Slow It Down | Beyond The Pale | Bonnie Vee | The Late Late
Alright @YouTheReader, month #6 of the 1st season of Pint&Pen&Paper means track #6 of The Lumineers’ first album. I probably sound like a broken record saying I like all their songs but this song in particular is distinct because it is the slowest one on the album. While it may be lesser known, I enjoy listening to it and I figured after being Up All Night, Week to Week Notes should slow down the tempo this Tuesday. On top of that, if you’ve been reading for a while now I’ve made an amendment to the Pint&Pen&Papers where the standard Pubs per post is 3 instead of 5. No, it doesn’t mean I’ll be slowing down Week to Week Notes, just means instead of maybe 10 Pints in a week my quota drops to around 6 Pints a given week.
The meaning behind this tune is about a relationship where two people grow apart but as always I’ll try my best to Hey Jude this, take a sad song and make the @RapGenius annotations better.
Filth in the bones must mean there is negative energy in the relationship. The walls closing in signifies that the show is over as the red velvet curtains close like in a play.
Some relationships were made for everybody to admire while others were not so much. I could be way off here but red high heels *could* symbolize slippers in The Wizard of Oz. The Ruby red slippers represent Dorothy’s triumph over powerful forces. The locking up of your doors with steel means staying guarded on the yellow brick road. I don’t know, maybe I just need a coffee and that is a bit of a reach.
The guy singing is listening to the noise outside but not participating in the outside world, he doesn’t want to see it with his blinds drawn. Maybe it could be interpreted that the female in this situation broke into his car but didn’t touch his stereo because she knew it meant something to him.
Acting like you’ve been here before is always easier said than done. The way this is sung to come always comes across as a bit patronizing but I think the guy means well. Tying up your scarf is a way to avoid getting a hickey.
This is my favorite verse of this song so I made it into the 15-Second Reel even if it comes across as odd. The woman, who was just being patronized in the verse prior, clearly handled things confidently and stood tall. Making a fool of you all meaning she’s got brains to go with beauty and the cigarettes in her past meaning she’s learned from mistakes.
Everything up until the last verse and outro is sung about the past, these two seem to be sung as the aftermath with the realization that even a troubled relationship like the one this song is about can lead to clarity for both people. Outro is to take it easy, don’t frown when you’re down, and if you’re in a rut try to focus on the good.
Another great tune, on to the Guinness…
Guinness Challenge Season #1
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, who I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2…
Usually, I start off getting right into the Pints of Guinness but I should probably make clear that this Pint&Pen&Paper took place on April 19, ‘23. Not that you care, but I got up early to write Pint&Pen&Paper Week 16 Vol II at Grandaisy Bakery, found out Week to Week Notes received its first credentialed media pass while eating lunch at Nancy Whiskey Pub, and then celebrated with a few pints after work…
Song On In The Background: The Way I Feel by Mike D’Jais
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Medium-sized width but long bar spot - it goes back with dining tables. Ulyaha from County Cavan is the bartender. Likes the City a ton and has been here for 4 years. Beyond The Pale opened in January. Their burger is recommended. “My Girl” cocktail is recommended. Beyond Dublin is an Irish saying. Front Door in Galway is her favorite pub back home. This is a neighborhood bar where people come after work. They have private parties in the back area. Pale was the 1st spot the British took over so the rest of Ireland was “uncivilized.” The name for the bar is just a bit of an expression. As you leave the bar a sign in Gaelic states “Go mBeirimid beo ar an am seo arís” which translates to “May we all be around to experience this time again.”
Song On In The Background: This Will Be by Natalie Cole
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: All other patrons are outside - it’s the beginning of spring and was that first nice day out. Photobooth certified downstairs. Sydney is bartending. The backyard patio is very cool. 2nd bartender working, it’s his first day - he is already a pro. Happy Hour bites like pretzels and crispy potatoes are recommended. Bomber Jet was called Bonnie Vee, the owner’s uncle was a pilot. World War II Greatest Generation pictures are up all over the walls. Classy spot. Espresso martinis are Sydney’s favorite cocktail, she “loves the froth” and Bonnie Vee has a few variations of Espresso Martinis. A picture of the owner’s uncle is hanging up behind the bar. Date spot, a lot of romance is in the air!
Bonnie Vee was an extremely classy spot with an awesome patio. They have a Happy Hour from 4 pm to 8 pm Wednesday to Friday. Every Friday and Saturday, they have a DJ. Below is the backstory of the man of Our Greatest Generation who flew Bonnie Vee. Today is also the 79th Anniversary of D-Day. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Bonnie Vee again soon!
The Bonnie Vee story starts with 21-year-old Second Lieutenant Daniel Albert Abraham and his voyage upon Bonnie Vee on the morning of September 27, 1944 – it’s truly a hero’s legacy. A day that history documents as “uneventful enough” in the life of a WWII Pilot unfolded into miscommunication between the lead aircraft in a squadron and 35 US planes on a bombing mission over Germany.
It all starts in the Fall of 1943, when Daniel Abraham, then 20 years old, joined the fight in Europe on November 15th and reported for training as a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After successfully completing his training, Second Lieutenant Abraham reported to the 8th Air Force, 8th Command, 2nd Combat Wing, 445th Bombardment Group, 700th Squadron at RAF Tibenham, England on June 29th, 1944.
There, Abraham joined the crew of Bonnie Vee, a B224H Liberator, serial #42-95128, callsign “Displease.” As part of the 700th Squadron Abraham flew hundreds of hours aboard Bonnie Vee on numerous missions out of Tibenham, striking to the heart of Germany. Notably, in his short tour Abharah was awarded his second Air Medal when Bonnie Vee was hit with an unexploded anti-aircraft shell that penetrated the flight deck, severely wounding the co-pilot. Abraham rushed to the cockpit and administered first-aid all the while forming the necessary rudiments of navigation to ensure Bonnie Vee’s safe return. A rare photograph of Abraham and Bonnie Vee shows the damage to the plane alongside the crew safely returning to base.
Our story continues to the morning of September 1944. Less than a year after his commissioning, Abraham and the 445th Bomber Group, 2nd Combat Wing, headed toward Kassel, Germany on a scheduled mission to bomb Henschel, an engine and vehicle factory. Thirty-nine B-24S including Bonnie Vee were scheduled for the mission… but four planes would abort before the target.
Under thick, overcast weather conditions, thirty-five planes planned to drop bombs through the clouds using a Pathfinder Force radar found in the lead aircraft. The plan was to fly Southeasterly followed by a left turn towards Kassel, concluding with a planned rally over Eisenach, Germany. However, the lead plane turned almost prematurely East, heading straight to Eisenach – too far north for the planned target. (There are conspiracies and debate about the mistake with the most logical explanation being an egregious error, but after signaling the lead, the signal the group received back was “keep it tight, keep it together.”) Almost every navigator in the 445th instantly picked up on the lead’s mistake but it was too late to risk a correction as a stream of bombers were approaching from the rear. Pilot MAJ McCoy and Second Lieutenant Abraham aboard Bonnie Vee decided to stay east and bomb the city of Gottingen, about 50 miles away, flying without an escort.
After the bombing, the B-24 crew made the effort to rejoin the 2nd Combat Wing about 100 miles ahead. Just as Bonnie Vee made a turn, she was attacked by 150 German fighters in a series of 3 waves. In just over 3 minutes the special unit attacked using tight line formations and the specially equipped armored planes took down 25 of the 445th bombers. Two additional planes crash-landed in occupied France, another in Belgium, and one near the base in Norfolk, England. Two planes made it across the channel making forced landings on emergency airstrips while the four remaining planes were able to return to Tibenham. Of the 238 men aboard the 25 bombers that went down in Germany, 117 were killed in action or subsequently died of injuries.
Bonnie Vee crashed one kilometer West of Richelsdorf and history reveals that Second Lieutenant Daniel Albert Abraham made it safely to the ground before he was apprehended and killed by the locals. He was 21 years old and had served with his squadron for less than 90 days. Short-lived and highly honored and decorated, he holds the Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart award among several others.
Although not a happily ever after if there is any silver lining to our story. After the war, the killers of grounded airmen (12 in total) were apprehended and brought to justice at a war crimes trial. It will never replace the life of Daniel Abraham but gives us the meaningful story of Bonnie Vee. We can only imagine the connection the crew had with one another as the nine crew members aboard the plane. As we reflect on the past, we embrace new opportunities for Bonnie Vee’s future. We’re creating our own story of today’s Bonnie Vee – and connecting her to a place where locals come together. We reflect on what we can only imagine was once an incredible camaraderie as we re-create our own unique guest journey. (Source: Bonnie Vee NYC)
Song On In The Background: Just What I Needed by The Cars
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: “JFK for President” sign hanging up behind the bar. Natasha is the bartender. The burger is recommended. Late Late is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 4 AM. They close a bit earlier on Wednesday and Sunday. Irish owned. Concrete finish bar top. They have a VCR & TV in the corner that still works and anyone is welcome to use it. Remember The Titans and Air Bud on VCR. Cool flower paper on one of the walls. Their spicy cucumber margarita is recommended. They have live music Wednesdays, host comedy shows, and have a dance floor for parties in the basement. The Upstairs is referred to as the “Good Room”, an Irish living room for company. Dog friendly 🤝.
The Late Late is Irish-inspired but does not resemble the traditional Irish Pub. Instead, it is modeled after a 1960’s Irish residence. It is named after the Late Late Show, the world’s longest-running TV talk show from Ireland. They have over 50 Irish Whiskey behind the bar and cutting-edge DJs behind the booths. As they put it, a real contradiction that defies all logic. Bands like the Florence + The Machine have partied at The Late Late after performing at Governors Ball because The Late Late is more like a home than a bar. Remember The Titans is such a good movie, I can’t wait to do a Critiquing Critics on it, but of course, I have to do Air Bud this week first. I look forward to grabbing another Pint of Guinness at The Late Late again soon!