Friday, August 11, 2006

Midnight Came and Went



My friend Amy broke up with a man named Buddy Earl about a week before Valentine's Day many a long year ago. She had met the vile Buddy Earl at The Red Rose, the bar used in the movie Boys Don't Cry. It's just as nice in real life as portrayed on the screen. We'd go there from time to time to see a blues band named Swine Cadillac play -- the lead player had a wicked way with the guitar and a gut the size of Milwaukee. The whole thing would have been something to see if one could have seen through the smoke. Buddy Earl appeared through a cloud and in a midsummer night's dream moment, Amy became entranced. Her friends, however, did not. Amy had a party, a come and meet Buddy Earl party, and the Budman did not show. Midnight came and went and one and two -- equal parts despair, anger, rationalization, and finally exhaustion took turns playing to an increasingly smaller house. When Buddy finally did show up to a party months later, he tried to sell the host a new long distance plan and drank everything in reach, achieving saucemonster status in a room of fairly heavy drinkers.

Buddy Earl did not last. Amy threw a Valentine's Day party after she kicked him out of her apartment -- she paid for him to get his car fixed so he could drive away. She sent out invitations, calling the event the anti VD party to end all parties. The night started rough -- Hank and I found out that a dear friend's mother had died and everyone else seemed to have gone through a recent break-up. A short man named James kept following me around, telling me how he'd never even known he was short until he was about fifteen and did I want to learn how to make pancakes? I did not, and if the shake of my head wasn't enough, my friend Priscilla said, She will never touch your pancakes in a particularly icy tone. Amy ended up confessing her love for Hank, saying, I'm black and you're blind. We understand each other. Hank pined for our friend whose mother had just died. It might have been February, but some asshole came and sprinkled a lot of midsummer night's dream stardust and cruised. Happy Anti VD Day indeed.

Michelle's Spell of the Day

Almost Halloween

1 part vodka
1 part apple martini mix
1 splash of butterscotch schnapps

Serve as a martini.

Benedictions and Maledictions

Happy Friday everyone! Poetry will return next week.

7 comments:

JR's Thumbprints said...

I'm what they call "a freak magnet." Whenever my wife and I attend a party, I'm always the one that ends up talking to the guy with an electronic tether on his ankle. No sirree, I don't blame you for trying to get away from the pancake guy. As for musicians, they're an eccentric bunch. The keyboardist in Kid Rock's band collects fishing lures as a hobby. Imagine the party conversation you could have with him, that is, if he shows up.

Anonymous said...

What a photo! Tan and well dressed for the fall semester, no doubt. Is that the "Elizabeth Wurtzel Special" salad?

Cheri said...

Jim and I share the "freak magnet" syndrome. I think you're a victim as well Michelle. Haha. Life's a bitch but without those little moments there wouldn't be much to share, would there?

Tikilee said...

At the wedding I attended I got stuck talking to a guy who bought and restored old tractors. Intresting enough euntil he started talking about all the other people he knew who did the same. I kept trying to get away for open bar last call but be polite at the smae time. Missed it by a minute. The bar kindly let me pay for my drink because of it.

John Ricci said...

Dear Michelle,

I'm happy to see the Nicole look is back. Another lovely post, as always. Just say no to pancake men. Just say yes to more champagne. Bravo at the weekend!

Anonymous said...

Maybe Buddy Earl didn't show because he was filming "Hands on a Hard Body." --R

ZZZZZZZ said...

Talk about freak magnet... I take the cake!! tonight me and my boyfriend were playing pool at izzy's on gratiot waiting for the chairity bowling to start for the roseville cheerleaders and this drunk guy came up to us and was all like hey can I play a game with you? he reeked of beer and he was trying to touch our friend brittany... really gross! Why do they always talk to me?