TAVERN TUESDAYS

TAVERN TUESDAYS

Laurel Tavern

Studio City, CA

  

A couple weeks ago I "friend-requested", on Facebook, a girl I was a co-volunteer, co-gossiper, and co-dancer with when my kids were in the elementary school.

I was added + messaged.  And, following a polite back and forth, the First Order of Business:

Girls Night!

Back "in the day", not too long ago...I guess...Girls Night for the two of us meant only once a year at the School's Annual Dinner Dance, where we would meet on the dance floor, double-fisted with drinks, barefoot and dancin' 'til the band begged us to go home.  That's where the "co-dancer" comes in.

Swede is smart, spunky and fun!  And is good with numbers. 

It's been too long.  So there was an immediate call to action.  Let's make a plan!  I knew just the girl to start the ball rolling.  Next order of business: Contact-thru-Facebook the fun-girl-can-make-it-happen-person......

Aussie!

Aussie also is spunky. She has high energy with a positive attitude. And loves Oprah and musical theater.

Aussie, too, was a co-volunteer, co-gossiper, and co-mingler with me when my kids were in the elementary school.  Girls Night with her, too, meant only once a year at the School's Annual Dinner Dance.  Though I don't recall her on the dance floor, she too, with me, worked the room, double-fisted with drinks, and hung out 'til the band begged us to go home.  Fortunately, since then, I have had the privilege of hangin' with Aussie many many more times...

Because of Tavern Tuesdays!

Aussie was the "origin-izer" of Tavern Tuesdays, a meet up at Laurel Tavern, a "gastropub," in Studio City, early on Tuesday evenings.  Aussie originally organized this meetup as a Facebook experiment just when us girls were almost caught up with this new social networking phenomenon that our kids were foolin' around with.  More importantly, while her kids were in a 2-hr class, she needed a place to hang out ...with wine.

STATUS UPDATE:  I'll be at Laurel Tavern between 4:00 and 6:00...will you?  Come join me!

I signed up/joined up the very first day!

One Tuesday there could be 3....when the next Tuesday there could be 13....girls!

Always a different group.  Always a fun group.
Always an Aussie group.

The 2-hour kids' classes have since ended, so, recently, Tavern Tuesdays have been a little too few and far between.

So, Tavern Tuesday, I thought, would be the perfect opportunity to get together.  Girls can come and go as they please, come after work, come after carpool or come if they wanted to just get out of the G*D D*&M house!  A Drop By.  Or a Stay Awhile.  Their choice.  Again, check Facebook, or miss out.

So this needed a little prompting. 
So prompting, I did.

Aussie's Wall:  Tavern Tuesday?
Comment:  Happy to oblige.
Comment:  Date?
Comment:  February 15th?
Comment:  I'll be there
Comment:  (from Swede)  Good job, k!

!!!

I had been feeling a little down that week so I was particularly looking forward to Tuesday.  Kill two birds with one stone...a get-together and a pick-me-up!  What's a better pick-me-up than a get-together and booze?  Or booze and a get-together?  Not sure the order.  But often one shouldn't be without the other.  This was one of those times.  I wanted to laugh!

STATUS UPDATE:  I'll be at Laurel Tavern at 6:30...will you?  Come join me!

I arrive there a little late.  I hate being late.  But there was a glitch.  I walk in.  It's packed.  Where's Aussie?

It's 6:45.  I'm accustomed to 4:00.  No wonder it's packed.  I first look to the bar.  Then toward the back. But to my right I hear a Hey!

There she is!

She snagged the last table, the table right by the door!

Perfect!

So there is Aussie, sitting by herself, her fingers wrapped around the stem of her glass of wine, waiting for one of us, or any of us to walk in.  Who will show?

She has her wine.  I don't.  Before she could talk, I excuse myself to take care of business... at the bar.

Bartender:  Chardonnay?  Oaky or Buttery?
My ignorance gets me one sip of each, but I sneak two gulps....of each!

I choose.  I pay.  I tip.  I grab... my glass and head back to the table.  We chat...and chat...and chat.  At a thousand miles a minute.  Simultaneously!

In walks Swede.  She takes care of business...at the bar.  She pays.  She tips.  She grabs...her glass of wine and heads back to the table.  We chat...and chat...and chat.  At a thousand miles a minute.  Simultaneously!

I don't know that each one of us knows what the other is saying...

We are excited...
It is 7:00...
It's loud!

Then, in walks Swiss, the Party Girl!  Somebody saw something on Facebook!!!!  So it's one Dirty Martini for her, of course!  I'm happy to see her. 



The Photographer strolls in.  She can't visit.  But she knew where I was to catch me.  Facebook!!!!!!  So she stops by to drop off a ticket to an event I'm attending with her the next week.  The pub is closer than my house.  That there qualifies the Laurel Tavern as the neighborhood pub.  Crazy!

We just then finally begin deciphering what each other is saying.  Because...

we calm down
we slow down
we read lips

Georgia arrives.  Swede leaves. Work calls.

So five girls, a drop off...2 dirty martinis, 4 glasses of chardonnay and 3 glasses of cabernet later...I am picked up by my bootstraps, having a good time, and in a much better mood.  I look at my watch cell phone text-machine...and it's time to go! 

So after 2-1/2 hours...home I go with ringing ears and a joyful mood.

The next Tavern Tuesday?  I don't know.  So if it takes a little prompting, I'm happy to do so. 'Cause we all need Friends and A Tavern to spice up our week!

Ciao for now!
k