Diver Down

This past Friday we decided to go to a new bar called Drifter's after I passed my CLU test (YES!). We had a great time and enjoyed their draught beer selection. The bar is very nice and open with lots of light. Now, some of you may be wondering where this bar is. Well, for those of you with shorter term memories of the downtown area it is in the old Paulie's. For those of you with longer memories, it is in the old Lizard's Lounge. Many of you who have known me for some time will remember that I basically had my mail forwarded to the Lizard's Lounge in the late 90's.

Lizard's was one of those great dive bars without being scary or too sketchy. It wasn't the place for the cool preppy college kids. It was where people just looking to have a good time and listen to bands went (especially after the Gallery closed/succumbed to termites). The place was dark and loud. The floors were cleaned once every decade. The bathrooms were slightly above the quality of a Mexican road house. You get the picture.

Anyway, I have a ton of good memories (admittedly, some, ok, a good portion, of them a taaaad fuzzy) from that place. I used to frequent the place with my good friends Traci, Jeannie, and Lynda, serving as their bodyguard (it's a wonder I wasn't picking up chicks when I came in with 3 already...). We had many adventures and spent a good portion of our meager paychecks there.

Now I'll get to the point. Where are the dive bars now? I know there are the ones on the West side, but those are all populated by old and/or verrrrry sketchy people. No, I want to know where young adults can go to throw back some drinks and listen to original live music without having to dress up like they're going to a club. I don't know, maybe times have changed and the new generation just wants pre-packaged 4,000 decibel martini bars. Speaking of the new generation; what is with not going out until 10 or 11? When I was a regular patron of the adult beverage dispensers you had to get there by 7 or you didn't get a table. Is it a cost saving measure? Are people getting drunk before they head out? Is it because the guys are contemplating which Abercrombie and Fitch distressed vintage t-shirt they are going to wear with their pre-stained, pre-frayed, pre-torn baseball cap?

At the risk of sounding like an old codger talking about how things were so much better in the old days, I must say that I prefer the way we partied. However, I will say that I do appreciate cleanliness now that I'm well entrenched in my 30's. And, as we informed the nice 21 year old waitress who hadn't heard of many of the beers on tap, it is nice to have a selection of beer other than AB and Miller (not that there's anything wrong with Miller, especially Miller High Life).

Well, I'm off to hug a tree.