Evidence of our existence

First thing’s first, I haven’t done this in a while:

The details of our social life and leisure time read pretty consistantly. Go to the Darkhorse, have beers and hang out. Ride around on the motorcycle looking for places we haven’t been before. Go back to the Darkhorse, have beers and hang out.

We go to the Darkhorse at least three times a week (they don’t have a website or I’d link it). We’ve become good friends with the bartendresses there - Bryn and Joss. Thus the draw for us to keep going back. We’re regulars, we know the other regulars, and there’s usually someone there to hang with. On slow days the bartendresses come out from behind the bar and sit with us for a bit. On busy days they breeze back and forth while hollering scraps of conversation in our direction.

I figured that since we spend so much time there, I ought to take a few pictures. So one day last week, and again last night (because I didn’t get pics of Joss the first time around), I brought the camera with me. I asked the owner if it was okay to take pics, and she was all, “Free advertising! Go for it!” I didn’t think she’d have a problem.

Hover over the pics for descriptions and other witty commentary.

So before we went to Darkhorse last night, Calvin and I went in search of food. The conversation invariably goes like this:

“So, where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, what do you feel like?”
“You know me, I’ll eat anything.”
“Make some suggestions.”
“Kona?”
“Nah.”
“Red Robin?”
“Nah.”
“Chilis?”
“Nah.”
“Well, what do you WANT?”
“I don’t know, let’s go someplace different.”
“Are there any new places around here that we haven’t gone to yet?”
Moment of pondering silence.
“Fuck it. Let’s just GO and we’ll figure it out on the way.”

Which is how we ended up last night at 98 South. It’s in the historic district of downtown Chandler, which has been enjoying an astonishing renovation and rennaisance over the past couple of years. Let me just say that when I first moved here, it was NOT what it is now.

Calvin and I grabbed a table on the patio to watch the world go by. We were treated to a live action episode of Cops, when a duo of squad cars pulled over a car full of youths, which they proceeded to put the fear of something into, for a good half-hour, before letting them go on their way. Then they immediately sped off and pulled someone else over, just 100 yards up the street.

The food was excellent, if pricey. Calvin had stuffed chicken, I had the sole. It was rather more upscale than we were looking for (and, having come in on the motorcycle, than we were dressed for). But we were tolerated, and it was a lovely evening for dining al fresco.