Currently Reading: bartending

Over the course of my many years standing behind the bar in a beach resort town, I’ve found myself unwittingly engaged in some conversations and exchanges that will forever be etched into my memory. Some found me on the receiving … Continue reading →

Only a few short weeks into the 2015 season and already this year’s cast members are identifying themselves in droves. I did a similar piece last year, so I’ll try not to be too repetitive, but it’s really the same … Continue reading →

Well we got through Memorial Weekend, the official summer kickoff holiday, and from where I stood, it was huge. Now granted, I have no highly sophisticated or deeply scientific means of coming to this conclusion. Like the town of Ocean … Continue reading →

I’m guessing that last week’s piece didn’t end quite the way you all were expecting it to. I’m not going to belabor you with another full column about my slip on the ice because I have a lot of subject … Continue reading →

I hope you all enjoyed last week’s piece on the start of this young summer. Based on the responses I’ve seen, heard, and read, it seems to have been well-received, so naturally I am going to pick up right where … Continue reading →

When I left off last week, I had just gazed for the very first time into the gorgeous blue eyes of the woman who would subsequently be the sole inhabitant of my subconscious over the next six weeks. At this … Continue reading →

I recently wrote a two-part piece on all of the comparisons to various celebrities I’ve gotten from my bar patrons over the years. They cover a humorously wide range and change dramatically with the seasons, as does my look. Well … Continue reading →

In my line of work, particularly in a seasonal resort town, the wonders never cease as far as the things I see and hear. Even after over 30 years of restaurant work, and over a quarter century’s worth of that … Continue reading →

I’ve seen and heard a lot of things from behind the bar. Some of them silly enough, or poignant enough to garner a couple of key words in that notebook I carry with me at all times. Some of these … Continue reading →

As I write this Sunday evening, the constant deafening roar of bike week has given way to near silence. At least through the open window above my desk it’s pretty silent save the occasional straggler heading west in a leather … Continue reading →

Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the end to the summer season. So as another beach year nears its close, I find myself doing a mental review of what I’ve already described as the summer that wasn’t. Fortunately, what this season … Continue reading →

Throughout my writing of this column over the past nearly two years, I’ve used many recurring themes and worn many different hats. Some examples are: adoring father, perpetual adolescent, and recovering jackass. It seems that the most popular amongst them … Continue reading →