Time Trippin'

A little Friday evening time trippin'. Steve and I went to eat at one of our favorite local restaurants tonight - The Blind Tiger. Amazingly, we were carded when we ordered beer and trust me, we do NOT look like we just graduated from high school. I could easily have been that kid's mother. I laughed and told Steve that we ought to ask for his ID because he didn't look old enough to even serve alcohol. Sure enough, when the beer came it was another server who brought it with our little fella right behind him. I ordered another beer just out of meanness.

At any rate, we love the restaurant; it's down on the Riverfront and every time I go down there I seem to lapse into a little nostalgic time trippin' thing.

It started tonight because we were looking at the architecture of the old building which houses The Blind Tiger. We began debating whether part of the building was an add-on or not, which led us to scoping out the neighboring buildings to see how they lined up. This is where I needed my friend from Sippican Cottage - he could tell me right away.

At any rate, as we were scoping out the exterior of the buildings, we wandered down the alley which, back in the day, used to be a happening night spot area. Shreve Square in the late 70s and early 80s was a fun, busy spot. All us kool kids went there. Great bands, great nightspots, great places to eat...you could sit under the bridge with a longneck in your hand, watch people and listen to music all night long.

The above picture was Humphfrees; they had beer iced down in huge galvanized tubs, picnic tables and long benches for seating. The best up and coming bands played there. A Train, Marcia Ball, The Bluebirds...too many to name. Some truly great musicians crossed that stage.

We wandered down the alley where The Sportspage used to be. The Sportspage had live bands, hip music, three bars and two levels. I got into The Sportspage when I was 16 because my older sister knew the doorman (legal was 18, then). Now, the twelve steps leading up to the entrance of The Sportspage are gone and Steve had to lift me up to peek in the broken out part of the old wooden door to see inside. Not a pretty picture.

I could see the lower level bar area, the dance floor and the stage area, and the stairs leading up to the second level. It's a totally weird feeling looking at the absolute ruin of a place that you remember so clearly in your head. Dirt, debris, boards, wreckage and dust everywhere. A home for rats, drunks, the homeless. It was sad looking in there.

But the fun was only beginning. From there, after we'd worn out the debate over the architecture of the riverfront and the good times in the Square back in the old days, the naming of all the places long since closed down, we headed home and on the way we passed by the old historic Greenwood Cemetery.

Steve: I've always wanted to go in there.

Me: There's the gate. I have family in there!

So in we go. I couldn't find my people - I took a wrong turn. But we eventually ended up in the old military section and it was kind of sad. It was sad because the whole place seemed to be in such disrepair. The headstones in that part were all perfectly uniform but some are sinking and some are covered in mildew or algae. Some are turned over and broken. Several have long faded plastic flowers and droopy flags. Standing in the center of the section is an old cannon (pointing downward - this bothered Steve) and a tattered, faded flag.

It was interesting to look at the headstones, though, and think about the men. A couple of the headstones had newer markers near them for the spouses and some of those had pictures. Young, strong fellows in uniform - brave looking and ready to take on the world. One soldier with his wife, also in uniform, jaunty, happy and young. I kept thinking - where are their people? Does anybody come visit or think about them?

After I got home I did some checking and found out that there is a cemetery clean-up day scheduled there in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to find out who to get in contact with to get the flag replaced because we'd certainly donate one to replace the sad one that is there.

All in all it was not your typical Friday night date night, but I guess that's why Steve and I get along so well. We're both oddballs. I don't know anybody else that would take me into deserted alleys, boost me up to peek in dilapidated buildings I frequented as a teenager and then take me to a cemetery.

If it helps any, we went to Sonic after that for a hot fudge sundae.

Are we weird? Yes, we are. But it's okay.

Shreve Square, Friday Night

Friday Night. Steve and I went to one of our favorite spots for dinner - The Blind Tiger. We were both sort of craving a good old hamburger and nobody does them better than The Blind Tiger. I've blogged here before about their crab cakes, which I love. Besides, we totally love their REAL, not frozen, home made onion rings and FRESH, not frozen, fried mushrooms. Talk about heaven on a plate - those mushrooms are to die for. They come out HOT with a ranch dip and a horseradish based dip and the mushrooms are sprinkled heavily with grated Parmesan cheese.

I've eaten lots of meals in that building going back to when it was T.G.I. Fridays back in the 1970s and 80s. After Fridays closed it became Chelsea Square and then has been The Blind Tiger ever since. Through them all, the building has kept its character. The hardwood floor is polished with nothing but the years of foot traffic and the tin ceiling still gleams. Windows make up the exterior walls giving full view of all downtown traffic, both foot traffic and vehicles coming off the Texas Street Bridge. It's just a really comfortable place to go hang out, eat a great meal and relax. We somehow almost always get the same server when we go, and we like that, too.

When we left we strolled through "the Square" and I had some major flashbacks of the glory days of the Square. For those not familiar with the area, Shreve Square is the two or three block area coming off the Riverfront into downtown. Once a thriving commercial area, in the 1970s and 80s (when I remember it) it was a busy, hopping collection of clubs and restaurants. In 1978 I was working as a waitress at Whiskey River - my mother still has nightmares about this - and then worked as a waitress at The Spaghetti Store. After work at the restaurant, or on my nights off, we'd all go to "The Sportspage" or to "Humpfrees."

Well anyway, skipping the stroll down good-times-lane, it was just sad tonight to see how it's all died. The Square became The Red River District and after some shootings and muggings and fights, nobody goes there anymore. The old buildings have been left to decay and be either destroyed or consumed by casinos and turned into parking lots. So sad. I stood there, right there, in front of Humpfrees and could just hear "A-Train" playing, see the cold beer in the ice in the aluminum water troughs, I could see the crowds mingling in and out, standing outside talking and laughing... And then it was gone. Dead. The three huge windows that made up the back of the stage are now covered in plywood. The entrance is boarded up and dark.

Things change and time marches on. We all get older! Back then you could have NEVER told me I'd be home blogging on a Friday night, watching The Wizard of Oz. Not me baby, I'm going to be OUT! Clubbing! Forever!

On his blog, Robert Trudeau is now putting out the word for old Humpfrees stories; he has a student that is working on an historical paper of the area. I'll be interested in reading about it when she finishes her project! There were lots of famous folks that went through that place and lots, lots of wild stories. She's more interested in the historical aspect, not the "oh I got drunk there!" stories, which is probably a good thing! If you know anything that might help her with her project, send it along!

As long as The Blind Tiger stays open and doesn't fold under the heavy burden of chain restaurants and casinos I'll be happy. But god help me if they should fold and I have to muddle my way through a quagmire of frozen breaded mushrooms and frozen minced onion - onion rings. Blech. Blind Tiger will always remind me of the glory days of the Square. Good times.