Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Porch Time / Rooftop Beatles


On Saturday, the weather was sunny and delightfully cool, so we spent a lot of time on our porch. Unfortunately, the view from the porch (left) includes a large dumpster full of dirt and the McMansion across the street. But it was still a pleasant place to spend a Saturday. We ate breakfast out there, and lunch. And then we decided to play some Canasta. So, I got the cards, and Kev put on some Canasta-playing music (the great Herbie Hinkle) and we began our game. However, while Kev was inside putting on the CD, the Rush guy arrived home from his loser job and I feared we were in for it. Sure enough, Herbie Hinkle was soon drowned out by the screeching diddly-diddly-diddly of WAY too loud Rush songs (the same three or four as usual). It was truly a beating. His landlord, who lives downstairs, was outside, and she did not appear to be bothered by the noise in the least, which is a very bad sign. Then she began to mow her lawn, and I was never happier to hear a mower. However, even the mower did not overpower the loud and obnoxiously poor Alex Lifeson impression coming from above. After sticking it out for three hands of Canasta, we finally went inside.

That night, after Kev's soccer game, we decided to go out somewhere. We ended up at The Public House, a rooftop patio on Lower Greenville that is shared by three different restaurant/bars. It was pretty cool, because there is an actual view of downtown from up there. I'll take the camera next time. On the roof next door, there is a little three-sided house/stage, and performing that night was A Hard Night's Day, which is a local Beatles cover band that has been around Dallas for years, but that I had never seen. They were actually pretty good. They wore Beatley-looking suits and everything. The best part was a little old man in the crowd who did some elaborate and indescribable dance moves with lots of spinning and occasional arm flourishes. It was very entertaining.

Rooftop dining is where it's at when the weather is good.

4 comments:

john clarke said...

I am proud that you and Kevin are taking a stand by adding on to your home on Palo Pinto instead of moving on to points north because of a human addition to your family. You two (and soon three) are the reason that one less house in East Dallas will be plowed under in the name of something monsterous.

Tara said...

Thanks John. We love our house on Palo Pinto, and we shan't be driven away by the likes of Elizabeth Newman (or the Rush guy, for that matter). Plus we don't wanna have to change the name of the band.

goostermon said...

I used to play canasta with my grandmother when I was maybe 6? I loved playing it. But, until you wrote about on a previous blog, I have not even heard the word canasta for many years. I am happy you guys keep the canasta legacy alive. You may be the only living perveyors (sp?) of the game. Long live CANASTA!

Tara said...

G-Mon - actually, what we play is Canasta Caliente, which you can buy at Target. It is usually in the toy department on an end-cap next to the UNO cards. It is a canasta deck with special rules you can use (or not) for the caliente version. It is lots of fun. You should pick up a deck.