Harness, Harleys and the Hustle: The Racino!

The Racino has been on our radar to check out for a while, but especially after I met EB at the Horseshoe in August. He told me he was there a lot because his family owns harness horses. So with our intrepid companion LM, we headed up to check out the whole scene. Our evening included the harness track, the casino and Vapor (the nightclub).


CK: It helped a lot that within the first 10 minutes we met the Blue Knights motorcycle club. They were good looking, totally ripped (muscular, that is), and fun. Unfortunately, they live in Rockland County and at least one has a narcissistic personality disorder but they had NICE BIKES! I will say nothing about the slot machine area because I find that whole scene unappealing. Vapor was actually a lot of fun and I think one could probably meet men there – if the idiot international president of the Blue Knights from Iowa would leave one alone!! There were plenty of dance offers and the band was really good. I like the whole set-up with the upstairs and everything. I’d go there again – maybe once every six months. If for no other reason than to watch the classic older disco dancers gliding around the floor with their Haggar slacks and large-collar shirts.

DT: Wow! I was HOT this night . . . as far as the betting at the harness track goes, that is. I could not pick them wrong. But this only went for the horses. Helping one of the Blue Knights (who had an underbite like Bruce Springsteen that I found endearing) win a couple of hundred dollars on a Shetland pony, the night got off to a great start. I got a cigar in return. Met a very new aquaintence from Match.com there (nice guy but no interest; he was a good sport though). If you like older men with food in their facial hair, the harness track is the place for you! CK's right, if not for the Blue Knights, not sure there'd be much action here at the harness track! Companions and I had a lot of fun - including a lame rendition of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" while in the ladies room, which the patrons at the bar just outside of the bathroom rated a "9." I presume that was out of ten but in the gambling world, who knows! And who knew the acoustics were such that the entire bar could hear us singing in the bathroom. I fared as well at poker - winning $20 in a few minutes. Not so lucky at Vapor, although I did meet a few nice and somewhat off-beat men. Agree with CK on the 'smooth operators' on the dance floor. Made me wish I actually knew the "Hustle" or some other disco-era dance. Much diversity, many ages, most already spoken for. Music was great if you like loud wedding-like bands. They played the standards. The Blue Knights could use a few pointers in how to treat a lady.

What happens in Vegas happened to me

Ah, Vegas.

CK: I had no idea, having gone only twice before. Once when I was an exchange student in 1977 (yes, the American Field Service brought all of the local exchange students in Southern California – from Greece, Germany, Israel, England, Iran, Brazil and New York (!) to Vegas for a weekend). Then last year with my children. Quite a different experience to go with a gaggle of girls. I would say that as far as meeting men, Vegas presents endless opportunities. Great for the ego when one has just turned 50 but not super for anything meaningful or lasting!

DT: It took me awhile to get to this post == post traumatic stress syndrome. I'd never been to Vegas but glad I got to experience it was in my lifetime. It's surreal, numbing, overstimulating, over the top, crazy. It is a great place to meet people of all types - gay, straight, male, female, average size, midget, old and young. All types of dress from glittery prom to tee shirt and jeans. The motorcycle gathering in old Vegas was my favorite . . . along with the low stakes tables there. We didn't do much gambling however, at least not in the monetary sense.

Some highlights:

• CK: We were propositioned by our cab driver, Singh, on the ride from the airport to our hotel (Luxor, which you can actually see from the airport!) He gave us his number and suggested we call him later that night. DT: Well dressed, good smelling cab driver who is a good conversationalist, drives well and speaks decent English . . . doesn't get much better than that.

• DT: Beware of entering the casino’s hotel lobby at 8 or 9 am - the hardcore visitors are STILL drinking and smoking when you go down for your morning coffee.

• CK: We had a 26-year old volunteer for a “drag back”the first night at dinner. His name was Q and he was our bartender. I think DT also had a bead on one of the Mariachi singers serenading a group with Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” DT: Handsome African-American bartender who I don't believe was 26 but nonetheless was too young for CK or me. We prefer the more 'mature' man - to help contrast our increasingly adolescent mindset. The main singer in the Mariachi band in the Mexican restaurant, where supposedly the margarita was invented, was quite a looker, and tried his best to obey my command to lower himself to the floor once more so I could get a look at his firm backside. He didn't quite manage it . . . perhaps his English was not so good. Neither was his rendition of "Sweet Caroline."

• DT: Poolside retreat on sunny afternoons in the mid 80s. And ladies don't be shy about putting on the suit, the women and men are all shapes and sizes. And I guess the men aren't looking for perfection in a one night stand (just an assumption). Everyone's pretty cool about that. Be proud of that flab in your midsection. I hear some men find it 'cute'.

• CK: Men who are gambling are about as bad as men watching a football game in terms of their interest in engaging in conversation. We were able to meet “Boots” (as we called him – because he wore cowboy boots and works for zappos.com). He was entertaining with his stories of his Eskimo father and Swedish basketball mother who met on safari.

• DT: The funniest, most surreal scene: male and female midgets dressed, respectively, as Elvis and Marilyn. Where else would you see this?


• CK: The bar/dance floor called “Eyecandy” at Mandalay Bay was a gold rush for men. We met the sad sack divorcee from Long Island, the singing sensation whom I told I had kids older than him (to which he replied “Really? You have kids over 40?”; it’s so hard to judge their ages!), the “homeland security” agent who really worked for the post office, and our greatest find of all time F and G from the Netherlands.


• DT: Bellagio fountains were inspiring . . . probably more so with a romantic date. Gave us lots of entertainment and attention. A definite highlight among highlights.

• DT: Don't plan or expect to sleep much - between the night life and the time change it's hard to know what time it is or whether you should waste your time sleeping! CK: My sister tells me they pump oxygen into the casinos to keep people awake. If that’s the case, a) it doesn’t mask the cigarette smoke and b) it’s not necessary; one doesn’t want to miss anything when only in Vegas for three days!

• CK: Coming back to Albany was a let-down after all of the fun, excitement and plethora of available men. I use the term available loosely, as most were probably married and live a great distance from us. But I may give Vegas another try – same time next year?

• DT: Lastly, my companion CK was the best part of the trip. What other gal can have so much fun running on coffee and NA Beers. Thanks to her for getting me to see LV – for the first and probably last time!

“I’m Neil and That’s Not a Command”

To celebrate my 50th birthday (hence the change to our blog subhead – we’re no longer “40-something”; we’re “40-plus”), the girls and I went to Athos in Guilderland and out to see our friend’s band at the Tap and Tea Room. We certainly met some interesting characters but none in our sweet spot (normal).

Athos
CK: I had heard from a former fellow Pop Warner cheer mom that Athos Greek restaurant was a great hangout for men our age. She told me she met a great, good looking guy our age there and things were going well. For her, that meant the relationship was in its second week, but hey, some women wear their desire for a relationship on their sleeve. Anyway, we ran into my old high school friend JA who was there for a big bachelor party. Other than that group of undesirables, there was nothing going on at Athos. The owner told us to come back when they have a live band and Greek dancing. We may go back, but more for the fried cheese than the male prospects!
DT: Didn't seem as though most were there to meet new people - a few small groups of people (couples or friends) who pretty much kept to themselves. Who knows what actually went on in the back-room bachelor party, but I suspect not much. Not recommended, in spite of the fried cheese. The bartender, I should note, was friendly, humorous and accommodating . . . but married I am told.

Tap and Tea Room
CK: The Tern Rounders, a “roots rock” band was playing at the Tap and Tea Room. We have a friend in that band so we thought it preferable to the Big Fat Greek Nothing. The crowd at the T and T seemed to be mostly friends or family members of the band. DT and LM provided a bit of a sideshow and we managed to attract the attention of Neil, the author of the worst (or possibly the best) pick-up line in history: “I’m Neil and that’s not a command.” He’s a challenge to describe but I’ll try. He’s 40 and owns his own cleaning business, he has two teen-aged children in Colorado, he seemed to be very coked up and hyper, and probably most relevant, his friend (the best hairdresser in Albany) told us he’s gay but doesn’t know it. Apparently Neil’s story that his 24-year old girlfriend was jealous when she caught him making out with her 21-year old friend translated to his one tranny was jealous of his other tranny. I took his number for future reference.
DT: Until this night I thought Jean Paul was the best hairdresser in Albany, but apparently not the case. Neil offered quite a bit of entertainment, in a pathetic what-must-his-childhood-have-been-like kind of way. His elderly friend (sugar daddy?) was interesting, but someone should tell him that no matter how interesting a man is or how otherwise inspiring his conversation, ill-fitting, clicking dentures are just too much of a distraction. The man who intended to read (1776) at the bar didn't seem to be doing much of that, and was friendly but appeared in pain to muster the effort. The band was thoroughly enjoyable. There appeared to be a few prospects our age but I guess they were shy -- or perhaps put off by our sideshow or the fact that we befriended the tranny-lover. And what's up with women biting your head off because you try, perhaps a bit to earnestly, to enter the ladies room when they are in there. Something like, in a screech, "some people wash their hands you know!" Is it my fault that her date was in a wheelchair and on oxygen? I think not. Why take it out on me? All in all some good prospects and mostly friendly people. The bartenders aren't the friendliest or most responsive, but hey, give it a try.

Our lady friend "L" headed to the Ramada for an old-school R&B party, but the word is out on that event. We headed home, our heads spinning over the tranny-lovers trials and tribulations. We'll have to ask her for a blog entry!

It’s Raining Men - Saratoga During Track Season

A trip to the track gave us the perfect opportunity to check out Siro’s and a week or so later, we returned to Saratoga to see if the Horseshoe was all it was cracked up to be. These two places are a must for meeting men our age – believe it or not we even met local men and for the first time since our adventures began, someone asked for my number!

Siro's August 20, 2010

CK: A recent article in the New York Times made Siro’s out to be a swanky joint for high rollers and mobsters. Maybe this is true in the restaurant but the outside tent is for people leaving the track who want to drink beer out of plastic cups and ogle one another. On our first visit (following a day at the track) I was amazed at the number of men of all ages, shapes and sizes. The ratio must be about 10 men to every 1 overdressed woman. Our companion was not into it at all, so this first trip was a dry run for our actual blog research a few days later (a Thursday evening). We definitely met a lot of men at Siro’s but as with our first Saratoga experience in June, most of them are from out of town and most of them are married. Neither of which stops them from attempting to fondle women, stick Paddock Passes on their chests, or buy them drinks even if they walk away repeatedly. I actually recommend Siro’s; the band was fun, we ran into people we know, and it’s good for the ego.

DT: Great scene for men and, on some nights, decent crowd-pleasing music. But a band that plays ONLY Springsteen can make even the biggest Springsteen fan somewhat despondent. The mixed drinks, even disregarding the plastic cups, are poor. But men . . . yes many men of all shapes, age, sizes and abilities. You can dance with abandon if you want to, or encircle the bar to view the varied clientele. Beware though, the summer in Saratoga scene lends itself to excessive drinking and reckless abandon. If you can finagle your way into the indoor bar, we're told you can find high-rollers, but we discovered they aren't as interesting as the low rollers. And don't ignore the local men in wheelchairs - they can be very entertaining. A fun place to go and meet men and women!

The Horseshoe Inn September 3, 2010

CK: Our new friend MC told us the Horseshoe is the other good place to go after the track. We went on a hot Friday night and found the place to be hopping. It also has an outdoor tent with a band and about a million men of all varieties milling about. I ran into Phil McCracken from high school (not his real name, of course) and his friends. I stayed near the auxiliary bar because I’m not into crowds, dancing or sweating. I wasn’t trying as hard as most of the women there but successfully attracted a harness track aficionado (47, attractive and local). He told me I was part of the "magic of Saratoga." Also Bob and his friend (48, attractive in a Clark Kent sort of way and local). Bob is the one who asked me if I’m in the book! He’s too much of a womanizer for me but the Horseshoe is the best place by far of any we’ve visited since we started the blog!! Highly recommended.

DT: Agree that this place is highly recommended (during track season anyway). Raining men indeed. Just plain old fun . . . although one could easily confuse it with the scene at Siro's. A band that must play there frequently -- because they were there both nights I was -- actually plays the Violent Femmes! How cool is that? As with Siro's, beware of married men in town for a good time! And kudos go out again to LP for accompanying us and tolerating our shameless man-hunting behavior.

Coffee Talk - September 14, 2010

DT wasn't involved in this "dating experience" so I am posting this myself. It involves what started as a promising encounter at Starbuck's at Stuyvesant Plaza and ends with a self-proclaimed "chattering monkey" using terms like hegemony and Munchausen's Syndrome. Not saying Starbuck's is not a promising venue for meeting men . . .

So I was having coffee at Starbuck's with my sister and making eye contact with a guy reading the paper. When BL and I left, the guy actually approached us and engaged me in conversation! I gave him a lot of credit for doing that (along with my number). I might have seen some foreshadowing in his invitation to a picnic RIGHT THEN. But he had a cute face, a full head of hair and a Metropolitan Museum of Art t-shirt on, so I was being open-minded.

I met him for coffee a couple of nights later and he proceeded to spend an hour and a half talking about his life, his ideology, philosophy, and other fascinating but eccentric and overwhelming topics. Some points:

• Ran a motorcycle into a telephone pole in his younger days and bruised his brain and can't hear out of one ear.
• Once lived in a trailer and bathed in a stream.
• Big into Unitarian Universalist Society.
• Likes to watch Batman Beyond repeatedly.
• Has been arrested for possession of a firearm.
• Stopped in the middle of his "unversation" (a term my father coined about my ex-husband) to say instead of having coffee he'd like to be home "kissing and hugging and loving me." Considering he didn't learn anything about me during our time together, I thought this was a tad premature.
• If I had met him 10 years ago, he would be railing against Bible-based theologies.
• He's a storyteller and member of the Adirondack Liars' Club.
• He's dated pisces, leos and libras (or something like that). Never a virgo.
• He dreamt of me before he met me. He was at Silver Bay on Lake George and in a room with water and fall colors. He saw two women, one with a wedding ring and the other without. When he saw my sister and me, I was wearing the same colors and my sister had on a ring!!

We left it that I'll call him if I want to get together again.

Our First Adventure

Our very first night out was Saturday, March 20, 2010. We thought a sports bar would be a good place to meet men, so I looked on-line and found a place called Playfields on Wolf Road. We dragged LC there with us (reluctantly; she wore an old sweatshirt). We arrived at the address to find that we were at the HOLIDAY INN! Perhaps we should have taken this as an omen of our ill-fated attempts to find and meet men our age. Or perhaps one just needs to be aware of outdated information on the information superhighway!

205 on Wolf
CK: So it turns out Playfields hasn’t been the bar at the Holiday Inn for something like five years. It’s now “205 on Wolf.” We went in since this is, after all, an adventure. We were greeted by a completely empty room with the exception of a small group of mismatched freaks at the bar. We ordered our drinks and when Traveling Sheet Salesman broke away from the freaks and walked over to the defunct player piano, we beckoned him over with a demand that he entertain us with some jokes. Thankfully, he wasn’t completely turned off by our rudeness and he did end up as our companion for the rest of the night. He was an interesting character, around our age, living in Minnesota, traveling the highways and byways of America in an 18-wheeler selling "1000 threadcount" sheets at VA Hospitals, little known festivals and other weird places. Note: I just looked on-line and really, the highest threadcount in sheets is 400. Needless to say, 205 on Wolf is not a destination to which we’ll return.
DT: If I can recall back that far (a lifelong bad memory, not the result of aging per se) it was basketball playoff season, which lent some credibility to our theory that a sportsbar was the way to go. There were a few sports fans at the Holiday Inn -- although mostly road-weary fathers taxi-ing their mediocre athlete children to some local tournaments. And they weren't even in mid-life crisis mode, which would have been much more interesting. Sheetman was cordial and had a few good jokes but had way too many accessories for our collective taste. He was a good sport though, and that's what we LOVE. And how many men can tell a decent joke when so commanded?! It think our sweatshirted companion stole the show on this night. So much for dressing up!

Maxies:
CK: Travelling Sheet Salesman talked us into walking across Wolf Road to Maxies, which he thought had more promise for meeting people. There were a lot of people there and karaoke in full swing. As far as prospects are concerned, DT tried to break into a conversation going on between two handsome men at the bar but they were more interested in each other than a bright, beautiful woman. We did receive some attention from two jockeys sitting at the bar, but all they did was leer at us. I think I’d try Maxie’s again. Maybe once.
DT: At Maxie's we discovered mostly young couples and, again, middle aged men killing time between tournament games. So I thought OK, maybe three decent looking women with one man sitting at a table weren't the most inviting scene for eligible men to approach. So I got up my nerve and sauntered over to the bar to try to engage two very handsome, athletic men, but seriously, they, can you believe it, were just there to talk with each other . . . not to meet interesting, vivacious mature women! One was a fan of the others' local semi-pro basketball endeavors and there was no turning around the energy between them. The karaoke was fun (to watch) and the place was hopping and an all around good time. We'll give it another try some time. Jury is out.

Tearin' Up Downtown Friday, July 16

We have a ton of outings to capture in the blog, but we can’t help but write up last week's adventure. (Note from CK: I will update with DT's comments when she gets around to writing them up!) The night featured special guests CM and LM plus the shaman and LP as our male escorts. It was extremely fun but completely fruitless as far as meeting anyone within our potential dating range! We need leads, people!!

Tai Restaurant and Lounge
CK: DT and I have been watching the progress on this place on North Pearl, formerly the skankiest OTB parlor on the planet (possible?) The interior is very cool and features a "dragon lounge" and a "sky box" for VIPs who buy bottles of liquor. It’s very NYC and reminds me a bit of the kinds of places in action movies where the villain hangs out and is taken out – along with his numerous inept henchmen -- by the lone good guy. Anyway, the food was really good and we enjoyed sitting outside and people watching (especially the guy taking off his shirt who accidentally revealed his six-pack).

Sidebar: We were taking inappropriate photos of us with the "street art" when we heard a voice calling out from an SUV stopped at the light on Pearl Street. "What are you doing to that statue?" We turned to see Mayor Jennings laughing and saying "I like it!" Too funny! Later, LM and I entertained the statue of Mayor Whalen but I can’t publish those photos!

Dale Miller Revisited
CK: The shaman assured us that there were people at Dale Miller, along with a steel drum band. Was this place called "Starr’s" years ago? It doesn’t ring a bell but that’s what the all-powerful Internet has told me. We sat out on the patio and laughed a lot, exchanged theories on whether OJ did it, and enjoyed the music and the people-watching (hammer toe). Found out the shaman’s kids’ names, which I believe are cuckooforcocoapuffs and eieio, progeny of he and his wife, sasothesushichef. And it turns out, he isn’t even a shaman -- maybe he's just Michael Jackson's inspiration (sha mon). But he can hang with us and take all of our immature and irreverent behavior so he is o.k. with me. As far as men: nada.

Plastic
CK: For weeks, DT has been attempting to go into Plastic because the men sitting outside are beefy, bald-headed and covered in ink. My understanding was that these are the bouncers and the clientele is young, urban hip hoppers. It was probably 10:30 when we arrived and we were asked for $5 to get in. I said, "I’m not paying $5" and because we probably didn’t look like we’d be there all night, the poor kid said, "o.k." and let us in. It’s a good thing we didn’t pay a dime because the place at this point in the night was completely empty and the d.j. was spinning some Lil Wayne (FREE WEEZY!). I am pretty sure I heard one of the bartenders say "Look how old they are!" DT talked her way up to the VIP lounge, which again looked like a movie set where the infamous drug dealer would be entertaining scantily clad women just when his rivals arrive and pop, pop take him out. No real reason to even comment on the men prospects.

Downtown Friday Night

Back in May (May 7, to be exact), we decided to try Friday night happy hour downtown. We went out anticipating hordes of eligible professional men lounging around looking for fabulous women to talk to. Read on for results.

Yono’s
CK: In an earlier post (actually reflecting a later date), I mentioned that we stopped into Yono’s to look for our friend the private dick. This was the night we discovered him. One would think this upscale place would be loaded with interesting professional men on a Friday night. One would be wrong. The one mildly attractive man at the bar turned out to be a real jerk (knocked a beer off the bar onto me and into DT’s bag, then offered one small paper napkin and made a beeline for the exit). In several visits to this place, I’ve been disappointed with the prospects.
DT: Most of the staff here are very attentive, but I do recall a certain waitstaff person (female) from whom service was almost intentionally slow. This is a nice place, mostly for those looking to hang out with old or existing friends, not interested in meeting new friends.

Victory Café
CK: I love the Vic. Used to play on their women’s softball team (circa 2000). Still love the Vic. Our friend the private dick met us there after he left Yono’s, and we were joined by our friend the shaman. It was like an episode from Cheers – we befriended they guy sitting alone at the bar and shared our food with him, played tunes on the Jukebox, and generally had a really good time. Can’t say I spied any eligible men in my range, but it’s not all about that, is it?
DT: Agree! This is a fun place with a sometimes good, usually friendly, mixed crowd (i.e., various ages). The jukebox is a bit difficult to figure out . . . but maybe not before the beer drinking starts! Haven't eaten there lately but I do recall from past visits that the food is good.

74 State
CK: We stopped in here because I like the upstairs bar and the view out of the picture window. There were exactly four people in the bar so we quickly turned around and left. We’ve tried this place a couple of times and we have never found single eligible men hanging around.
DT: Don't bother unless you want to drink alone in a swank place.

Savannah’s
CK: We thought we’d give Savannah’s another shot (more on this in a future post). We stood at the bar and were not offered any service. DT’s e-cigarette attracted the attention of a group of Dungeons and Dragons players (my take on them) so in the absence of a drink or anyone eligible at all to talk to, we left. Haven’t been impressed with Savannah’s but plan to try the "bandaoke" one Thursday soon.
DT: A lot of people seem to like this place (because it has been crowded on occasion) but I've yet to figure out why. The clientele is again varied age-wise but not a lot of them (except dungeon and dragonites) seem to be interested in meeting new people. Or maybe my companion and I look too intimidating or . . .

Jack’s
CK: Back in the day (the 80s), I used to go to the bar at Jack’s and there were fun, professional men there. It appears that those days are long gone?! We were approached by one elderly gent and DT approached two Grizzly Adams types at the bar. Other than that, Jack’s is kinda dead man-wise.
DT: Not much to say here. The men in the place seem to be there to close on some very important business deals over dinner. If you time it right you might get lucky and get to converse with one on the way in or out, or enroute to the bathroom. A new trick, which I must remember to use more often, is to tell the person you're interested in meeting that they must come closer to talk as your have a hard time hearing . . . whether it's true or not. It beats, based on experience, ordering men over to tell you a joke!! Although that has worked on occasion as well (more on that in a future post!)

Shooting Fish in a Barrel (Saturday in Saratoga)

We are getting great suggestions about where to go to meet men. The barge on Mondays, Barnes & Noble, golfing, the Ginger Man, Home Depot! Please feel free to add a comment & offer other suggestions. This post is about our night out in Saratoga on Friday, 6/4. In general, I’d say if you were looking to hook up and have a one night stand, particularly with a man from out of town, Saratoga is the place to be. Note: We did not take advantage of this opportunity!

9 Maple
CK: We started at this eponymous little place to see my friend’s jazz band. There was a small crowd, men with men and women with women (not saying anything . . .). We stayed for one set and bailed. We ended up back there at the end of the night and there was a bigger crowd but they seemed pretty young. They clapped when someone fell off her barstool! Jury is out on this place (plus they have no NA beer!).
DT: The bar itself is beautiful; the staff (male) seems more inclined to be friendly to, AND waive the cover charge for, young handsome men than 'mature' women. It's a small place but upscale and cozy. A friend of mine finds it extremely annoying that they measure the liquor. I didn't notice but it's worth noting. I hear if you like jazz in a cozy place, this is for you. Otherwise there are PLENTY of other options in Toga!

One Caroline
CK: Another place named for its address. We went in because we spied several men sitting at the bar. Many of them were on the young side (like they could have been our sons). The only prospect here was an older, white-haired gent who had obviously been golfing (and imbibing) as his face was quite red. He asked me out for dinner but suggested we go out in Saratoga the next night. Perfectly comfortable that I would have to DRIVE UP THERE! DT managed to distract him so we could bail. I’d say this place has potential but it wasn’t realized that night.
DT: I spied the chef re-entering the place when we were there . . . strikingly handsome. Too bad he disappeared into the kitchen. The 'children's' bar is rather odd -- if you like sitting 3 feet below the other bar flies (like the kids table at Thanksgiving) that's cool. We did sit there but were able to soon graduate to the big people's bar after the young men left. The bartender was friendly and it was a good, although light that night, mixed crown. Jury is out on this one.

Grey Gelding
CK: Now this is the place to be! We met many fun guys, all from out of town. One group (which included "Pie guy") was up from Connecticut to golf. Another was from New Hampshire and they were there to watch the Belmont at the Racino. Ooh, that’s another place we’re supposed to try. Anyway, Pie guy’s claim to fame was that he had baked pies for Aerosmith and Steven Tyler sang "My guy" to him but changed the words to "Pie guy." Also claimed to have baked a "bean pie" for Luther Vandross (with sugar . . .) . In addition to the man situation, the bartender was able to concoct a flavorful combination of non-alcoholic stuff for me and accommodated our request for an NA cosmo (which did not fool DT for a second). O.k. . . . My take on this bar is that it is a great, fun place for people our age. I’d go there again.
DT: Agree! OK, so the singer/guitarist was mediocre at best, but all were having fun singing along and requesting songs. A no-frills, no-pretense, place that is just plain fun . . . especially with the out-of-towners! Take note and be forewarned, it seems to me this is a great place for a married out-of-town man, and single out-of-town men for that matter, to hook up. You know, the kind where he and his wife have 'grown apaaat'. Not sure if SHE knows that. The staff are friendly, don't know if they measure the liquor, but it's more a beer crowd anyway. FUN place. Varied crowd age-wise but not much color.

Uptown Saturday Night April 17, 2010

CK: My sister told me not to go out without consulting her because she “knows” the bars in Albany. She recommended Junior’s. So we started there. As you’ll read, we’re no longer relying on her knowledge.

Juniors:
CK: Two things to say about this place. One: Juniors is an apt name since everyone in there is about 18. Two: The bartender should get a job that doesn’t involve working with people. Did not dig this scene.
DT: I wasn't even drinking yet but all I can remember is that it was dark and smelly and unfriendly.

Mahars:
CK: I could say even less about this place but it was so bad I will spill all my thoughts. First, the rank smell of stale beer on entering was only overwhelmed by the smell of a beer fart let fly by a gentleman at the bar as we passed. His companion was heard to say “Did you just drop a bomb?” There was some type of paperwork everyone seemed to be doing, a lecture being given by the guy we ended up standing next to (with a waxed mustache, no less), and we just weren’t part of the “in crowd” at this place (not a bad thing, in my opinion). An older gentleman did speak to my companion at the bar as she tried to get me an NA beer. What did she come back with? ROOT BEER! They don’t even have NA beer at this beer joint! Hated this whole experience.
DT: Beer Blowhards is more like it. The people there SEEM truly to care about nothing other than beer and their beer paperwork, much less basic manners. Disgusting!

Andy’s Place Sports Bar & Grill
CK: We decided after the two horrific places we’d been to go visit our new friend D (whom we had met a couple of weeks ago). At least he’s good for a grope – big muscles and a medium sized brain). We found him at Andy’s and got a wonderful hug. This place is for the young, beer is served in plastic cups and the only attention I seemed to attract was from the Al Qaeda operatives sitting at a table behind us. Not crazy about this place for me.
DT: If you like to look at young drunk men in assorted athletic gear, drinking perphaps since the big game ended at 3pm, this is the place for you. D is really the only attraction here...perhaps worth the trip for that alone.

Midtown Tap & Tea Room:
CK: After two horrific places and a grope, we were headed downtown when we spied Midtown Tap & Tea and decided to see if there was a crowd our age in there. There were a few people in the New Scotland entrance bar, a nice jazz duo playing and not much else happening. UNTIL . . . we spied Rico Suave, a very handsome man we both recognized from the 80s. We engaged him in conversation and I have two observations about him that stick with me. One: He was texting while talking to us and when asked why, he replied “This is time sensitive.” Two: He gave me his phone number but never asked my name in the half-hour we talked. I might try Midtown Tap & Tea again but need to know what is the best night to find good single men my age hanging out there.
DT: Yes, this place has some potential. A good assorted crowd, clean, and friendly wait staff. Too bad Rico never called back - we could give this never married (why?) gent some pointers!

Downtown Albany May 27, 2010

We’ve decided to post a description of the most recent night out and work our way backwards to the first one. So here goes for Thursday, May 27.

CK: We had been trying our luck on Saturday nights, then moved to Friday night happy hours downtown (to not much avail) and were informed that Thursday is the night the professional crowd goes out for happy hour downtown. Of course we picked the Thursday before Memorial Day week-end, once again proving we don’t know what we’re doing.
DT: We were trying Saturday nights at first because we work so darn hard during the week that come Friday we're not our usual chipper, fascinating selves and thought it best to spare others the misery. But once we got on a roll we were able to hang in there on Fridays, even without triple doses of caffeine. So, we suffer from bad timing, but don't hold that against us.

Dale Miller
CK: The original restaurant at this location (can’t remember the name) used to be a great place to go after work . . . the patio outside was crowded with lots of interesting people. All I can say about it now is it’s a beautiful restaurant and the food is tasty and plated in a lovely way. The two times we’ve been there have been DEAD people-wise. And the bartender forced me to calculate the ratio of cranberry juice to seltzer I wanted in my drink. I don’t do math!
DT: I never even knew this place existed until a co-worker invited me to lunch (and it was a very good meal). I love what they do with oranges (decor, not food) and the bathroom is beautiful. I'm very tempted to ride the rolling ladder along the pretentious wine wall, but fortunately my companion keeps me in check. If you're like me you may miss the entrance the first few times you're there, but keep at it. All in all, if you're looking to meet people, don't bother. Come happy hour there is more staff than guests.

Franklins Tower
CK: I thought I had spied some eligible men on my way past Franklin’s to Dale Miller so we headed there. I’m attracted to nerds but the one I thought was attractive at first glance was married and had a quizzical look on his face up until the time he left. Then another prospect turned out to be height challenged when he got off the high chair at the high table. We did see Red again; he’s always good for a laugh (at him).
DT: After one drink at Dale Millers we head down the hill to Franklin's Tower where the outside tables offer a nice view of SUNY Plaza and all sorts strolling by. Pleased with the service from a very affable and attentive young waiter (hope my companion tipped him accordingly). Lots of folks out at the tables enjoying a very warm spring day, whom appear to be in the age group we find interesting, unfortunately most of the men wearing wedding rings.

Yono’s
CK: We went to Yono’s looking for our friend the bartender/private dick. He wasn’t working but did respond to a text message confirming that he does still work there. Yono’s would be great if I were looking to meet female friends in their 50s and 60s. But since that’s not my primary target, I may not go back to Yono’s unless its Mon-Wed and our bartender friend is there.
DT: Yes, back up the hill to Yono's, where a few minutes can be well spent watching the handsome waiters in their dark suits. The service however was unjustifiably slow and we had to ask for snacks!

Bayou Café
CK: After the elegance and sophistication of Dale Miller and Yono’s, the Bayou was a welcome respite. The barstools are falling apart, the hand dryers in the bathrooms are circa 1980 and you can freely say “fuck” all you want. We met a gorgeous man, got his cell number and planned to hook up with him when he got off work at 12 or possibly same time next week (generally men can’t distinguish one of us from the other at first, which is fine – we decide who wants the guy more). We played darts (DT won 3 out of 3), my sister arrived for her Thursday karaoke gig and because the place was almost completely empty, we sang such hits as “Theme from The Jefferson’s,” and “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.” Had a bit of an incident with the bartender when I poured DT’s surreptitious second manhattan into his clean ice so she’d be in shape to meet D but a $20 tip should allow me to go back another time! Loved the Bayou.
DT: Loved it too, and not just because I won 3 out of 3 in darts! Let's give a shout out to the door\man (or is it bouncer?) and the karaoke dj (is that what they're called) who, not only because we were three of only five people left in the bar, were very attentive and fun to chat with. And let's not forget B the bartender who came up with Springsteen upon request and hopefully forgives us for the tough spot we put him in when CK forbade him from giving me another drink and I ordered him to do the same. Thus ensued her pouring it out in his clean ice. And hey CK, does that mean I wanted D more? Conclusion: highly recommended.

No, Welcome to Our Blog: A Slightly Different Twist

Our blog is actually for any of you more "mature" adults out there interested in meeting other interesting people - for befriending, dating, chatting up, etc. (that parts up to you) - and/or listening to some decent music (non-jazz) in fairly hygienic and safe environment. We're here to save you the pain we've encountered. We may actually decide at some point to branch into giving hopeless pathetic men some advice, again to spare them and other women the pain they would otherwise create or experience.

Welcome to our blog

Welcome to the new blog "Not Dead Yet." For the past two months, my friend D and I have attempted to re-enter the dating scene in Albany, New York. We are in our late 40s, both divorced and our kids are getting old enough that they don't need our constant attention.

We will go back to the beginning and post a description of the places we've been, the people we've met and the prospects for women like us in Albany. The idea is to save others from some of the mistakes we've made!

If you have suggestions for places we should visit, please comment! We especially need help figuring out what nights are the best for particular bars and clubs. This is not as easy as it sounds and we don't recommend trying this at home!!!!