My Saturday began with a beach stroll and ended with a bar crawl. Is it any wonder?

My evening plans included visiting Hot Zone to wish owner Jay a happy birthday. That bar opens at six and I got the thirst to leave the house around four, so I made my way to Sloppy Joe’s to pass the time. Chris was there as usual, so I had some company. The music is almost always good, but last night was extra special. The selections were all from the early 1960s and included music videos on the big-screen TV.

I was familiar with most of the songs, even though they were technically before my time. But seeing them being performed was new to me, and I really enjoyed that aspect. Many of the videos were from the old Ed Sullivan Show and were pretty obvious lip-syncs, but even so, they were good to see. At the risk of sounding like an old man, music was so much better back then. Or maybe I’m just nostalgic for the good ol’ days.

And hearing “Georgy Girl” again after all these years opened my eyes to something I’d totally missed back in the 1960s–the song seems to be encouraging Georgy to embrace her transgender sexuality and finally come out as the woman she identified herself to be. You go, girl!

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide
And, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see
A new Georgy girl

Hey there, Georgy girl
Dreamin' of the someone you could be
Life is a reality
You can't always run away

Don't be so scared of changing
And rearranging yourself
It's time for jumping down from the shelf
A little bit

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide
And, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see
A new Georgy girl

Six o’clock rolled around, so I made my way to Hot Zone. There was already a decent crowd in the bar. Jay was seated with some friends at a table. I said happy birthday, he responded thanks. I sat down at an empty table and ordered a beer. There was a table full of food, including Lechon (a roasted pig, head and all).

I had a second beer, and feeling like an outsider, I paid my tab and left.

Where to next? As I walked by Voodoo a gal I didn’t recognize came out and greeted me by name. That happens more often than I care to admit. I started to go inside, but the music was so loud I knew I’d be miserable, so I beat a quick retreat. I decided to visit It Doesn’t Matter instead.

I had baked a batch of brownies that I had originally intended to share with the Hot Zone crew, but after the cold shoulder vibe I received, I never got the chance. I was the only customer at IDM, so I had the opposite problem: all the girls loved me! I got introduced to two new waitresses and the party was on.

Anyway, new waitresses meant all my jokes were new again, so I had some fun telling them. And since it would be cruel and unusual to subject them to my sense of humor without a lady drink vaccination, I ordered a round for the four gals at my table. And then the traveling waitress from Sit-n-Bull came in with a menu. I was surprised because I didn’t know IDM was one of the bars they service. Coincidentally, I was hungry so I ordered me a ham sandwich. Not wanting to be rude, I ordered chicken fingers and lumpia for my tablemates. And naturally, when the food arrived, I ordered us all another drink. I was having fun though and it’s fair to say my presence made the girl’s night–hard to top food and commissions! So, win-win!

I made Wet Spot my nightcap venue and ran into some people I know there, so I enjoyed their company for a bit before heading home right at nine p.m.–a late night for me.

Here’s another song from last night I rather enjoyed for some reason:

Oh, well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are, well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name

They call me the wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh, well, there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right
And Janie is the girl, well, that I'll be with tonight
And when she asks me, which one I love the best?
I tear open my shirt and I show her "Rosie" on my chest

'Cause I'm a wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh, well, I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
And I'm as happy as a clown
I with my two fists of iron but I'm going nowhere

I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place, I roam from town to town
And when I find myself fallin' for some girl
Yeah, I hop right into that car of mine, I drive around the world

Yeah I'm a wanderer
Yeah, a wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh yeah, I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place, I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
I hop right into that car of mine and drive around the world

'Cause I'm a wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around