Mid-West Invades NYC - Part I

It is impossible to capture or do justice to Pauly, Iggy, G-Money, Stevie the Bull and Bobby Bracelet’s visit to the Big Apple. Thus, I will give highlights as they come to mind.

Tuesday, April 28th. I get a call from Pauly Hollywood saying that he’s flying in for Iggy’s birthday. The Rooster’s party hat is put on and he’s ready to rock and roll. Can you say, BARN BURNER!

Wednesday 9:30 pm. Home Base for the crew for the weekend (The Rooster’s Crib). The Rooster picks up some Red Stripe (for Hollywood) and Guinness (for the midget...I mean, Little Person).

Pauly Drama arrives and we chat for a bit. Something smells funny in my apartment (magic tea). Nuff said. Iggy and G-Money call and tell me they are on a bus. WTF? Conversation goes something like this.

Iggy: Rooster, we are on a bus leaving the airport.
Rooster: What?
Iggy: This nice old man told us to catch this bus; we aren’t sure where we are going.
Rooster: Are you serious?
Iggy: He was a nice old man.
Rooster: Dude, I told you and G-Money to catch a damn cab…it’s only like 20 bucks!
Iggy: What should I do? What is your address?
Rooster: What bus are you on…The M5?
Iggy: I don’t know?
Rooster: Ask someone there on the bus.
Iggy: They don’t speak English.
(I look at Pauly Hollywood and shake my head…Pauly is either in outer space from the tea or just giggling for the hell of it)
Rooster: Dude, go ask the bus driver
Iggy: I don’t know if he speaks English either.
Rooster: Get up and go ask him!
Iggy: G-Money, ask someone where we are at?
G-Money (in the back ground): Donde esta la biblioteca?
Rooster: Dude, he just asked them where the damn Library was.

Finally Iggy lets out a laugh. Pauly is like, I thought they had you going. Score one for the visiting team.

Next conversation as to where we are going to drink.

Pauly: Rooster, I was thinking somewhere local.
Rooster: I like that idea. Maybe UWS bars (notice the S at the end of bar).
Pauly: Rooster, the boys like to HUNKER down at a bar. They probably aren’t into running and hitting 10 bars in one night like you do.
Rooster: O.K. a few bars then.
Pauly: O.K. I say we hit P&G and Yogi’s.
Rooster: YOGI’S BAR!!!!

The boys arrive and unwind to a few beers. Pauly Drama is all heart and class and that is hard to find people in Hollywood and NYC. He brought a gift for both of our Mid-West guests. Magic Tea for G-Money and a cool painting for Iggy.

There is a story behind the painting that I can’t really go into here because I’m not sure I have permission to discuss it. But let me say this…if you ever get to know Pauly he is an interesting cat. Serious, you read his stuff and you are like, wow…this guy is a crazy MOFO who runs around the world covering poker and hitting magic tea houses. Yet, there is this other side of him that is not so much vulnerable as I would say, sincere. When he explained to us the time in his life when he did the painting it was….raw, pure, unedited, sad, uplifting and in your face. The rawness of that time in his life was there in that painting but his explanation of it blew me away. I’m sure he thought nothing of it, but it is odd for someone to bare their soul as Pauly did and on the spot. Somewhat hard to explain without the background but maybe he will discuss it someday.

Moving on to P&G! I think they have the oldest neon sign on a bar in the city. It is an old bar with wood for the bar, seats and tables. A throwback if you will. This is Pauly Hollywood’s favorite bar on the UWS and we have been here a few times…but this time it was a bit different.

I walk in and I knew this bar in my past. I’ve been to this bar before in my youth. Memories flood my mind of years past. I’ve been to this bar before, well not this bar, but one similar to it.

I sat there with my father for a burger or menudo on the weekends when he was watching the ponies run and catching football games. My parents had a bunch of drama when I was growing up, so as punishment my Mom would make my Dad take me with him. So we would hit the bar and I would watch my father play pool, bet the ponies, and football. It was an all day affair and my second meal of the day there was always tacos. Then before the football games were to start my Dad would give me a few 20’s and some loose change. He would have me walk over to Gustavo and place a bet for him, “Tell Gus 40.00 on the Raiders and the quarters so you can play your game (Space Invaders, baby!).”

I digress.

So this would be the drinking hole for the weekend. Once I seen how happy G-Money and Iggy were at P&G Bar I knew it would be hard to wraaaastle them out of there.

We finally walked out to Yogi’s and that was o.k. We played some pinball and this funny conversation broke out between Iggy and me as Pauly and G-Money are talking music and country/hippie bands they have seen.

Rooster: Let me get the next ball on the machine, Iggy.
Iggy: Yeah, yeah, hold on, I’m trying to figure out this game and how to beat it.
Rooster: O.K. let me get the next ball.
Iggy: Yeah, Yeah, o.k.
(Five minutes later…Yes, Iggy does have pinball skills)
Rooster: O.K. my turn.
Iggy: Rooster, you can get the next game, I promise.

I was sitting there laughing because Iggy takes his pinball serious. He was so into that game…he was locked in…funny stuff. I’ve asked Iggy to cover me for 300.00 bucks and he gives it to me without questions or a payback date. Iggy has let me take over a 500.00 dollar stack in a no-limit game (my weakest game) without thinking twice. But you can’t have one ball in his pinball game…funny stuff.

I spoke to a few of the lady patrons. The boys were happy just sitting there drinking and watching me sing my country songs that played on the box.

Then I see Pauly Hollywood walk over to play some songs. Of course I’m scared because I don’t know Pauly’s taste in Country Music. But low and behold he reeled off a good set of songs. Interesting…a little country in the Pauly Hollywood?

We then went around the corner to drink some more beer. We were asked to leave nicely after a few Mexican jokes went awry. But in all honesty, the jokes were rather funny.

We called it a night at 4:30a.m.

posted by Joaquin "The Rooster" Ochoa @ 10:03 AM