the luster is fading

well, for all the build-up, a pretty uneventful travel day, thankfully.

as soon as howard got in, he came over to pick up mrs. wintermute and me and we headed over to our nati tradition of the village tavern in bucolic downtown montgomery. howard and i have been doing this for the past six or seven years without fail. this is always a highlight for me and i've managed to drag mrs. wintemute along the last few years. in the back of my head, i've had this sinking feeling that the days are numbered. the excitement of running into my old soccer team mates or band mates (rock band folks, not THE band) is slipping away.

last night, i think i could see the end in sight. we got to the tavern around 11 and the line extended 40 deep. are you shitting me? we stood there for five minutes and then decided to go across the street to the (recently opened, i think, because i've never seen if before) corner pub. that's right, montgomery now has a third bar.

we did not recognize a single person. it was like being in some kind of bizarro world. did i somehow step through a stargate? mrs. wintermute pointed out that all of the people there were most likely indeed from montgomery, but a good six or eight years younger than us. we're rocking out to welcome to jungle on the jukebox, to how much axl rocked in fifth grade. mrs. w points out that some people in the bar may have been born after appetite for destruction was released. oh man, i'm about to become that guy.

one beer later, we jump into howard's car and cruise across town (and in montgomery, that means a four minute drive down montgomery road) to the olde montgomery tavern, a poor man's cousin to the village tavern. this bar encapsulates my hometown pretty well. the beer is cheap, and that's about all it has going for it. there's a fine line between a dive bar and a bar that is simply shitty, and this one is clearly the latter.

a high school friend was working the door and waved us in without paying the cover (score, four bucks back in my pocket. that's two beers). i asked what he was up to these days. he said something to the effect of, 'well, i'm kind of a fuck up. living at home. working the door here. pay's shit but i get free beer." uhh, what do you say to that? he's a smart kid, too.

five or six of the old music friends meet up with us, so it is worth being there, but it was definitely the least fun i've had in this long held tradition. at least the beer was cheap. i left wondering how many more times we'll uphold this tradition. closing in on 30, i'm dangerously close to be the guy that i used to see at the tavern. i'd smirk and say, "i'll never be that dude. doesn't he know it's bingo night down at the veterans of foreign war hall? what is he, like class of '92?"

just finished some side fixings cooking with mrs. wintermute. now mom and my bro and prepping the turkey.

penn station tomorrow. and 007, i think.

happy turkey day.