In answer to peapod's insidiously nosy queries:
1. No, Vanni did not wear a funny hat. I'd seen a picture of the Rev on Vive, and so I had an idea of what to look for. As it turns out, he looks very little like his picture on Vive, but that did not deter me one bit...I approached from his flank while he was making inquiries to the waitress as to the flavours of beer...that was all the confirmation I needed, and I stepped up to introduce myself.
He turned to me and said "You wouldn't happen to be Vanni Fucci would you?"
Now, I must admit that I thought about replying with something like "What are you some kind of queer?", but I didn't want to start out the evening with a punch in the chops...the good Reverend is a fair bit bigger than he looks in his picture on Vive...
2. No, we didn't hug...we shook hands, like real men...I was a little astonished to find that his wife shook my hand like a real man too... 8O
3. We talked about you peapod...the whole night...
4. I think we had somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 drinks each...of course the good Reverend savours his ale, and so I might have been one or two up on him by the end of the night...I think the Reverend Mrs. had one or two...
5. Nothing to eat for any of us...
6. I think I went twice...and I went first, because I drink faster than he does...and that first time I wandered off in the general direction that I presumed it to be...looking in this doorway, and peering in that...finally there it was with a big lit up sign "MEN" right in the middle of the back wall...as I was coming back I thought to myself that they must really think I'm a dumbass, missing a big sign like that...
Then after a time, it was the Rev's turn to go, so he asked me where it was..."Back there." I says, and pointed in the general direction...and so off he goes, weaving this way and that, looking, peering...finally stopping to ask the waitress for directions...
Me and his Mrs. thought that was pretty funny...
The rest of our pit stops were far less eventful...well except that I missed last call...
7. The bar where we met was not exactly a meat market, and the Reverend Mrs. was one of three women in the building with our waitress being one, and the bartender another...er...at least I think the bartender was a women...:?
There wasn't even a mirror in the bathroom for me to ogle myself... :roll:
8. We said that you guys are nosy, and ask too damn many questions...
9. We went home after they closed the bar behind us...