The Actual Cinco
I slept happily until about 9:30, Friday morning, and made sure not to eat when I awoke. I caught the 47 about two blocks from my front door, and the farebox promptly ate my change card. The driver had me fill out my name and address, so they could send me a new change card, or maybe even a check for six dollars, and balked at me not putting my ZIP code on the piece of paper I was given. To the intense amusement of the rest of the people on the bus, the driver railed me about how no address is complete without a ZIP code. Then, thankfully, my stop came and I got off.

I had to walk a little over a mile to get to Ponak's from the closest stop at 25th and Summit, and Eric beat me there by a good measure, and put his name in. I arrived soon after, and it was packed. It was about 1:30 in the afternoon, and the place was wall-to-wall people. After noting with disgust that the only entrance to the restaurant faces the parking lot, behind the building, and that the front door is not meant to be used, I purchased a beer from the first place in the world to even have served Boulevard beer on tap. Pale Ale was $2.25 a draw! Apparently, it's always that cheap.

We were famished, so we didn't wait for Jeff, to order. That's a good thing too, because Jeff wasn't to appear until almost 4 PM. I got some delicious mess of Mexican food, and was unable to finish it. Eric and I walked over to the brewery, and enjoyed a sample just as the "Construction Happy Hour" was starting. Every Friday, Boulevard apparently hosts a free happy hour in their tasting room for all the workers that are working on the brewery expansion. I thought it was a very classy gesture, on their part.

Eric called it quits as we sat in the tasting room, and I had to finish his beer for him. We walked back toward Ponak's where he had parked, and I got a call from Jeff, who had finally managed to get out of the office. I said good-bye to Eric, and agreed to meet up with Jeff at Jesse's, across the street from Ponak's. I went in and found a seat at the bar, and was immediately accosted by an unfairly attractive Corona girl, who artfully roped me into buying a bottle of Mexico's worst beer.

Jeff arrived soon after, and we set to business. He ordered lunch, and we watched Jeopardy with no sound. We walked from there to the heart of the Southwest Boulevard Mexican area, where I flipped a driver off for not stopping for my crosswalk. We grabbed a pair of seats at the bar at Taqueria Mexico, and watched the news on Univision, and noted that Spanish language Walmart ads are way classier than English language ones.

We went next to El Pueblita, where after finishing our first round, Bimal joined us. We were ordering a second round when the waitress told us that besides what she had already promised to bring me, no more beer would be served. Not very excited about the idea of my friends sitting and watching me drink a beer, we left. We walked about fifty feet, and came to some place right at the corner of Southwest and Summit, the name of which I never saw or heard. Patently non-Mexican music was thumping inside, but they had draught beer, of which we all availed ourselves.

We went from there to La Bodega, where I was delighted to find that Bully Porter was available on tap. Cole joined us at La Bodega, where we drank some more beer, and ate some tapas, before moving on to Opal's. From Opal's, we got the crazy idea to go to Skies. From Skies, I texted back and forth with Becca, who was at the Opera with some friends. Nevertheless, they walked in the door at Skies as we were leaving. Becca announced that she and her friends Lauren and Danielle were going to Grinders. We didn't want to deal with the crowds at Grinders, so we hopped in a cab and went to 12 Baltimore, maybe a quarter of a mile from home.

Some really excellent band was playing mambo music like the dickens, and everyone got into it. I texted Becca about it, and she came there, post haste. Great beer, great scenery, great music, and dancing topped off an excellent Cinco de Mayo, the first I have ever celebrated.

Here follows my progress for the day(and night):

• Ponak's - 1 Blvd Pale(draught), 1 Margarita
• Boulevard Brewery - 2 Saison test brews
• Jesse's - 1 Corona(bottle), 1 Dos Equis Amber(bottle)
• Taqueria Mexico - 1 Dos Equis(bottle)
• El Pueblita - 1 Pacifico
• Never got the name - 1 Dos Equis(draught)
• La Bodega - 3 Boulevard Bully! Porters(draught)
• Opal's Kitchen - 1 Budweiser(draught)
• Skies - 3 Boulevard Pale Ales(bottle)
• 12 Baltimore - 3 O'Malley's Irish Creme Ales(draught)

It was a long day, but it was excellent. Pictures here.

chrizow interjected:
wow. if i consumed all that alcohol, i would perish. literally.

kudos.

9:41 PM, May 6, 2006

Jeff brooked no delay in saying:
I declared bankruptcy the next morning. Holy frijoles what a night.

10:22 AM, May 7, 2006

Rachel replied:
Holy beans! Sounds awesome, John.

1:42 PM, May 8, 2006

Cole took the time to say:
Yeah, I took a good sized financial setback that night too. I imagine John is worse off than we are now. I suppose it was worth it, but I started wishing really hard I still had that money when I walked through the brookside art fair saturday. Not that it could have bought me much.

4:56 PM, May 8, 2006

bahua brooked no delay in saying:
Well, luckily for me, all I did, the next day, was ride the bus, drink one beer, and have a hamburger. Not exactly an expensive Saturday. I was invited to go out, but never did, partially for fear of the shallowing of the pockets, but mostly because I just couldn't keep my eyes open.

6:31 PM, May 8, 2006

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