Friday Night Out

Okay I've got some Dire Straits playing in the background. There's something about listening to Mark Knopfler pick his way through his catalogue. Songs like Private Investigations, Romeo & Juliet, Skateaway, Telegraph Road, etc.. What a talent. Incredible stuff.

So we've been in the middle of this ridiculous heatwave for the last ten days or so with the temps running between 90 and 106 or 7 seems. Totally insane. It just seems that my a/c never shuts down. Just going on and on and on. Not looking forward to my Duke Energy bill next week. Yikes I may have to buy PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) for a couple weeks instead of my usual mix of Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale amd Dos Equis Amber. Okay I won't be that desperate. LOL.

So J and I went to Downtown Alive last night and ended up meeting up with Angie and Tom and we listened to a set by a blues beach music band that seemed to be okay. The thing is lately is while the Hyatt is remodeling their patio area the stage is set up at the end of Main St. and you are kind of pigeonholed into this area a hundred feet or so away from the stage as the people with their lawn chairs take up a huge area in front of the stage. You can't really hear the music too well which is great for conversation but bad if you want hear the music that is being played. Anyways it seemed to me to be too much of the usual. I am not a big beach music fan. It's rather boring and monotonous and shag dancing seems to be the same thing over and over to me. This mind you is coming from Mr. Two Left Feet. LOL.

As is often the case we ended up grabbing a bite to eat afterwards. We decided upon "Trio" at the corner of N. Main St. and Coffee St. Naturally the money saving coupons I have were left in the passenger side door space in my car which happened to be parked in my garage back home. We had taken J's jeep downtown. I've been to Trio several times in the last couple of years and I am never disappointed with the food and service at this brick oven cafe.

We ate light last night. J had some salad being the healthy person that she is with a glass of the house red (Citra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo) which she liked. On tap they had Highland Gaelic Ale out of Asheville, NC which I always enjoy. There's something about beer on tap. It just tastes so much better than the single bottle version. Okay I know this is a preference and anecdotal. There's no science in my logic. I like what I like. It is what it is. Big grin.

My food choice was a pepperoni and fennel sausage pizza. I usually go for the margherita pizza there which is excellent but the sausage was calling my name last night. Marc, Marc come and have some. We had a window table which afforded us the opportunity to people watch a bit. Tons of people downtown last night. Hot summer weekend night draws them out from the suburbs just like it usually does for J and I.

The great thing about this area in the spring, summer and fall is the opportunities to go out and have a great time 15-20 minutes away from home and not spend tons of money. What I would spend in Montreal back in the day would take me 2-3 nights to do the same here. You can't compare prices for entertainment, dining and all of the other affiliated or associated costs that go along with going out.

Case in point last night. Parking downtown in the Richardson St. garage free. Beer tickets and two wristbands $20 and I still have beer tickets left for the next time J and I go to Downtown Alive. Bite to eat at Trio with a glass of red and a Gaelic Ale tip included $30. All in all an affordable night and a real good time. Only thing missing was my Hab's rally towel to wipe down my ever sweaty head and face. LOL. Besides my ever-expanding waistline the thing I notice about my weight gain is the amount of sweat my bald generates. It's effing unreal.

All in all it was a very nice way to end a work week however disjointed the work week was with the Canadian and American holiday.