Conference and Pub Crawl

The Conference -

There are many AARs out in the blogosphere. Andi has a list. So I will just say that I was on time (it's true and NameTag Man can vouch for me; it was a lot of fun and I love Col. Hunt. He autographed my sister's book and his Dad is from Charlestown. He is the man. Murdoc says he is a prick, but that's why we love him.


The Pub Crawl -

Where to start? Well I walk into Finn McCool's and look around for my partners-in-crime. Sgt.B gives me a big enthusiastic wave.....someone seems happy to see me. I go over and claim the spot he has indicated between himself and an older woman. It was very noisy....lot's of yelling from table to table. You know I have that crazy arthritis in my ear thing so I have a hard time with ambient noise. So I generally talk only to those that are pretty much in my lap. I introduce myself to the woman beside me and ask about her blog. Bang! She is off and running - Communism - secret camps - brainwashing youngsters - not being allowed to go to Vietnam because her CO was afraid she'd get pregnant. I turn to Sgt. B and make a face and tell him meaningfully.....he will PAY! He tries to look innocent and fails. Then........

SHE
RUBS
MY
LEG

LOL, I turn to Sgt.B and again threaten his life. AFter a while, ConspiracyWoman gets up for a cigarette break, and I quickly move my favorite BeerGirl from the Castle, Maryann, into that spot. At various times I notice ConspiracyWoman taking pictures of me from different places in the pub. Were-Kitten gives a lewd explanation - aren't friends grand! - which doesn't make me feel any better. When the gang decides to "crawl" on, CW follows and is never far from me for the rest of the night. I tell various bloggers about the leg rub - no sympathy.

So off we go up 8th. There are several pubs on the list but we can not find the very next one and some people (Sgt.B, 1SG. Keith, Were-Kitten) are anal enough that we can not go out of order. Sgt.B takes me through every GD puddle on 8th as we search for the next pub. It's raining, I am completely bedraggled, I'm surprised CW is still interested, lol. Some people are not coming out of Finn McCool's and the suggestion is made that someone needs to step up to the big plate glass window and get their attention. HomeFront6 goes up and presses her jean clad behind to the glass and swishes. I step forward to show her the correct way to handle this......I turn my back to the group I am with, flip the back of my skirt up and press my less-well-covered backside to the glass and announce that *this* is how it's done!

The next pub is packed with very young Marines from the barracks across the street. I got carded!! In less than one drink we move on.

We walk past #3 on the list because a smaller group I was in has reconnoitered and found it to be dead quiet with a few snooty yuppies.

On to #4.........I stop outside to take a phone call and most everyone else goes inside. A young man walks by me carrying a Military.com bag. I realize he is one of our group and call to him because he is passing the entrance to the place. He grabs his bag a little tighter and steps up the pace. I call out again that he is missing the front door. He stops and looks and thanks me as he goes inside. I follow him in a few minutes later. "Who just came in here with a Military.com bag?" I ask the group. He raises his hand. "Did you think I was soliciting you from the doorway? Calling out my rates?" Everyone laughs. Uncle Jimbo wants to know my rates..................but we all know the answer to that.........if you have to ask........
In this place there was a) bad chocolate cake (icing was ok); b) a waitress who didn't understand my order but brought me Grey Goose and cranberry juice and wrote "cape coda" on the check; and c) Doug from military.com, who was freaking hilarious!

I told the guys from Op-For again how much I loved them and gave Charlie cigars (John doesn't smoke).

At the end of the night as I was being steered out to a cab by a responsible party, Matty O'Blackfive was admiring Sgt.B's Castle shirt.

It was obviously new and the logo was black and crisp. I opened my sweater and showed him my Castle tanktop (old, faded, worn a hundred times to the gym and yoga. Strangely enough, they both thought mine was better.....hmmmmmm.

So we get in the cab and we have a driver who looks like Bernie Mac. He asks what we're doing tomorrow. I respond that I am going to take some carnations down to the World War II memorial. The cabbie roars laughing and in a deep southern voice he declares "I could listen to her all night!"


I had a great time!