Why I Love Colorado or...

[Oggar]

Looking Back, Maybe They Were Trying to Kill Us

We'd been driving all god damned night. Why? Because my buddy Brooke (a guy) had just gotten out of the Navy. We we're supposed to have four days to get from San Diego to Mankato but due to some unforseen drinking opportunities it took us five days to get out of San Diego instead of three. Sometimes that's just how it breaks.

Utah is a hellish land devoid of booze and living creatures, maddeningly so. After what seemed like days, we spotted the first green things we'd seen in hundreds of miles we realized we must be in Colorado. We entered the town of Grand Junction where we were told we could crash at the home of Eddie's parent's (one of Brooke good pal's from the Nav). Unfortunately the hurried state in which we'd ultimately been forced to leave California made the prospect of finding the contact information unlikely and entirely too daunting. We spotted a hotel with a bar practically adjacent to one of the rooms and decided that would suit our need ideally. At this point a shower and slumber were higher on the list than anything. Somehow, perhaps divinely, two beers had found their way into our luggage. It was warm Budweisser but a beer in the shower never tasted so good. Sleep quickly followed and several hours later we awaken. Since 9pm is no time to start driving for the day we hit the bar.

It's a tiny joint called the Sports Page. We split a few pitchers of beer and suddenly they shouting last call. WE are baffled since the clock on the walls says 10:30. We inquire and they confirm they really are closing. After a brief chat with some locals we find out a few blocks away there is a bar called the Chameleon Club (for years I remebered it as the Lizard Lounge) that we should try. After a few minutes and a few wrong turns we arrive. THe place is dead. There's a guy sitting at the corner of the bar with his back to the door. Two scowling men at the far and and two women in flannel shirts with mullets playing pool. There is also a good looking blond bartender wearing a pair of those pnts with the tear right under the ass cheek. She informs us the drink special is four shots of pucker and a pitcher of beer for $8. Brooke and I look at each other, shrug and each order one of the specials. It might not be a bad night afterall. After his first round my buddy heads to the pisser. On his return he informs me he's pretty sure we're going to get into a fight tonight and nods toward the two scowling men. I shrug and knock back the last of my second round and the bartender sets down the rounds I ordered while he was in the bathroom. He shrugs and returns to his bar stool. He says we should see who could chug a pitcher faster. I destroy him because apparently he wasn't serious. About this time the guy who'd been sitting with his back to the door starts talking to us. Turns out he's the owner. We talk for a few minutes, what brings you here all that. Of course we'd explained how we were on a cross country trip celebrating my buddy getting out of the Navy. Turns out the guy had been in himself for twenty years and we don't pay for another drink the rest of the night. The two guys at the end eventually come over. They shake our hands and buy us drinks. Our new bar-owner friend is introducing us to everybody who walks in the door. Which at some point kind of got to be alot of people, many of whom also bought us drinks. I'm drinking and conversing, both in copious amounts, when I suddenly realize my friends is missing. Two of his beers and all of his free drink shot glasses are still there so I figure he must be in the bathroom. I return to flirting with the new brunette bartender named Misty, who by some strange twist of fate had actually spent a few years in Mankato.

Sometime later my friend is still missing and all of his free drink glasses have been pushed infront of me. I'm halfway through one pitcher another full one sitting infront of me and what by my count is close to twoo dozen coming to me. I finally spot the fucker over by the dart board. He's given up and is nursing a schooner of beer. His new friends introduce themelves and tell me the humorous circumstances of their evening of drinking. One of them had just gotten out of prison that morning the other had just gotten out of jail. I got sucked into a game of darts but then assured them I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I returned to my barstool now knowing I had to go it alone. I turned in ten of the glasses for Dead Nazi shots. I don't remember anything after that except just as we were at the door to leave. I was shaking the owners hand, Misty said she wished I was going to be in town longer(years later, I would meet her again, she was working at a bar in Denver where she would correct me on the name of the "Lizard Lounge"). And I turned to Brooke and said how the fuck are we going to find our hotel.

Somehow we must have managed as we awakened to the shrill sounds of a hotel alarm clock. As we left the hotel parking lot Brooke launched a volley of stomach sauce out the window, made all the more impressive by the fact that he was driving. And to top it all off, we made it back to Mankato in time for the party at the RUM Club.

[&]

that was an awesome recounting of events!! I love those mystical nights when everything seems like shit and then it turns around and everything gets real nice.

good times, thanks for sharing, man!!

[Mallory Knox]

I couldn't read the whole thing because my eyes aren't focusing correctly.
Forgive me.

I owe you a drink, Oggar... a stiff one.

[Martini Time]

I vote that the mods should have a script written that just automatically forwards anything that Oggar writes into the "All Star Thread" for that particular forum.

[&]

I vote that the mods should have a script written that just automatically forwards anything that Oggar writes into the "All Star Thread" for that particular forum.

I second that one. He has a rich history and such a way with words!!

[*****]

Yes, Oggar is truly rich in bunly goodness.

[Jay]

That was a good story. I'd like to see another one like that soon.

[whiskeyprick]

Great story, OG. I'll have to look for that dive next time im in Junction.
So when you coming to visit again?

[Oggar]

Great story, OG. I'll have to look for that dive next time im in Junction.
So when you coming to visit again?

It's closed now. I'm still trying to work out travel time, I know I gotta get there.