Club Fred

had to get cigs today. normally i buy a carton at drugfair or costco and be done with it for ten days, but today being sunday and me being at home and lazy (despite the kitchen floor on my hands and knees scrubbing) i decided to walk three blocks and buy just two packs. it was nice to walk and see the neighborhood a bit. the "for rent" signs". the "street closed for repairs" signs. the families who speak no english, at least to me. which is okay. i refuse to speak their language to them. whatever it may be. so, we're even.
at the store i found myself behind a woman generously endowed in the hip (and lower) and breast (and lower) regions wearing terrycloth short shorts and whatever it might be called that cover the bittie titties (not that she had those). the store owner was very happy to see me while she spent 5 minutes digging in her purse to find a penny so he wouldn't have to give her 99 cents change.
he, also, had a very nice incense rack.
on the way home i decided to stop in at club fred. club fred was once the olympic tavern, the greatest dive to ever exist in the tower district. when fred took it over in the late 1980's (?) he managed to maintain the essence of that dirtiness.
when fred sold it in the early 2000's the new owner didn't. the new owner wanted it to become a hip-hop bar. his boyfriend wanted it to be trip-hop...i think hip to trip is some kind of stephen hawkings equation for "how gay can you possibly get"?
but that owner is goen and fred is back. as are some of the employees from before. and today felt so much more relaxed. i got a rant or two from a body piercer. i got the "whazup" from the new manager. i got to say hi to the only cop in town who would be seen alive inside one of the tower bars on his off hours.. it felt good.
and bruce was there again. bruce is the only individual drinking institution the tower should ever know. when he likes a place, then you know it's good. when the bad owner took over club fred, bruvce left. when the bad owner was gone, bruce returned. nuff said.
club fred feels good again.