bloggers in the burbs

I need to interrupt my regularly scheduled post to announce that the snow day/extended Winter Break/Sibling Sumo wrestling disaster has been averted. Children are boarding the bus in t-minus 9 minutes, to resume their educational pursuits, instead of wringing each other's necks. It's a post-Christmas miracle.

So the ladies North of Portland - I can't bear to call it the 'Couv, no matter how affectionate that sounds - met up again Saturday night for Happy Hour on our side of town. The place features fantastic NW cuisine and for a suburban bar, it's considered to be rather hip and trendy. Or hipper anyway, but I'm afraid the staff has been buying their own hype.

I've worked in such restaurants, worked with self-important chefs and uptight servers. I've dealt with silly rules and wine lists and presentation and if you can keep paying your bills as a small business owner, I say more power to you. But being the Jonathan Franzen of restaurants may not serve you well during a recession, when your once hopping bar seems rather empty and you have more competition in your own backyard.

(And being rude to a table of bloggers may not be the best word of mouth but then again, I got the impression that we were not the clientele they were hoping for, which is sad when you consider that this group of women still has money to spend. Maybe they are hoping for a bailout from Washington.)

But despite the less than Happy service, I had a fabulous time, thankful and amazed for a community of invisible friends, made flesh and bone on a frosty night.

*****
I know we missed a few bloggers this time out. If you live in the Vancouver area and would like to join us next time, we'd love to hear from you. We are going casual next time out, hitting a roller skating rink.