I’ve been up since around 2 AM for some reason. I blame the dogs, but it’s not really their fault that sleep is so elusive these days. They aren’t eligible to vote, and even if they were, they would not have voted for Donald Trump.
Well, maybe Pete would have. I hate to say that about him — it’s a terrible accusation. But he can be a bully.
Pete doesn’t just want a toy, he wants all the damn stuffies and chewies, even when not actively using them. It’s not enough for him to have a lap to sit on. He wants all available laps reserved for his exclusive use. Yep, definitely a Republican, the fuzzy little gray bastid.
The mister and I made a rare excursion into the wider world yesterday. We met some friends at a horrid riverside dive bar that had a live band.
Behind the bar, there’s a shady backlot that slopes down to the river. There’s wooden stage for bands, and the lot is dotted with splintered picnic tables. Lots of grizzled biker dudes were milling about.
People had also set up folding chairs to watch the band. There was a little drunken dancing going on and much foot traffic from the bandstand area to the bar to replenish buckets of beer.
As we entered, we noticed a sign in the parking lot that said, “No Colors! No Attitude!” Presumably this was to discourage hostilities between rival biker gangs.
It’s kind of hard for me to get my mind around that. I am no spring chicken, and the biker dudes in attendance almost all looked older than I am — some considerably so. But I guess they’re not too old to get drunk and start throwing punches. People are dumb!
That parking lot was the scene of a late-night homicide a while back. A man who was notorious locally for being a belligerent ass threatened the wrong person and got shot for his trouble.
The shooter wasn’t charged due to the “stand your ground” law, and bystander consensus was that the deceased had it coming.
Anyway, judging from the demographic and location, it was an overwhelmingly Trumpy type of place, but I didn’t see any red hats. However, there was a weird moment, the meaning of which I’m still pondering.
The band covered a lot of old school rock, e.g., AC/DC, Guns ‘n Roses, some Stones, a little Hendrix, etc. But at one point, the lead singer mumbled something about these being challenging times and asked the crowd to remove their hats and join him in singing the national anthem.
After he concluded, the singer reminded us that God is in control. I turned to Bill and said let’s get the fuck outta here, so we did.
I can’t explain why, exactly, but it was disquieting. There was a “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” vibe to it. Or maybe I’m just a cynical person with a low tolerance for jingoism who should frequent more reputable establishments in the future.
Anyhoo. Open thread.
