I showed up for a conference in Spring Lake, Michigan, held of all
places, at the Holiday Inn. I checked into a hotel on US-31 and I
imagined a downtown had to stand close to the main artery. It struck
me as odd that main street went under the name of Washington. All the
main streets around Flint bore the name of Saginaw. I wandered into
Porto Bellos, then newly opened, but I didn't stay. The Kirby House
looked evocative, so I took my hunger there and found a dish of dry
rubbed ribs, a recipe no longer in the house because I looked for them
again in 2006. I have found ribs like that again only once in my life.
In fact, as much as I like the present day Kirby, I've never enjoyed a
meal that much here again. Not that I disbelieve. The Kirby had a
yellow color scheme then and an island bar right in the middle of the
room. The walls were bedecked with antique French lithographs
advertising wine, apertifs and champagne, as is true today. I hung with a man, a fellow with a massive build who ran his family's
manufacturing business and we pounded the beers. I was twenty five and
I had the bladder for it. By the end of the night, he claimed to have
a job in purchasing for me. He came from an Irish clan, and he had
upon his hand a ring his father had gifted him to mark his ascendancy
into manhood, a gift granted to all brothers. We shared our beer with
two waitresses then off duty, sharing generously, and he invited them
out for a midnight cruise. I think one declined for the pair,
explaining about children and morning schedules. What is it about the
Lakeshore and the dunes that skyrockets out of wedlock births When in
time our beer drinking sweethearts left, my wingman protested, "Grand
Haven is giving me a bent dick!" Not too long after he walked back to the marina, another waitress left
shift and drew me into conversation at a corner. I still remember she
was a blond with long fine hair and claimed to be married. We talked a
long time about nothing really. It was finally closing time and I
explained it was time to make my way back to the Quality Inn. "So",
she inquired as she trapped me in a gaze, "How do you like the Quality
Inn"
places, at the Holiday Inn. I checked into a hotel on US-31 and I
imagined a downtown had to stand close to the main artery. It struck
me as odd that main street went under the name of Washington. All the
main streets around Flint bore the name of Saginaw. I wandered into
Porto Bellos, then newly opened, but I didn't stay. The Kirby House
looked evocative, so I took my hunger there and found a dish of dry
rubbed ribs, a recipe no longer in the house because I looked for them
again in 2006. I have found ribs like that again only once in my life.
In fact, as much as I like the present day Kirby, I've never enjoyed a
meal that much here again. Not that I disbelieve. The Kirby had a
yellow color scheme then and an island bar right in the middle of the
room. The walls were bedecked with antique French lithographs
advertising wine, apertifs and champagne, as is true today. I hung with a man, a fellow with a massive build who ran his family's
manufacturing business and we pounded the beers. I was twenty five and
I had the bladder for it. By the end of the night, he claimed to have
a job in purchasing for me. He came from an Irish clan, and he had
upon his hand a ring his father had gifted him to mark his ascendancy
into manhood, a gift granted to all brothers. We shared our beer with
two waitresses then off duty, sharing generously, and he invited them
out for a midnight cruise. I think one declined for the pair,
explaining about children and morning schedules. What is it about the
Lakeshore and the dunes that skyrockets out of wedlock births When in
time our beer drinking sweethearts left, my wingman protested, "Grand
Haven is giving me a bent dick!" Not too long after he walked back to the marina, another waitress left
shift and drew me into conversation at a corner. I still remember she
was a blond with long fine hair and claimed to be married. We talked a
long time about nothing really. It was finally closing time and I
explained it was time to make my way back to the Quality Inn. "So",
she inquired as she trapped me in a gaze, "How do you like the Quality
Inn"
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