Our Man in Antigua

‘went by O’lot for a dip in the water(vodka/ice) and ran into Franklin of the Frisky Bar…loud disco beat emanating(coming from)the Lounge…P’geas doin’ a couple of tables, white linen tablecloth, rose, candles, and now flashing strings of Christmas lights. He, as did I,  asked the question: why the f….king music and why so loud? if you/I are sitting there, enjoying presumably a good meal and we’re being bombarded with a 100 decibels of bad boom-box so-called music, are we going to have a good time or more importantly…return and/tell our friends? no/yes…’wait til the dinner crowd(assuming there is any)and then..maybe then…’changes/improvements/innovations? personally, if this is going to be a regular event, I’m movin’ upstairs to Lava for the evening cocktails…and if that doesn’t work…etc..if you’re trying to ‘sell’ the concept that your restaurant has class, bring over Adan the Cuban with a piano…like IxNay, they don’t get it…the rain’s hit about 8 or so..my 30q umbrella, #3 of the season…worked..Como Como doing fine, Caffe Med next door, still closed..El Caminante doing the hostel biz just fine, El Muro’s Max and Too Tall sittin’ in the door, waiting for the free booze crowd at 9…’asked him, as i’ve asked a lotta people…why the guy with the shotgun next door at Nifu-Nifa? …no explanation..weird shit..F2/Tartine’s slow…El Caz Italiano doin’ just fine…saw the owner/manager of 709 locking up at 7:30 to go off with some friends…wrong concept, dude…have ’em come in, serve up some free drinks and make it look like you’re doing biz, even if you’re not…closing at 7:30? lame..the Antigua Curry Club, dining at Abassi tonight…even Lori S there..

dos Reilly’s doing just great..Henrik at the corner table, keeping an eye on things, Jean-Marc and Wendy on the sidewalk, having a smoke…her dad, big Paul or is it Francisco?…now doing shrimp delivery to town, at good prices…and if you call him Jumbo, smile..’went to Banco Industrial to pull $$..outta 100’s but a big stack of 50’s…teller counted it 5 times, brought over the manager..he counted it and i think they stuck me for a 100q or so…’entertainment fee’..so what? ‘never did find out who won the jade necklace from Karla’s raffle the night before…Wendy said that if she had won it, she’d trade me for the Crown…which reposes (sits) in the kitchen, badly dented….some kinda major concert pianist at Panza Verde Saturday night, 8pm..I’ve asked the ever delightful Ms A about prices or where to buy tickets..no answer as of now..i’ll know more tomorrow(perhaps)but i’m goin’, one way or the other…5th norte doin’ dinner biz, except for Caffe Bourbon and Los Arcos..Gaia with people..Sangre/35 grave-yards.. Sarah, go find PM and Moriah, my advice..Cimino’s and their neon sign? ain’t workin’..final rant of the night: dogshit on the streets…more, every day…its bad enough navigating the sidewalks..a hole here, a hole there, but throw in doggie bon-bons in the dark? people..i know you’ve just gotta have two dogs, for whatever reason..but..pick up the crap: that or buy some kinda phosphorescent additive to the food so the shit glows in the dark…Alcalde Adolfo! get on this and while you’re at it, add more trash receptacles(shit cans) around town…mano duro, dude! mierda dura…does that mean ‘tough shit’? if so, i have a new phrase…kinda like mierda sagrada..hey, you write your phrase book, and i’ll write mine…over and out, he said as he turned out the lights.