Saturday, Aug. 14

Family fun.  Those words mean to me a place I can cheaply take a cab to with my lil' bro, THE KID, and swill back even cheaper beer while keeping a watchful eye on the 17-year-old lady killer.  Being the sucker that I am for the Kid, I agreed to take him out instead of meeting my girlfriends for an afternoon of sushi and saki. Being underage is a huge bummer in Tacoma.  The City of Destiny doesn't seem to care to provide many options for people his age.  Entertainment pickings Saturday night were as slim as a heroin addicted runway model.  The only thing going on seemed to be an all-ages show at BOB'S JAVA JIVE with some not half bad kid bands.  My first choice was to go to ART IN THE PARK at Wright Park, but they were still setting up at around 1:30 p.m., and that didn't look hopeful. 

Off to The Jive we went.  Turns out they have all-ages shows most Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m.  It felt weird to be out that early at a function that didn't have "beer or wine festival" in the name.  To add insult to injury the Jive has no A/C, and the fans blowing around hot air didn't cut it.  I sweated my tush off for a bit while getting my fill of garage rock and then left the Kid for the slightly cooler (in more ways than one) BEER GARDEN.  Whom did I spy sharing a pitcher?  Ex-members of FROTTAGE, THE IOTOLAS, IDEFY and DON'T PANIC.  After thorough questioning by nosey little me, the guys maintained they're JUST JAMMING together and haven't even thought of a name for this formation of players.  They may be an odd mix, but I bet they tear it up.  After a few more glasses of honey colored refreshment, I went back in to check on the Kid's whereabouts.

His main goal, it appears (other than getting out of the house), seems to be hitting on TEEN-AGE GIRLS.  It really is an art form with him.  He does it with just the right amount of interest and aloofness.  I asked him if he got any numbers and he says, "Naw, I'll get 'em right before we leave.  That way I don't have to talk to the same one the whole time I'm here."  Good scheme.

At 10 minutes to 9 p.m., the bartender comes around yelling for ANYONE YOUNGER THAN 21 TO HEAD OUT.  That was my cue to give my phone to the Kid to call our yellow, four-door limo.  See, from here on out he's Ginger watching.  Not that I was smashed and needed a sitter, but it's my way of getting back at him for ratting me out when I came home late on school nights back in '89.  Now he gets to pay the tab, call the cab and carry my purse.  When our car arrived, the driver was SCOOBY, the same one I have gotten the last six times.  I swear if my rotten car has any more MYSTERY PROBLEMS keeping it from running, I'll have to invite that guy to THANKSGIVING.  

I must say the Kid is a cool kid, but with my good family deed done, I think I'll treat myself to TWO VAULTS GALLERY'S ART SPA on Sunday, Aug. 29.   It's a full day of hands on art instruction teamed up with catered lunch, seated neck and shoulder massage and hopefully a pretty self-crafted art creation that I can hang on the frig like we used to do in grade school.