Score Four
What’s 24 you ask? My age as of last Sunday, plus the number of hours a day I be slangin rox. Hustle or die.
This fabulous milestone took place at the runner’s high end of an eight-show weekend; so by the time I got around to celebrating it was all I could do to stay awake. Old man indeed. After eating some marzipan figs, my manx cat Olive and I curled up under my favorite throw to spend a few happy moments with the Stereopticon before floating off to dreamland. Up with life!
Sunday night was spent down in Hyde Park with my fiends Bernard "Ben" Stiegler and Irvin Eustus Carbuncle Carsten the 8th. Putting a damper on our jolly sausage fest was Suzanne, a philosophy student who loves Norwegian Death Metal who is twice as awesome as that makes her sound.
The four of us traipsed over to the Falcon Lounge, one of my favorite Chicago bars, where Irv treated me to birthday booze. The Falcon is always rocking with mid-eighties electric soul, and full of middle aged black men. Two fellows behind us were playing chess, the one facing me tapping the pawns in his graveyard to the beat of "Rock With You." Beyond him, I noticed an lithe gentleman with an eye-catching gray pompadour/curly mustache combo. He was draped in a overlong coat that looked stitched together from Rick James’ throw-pillow upholstery. It was then Suzanne let is in on the rumor that the Falcon is a "Down Low" pick up spot. Cooler still, there’s a greasy-spoon next door with a serving window cut into the bar wall. You can stand in the bar and order their specialty: a bed of french fries with a slice of pizza on top.
Today at work I received some birthday cards from my family. My Death Metal Aunt has sent me Something Weird Video’s EXTRA WEIRD SAMPLER. This evening I will watch it with more intrepid, mature eyes.
My Death Metal Aunt is my mother’s elder sister, meaning she’s in her late fifties. She’s a librarian at Old Dominion University and a rabid fan of Goth Metal, Japanese gore, Italian horror, Mexican wrestling, and American sexploitation films. When we holiday in Virginia with my grandparents my aunt always makes a point of bringing up the latest bloodbath movie she’s see in an effort to scare the squares, (or so it seems). That’s the thing. My Aunt would be so much cooler if she didn’t seem bound to convince the family how idiosyncratic she is. Like when my Grampa puts on Bing Crosby’s Christmas Hits and my Aunt suggests Cradle of Filth* or the Genitorturers. At times she also seems to insinuate that my mom is some kind of sellout living a phony American Dream, which is inexcusable. My mother is an eccentric saint, who just happens to be awesome, if slightly more conservative (preferring The Broadway Melody to The Gore Gore Girls).
In any case many thanks to all my friends and family who made my birthday feel special. Much love.
Coming soon: Chicago Fun Places Reviews!!!!
