A Coincidence

[Liberte]

So I'm sitting in a dive college kids' bar in State College, PA (in every sense one of the most distant places from Washington, DC that you can drive to in under 4 hours) with the ole lady, listening to a bizarre country punk band ( Angry Johnny and the Killbillies, coming to the Velvet Lounge in late September and possibly worth a listen if you're into that sort of thing), and I notice there's a guy wandering around in an Andrew WK tee shirt.  Now, you don't see that many Andrew WK tee shirts in State College, especially at country music events (although, as the wearer later pointed out to me, there  is  a certain shared white-trash aesthetic there with Andrew and Johnny).
 
 Anyway, we're getting ready to leave after the first set (an hour-long extravaganza of blood, heartache, misanthropy, and smokin' electric mandolin) because the ole lady forgot her medically-required earplugs and has absorbed more than her limit of 110 decibel music when Mr. Andrew WK sidles up and says "Hey, didn't you used to be the TourVote guy?"
 
 It's freakin' Markie!  We go through the obligatory simultaneous "WTF are U doing here?" routine and it turns out Markie's in town for a major (if not well-publicized--so that's what all those guys with grotesquely overdeveloped legs on expensive mountain bikes were doing all over town) bicycle racing event.  Myself, I live in State College part time because the ole lady is a prof at Penn State, and I  never, ever run into people I know from DC there unless we specifically invite them to visit.  Much less one of the handful of boardies I've ever even met in Greater DC.  Unfortunately, we had to get going on account of that noise overload problem since Angry Johnny, fueled by the 4 Black Jacks and 3 PBRs he sucked down during the first set, was due to reappear any time and he probably wasn't going to be any quieter.  So we didn't have much opportunity to talk further (a shame, since Markie is one of the more entertaining and amiable chaps you'd care to meet, in Godforsaken State College or anywhere else).
 
 So, um, would any of you government statisticians who surf the web all day on my tax dollars be able to tell me the probability of such an occurrence?

[brennser]

I don't know but I do want to know if Markie is now the undisputed single speed champion of the world....

[Bombay Chutney]

What bar?

[Liberte]

Originally posted by brennser:
  I don't know but I do want to know if Markie is now the undisputed single speed champion of the world....

The local paper reported on the event as a freak show, more or less, but neglected to name the actual winner(s).  We're breathlessly awaiting a report from The Man himself.  Given the carbo content of beer, I can assure you that any performance shortfall would not have been for lack of fuel.

[Liberte]

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
  What bar?

Zeno's.

[Bombay Chutney]

Originally posted by Liberte:
  Zeno's.

sigh...I miss Zeno's.

[markie]

Ha ha,
 
 I still cannot believe meeting someone in State College.
 
 I wrote a little of my recollections of the race weekend here:
 
 http://bikecentric.blogspot.com/

[godsshoeshine]

is that delivery place that only makes calzones still there? that place ruled

[markie]

Some pictures here:
 
 http://joefoley.blogspot.com/
 
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/static-photo/sets/800818/

[markie]

http://www.dirtragmag.com/gal/showphoto.php?photo=548&cat=500&page=1
 
 Ricky D

[Bags]

Fascinating...I hadn't realized drinking beer through a straw was part of training...

[Liberte]

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
  is that delivery place that only makes calzones still there? that place ruled

If you mean DP Dough's, (a) it's still there and (b) it's part of a franchise chain actually and there's supposed to be one in College Park if you're jonesing for their particular calzones and don't feel like making the 4-hour trek to Happy Valley.

[Liberte]

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
   

Originally posted by Liberte:
  Zeno's.

sigh...I miss Zeno's. [/b]

I'm sure they'd serve you if you went back.  Make it a weekend when I'm up there and I'll even buy the first pitcher.

[markie]

Originally posted by Bags:
  .I hadn't realized drinking beer through a straw was part of training...

That line just made me think of this:
 
 Who's that gigolo on the street
 With his hands in his pockets and his crocadile feet
 Hanging off the curb, looking all disturbed
 At the boys from home. They all came running
 They were making noise, manhandling toys
 That's the girls on the block with the nasty curls
 Wearing padded bras sucking beers through straws
 Dropping down their drawers, where did you get yours?
 Gigolo, Huh, sukka?
 Gigolo. Gigolo, Huh, sukka?
 Chorus 1:
 Who's looking good today?
 Who's looking good in every way?
 No style rookie
 You better watch don't mess with me
 Chorus 2:
 No moneyman can win my love
 It's sweetness that I'm thinking of.
 We always hang in a Buffalo Stance
 We do the dive every time we dance
 I'll give you love baby not romance
 I'll make a move nothing left to chance
 So don't you get fresh with me
 Get funky. Yeah Timmy.
 Tell it like it is. Check out this DJ.
 So you say you wanted money but you know it's never funny
 When your shoes worn through and there's a rumble in your tummy
 But you had to have style get a gold tooth smile
 Put a girl on the corner so you can make a pile
 Committed a crime and went inside
 It was coming your way but you had to survive
 When you lost your babe, you lost the race
 Now you're looking at me to take her place.
 Chorus 1
 Smokin.' Not cokin.' Get funky sax.
 Looking good, hanging with the wild bunch.
 Looking good in a Buffalo Stance.
 Looking good when it comes to the crunch
 Looking good's a state of mind
 State of mind don't look behind you
 State of mind or you'll be dead
 State of mind may I remind you
 Bomb the Bass...rock this place!
 What is he like? What's he like anway?
 Yo' man what do you expect the guy's a gigolo man
 You know I mean?
 Chorus 2 (twice)
 Wind on my face, sound in my ears
 Water from my eyes, and you on my mind
 As I sink, diving down deep...deeper into your soul.
 Chorus 2 ...

[Bags]

I cannot believe you came up with Buffalo Stance..."Trout" on that album with Michael Stipe is one of my favorite songs.