Wednesday Winsday/Wingsday

Or, I Left My Heart In Salt Lake City

Last night, Krissy, Kait and I went to the Bidwell Tavern in Coventry, Connecticut to enjoy the best wings on the planet and some good brews. Krissy had never experienced the glory that is rocks 'n' wings night, and seeing as she's all broken (coffee table incident) we decided to gorge ourselves on three of their many wing varieties. Even though we wound up the night at John Harvard's in Manchester, the Bidwell is always where I prefer to spend my Wednesdays, if at all possible. The winningest conversation point the whole night went something like this:

Krissy was making some various obscene hand gestures in an effort to elaborate a point.

Kait said, "You can't do that at the dinner table!"

Krissy responded, "This is the wings and beer table. There's a big difference."

And there is a big difference! The Bidwell is possibly one of my favorite eateries ever, and if you've never experienced their food and atmosphere, you're missing out. They have a cover band every Wednesday, and for $20, you can get a heaping plate of three types of wings of your choosing and a bucket of Rolling Rock "pebbles" (7 oz.) beers. The cover band used to be the same one, a bunch of 40 year old bros who would play Jimmy Buffett and Sublime covers. Last night, it was a different band. All I can say is: jazz flute.

My fondness for the Bidwell goes way back and starts with Tanya, Kevin, and Kelsey. Years back, these guys introduced me to the Bidwell, the wings, the millions of types of beer on tap. And, unrelated, they happen to be three of the coolest, most fantastical people on earth. I love them. And I miss them so much some days it's murder.

You see, Salt Lake City stole my friends! Now, having recently visited them there, I can see why they like it so much. SLC and the surrounding country is beautiful, sunny, friendly, and like nothing the East Coast has to offer. (The photo above is of me on the salt flats by the Nevada border.) Tanya moved out there with her very awesome, totally talented girlfriend, Katie, after Katie got a job designing t-shirts. If you've been out to SLC and the surrounding areas, chance are you've seen some of her designs. She's that good.

Kelsey and Kevin decided they needed a change of scenery last June and packed up Kevin's old band's van (it's a creeper van, let's be honest) and drove across the country to settle in the city of salt. Seeing as Kel, Kev, and I spent most of our waking, non-working time together before they moved, their move was pretty crazy from my perspective. But all the same, they're happy out there. Kevin is a semi-insane skydiver/BASE jumper, and in Utah and the surrounding states, he can do that most of the time. He was the only reason I even jumped out of a plane in the first place, but that's a tale for another blog.

Last night's Bidwell experience highlighted how much I miss all of them. Tanya is one of the few people on earth who truly understands me - as much as any one person can understand another, that is - and having her thousands of miles away sometimes kills me. I know it kills her, too. Kelsey is goofy and sweet and always makes me laugh. Tanya, Kelsey and I have been inseparable since high school, and with them out there and me over here, it's rough. Kev is an asshole, and I love him for it. He's very possibly one of my favorite assholes ever.

When I visited them in September, I can honestly say I had one of the best weeks of my life. Not only were they excited to show me their new home, but it was as if there had never been a gap in our time spent together. The ability to pick up right where we left off is the sign of strong friendships, and no matter what goes on in our lives, I truly hope we'll be able to step back into the easy, laughing, sometimes ridiculous (always ridiculous) places we have always found ourselves when we're together.

If they ever decide to move back east, or if I get up the courage to grab my crap and haul ass to SLC, it will probably be a fantastic time. For now, I'm going to eat my delicious wings without them, drink Sam Adams Cherry Wheat (with a cheery in the bottom) just to make Kelsey jealous, and run into old mutual acquaintances whenever I can. Out in SLC, the Pabst Blue Ribbon may flow like water, but I am always drawn back to Connecticut, even if part of me hates it. I have lived in London, travelled all over the damn place, but something pulls me back to CT. And until I can figure out why, I'm pretty sure this is where I will remain.

On an unrelated note, I received a call from a recruiter for the Travelers Insurance Company out of Hartford. I've submitted my resumé for consideration for a 5-month contract for a social media marketing position.