Observative Tiger

This past weekend I was enthralled with the accompaniment of one of my best friends. With over a month of planning to have one of the greatest experiences of our lives, Jellybean and I set out for the Modest Mouse concert held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend Oregon. Let me back up a bit…

Its 10am on Sunday morning preceding Memorial Day. I’ve just awoken to that ever annoying alarm clock, preceded by 5 hours of restless anticipation. So with the greatest of enthusiasm, not, I rolled out of bed and started frantically completing the items on my list of todo’s. Fortunately my sister stopped by and gave me the extra elbow grease that brought incomplete bachelor pad all together. I won’t boor you with the exacts of that collegiate sized list, lets just say apparently I had procrastinated far too long on my chores.

Now, its 12:45pm and I’ve had enough coffee to obtain a low level altitude of flight. Trying to be complete but maintain my schedule I move toward the truck, flipping through that list in my mind. You see I’m the type of individual that takes those extra precautions for my friends. Precautions like an extra jacket, munchies, and whatnots that I know my friends don’t remember to bring. Concluding that enough preparation was on hand, I kissed my dog goodbye and told her to watch the property that I’d be back late that night. Quick like I opened the gate and prepared for one of the greatest evening of my life. Carpe’ Diem baby!

A quick stop at the local gas station reminded me why I don’t get out more often! $4.20 for super, and willing to pay it just to keep that ethanol out of my tank for as long as the law will permit. Topping it off at a not so cool $70, but knowing that I won’t have any needs to refill, I called Jellybean.

Would I have guessed that the first question out of her mouth was “Did you bring me a sweatshirt so I won’t get cold?”, of course! I know she counts on me to take care of those things. Telling her I had it, and that I needed to make a quick stop at the bank and tobacco shop, I’d be there in about 45 minutes. Well I should have known she wouldn’t be at home as planned, love that spontaneousness of hers. Not only was she not at home, but she was over at a friends house in another town! And, there would be delays as her cloths where still in the dryer. No matter, I told her to take her time, after all that’s why we agreed to meet up 6 hours before the concert. See, I’ve been down this road before.

Making my quick stop at the bank’s drive through, I then proceeded to the store. Trying to touchdown from the coffee, I meandered throughout the store picking up a few items. First, some breath mints cause no one likes a cigarette mouth and I might need them for an undesired stop by an officer, know what I mean? Next some flint and fuel for my favorite Zippo lighter. Its one of three custom Zippos, got a 63′ split window corvette on it, and my other two best friends have the other two. So its a pretty special thing to me not to mention it goes great with my 1950’s chrome and rubber cigarette case. Anyways, got the flint and fuel, proceeded to the last item on my list…an item that Jellybean, earlier this year, suggested I add to my medicine cabinet. Got to love advice from a beautiful women who want to see you more successful with a beautiful women! Now to the checkout stand. Standing in line, noticed three chocolate bars for a dollar, and remembered the soothing effects on a female, I picked up three of them. Swipe, button button button button….button, thank you, you too, and I’m out of here.

Making better time that I thought I gave Jellybean a call to see how she was making in her progress. Hum, still needs another 20-30 minutes she tells me. Ok, no prob, I needed to eat something anyways. So setting the time and rendezvous point, I decided to head to Arby’s for a bite of something less than healthy.

Sweet, time and place at hand we met up and embraced each other with a four month awaited hug. So good to see her again. With a thirty minute drive still ahead of us, we migrated towards or mid destination. Fast forwarding from here its was pre-drinks at the West Side Tavern, a favorite watering hole of mine. Then a dash to the parking lot a few blocks away…grabbed the accessories for the show including those overpriced tickets that make another story in itself…and ran the remaining three blocks to the front gate. Awesome, where inside and laughing about the evening ahead. Jellybean’s a real big fan of Modest Mouse, me on the other hand am new to their sound, but giving it a go.

Front stage and a little to the right its going to be a party tonight! These guys rock! and we’re bouncing around with the few thousand teenagers surrounding us. Ok fast forward again, beer, screaming, beer, cigarette, screaming and cheering, pull her shirt back down - she loves Modest Mouse, more beer please! Ah its great to be alive!

Show’s over but the fun is rolling to hard to stop, so it’s back to the West Side to get some late night grub and another drink. Met up with some people that we met earlier and started the bar hop through downtown Bend…Now its getting close to the witching hour and I’m thinking about the drive home. But first a stop at 7 eleven for some more of those great tasting vanilla cigarettes and a six pack to finish the night off with. That’s where the PROST comes in.

On the inside of the bottle caps of Widmer Hefeweizen is A PROST. Perfect prost’s lay beneath each cap, describing the various moments of our ever so memorable evening. So what were those prost’s you ask? I leave you in suspense no more…

To Photocopying Body Parts!
To Words that Rhyme with Orange!
To Killing a Six Pack Just to Watch it Die!
To New Sheets on the Bed!
To Never Looking Back!
To Three Day Weekends!
To Starting the Weekend on Wednesday!

- Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.