Home - March 08

Uncle Rico (I kid you not) is stopped in front of my house by the Fresno PD. I told you biotches that I live in the hood! The FPD spent about an hour and a half trying to come up with something to bring this rat in. They finally did...tax money well spent. Why? He was walking around with a two year old nephew who was literally walking in the streets with Uncle Rico nowhere to be found. The IPA is getting a lesson in modern American life.

The Public House - May 08

Found a different pub that serves Boddingtons on tap. Hooray for that! You could pour Boddingtons on your cereal and not taste a difference. The drunk thing would throw you off, but other than that, it's the exact same. Huge bar, lame clientelle, Boddingtons on tap...you make the call.

Mrs. Watterson's House - May 08 pt 2

There's Ameli and Jen, and a gal whose hand I shook, though I don't know at all who she is. There seems to be a drunken kind of happy face in my Sierra Nevada. That's funny, I feel the same way.

Mrs. Watterson's House - May 08 pt 1

White trash/brown pride 30th birthday party for friends of the the family. You are looking at Melee (muh-lee) and Amelie (like the movie). Melee just ran her first marathon. My Sierra Nevada is impressed at the scene, and looking forward to some homemade Mexican cuisine.

Sequoia Brewing Company - April 08

This is the other half of the "I didn't know hip hop, much less tha-wigga-thang was out" crew. I kid you not, he's at least 35. It'd be sad if my IPA wasn't shaking its head at the sad state of the modern American man.

Sequoia Brewing Company - April 08

See that cat there? Strolls in wearing Creepers (ask your mom and/or your kid) a stage two greaser mullet, orders a beer and some food, and begins smiling and talking to himself. He's well put together except for the look, the loneliness, and the heavy mascara. Did I forget to mention that? Hard to believe. The IPA knows have to give the stink eye, therefore, the stink eye it is. By the way, I saw him a week later, and he had the full raccoon/Annie Lennox/Michael Stype eye makeup. Haven't seen him since, though. Let your freak flag fly.

Home - March 08

You've finished your deck, and you feel like a man. How can you follow that? Yeah you know me...I'm down with IPA. Isn't it cute to see how proud he is? Little man.

Sequoia Brewing Company - March 08

One of the most disgusting displays I've ever seen. Fat Republican-looking dude in uniform (nylon windbreaker, golf baseball cap, Dockers) goes outside to taunt a social misfit. Misfit's name is Dave Clark. Mentally It was like jr high all over again. To top it off, the fat Republican's two fat kids moved their chairs to watch dad make fun of another grown adult. I should mention that Mr. Clark is disabled. F-ing ridiculous...vote McCain. I've included the outside shot, though you won't be able to see much...enjoy the white doughy fatness...by the way, golf sucks.

Sequoia Brewing Company - March 08

I like to work in the pub, but it's really hard when people stand over you and talk louder than the room. Manny, Moe and Jack helped me not to get anything done. Remember that tall glass cost that dude $700. I guess he's earned the right to talk loud.

Sequoia Brewing Company-February

See that dude there? After his wife stepped away, he sat down at my table and asked me why I was always writing: "Are you a writer or something?" I regaled him with stories of Master's degrees, publications, applications...around about the time he started to yawn, I basically said, "Yes, I'm a writer."
"Me and my wife have been wondering for months what it is that you're doing here every Saturday. You've seen me here before."

It was the first time I'd ever seen him in the entirety of my sad, little life.

Sequoia Brewing Company - February

I love my pub. It's a great place to have a pint. But I've got to be honest, the mother fisting service blows chunks of tremendous proportions. My yellow Wienerschnitzel wallet rests high atop my computer waiting to pay. I respect that I'm a bit of a wallflower, but crap, what does a guy have to do around here to get a bill?

Sequoia Brewing Company - February

That dude there is a curiosity to me. Shaves his head but for a patch on the back, like a tail. He's a monster of a dude, and I hear he teaches at Fresno City College. He towers far above my IPA, getting glass envy at the $700 glass the humunculous is holding. I don't think he's a Krishna: one, he's dressed normally and two, he's drinking beer.

Sequoia Brewing Company-February

5 applications ready to go to the State Center Community College District. Now that I have an MA, it's time to look for a new job. See the big dude over there? First chair harmonica player. Seems like a decent guy. I've played music with him, but never spoken to him; one of those deals where you pretend you don't see each other and therefore never have to suffer through and awkward discussion.

Sequoia Brewing Company-February

I'm sitting at the bar. My IPA is craining its neck to check out the tall, cleavagey gal behind me. Good IPA. Hard to see, but that countertop off her right hip? I can slouch that and rest my elbow on it comfortably and I'm 6'1". Turns out she and the rest of her busty, ruben-esque friends are roller derby chicks. Real Queens of the Amazon.

Sequoia Brewing Company-December 2007

Changing the date format up a bit as I really can't seem to get my days straight. I've written about the dude on the right before, but he's reentered the radar of my IPA. This poor guy hasn't caught on to the fact that hip-hop has lost its 'universal cool factor.' Even more outdated is the 'white guy acting all black' scene. Is that all? I thought you'd never ask...try one of two sports outfits (you'll never guess): Raiders during football season, Dodgers during baseball. Strikes me as kind of an all around California dude. Except that he's about 40 years old, dresses and talks like a gangster, drinks microbrew beer and is white.

Other than that, it's all the same.
(nowuhahmsayin?)

Sequoia Brewing Company 1/16

Meeting up with Laura for a pint to hear of the exploits and world travels of a former student. She intends to be a writer. And who, do you suppose, inspired her to do that? That's right, my IPA. It's instructional creative and social in a caring sort of way...a lot like me. Maybe it should be a high school English teacher.

Sequoia Brewing Company 1/17

Just when I thought I was out, I pulled me back in. Working on the third chapter of my thesis for submission to the American Literature Association conference. Oh yeah...it's that exciting. "Waiter, 2 more IPA's please."

Sequoia Brewing Company 1/10

See the vast, desolate wasteland of a table? Almost nothing as far as the eye can see...that would be because my thesis is finished. Bit of a celebration pint or two. Think of my IPA as a kind of crystal ball: I seem more postings (beer drinking) in your future. Start saving your money duhliterate...start saving your money.

luigi's 8/4

celebrating my birthday in monterey with annika and jen. after an uber long day at the packed aquarium, we crashed gratefully at the nearest family pub. the eyelids of the anchor steam hang heavy, only slightly depressed that there is still a 3 hour drive home. we'll get through it all as a family.

BlueRoomTheater: 8/11

tis the season to be FOOTBALL!! feels like homecoming. steelers on the huge screen, ipa in the lap. these truly are the dog days of summer...hot as moses outside, but taunted with the frosty cool delights of winter, just weeks away.

Columbo Hall 7/7

forget james brown as the hardest working man in show bidness...allow me to introduce you to the joe alvarez band, a philipino man/wife team, singing every pop tune on the planet. there was more electronic hardware than an officemax. the amazing thing: they completely pulled it off. one of the best performances ive ever seen.

Sequoia Brewing Company 6/30

see that dude on the right? MASSIVE armpit sweat. i took this pic early in the game, so youll have to take my word for it. the sweat rings actually went to the top of his shoulders, i crap you not. the dude to the left? his voice was so high, i looked over at him several times because i thought it was a chick who was talking (not many gals in the pubs, you know).

Buca Di Beppo 6/25

never heard of this place, but apparently its a chain. good italian food. no, i didnt have a beer, the empty glass, there, used to hold a chard. every female within earshot complained that it was too cold in the building. shocking...women being cold.

Rumba Latin Fusion 6/23

my bass and the weekly jazz gig that i have with a couple of guys. you cant see it, but the last song we played that night was 'spain' by chick corea. one of the hardest pieces for a bass player to play (i screwed the pooch with it, i dont mind telling you). the blue moon beer seemed to enjoy himself though.