This year St. Patrick’s Day was spent at Ginger’s Ale House in Wrigleyville with nearly everyone I know in Chicago along with Josh, Jim and James from various corners of this vast country. Below you will find photographs of the day but there are a lot more located on Flickr.
I soldiered on by getting up at 10:00am, showering and heading to Ginger’s by 11:30am where I was met by Kelly and her friends. My strategy (which I’ve been plotting for a month) was to get to the bar before the soccer games end and then score a table. When I arrived I grabbed a seat at the bar across from one of the best ‘bar tables’ this side of the Ohio River. I was planning on staring at the occupants until they left, kind of creepy bit it usually works. Emily on the other hand decided to start a conversation with the occupants and thereby establishing a relationship built on trust to ensure the table. It worked. We didn’t leave the table until at least 11pm.
Throughout the course of the day people came and went and I manned the corner seat. We ended with what some people would consider the best waitress in the Western Hemisphere. She literally was at our table nearly every 15 minutes to serve our needs. And there were a lot of needs.
A list of things we learned from the weekend:
- Former Cuban President Fidel Castro loves the Irish.
- The bathrooms at Ginger’s are set at a steady 27 degrees.
- When girls dressed entirely in Bushmills apparel ask you what kind of Whiskey is in the 15 shots you just purchased you should not answer Jameson.
- If you’re dad forces you to learn to ‘play’ the bag pipes you’re going to be busy on St. Pat’s for the rest of your life.
- Backyard hero Brett Farve decided to celebrate his recent retirement in style at Ginger’s.
- Finding a hat on the street is a perfectly legit way to add to your wardrobe.
- In many ways a Polish sport coat is better than an Irish one.
- Don’t ever eat meat with peanut butter or it will cause you’re ear to explode.
- Josh Furman & Jim Wallis have a way with words.
- Myles Tersnak studies too much.
Thanks for all those who showed up on Saturday and to those who traveled great distances. I believe it was worth it.
A good time was had by all.
