Downtown Hangover
I wasn't even supposed to be downtown last night. I had made plans to see Michael Pollan speak at Unity Temple last night. The Scout had an extra ticket and agreed to let me have it. So we made plans to go last night. But then The Scout decided that she had someone better to take along and gave me the boot. So I had a free evening and nothing to do.
Then John in KC twittered that he had an extra free pass to see “The Hangover” and was looking for takers. I was the big winner. He emailed me the pass and we made plans to meet up for the movie. I was then left with an evening downtown before my movie, Kay Barnes' wet dream.
My trusty inbox led me to the free staff pick wine tasting at Cellar Rat. I got there about 5:45 and texted Abbey Ale to meet me, but she was still at work threatening to cut people. I fought the crowd of about 40 people and was able to try all 10-12 wines available. I only found one that I really enjoyed, the Chateau Ste. Michele Indian Wells Chardonnay. A couple of the other ones I didn't think much of at all. Overall I wasn't that impressed with the staff's picks this month. I'm willing to give them more shots assuming I can make it out again (a couple of times in the past week people have laughed at me for thinking that anything after 6 is a little too late to be out).
I then made my way over to the Saucer and reinforced my feelings about sitting at the bar there. I don't like it and don't want to do it again. But, I was unsure of Abbey Ale's arrival and I didn't want to take the only available booth in the place and sit alone. Of course, Abbey Ale eventually got there making my worries moot, but we decided to stay at the bar. She brought her work pal, Deschutes along with her. I was drinking a Maharaja IPA. Abbey Ale asked what she should get and I told her to get the Goose Island Matilda which is on tap at the Saucer now. She was quite impressed with Matilda (Deschutes and I both thought she might enjoy a different Matilda if you get my drift). Deschutes and Abbey Ale both told how much they loved Deschutes' Black Butte Porter and were discouraged they could only get it when they go to the west coast for work. I'm discouraged by that too, since I don't even get to go to the west coast to drink it. The time has come for Deschutes come to Missouri.
After we finished our beers I made my way over to the AMC Mainstreet Theatre to meet up with John in KC. I walked in and had no hassle getting into the theater. The theater with “The Hangover” was about two-thirds full when I got there, I called John to see if he was there yet but he was polishing off a Texan at ChefBurger (another of Kay Barnes' wet dreams). I found some seats a little closer to the screen than optimal and a little far to the right. John called a couple of minutes after I sat down.
I was a little chatty with John as I'm prone to be after sucking down a Maharaja. We had some good discussion about downtown KC and walking rather than driving (the best part about a downtown). Then the movie started and it was everything I hoped it would be. I laughed out loud at least 10 times and 3 or 4 of those times led to a coughing fit for me (I'm pretty sure I'm dying). The moral of “The Hangover” is one I think we can all get behind, don't mix Jagermeister and Rohypnol, it seems obvious but “The Hangover” cements it in your mind. My only complaint is that I didn't really care about them finding their friend, plus I didn't really need to see full frontal, untrimmed at that, obstetrician from “Knocked Up” (but I didn't much mind the gratuitous Zack Galifianakas nudity). The payoff of the movie is the slideshow of the evening before the hangover (which you don't see at all during the movie). When that little slideshow hits YouTube, or whatever similar thing that allows nudity, it will take the world by storm. It may be the funniest 2 minutes of film ever put together, with the montage of penis from “Superbad” coming in a close second.
I liked the Mainstreet Theatre, but it's not a whole lot different than other AMC theaters. Had I bought anything I might have a little more to say about the whole thing. I really only walked into the place, sat down and watched a movie.
Big thanks to John in KC for hooking me up with a free ticket. I had a pretty fun downtown evening for $20. I can just imagine how moist this post makes Kay.
