out and about

Just got back from hitting my old stomping groud in Tempe. Pretty fun. Kinda surreal. Definately didn't make me wanna change anything about my life. Not that I expected it to.

You see, I've been going out on Thursday night with my girlfriend, Lori, for humm....probably 10 years now. At first it was ALL party party party. Then I got pregnant and it was walking around the block to maintain my blood sugar levels and watching ER. Then it was just getting dinner and watching ER. Well now that I'm FINALLY done with being pregnant and nursing it's more like get outta the house, have dinner, and grab a drink or two somewhere (we've yet to find a bar that we like but that's another story)

So tonight was no different. We went to Gecko Grill. This AMAZING mexican place where I always get the "shrimp mango queeeeesadeeeeeeeeeeella" (yeah I say it like that) DAMN is that thing good. It's IS....heaven...in a torrrrrteeeeeeeeya. Love it. Then we try a new bar across town. It's alright. Nothing to write home about. But it's just me and her and getting away from things so there's no reason to find someplace worthy of writing home about.

We're sitting there havin' a drink and we decide (err...well okay...*I* decide) that we should check out "my old bar." Casey Moore's. It's this old HAUNTED 3 story building turning to seafood restaurant/bar. It's near the heart of college town Tempe and is usually packed. I hadn't been there for well over 3 years and man had things changed.

Or well maybe not so much. They did do a HUGE patio expantion that at least tripled their space. They added a bar out there and everything. Pretty cool. But inside was still the same. The bartenders still daunted the white dress shirt and cinched up tie. The bathroom still only had two stalls but for some reason never really had a line. I was still able to walk in while it was completely packed and find 2 open chairs at the corner of the bar just like I like. Something about that place always welcomed me. I felt like Norm.

Had a couple beers. Watched the young Tempe freaks hitting on each other. Asked the bartender if Gavin was still there? (he is) How about Rod and his new wife? (nope, married with child in Colorado) Aaron, the door guy? (moved to NY and fell off the face of the planet) And Biker? (just missed him) It was nice knowing that I wasn't the only person thinking about these old friends. Glad I went. Glad I talked to the bartender.

Glad to be home.