I went out last night, last minute, picked up JV and drove to my old stamping ground of Carlisle Street, where we had a quick dinner of a cheap but tasty hamburger, then wandered down the road.
Went to The Local, my old local when I lived in East St Kilda. Back in those days - about 2 years ago - it was largely a student pub with an interesting clientele, transsexuals and other St Kilda types. It was the place where the Israeli guy tried to pick me up, the venue that JK and I would meet after one of his regular calls, fancy a drink he would say and my willpower being what it is I would grudgingly accept, walking down the street and around the corner to meet with him some time after 11 midweek, staying put until closing time.
I think I've been once since I've moved out of the area, and not since they'd finished their renovations. It was always a pleasant place to drink and so I was happy to roll-up last night and curious to see how it had been changed. It was somebodies birthday, JV's hairdresser, and so we climbed the stairs to the upstairs that was never there before and to a very comfortable bar area - an outdoor terrace with an enclosed fireplace that would be great in summer, a little bar area with a plenitude of beers to choose between, and a dining area out the back done up in plantation style, shutters and wicker light-shades and classic beer posters framed on the wall. It had a powerful and pleasant ambiences.
We sat out the back area occasionally venturing to the front terrace for JV to have a fag. In between we talked a little to the people there we didn't know and caught up with the scores, cricket and football, on our mobile phones. There was one girl there I fancied but in the end didn't stay long enough to make a move on. We had about 5 beers and then headed off.
We went back to JV's place in Prahran and watched the end of the footy and the cricket from Cardiff, where the Aussies were powering ahead. I left after an hour and headed home through the quiet, dark streets. Rigby was waiting for me, his snout under the side gate expectantly, jumping all over me as I opened the back door. I watched the cricket for another hour with him nestled in my lap before hitting the sack.
Today it's Saturday and so I can be a slob - and I will be.
