[Image]Hello everyone. It's The Mountain Cat.

My good buddy and our blog-master Doc came to visit me on my birthday in Jersey City on Wednesday, April 7th. We hadn't seen each other since last July. Now normally when we get together, craziness abounds. But I guess in our old age we don't have the energy. However we did have a great time and I will now try to spin the events of the evening into something that will entertain you.

The evening started at 5:30 when I met Doc in Manhattan in midtown after he took the bus in from his in-laws in East Long Island. My girlfriend Jackie met us there as well. We then hoped on the packed 6 train going downtown to transfer to Jersey City. Once in Jersey City, we enjoyed a walk along the Hudson River where Doc unveiled his birthday gift to me: A can of Food Lion's Mountain Lion soda. (Pictured with the two of us). What a surprise! It tastes like Mountain Dew but I will save the can forever.

Then the three of us went to Maker's Harborside Restaurant and met my friends Xavier and Kelly. We all ordered burgers, drank, watched the Yankee game, drank, watched the Ranger game, drank and got progressively louder. It was a perfect storm of all of our outgoing personalities. Around 9:00 we stumbled out of Marker's to meet my friend Joe at The Zeppelin Hall Beirgarten. Xavier and Kelly decided to call it a night and left, separately, and it just was Doc, Jackie and myself. We hailed a taxi to the biergarten. Joe was waiting inside patiently. Now the story gets slightly interesting. We ordered beers but the bartender looked frazzled. We think he was on drugs. He took forever to get us our beers. Finally we got ours except for Joe. We paid and waited for Joe. Finally Joe got his massive 25 ounce beer but the bartender walked away but didn't charge Joe. So he got his drink for free. I guess having a stoned bartender has it's advantages. Then we walked out to the garden area, sat on a bench and just enjoyed the great weather. After about a half hour we finished our beers and wanted to get more. Doc went inside for 15 minutes and returned empty handed. He could not get the stoned bartender's attention. It wasn't even busy at the bar! Doc was pissed. That was apparently our cue to leave and hop to the next bar.

We walked about 10 blocks to the train where Jackie was getting tired and bid farewell. So Doc, Joe and I went to the Hard Grove Cafe for a couple of Coronas each. We talked music, people watched, told jokes and acted crude since no women were no longer with us. Typical guy stuff. After about an hour and half we were beat after seven or eight drinks in five hours. We bid Joe farewell. Shane and I split a pastrami sandwich and a taxi back to my place and he crashed on the couch.

The next morning, we trained it back to Manhattan where Shane had to catch the train back to Long Island and I had to go to work. I pointed my friend in the direction of Penn Station, gave each other a bro-hug and parted our separate ways.

I am so glad Doc and I got to hang out in my town and met some of my friends. I wish he could have stayed longer but it was a very memorable night. Thanks again Doc! Lets hang out more often.

Your friend,

The Mountain Cat