Barfly 101: An introduction to the rules . . . and then some,

Sometimes, before your hook gets baited, the line will drop into the water. And, as fate will have it, there’s some bottom-feeding creature that’s ready and willing to bite on anything. Apparently, the same is true with a blog. There's someone waiting to comment on anything.

So it was yesterday after I had set up this blog for a dry run, then headed off to Planck’s Tavern to rid myself of some the dryness. Silly me. I should have made clear to the world that being a “barfly” is not the same as being a drunk, let alone an alcoholic. In fact, for a barfly the drinking part is often something to do while the conversation is flowing. Often, the drinking helps to animate the discussion. But the drinking is NOT the be-all and end-all of being a barfly. For that reason alone, the unstated Rule #5 should read: “There is no barf in being a barfly.”

A case in point might be the fact that the very first topic of conversation amongst the bartenders, Harvey, and myself was my insistence that I not be served any of those 20-oz schooners of PBR, but only those of the 16-oz variety. And that I not be served any more than three of those. After all, I have become a lightweight even in the lager class, and 48 ounces in the course of 90 minutes is more than enough to get me into trouble these days and afternoons. So, let’s just underscore that the drinking was of no greater importance than the eating and the talking.

For eating, we were there for the half-price apps: onion rings and Monterey jack potato skins, both of which are tripworthy to Planck’s, as is the price of the PBR on tap. [#6: The quest for thrift must always ride shotgun to the driving quench of thirst.]

Meanwhile, the main topic for the rest of afternoon from 4:15p (DST) on was whether or not a landlord should allow a tenant to bring an animal into a rental property. RESOLVED: That no pets should be allowed on the premises. Sadly, there was no real debate, because no one was willing to argue in favor of allowing beasts inside the landlord’s house. Slam dunk! Bartender, another round!