Failure to Communicate

SD e-mails me about the wonderful time he had at the dive Superbowl Sunday. It was a description that was quite different from Yaega Lee’s. S.D. and Peppermint Patty went elsewhere, where the air from the smoke of toxic people haven’t done lung or mind damage to the bartenders. So I wondered, what the heck is going on in the dive since I had gone.

I talked to Candy about it, she didn’t know, beside life has given her another hard blow to deal with (what is it about? Maybe later). So I called Yaega and asked if anything else is going on at the dive, any events arranged by Bossman. Yaega said, "No events arranged by Bossman but I heard that Kareoke is supposed to take place this Saturday or next (we talked on Friday). " So Saturday Night I walk into the dive and ask Shelly about it, Ruby was there with her behind the bar.

Yaega calls me Saturday after calling the dive and was told by Shelly it was the weekend of the 16th. No matter, I’m at the dive talking to Candy. Creedster, Met Fan, Hector and Ellie and a few other regulars were in attendance, lots of semi regulars and irregulars showed up, some of the dart throwers were in attendance. Then in comes the Kareoke crew minus Cary because he’s got another gig. Mallory is running the show with help from one of her country Kareoke singers i'll call ‘Alabama’, who wears the black cowboy hat.

So I got inquisitive, “Shelly, I thought Kareoke was on the 16th..that’s what Yaega said to me on the phone after she said she talked with you.” “I made a mistake” Shelly said as she tried to get the bar in order, I asked for Peroni, not in stock, no Amstel either, no ale that can work in a Black and Tan so I had Tonic Water. They should take down the beers on display since they never sell them. At least, they won’t sell them to me.

The night had many good singers from other venues Cary and his wife play at, I knew from their faces and talent they weren’t from the dive. Being concerned none of the old crew would represent I took to the mike and did my rendition of “The Ride”. I was told it didn’t suck. I was amazed that there was only a light gathering until near midnight when things picked up. I was amazed that no one put out any info on this other than a flyer. But knowing the Bossman he didn’t make up his mind until a week before or less.

During the night I talked to M.F.(Met Fan) and to Dino and his new lady friend ‘Belle’, they didn’t know about Kareoke until the middle of the week. I have it on good info that Bossman didn’t arrange this, but some of the bartenders did. Its hard to get paying customers in the bar if your good paying customers don’t know what the fuck is going on. This event amounts to a poorly publicized carnival or a piss poorly kept secret. I hope the bartenders did O.K.

I don’t know why things go the way they do. But since that’s the way it is, that’s someone else’s problem. The only reason I stayed was Candy and some of the regulars spending time to catch up a bit. The dive was piss poorly stocked again, but if you have inventory you want to move, fuck your customers. Tonic water is fine with me, it’s a lot less than a beer I can’t buy anyway.

RJ