I guess that local clothing and jewelry designers hire this team to promote their stuff...? (I'm hoping someone on my f-list is more knowlegeable about this than I am.) Anyway, the music was great, the clothes were cool (amusing to me, though, that they did that thing of wearing the 'dress' with pants underneath - that used to be only in the wintertime, around here, and now it seems to have become all year and spread to the rest of the U.S.), and the announcer guys were hysterical.
They were the same guys who'd come into the Downtown lounge while we were there. They're obviously a team who's designed their look and sound, so that even their facial hair is similar - the shorter guy's pink shirt and maroon blazer was a distorted reflection of the taller guy's outfit. The taller guy does the initial 'straight' introduction of the dress and who makes it and the shorter guy echoes a few words or does something slightly different:
Taller guy: "In this fine establishment behind us there will be swing dancing in just a few minutes, with three dollar mimosas. Everyone loves to learn to dance."
Shorter guy: "I like to drink..."
So we went in and danced - very badly because we were both pretty trashed, but it was great fun. :)
And today thus far...
We went to the Mall and sat in the solarium reading while the van got inspected at Sears. We came home and made lunch. And now we're going to go plant our asses up at Discovery Park and read - Arlo Guthry is playing there, tonight, and if we want anything like a decent seat we'll have to be there very early. In fact should probably already have been there.
BTW, "Microserfs" is a very cool book!