WEEKEND: Shock and Horror

GREETINGS ALL. Alas, my weekend wasn't all that exciting. I was actually deeply involved in some longer-term projects that kept me chained to my computer for much of Friday and Saturday.

But I did briefly get out Saturday night and I was shocked to see that Stetson's on U Street NW had installed track lighting, subtracted many knick-knacks and added sound dampening paneling on its walls that reminded me of a 1980s elementary school music classroom in a financially stressed school district. Yes, shocking indeed. I hope that some of the trinkets come back.

Then I ran into an old roommate on the sidewalk and we cabbed it up to Cleveland Park to meet up with his friend at what used to be the Park Bench Pub, now rechristened the Uptown Tavern. The basement bar, which has an up arrow-based logo on its Connecticut Avenue entry, is described by washingtonpost.com's City Guide as:

... a (slightly less) divey neighborhood bar that's great for watching the game, playing some foosball or late-night dancing.

And there was certainly dancing. In fact, my friend described it as "Tequila Grill, except that it's filled with 30-year-olds dancing in the corner." But not just thirtysomethings, but other older folks who were getting their groove on. One woman with long gray hair, glasses and Converse shoes, told us she was 57 and having a great time dancing with herself and walking around the low-ceilinged bar. We also saw a man who must have been approaching 60, maybe even 65, totally making out with a woman who had decidedly not cleared her 30th birthday. But such things happen in Cleveland Park.

Cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon were on special for $3 each.