Another Solo Mission - Drinking alone? Post here!

[Hugh]

Goddamb - some serious whooping and hollering from the end of the block. The game must not be over yet...

[RIPT2.0]

I could never spend 9 hrs in just one bar. I'd have to spread that out over several bars, at the very least. Besides, I start getting funny looks anytime I spend more than 3 hrs in one bar, especially from the bartender. Or maybe it's because I'm giving them funny looks. I can never tell. Shit, I figure I'm drinking alone 99% of time anyway, so I'm might as well just drink at home. Cheaper for me. Safer for them.

[Hugh]

I always wonder what other people in the bar think of me when I sit there that long. I got called out on it once by someone who had a drink in the morning and then went to work. She came back to the bar and I was still there on the same stool. She couldn't believe I'd been there the whole time.

Bukowski used to drink at a bar in Philadelphia from before open, at about 5 AM, until closing time at 2 AM, taking a break in the middle of the day to go sleep in the alley. The night shift bartender hated him and would sometimes beat him up. Once, Bukowski whipped him though.

I'm grabbing a book of poetry and a bottle of whiskey tonight. I went out last night to my favorite bar and it was the same old shit, made an ass out of myself. I lost a hundred bucks that I had taken out of the ATM, and that's not the first time I've done that. I really wish I could resist the call of the bars. I'm waiting until late to start drinking tonight so that I don't look up and see that there's still plenty of time to shower up and go drink at the bar. Gods of solitude, please smile on me tonight!

[Rye and Coke]

Bukowski used to drink at a bar in Philadelphia from before open, at about 5 AM, until closing time at 2 AM, taking a break in the middle of the day to go sleep in the alley. The night shift bartender hated him and would sometimes beat him up. Once, Bukowski whipped him though.

Is this the story that inspired the screenplay of "Barfly"? Sounds like it.

[RIPT2.0]

There have been a couple of times in my life where I lived close enough to a bar to walk to it and that was ok. At least I could get as drunk as I wanted to without worrying about driving home. Those were some fun times.

[oettinger]

I lost a hundred bucks that I had taken out of the ATM, and that's not the first time I've done that.

Bummer. There were times when I thought I lost all my cash but friends told me I just drank that much the night before

[scream ale]

Bukowski used to drink at a bar in Philadelphia from before open, at about 5 AM, until closing time at 2 AM, taking a break in the middle of the day to go sleep in the alley. The night shift bartender hated him and would sometimes beat him up. Once, Bukowski whipped him though.

Is this the story that inspired the screenplay of "Barfly"? Sounds like it.

It was also in "Notes of a Dirty Old Man".

[Hugh]

Bukowski used to drink at a bar in Philadelphia from before open, at about 5 AM, until closing time at 2 AM, taking a break in the middle of the day to go sleep in the alley. The night shift bartender hated him and would sometimes beat him up. Once, Bukowski whipped him though.

Is this the story that inspired the screenplay of "Barfly"? Sounds like it.

Yep, that was it. Bukowski talked a lot about that place in his letters, it was located at 16th and Fairmount in Philadelphia. The bartender's real name was Tommy McGillian and Buk said that people talked about how he finally whipped him that night for a long time. I probably read a little too much in to it, but I think the bartender didn't like Buk because he sat there all that time and was wasted by the time the night bartender came on. I used to see that in a bar I used to drink at. They had a few regulars that would sit there all day and even if they were well behaved, the bartenders just got tired of them.

[Hugh]

There have been a couple of times in my life where I lived close enough to a bar to walk to it and that was ok. At least I could get as drunk as I wanted to without worrying about driving home. Those were some fun times.

I've got five "divish" bars within walking distance. Then there are other more high-end bars, too. I used to hit up the ones that opened early on hot summer mornings. Those were definitely fun times. To walk out drunk in the bright sunshine always put me in a good mood. But then "Lonely Old Man" started attaching themselves to me and I had to cut back. But the best people to drink with are those people you find in bars in the middle of the day. Especially the bums who managed to scrape a few dollars together and just wanted a place to sit for a while. One of my bars stopped accepting coins as payment to repel the bums, but they were my favorites. To see some guy's face brighten up when he hears a song on the jukebox that he obviously hasn't heard in years is a joy. But they usually have that look of discomfort too, because they know they don't belong and fear being 86'd for nursing their drink for too long. This city has gentrified and I don't like it.

[Hugh]

Just plunked down $15 for another 1.75 L bottle of Kessler. I drank damb near a half bottle of this stuff last night and woke up without a hangover this morning. What is that plastic thing in the opening of the bottle called? It's a white plastic slotted thing that looks like it's just there to slow down how fast the whiskey pours out. I pop it tout and throw it away when I first open the bottle.

Coming up on 5:30 and I'm going to pour the first drink. I'm not worried about getting drunk and being tempted to go out to the bars tonight. I'd have to shower, shampoo, and shave first. Fuck all that.

[RIPT2.0]

There have been a couple of times in my life where I lived close enough to a bar to walk to it and that was ok. At least I could get as drunk as I wanted to without worrying about driving home. Those were some fun times.

I've got five "divish" bars within walking distance. Then there are other more high-end bars, too. I used to hit up the ones that opened early on hot summer mornings. Those were definitely fun times. To walk out drunk in the bright sunshine always put me in a good mood. But then "Lonely Old Man" started attaching themselves to me and I had to cut back. But the best people to drink with are those people you find in bars in the middle of the day. Especially the bums who managed to scrape a few dollars together and just wanted a place to sit for a while. One of my bars stopped accepting coins as payment to repel the bums, but they were my favorites. To see some guy's face brighten up when he hears a song on the jukebox that he obviously hasn't heard in years is a joy. But they usually have that look of discomfort too, because they know they don't belong and fear being 86'd for nursing their drink for too long. This city has gentrified and I don't like it.

Dive bars were the only ones I lived close enough to walk to. It was great. We had one guy that worked nights, occasionally, unloading fish at the local fish market. He'd get out of work at 8 am and he'd stink like fish so fucking bad he'd have stray cats following him. I'm not kidding. I started calling him Mackerel because of that. He didn't like that. There was a bar down the street from me called Skippers that was open at 8 am to accommodate 3rd shifters like Mackerel, so he'd head there after work. He'd order a blue margarita and a cheese burger. He could never afford a place to live because he drank all his money and only worked when he needed more money to drink. I even let him crash at my place once. He had a girlfriend, amazingly, and I let her crash at my place once too. Real weird situation. I slept with her but I didn't have sex with her because she asked me not to. She was fucked up on TJD and couldn't walk home and I was too drunk to drive her home. I may be a drunk but I am a Gentleman. No means no, even if she was cute, which she was. I actually had to work that next day for a few hours, so I got up and left her in my apartment and just told her just to lock up when she was ready to go. A few months later Mackerel tells me that his girlfriend told him about what happened and was really appreciative of the fact that I did not try to screw her.

But poor Mackerel did not last long. I heard he drank himself to death. Good guy but I used to see him sleeping on park benches when I was on my way to work, so I knew he would self destruct. Some people are just geared like that. Funny thing is I've always liked those people better than the "normal" ones. We understand each other.

But yeah, living next to a real dive is cool. You get to see generations of drunks all together in the same place just getting fucked up. And the real regulars protect each other. That's how you know you're really a regular. If somebody fucks with you, and then five other people step up to defend you, then you're a "regular' . I haven't felt that level of protection in a long time.

[oettinger]

What is that plastic thing in the opening of the bottle called?

I only know ths fomr syrup mixers. No idea what those things are called, not even in german.

But poor Mackerel did not last long. I heard he drank himself to death. Good guy but I used to see him sleeping on park benches when I was on my way to work, so I knew he would self destruct.

Atleast he didn`t smell like a bum

[Hugh]

There used to be this one "weird" guy at my favorite dive. He often mentioned how the owner used to let him sleep in the bar when he was homeless for a while. But then he was homeless again and the offer was not extended a second time. Your post about Mackerel made me think of him, and I haven't seen him in a long time.

The third and final day of my solo bender. I really needed this after my Wednesday night shitshow at the bar. Back to work tomorrow. It's going to be a Vella night tonight.

Those bot numbers were up again today. What are they trying to do? Are they trying to crash the site?

[Rye and Coke]

Dive bars were the only ones I lived close enough to walk to. It was great. We had one guy that worked nights, occasionally, unloading fish at the local fish market. He'd get out of work at 8 am and he'd stink like fish so fucking bad he'd have stray cats following him. I'm not kidding. I started calling him Mackerel because of that. He didn't like that. There was a bar down the street from me called Skippers that was open at 8 am to accommodate 3rd shifters like Mackerel, so he'd head there after work. He'd order a blue margarita and a cheese burger. He could never afford a place to live because he drank all his money and only worked when he needed more money to drink. I even let him crash at my place once. He had a girlfriend, amazingly, and I let her crash at my place once too. Real weird situation. I slept with her but I didn't have sex with her because she asked me not to. She was fucked up on TJD and couldn't walk home and I was too drunk to drive her home. I may be a drunk but I am a Gentleman. No means no, even if she was cute, which she was. I actually had to work that next day for a few hours, so I got up and left her in my apartment and just told her just to lock up when she was ready to go. A few months later Mackerel tells me that his girlfriend told him about what happened and was really appreciative of the fact that I did not try to screw her.

But poor Mackerel did not last long. I heard he drank himself to death. Good guy but I used to see him sleeping on park benches when I was on my way to work, so I knew he would self destruct. Some people are just geared like that. Funny thing is I've always liked those people better than the "normal" ones. We understand each other.

But yeah, living next to a real dive is cool. You get to see generations of drunks all together in the same place just getting fucked up. And the real regulars protect each other. That's how you know you're really a regular. If somebody fucks with you, and then five other people step up to defend you, then you're a "regular' . I haven't felt that level of protection in a long time.

Jesus, that was an epic tale. Long live the memory of Mackerel!

If you don't mind me asking, how'd you find out that he had passed to the Great Open Bar in the sky?

[Hugh]

LET'S GET FUCKED UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Damb, I just sit here sipping this wine like I'm afraid to get drunk or something. Time to gulp it down like I was in front of a bunch of young and stupid friends instead of sitting alone in a mildewy apartment. And pop some allergy pills, too. And slam a gulp down to the memory of Mackerel, that stinky son of a bitch who worked for his drink.