Schools Out For The Summer, but not forever, as a few teachers bucked the trend and partied like its 1999:
— A female bartender was acting like Tom Cruise in Cocktail while shaking, then pouring, a set of drinks. I told her she was of the wrong gender for that. She added that she’d work on fixing that. I don’t recall exactly how she said she’d go about doing that, but I do recall a few nights later when a whole bunch of Hudson High School teachers came in after graduation and really partied down, maybe even more than their students, that it prompted the bartender to evoke Alice Cooper and sing the signature line from School’s Out For The Summer. Then across the way, a sign expressed “no school” summer well-wishes at the Agave, using a K not a C for the second letter (cool). All this is surprising, because many teachers feel compelled to toe the line and be on the straight and narrow all the time, even at bars for a night out, because of what the parents of their students might think. In particular, in my work-your-ass-off tenure for low pay with the Hudson Star-Observer, one who also coached and years ago I became good friends with — although like all sports reporters for their absurdly corporate chain I’ve known, had to simply work and sleep and basically not have a life, and I was not down for that — told me later that she wanted to come over and buy me a drink, but was afraid of Big Brother Parent. Something about this might get into print, she said she feared. Would I do that? I think I just did. And all these bartenders will tell you, at this time of year, that the teachers coming in to celebrate graduation have their reputation precede them even as walking in, in an unprecedented combo of mousy-ness and politeness about where the rest of their party was situated. But then there always are others …
— Green Mill suggests that they have the goods for everything you’d want in a graduation party/celebration, in an email message on May 22 as part of their rewards club. Uhm, I know parties to celebrate the occasion go on for much of the summer, but graduation itself was three days earlier, held at the Knowles Center at UW-River Falls because of ongoing construction at Hudson High School. Seems the Mill is a little “Green” on its timing. As could be two other places advertising themselves as the grad go-to venue, Buffalo Wild Wings and The Nova/Casanova Historic Liquors. Let’s cut them some slack, however, as these and other grad celebrations will likely go on well into the start of summer school.
— As of this writing, the news was that Trump was considering talked to Investigator Muller about alleged crimes, but that any questions about possible obstruction be off the table. What’s left? Maybe Trump could be asked to chime in on the age-old question of best metal double-guitar attack, Priest or Maiden. As clueless as the Pres is, he just might answer Air Supply.
— This is a flip side of former one-man band fodder. After the timing of the holidays around New Years, and Dick’s employee holiday party, Jeff Loven found himself with an unprecedented three Sundays off at that venue. Well now, a half-year later, Loven was very, very lively for a racheted up two Sundays in a row. Let me explain: On Memorial Day weekend, with people having Monday off, the attendance was virtually should to shoulder. It was almost that full the Sunday before, as Ink Factory Tattoos celebrated the last leg with Loven during their 20th anniversary party. It started at the shop, moved across the street to Hop & Barrel craft brewery, then back across the street again to Dick’s, where the party continued until bar time.
— The Latino night at Pudge’s, usually held once a week, continues on, and when it happened to be observed on the same evening as Cinco De Mayo and the beach party at Dick’s, complete with a dance floor of sand, there was a certain synergy to be found. Or was there? A bouncer from Dick’s, who was off duty on this very evening, said his place was a bit hopping early, but when it slowed down, he made it over the Pudge’s — all of which meant he was dressed the part. Or was he? The guy added that was only dressed for the earlier affair, but there were those at Pudge’s where Dress Mex was intentional, and they showed it in the back room dedicated to that fact, more than a dozen strong and all of them dancing to the deejay. A lot of the people who were not Caucasian were up and down between the first and second floors, catching the best of the holiday music, even if it meant plugging the juke box.
— The sign at Dick’s Bar and Grill that was posted on the swinging gate that separates the bartenders from those they serve, said that on what I remember as being called Throwback Thursday was offering 99 cent Bloody Mary’s with purchase of anything such as breakfast. Sorry, I cannot verify since the sign is no longer there for the reason of (1) the special is no longer being offered, or (2) it was knocked off by a tipsy drunk, or both.
— And as an update, the bartender who worried aloud a short time ago that legalized betting all over might basically shut down Vegas because of all the wagering that the new hockey team there might bring as they go for an NHL title, no further worries. The wagers that ended up on tap were quite small, so the Sin City survives, he told a patron who’d asked earlier. Vegas? Small wagers?