Tuesday, August 09, 2005

The Topless Bar

Yesterday evening I was out running errands in preparation for my imminent drive to Arizona to get Mike settled at college. Because I was running errands, I sent Mike to the airport to pick up his dad (my ex), who'd been in Chicago for the past 5 days to attend a memorial service for an elderly cousin. While he was there, my ex also visited friends and family, including our eldest daughter, Alex, and her fiancee, Chris (not to be confused with our son, Chris, or my ex-boyfriend, Chris).

Mike and I both arrived home around 10 PM and, as is often the case, we ended up sitting around in the living room, talking about our respective days.

"So how'd it go, driving to the airport to pick up Dad?" I asked. (There'd been severe thunderstorms in addition to rush-hour traffic to contend with as Mike drove to the airport.)

"Oh, it was fine," he said. "Dad took me out for dinner afterward, at Chipotle's, and I had a really good time with him. We talked about humor, and movies, and stuff like that. I'm really glad I can talk to him about stuff like that. I don't think most kids can have a conversation like that with their Dads, and I'm glad I can."

He paused, a pregnant pause. I waited.

He sighed. "Sometimes, though, I just don't get Dad at all!" he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He sighed again. He said, "OK, well, Dad was telling me about his trip to Chicago, and it sounded really neat. He saw Alex and Chris, and Ked and Betsy and Buff, and a bunch of his cousins, and it sounded like he had a really good time..."

"So?"

"Yeah, that sounds great, right?"

"It does, it sounds great," I said.

"Yeah, I thought so too, but then...GET THIS...Dad starts telling me about this really great TOPLESS BAR they all went to..."

"Whaddya mean? Who went?"

"Dad, Ked, Betsy, Buff, and...GET THIS...ALEX and CHRIS!"

"They all went to a topless bar?!?!?!"

"Yeah...and like...I don't care if Dad goes to topless bars...I mean, that's his business, right? I mean, I don't really wanna know about it, but I figure it's his business...but geez...he takes his own daughter to a topless bar??? What's that like for Alex? What's Dad thinking?"

"Wow, I don't have a clue, honey...I can't believe he did that...and I can't believe Alex and Chris went. Wow."

"Yeah, me either, and Dad just kept saying, 'It was actually Ked's idea, he and Betsy go there all the time...' Who's Betsy?"

"Ugh, she's Ked's little sister...I KNOW her...I can't believe they all go to topless bars together...TOO WEIRD!"

"Yeah, I thought so too, and Dad was just so casual about it...like it was No Big Deal...I just kept thinking what that must have been like for Alex..."

We talked about college after that until it was time to go to sleep.

This morning, I called my ex and asked him to meet me for coffee at Starbuck's. He agreed, and as we sat there having our cappuccino's, I said, "So how was your trip?"

"Well," he said, "I already told you about the airline losing my luggage, etc., but other than that, it was great. I really had a good time seeing everyone; Alex and I caught the Toulouse Lautrec exhibit at the Art Institute; I took her and Chris to lunch at Berghoff's, where we had the corned beef...incredible, as always...oh, and Ked knows this great Spanish restaurant where we all met for dinner...Ked, Betsy, Buff and me...and I invited Alex and Chris, and they met us there...we had a great time...it's a tapas bar..."

ROFLMAO

...of course...tapas...a tapas bar...makes sense now.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nah, I was just kidding. We did go to a topless bar.

Anonymous said...

uh, oh, do I feel dumb. what is a tapas bar?

Anonymous said...

LOLOL.

Now will you ever know which it was?

Anonymous said...

Funny!! Once Bridget told me she was applying for job at a "topless" bar. I almost fainted till she set me straight...you got it, "tapas bar"!

Anonymous said...

That`s great!!
V

Anonymous said...

that is too funny!!lol
Billie

Anonymous said...

That is priceless!!!!!!!!!! I love it!

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking -- The ex-man at a topless bar? Not likely. Ha. Mrs. L

Anonymous said...

I live in Phoenix. It's HOT and HUMID right now . . . . oh, but you're used to that! Monsoon season can't end SOON enough for me . . . and then, the best weather in the world!

I assume your son is coming out here to attend ASU, yes? I hope he has a great experience!

Anonymous said...

Apparently, this is not an uncommon occurrance. Check this out: http://journals.aol.com/chance2288/Oceansimplicity/entries/650

Anonymous said...

That is too funny. I was at UA last week to show my daughter around for her grad class (she not only wanted out of town for undergrad, but out of state) and it was a rush. Lots of things have changed since I finished my master's decades ago--they did major renovation of the entire mall area (the long grassy strip down the middle of everything) and it's nice. I hope you will do future entries about the trip, Tucson, and getting Mike settled in. My husband was a head resident at Greenlee when we were first married (and since it was men only back then I was the only official lady in residence) so I'm curious which dorm he will be in. Phx. is much hotter than Tuc. and the monsoons here have made the weather glorious. Welcome! *debbi*

Anonymous said...

tapas bar, what a great story & you wrote it so well! Thanks for the kind words you added to my journal~ Bless, Cheryl