Montana n: A state of the northwest United States bordering on Canada. Admitted as the 41st state in 1889. The fourth largest state in the union, it includes vast prairies and numerous majestic mountain ranges.
Syn: Treasure State, Big Sky Country, Last Best Place.
Jones n: slang. An addiction or very deep craving.
Monday, December 04, 2006
In the bar
There is a strange tightness in my chest when the most attractive girl in the bar chooses to sit next to me. I smile my hello but keep most of my attention on my cheeseburger and the football game on teevee. I was torn about even leaving the comfort of home this cold evening. The deciding factor was not so much that I had no dinner in the fridge, but that I wanted some entertainment. And so I sat quietly at the bar and ate my burger and watched the football game and listened to the people around me tell their stories. Most stories people tell at the bar are not interesting. Drunks being self important makes poor insight to life. It's all about who wronged us and who did something stupid and how drunk we got that one time.
The girl is joined by her friend, the day shift bartender just off duty, and I can hear snippets of conversation. How he was so sweet and how she couldn't understand him and a longing for something greater in life. It would be the most interesting conversation in the bar except that I can't hear it very well over the din of the teevee and the boisterous patrons.
A girl joins the crowd on my other side. Sitting on the stool next to me and leaning into her group of friends her low rise jeans shows me the crack of her ass and a tattoo that says "respect" in flowery script. If she is trying to teach herself respect she put the tattoo where she cant see it herself, and if she wants respect from others I don't think she will get it by flashing her ass and her message at the same time.
At the end of the bar a young man is trying to be clever by throwing ice and insults at everyone nearby. When the attractive girls physically turn away from him in an effort to ignore him his retort is to raise his volume and shout out how he is complimenting them with his insults. It's not long before the girls pick up their drinks and move to the other side of the room.
The idea of leaving home and finding the company of others this evening was appealing not so long ago. And here I am alone in a boisterous crowd. I can't think of a single thing to say to anyone near me. No conversation starters, no ice breakers, no jokes. Not for the clever guy or the respectful girl or the attractive ladies. Even though there is beer and cheeseburgers and football on teevee, many good things, I have nothing in common with the people at the bar.
Labels: bar, drinking, observations
There is more Jones in the archives: February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 December 2009 January 2010 May 2014
