Having A Beer At The Landmark

I had a beer earlier tonight at the Landmark with my friend Gene. The last time we met at our usual hangout I told him I was on the wagon, that I was protesting beer, how it done me wrong, how it took me down like a bully, how I let it, and how I wanted to correct that. So I told him that I put myself on the wagon; I drank their strong coffee all night, until closing.

I think telling Gene about the wagon was a little hard for him to take; for example, I can see him think to himself, "Who's gonna drink w/ me?" though I was indeed drinking, not beer, but a coffeee so caffeineted, who needed beer? A week ago I was proud to be a passenger on that wagon of chicken farmers and former bootleggers, tonight, I stumbled off, or plainly put, I stumbled on the 24th. Did it matter? I did limit my intake, one beer and I was out. I put a fiver on a Bass, chatted about my day.

Gene told me they let him out early at work because someone called in a bomb threat. Imagine that, a bomb threat at Cesar Chavez Adult School. Somebody didn't want to go to school tonight. I didn't bother asking how my brother was doing, the Laker game was on, they were playing the Trailblazers, Greg Odom's first game. I think the bartender responded, "Again?" He was smiling, I figured the sarcasm.

Despite my insensitivity, we did have a lively discussion about the novel "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" by Manuel Puig. Gene told me he was interested in using that book for a future class; my ears perked and I posed the question if he thought the book would be appropriate for English 1A students being that the novel is purely dialogue. He agreed and I made a mental note to adopt Spiderwoman for the spring or future semesters.

Mmm, a cold beer, the holy grail of any bar. Goes great with Laker games; literary speakeasy's; and Tuesday evening bomb threats.


peace,


Michael Medrano


I listened to "Los Ritmos Calientes" by Cal Tjader
during this blog.