Deaf and hungry in Brunswick

Second stop on my southern tour was Brunswick, Georgia. Purely by luck, Emily's Toybox happened to be coming through on their way back from Key West. I haven't seen the guys live since the month I moved to Wilmington, so I was way past due. Sadly, my ETB Buddy, Jen wouldn't be able to make the trip so I was flying solo. I tried to make hotel reservations at the same Days Inn we usually stay at. But there was a problem. You can play along if you like. Simply go here: Days Inn Reservations. Search for hotel rooms in Brunswick, GA. Doesn't matter what date you pick. You'll find 2 hotels listed. You'll notice one (the one at 5033 New Jesup Hwy/I-95) shows no rooms available. Back up and try another date. Try some more. Go ahead. Won't hurt nothing. Got another favorite web site for renting hotel rooms? Try them, too. I seem to recall the last time I went down there I ran into this problem and finally called the hotel. Plenty of rooms, and they seemed quite confused as to why it was saying they had no rooms. Apparently no one at Days inn cares THAT much about renting out rooms. Lucky for me though it forced me to look around a bit and I landed a FANTASTIC rate for a La Quinta just down the street from the Days Inn. I've been a big La Quinta since way back in about 1996 when I started following Macon's hockey team around the southeast. Sadly, La Quinta decided to start shifting into the "Inns and Suites" and priced themselves out of my (cheap-o) price range. But for this one time it was a bargain. I arrived early. I took a shower. I realized I'd forgotten to pack earplugs, so I stopped off at a drug store and then hit the bar. Last time Jen and I were up there we went in early to get a good seat and also to get a bite to eat. We discovered that the hot wings at Bourbon Street were fantastic. They were dry but spicy. Crispy and delicious. I'd been craving them since I hit the GA Border. I walked into the nearly empty bar and the girl behind the counter asked if I wanted anything to drink. I told her I might as well get an early start and ordered a Mike's Hard Lemonade. When she brought it to me I asked if I could also get a menu. There was a long pause and she said those 5 painful words:We don't serve food anymore.Scroll up and try the link to Bourbon Street and read it for yourself. It took a moment to sink in. I already have a cold beverage in hand, just waiting to drown some delicious hot wings, and they're never going to arrive. I am sure my look of sadness mixed with confusion made her feel sympathy for me as she began to offer me options. Places down the block, across the street, etc. I really didn't hear her, I was in my own wingless world of despair. I took one long swig of my drink and asked "What's closest?" "There's a pool hall at the other end of this shopping center. You can walk there and back." I left my jacket on the back of my chair. I left my drink on the bar (surrounded by tear of sorrow, I am sure). I walked to the pool hall at the other end of the shopping center. I haven't been in a pool hall in a while. I'd rather not have to go back to one again. Frankly, the pool chalk was probably more delicious than my dinner. Thank goodness Mike's will wash down anything. When I got back to Bourbon Street, I saw that the band had begun to arrive.As usual, the last to arrive and tune up is Mike. Mike's got himself a brand new guitar.Yes that's a pink Hello Kitty guitar. I suspect Mike catches a lot of crap for his choice of instruments. But then again, Mike seems to have no problem dishing it back out.While the following picture give you a glimpse of Greg's "Doody Free" t-shirt, I want you to pay particular attention to the gentlemen to the right of the stage.Let's face it, ETB concerts tend to get rowdy. Bars tend to have people drinking too much. Eventually the two combine to create problems. At least three people were ejected from the bar for either bringing and promptly spilling their drinks on the dance floor (that's the 4' wide wooden space in front of the band) or for slam dancing and running into the band and their monitor. Sadly, things continued to get drunk and rowdy and I almost didn't get my picture with the band. Todd, Greg, Wade, Me and MikeIt seems that after last call, a scuffle broke out back in the back near the bathrooms. Then someone shouted those magic words:He hit a girl!!In the south, those words rank up there with "He spit on your mother" and "He's in the Taliban." Something flowed through the crowd at a genetic level as every guy in the place stood up and began to move in that direction. Gentlemen, it's a very simple rule: Boys do not hit girls. I have heard there are exceptions to that rule, like if you're both under 6 years old, or if she's your sister. I am sorry. There are no exceptions. I am sad to report that a girl did, in fact get smacked. Hard. The paramedics were on scene in about 15 minutes. The cops were there in 10. Several large men I can only assume are bouncers were there in 30 seconds, and 2 or 3 "gentlemen" were eating wallpaper moments later. I made my way around the crowd and told the guys I'd rather get a quick picture with them now rather than two photos with numbers under my face down at the county lockup. We shook hands and spoke briefly and I assured them I'd get them a list of a few Wilmington bars in hopes that next time they go to Key West, they'll stop by a bit closer to me. That 5-6 hour drive is murder. P.S. You've already seen Greg's shirt, and Mike's is easy to read. Wade's says "Smurfee." I leave it to you to figure out what Todd's says. It's not kid-friendly. ETB's T-shirts, while always hilarious, are rarely kid friendly. Much like their concerts.