Friday Funday

Although my first paycheck was a stark reminder of why the furlough system is the worst idea ever, it is hard to complain when you're sitting in the ocean on a surf board at 9am on a Friday morning rather than behind a depressing cubicle wall.  After surfing for a few hours, it was time to watch the Phillies dominate the Reds.  My co-worker (for the sake of privacy, let's call him Joe) has an absolutely phenomenal apartment building right near Chinatown where we decided to watch the playoff game.  His apartment lets residents and their guests reserve cabanas by the pool.  The cabanas come complete with a grill, cooler with ice, table, and TV hookup.  So we called a bunch of people and set it up.  We had the typical party essentials - chips, salsa, fruit, and beer - and even grilled a few hot links, all while sitting out by the pool and watching the game.  The apartment complex brought Joe's 50'' plasma TV down for us and set it up for the perfect Phillies'-winning playoff party (forgive the alliteration).

Following the game, it was only about 4:00 in the afternoon so the night was young.  A group of people decided to go out, which usually means Waikiki or Chinatown.  This particular evening we decided to head over to Nashville's.  For anyone unfamiliar with this magnificent gem in the heart of Waikiki, I wholeheartedly recommend it for a fun night out.  The alcohol prices are nothing special, but the atmosphere is a lot of fun.  It is a country/classic rock music bar that is open until 4am. It is the only country music/classic rock bar on Oahu, which means that the crowd is everything you would expect it to be.  Everyone sings incredibly loudly and dances because everyone knows all the words to all the songs.  It's that kind of place.

Don't come to Nashville's looking for good food, though.  They don't serve food, unless you're on the liquor diet.  They have happy hour everyday from 4-8pm ($3 Mai Tais and $3 Domestic Bottles), but the real appeal of this place is their daily or weekly activities (and late night music selection).  They have free blackjack every night at 10pm, free line dancing lessons every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 7-9pm, Pool tournaments Sunday through Thursday at 10pm, and Guys and Girls Boxers Contests every Wednesday.  For people not so interested in stripping down to their boxers, though, they have darts and Wii games as well.  Also, if you visit their website (http://www.nashvillewaikiki.com/menu.html), there are a few drink coupons you can print out and bring with you.  Another advantage of this late-night spot over other places in Waikiki is their lack of a cover charge.  No bar should ever have a cover charge unless there is a live band, and even then, no bar should ever charge more than $5.  No bar is ever worth a cover charge.  I will happily go next door to inebriate myself, thank you very much.