Flowings of Your Everlasting Taffyman

Sleek and Stylish (why I dont like yuppie bars in uptown)

Me and Chris sat outside Figlio's in Calhoun Square, neither of us were prepared for this, it had been sprung on us while we were looking for something to do, and are other options were things like driving around the lake again, or looking at cds we couldnt afford. So we sat there waiting for the kids we were supposed to meet up with... two of them knew we were coming, but the others didnt, and the two were late and didnt seem to be in a rush... so we sat outside on a bench each holding our bladders. Chris remarked about his anxiety, and from there I couldnt shut up about the idea of these places. Yuppie bars where no one is comfortable and you cant hear and blah blah blah.
The crew who wasnt expecting us suddenly walked out of Figlio's with the intention to head up stairs to the independent a place i hate even more, because its the same only more trendy and in red. at least the line is inside so its warm.
The girls I recognized, but I honestly couldnt have given you any names had I not heard them in passing from other people. They are all younger than me, I know that, and I have hung out with them many times, though each time they were drunk and seemed to not have a clue, but it was a basement or a garage and everyone was drunk so it didnt seem out of place... still I had never really had any reason to talk to them, and didnt still... but I'm a polite social guy -so why not hang with these almost strangers right? there were 4 of them, I still dont know who the one was, and walshie, one of the notorious family that everyone knows but me... and I'd seen him before too... but had we had a conversation? probably not, he was probably drunk or high or something... I have no idea how old he is... and even now his face is fading from my memory. No Jared the one kid I knew and had at least talked to many a time. and of course morgan and nick were still on there way....
small talk during cigarettes outside, mn smoking ban, means drunk or not -you are outside in the street smoking amongst the beggers. And walshie gets into a conversation with a man who tells him that he killed a man the night before... and he seems to have the scars and blood to prove it... and I get in a conversation with one of the girls, and it seems for the first time in 4-5 years she is a real person to me. She goes to college, she has dreams, she has a plan for her life... and then we go inside... and at that point I still couldnt remember her name.
The others meet us -having seen the line at independent and throw around ideas for a different bar. Stella's, Bar Abilene, Drink, (these are the trendy ones) and I think about how simple it is at morris...
you want beer you go to a bar... it really doesnt matter which, they are all roughly the same price, atmosphere? well there is no trendy, but the college thing is the met... the old number one is laid back, and for a little bit of class hit up bello.. for old, or towny hit up the legion or the eagles... and since they are all within a block or two... you might as well take tour.
but back to uptown.... we walk past uptown express the place where I would hang, we cross the street and notice the line at stella's and since someone already announced that stella's fish cafe makes you smell like fish, it was crossed off the list...
Bar abilene... seems promising at first, past the lagoon theater where chris had earlier remarked the liberal movies are shown, and I look in, to see people I would much rather hang out with, though I dont know them... but they seem promising...
abilene, is a place i have been before, but though i enjoyed the company that time, i didnt quite understand or appreciate the experience. It was loud, it was crowded it was shite... and we were headed towards it again.
The line was long, it was cold, we stood there for 5 minutes and headed to Drink, where I passed the lagoon theater again, and Corina Bernstein who looked trendy and was followed by her jazz guitar playing boyfriend, and though they didnt recognize me, I yelled at them... sort of happy to see something at least semi familiar.
Drink has a slogan that says "when you think patio, think drink" which is the dumbest thing in the world if you are in MN and it is 25 degrees out... and it was... but upon entrance you wouldnt know that. The greeter at the door sells beer from a bucket and has more cleavage than you have ever seen in a mn winter... this is how they welcome you, they say "hi this is where the sexy is." but unfortunately there are no lights in Drink and the music is loud and obnoxious and everyone is standing, and there doesnt seem to be a lot of talking though there is some yelling... and not a lot of dancing, but movement of people walking back and forth looking for a better time... beer and drinks are 5 bucks... and the ones on the menu sound tasty... but im not here to drink (at drink)...

we sit down in a booth... chris is uncomfortable but is more uncomfortable saying he wants to leave... Chris generally fits into these situations but he doesnt know that. Anxiety wise, he is probably screaming, but from the outside he looks fairly normal... he says he stares at people, but no more than anyone else... and me... well my jaw is dropped by the ridiculousness of the situation... Chris is wearing a light colored sweater and jeans that although a little worn, could pass as the trendy kind of worn... his hair is relatively short, and though he says he hasnt shaved... hes fairly clean... the girls are wearing various forms of trendiness... not quite scandalous like many of the other women, but not quite mn winter either... they must be freezing, they are done up but not over done... and thats nice... but there is still a whiff of that pretentiousness me and chris were remarking about when we first sat down outside of Figlios.

They are nice girls, dont get me wrong... they are very welcoming... and had the circumstances been better I would have had plentl of conversation with them... but this is not a place for conversation.... walsh seems to be wearing a sweater vest or something and maybe a jacket...
the other men at this place are in various forms of done up.... most wear smooth button down black shirts... slacks or form fitting jeans.. they are not metro-sleek ...more masculine sleek... they have short hair and have shaved... they have looks of confidence, though each seems to be searching for something... and probably that something is some sort of woman.
the women are all wearing unique outfits... there is no copying, there is no weather permitting... not a jacket in sight and if there was, it would doubtless be some sort of sleek leather not warm fashion statement... feathers or something.
make up and straightened hair. check your personal expression and personality at the door... no one can hear you anyway. there is one guy dancing and he is dancing alone, probably drunk and probably just to keep his mind off the boredom...
I dont fit in, I dont care because I dislike the idea of the place...
Im wearing black tennis shoes that I have been wearing since the beginning of last summer... Two socks that dont match and dont fit. one pair of khakis that i have been wearing for two weeks, one pair of pjs underneath that keep me from freezing from the wind. One t shirt -gambit of the x men, black, bought in the 7th grade, one sweatshirt, warm dark blue, purchased sometime in highschool worn-tattered, the sweatshirt i wore for 4 months on my first backpacking trip to europe when i was 18. one jacket, big bulky and warm, probably a ladies winter coat, probably too ugly for me to be wearing (according to some) but I got it free and I like it... plenty of pocket space...which i am using with a pocket full of mints, 2 gloves a hat and a stick of deoderant. my camera is attached to my pants and sticks out from my right side. my facial hair is unkempt cuz im not working no more and I thought it would give my parents something to scold me about over thanksgiving and a reason for me to perceive them as shallow. (which makes me shallow) my hair is long in comparison, greasy, not straight, the 7-8 month growth from a hacked together mohawk and it pleases me to know that. I have 8 earrings, and one eye brow ring... I wear normal looking glasses. Everyone in the bar is wearing contacts or something trendy.
I ask Chris how long he wants to stay with hand gestures and he says he would leave as quick as possible and he doesnt look uncomfortable but the quickness of his answer tells me he is... I dont know an easy way to get out.... so I just wave good bye... and its rude... and they ask why... and I tell them chris has an early bed time and laugh at the idea of this situation...
Chris is uncomfortable with our exit... I couldnt care less..
We call morgan and nick and they say they arent going near that place... and will wait till everyone is done or go to a different bar...
This whole thing makes me long for the days we hung out in basements and listened to rap or phish, or dmb and though people were drunk and stupid... at least we could talk and be together...
But i wonder if the high price, high status of these places is really just the price people are willing to pay to people watch and feel a part of something... and we head out...
and i worry about my future.