(mikes bar)

about Mikes bar was an old mans bar on Roosevelt avenue right before the West Carteret bridge. I t was the quintessential filthy bar with a Jukebox, pool table and black and white Tv up on a shelf. It’s not there anymore. It was refurbished with shiny new bar with mirrors and played disco music in the 80’s but now even that is gone. I’m not even sure whats there now.

This was my mother and fathers “hang out”. Especially my fathers as it was on the way home for him from Westfield. Most times he would just go in and get some “packaged goods” as they were called back then. A six pack to go. There was a neon light in the window even announcing: “Packaged Goods” and it would blink on and off ad nausueum.

As a seven or eight year old boy I would sometimes go in there with him. I remember going into a bar for the first time more than I remember riding a bike for the first time. It seemed the same song was playing on the jukebox all the time. It sounded like the saddest song in the world of a love lost. The background singers sounded like angels in heaven. Many years later I heard this song cracking on the AM radio and I memorized the name as “Rambling Rose” by Nat King Cole. Overtime, whenever I heard that song I thought my father.

I wasn’t allowed to sit at the bar so I was placed on a table behind the bar and underneath the TV.

I've created a Time Machine APP on my 'very smart now' phone."

I've created a Time Machine APP on my 'very smart now' phone."


There I was given a Coca-Cola and a box of pretzels holding hands. (The pretzels were connected when they were baked)There I was buried in Jukebox music and tremendous clouds of second hand smoke. My dad, always in his business suit, up at the bar having a cold one and laughing with the regulars. Perhaps arguing why the price of gas is approaching .50 cents a gallon because of the Vietnam war.

My father came and got me to introduce me to a pile of people in the corner of the bar by the front window. These people were always there. The same ones. Always. I was introduces as "George Junior" which I hated and wished I could just be called Butch for the rest of my life. Fifty years later I actually remember one of their names; Teddy. A strange looking old man with a fedora and a hungry nicotine appetite.

Teddy came close enough to my face where I could smell the stale cigarettes and fresh Schaffer beer and I notices he had no eye brows. "Go ahead, Teddy tell the boy why you have no hair." some old hag with long gray hair said. Teddy took off his crumpled hat and sure enough no hair there either.

Teddy then proceed to tell the story of how when he was a kid he went to the movies to see Frankenstein with his friends. The movie scared him so much that he had to be helped home and was shaking uncontrollably in the kitchen. His mother tried to tell him it was only a movie and put him to bed. When he awoke the next morning all the hair on his body had fallen out. And it never grew back again.

I quess the vision of that for me at the time was waking up in your bed with hair all over the sheets. Now that's a horror story. I suppose growing up the rest of your adult life with no body hair gives you permission to sit in the same seat at Mikes Bar in West Carteret for thirty years and slowly drown yourself in ice cold Schaffers and Lucky Strike cigarettes.

A screenshot from the movie: Pro tip: When putting a camera right up to your face, try to follow some easy rules of personal hygiene.

A screenshot from the movie: Pro tip: When putting a camera right up to your face, try to follow some easy rules of personal hygiene.


When my father took me home he told my mother about my first visit to Mikes Bar. So how did you like it Butchie?"
First I thought of how the bars lights are always dimmed. The loud echoing music. The muffled laughter and serious talk. An adult world. Deep dark and mysterious filled with story book characters. The romantic neon glow on everyone's face. I always got a nice "buzz" from the Coca Cola.
"I really liked the atmosphere." I said
And with that the laughter that followed lasted several days. Where a 3rd grader comes up with such a word, "atmosphere" is beyond me and I'm sure I heard it in a movie or cartoon somewhere but I honestly don't know how I came up with that.
This story became an ongoing thing for about a year. My mother would call me in the kitchen when she had guests, proceed to tell the story about me and Mikes bar and then I would get the Que from her:
"I liked the atmosphere." I said as I rolled my eyes and they laughed and laughed as I went back to my army men.

About George C. Hartman

Redesiging design, coloring outside the lines, rolling down hills, figuring out strange people, dreaming in black and white, photographing in black and white, juggling, body surfing, fantasy football, painting, design, digital art and photo manipulation, green oceans, blue oceans, museums, discovering small towns, biking, beach, relationships that tear my heart out, bad poetry, movie making and BLOGGING
This entry was posted in Tall Tales, the beginning and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

1,958 Responses to (mikes bar)

  1. Marcellus says:

    What part of do you come from? zoloft tropfen kaufen Just like other soon-to-be parents, Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton are making last-minute preparations before the royal baby arrives, fussing over what to pack for the hospital and practising how to bottle feed.

  2. Avery says:

    This is the job description harga pil kb yasmin dan diane Argentina has strong inflows from soy, corn and wheat exports. But public spending has outpaced revenue as the Octobervote approaches. Going into the primary, central bank reservesare at $37 billion versus $45 billion a year ago.

  3. Zachariah says:

    I’d like to transfer some money to this account lithium (lithobid) 300 mg cr tablet On the eve of the launch, Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urged millions of uninsured Americans to ignore the battle in Congress and instead focus on the access their families need to medical services.

  4. Pedro says:

    I can’t hear you very well buy meloxicam online Graham Stringer, a Labour MP, accused the Labour leadership of “slumbering” during the summer holiday while George Osborne yesterday ridiculed the “incredible vanishing shadow Cabinet”.

  5. Alonzo says:

    I’m not sure crestor uk price
    “Open interest nevertheless remains elevated, suggestingthat there is potential for a more sustained short-coveringrally if a trigger, perhaps spread tightness, does emerge,”analyst Leon Westgate at Standard Bank said in a note.

  6. Jerald says:

    I came here to study viagra prices online In recent decades, scholars have questioned the widely held belief that the Swiss military, with an elaborate complex of underground Alpine bunkers, deterred an invasion by the Nazis, instead arguing that Adolf Hitler left the neutral Swiss alone because he wanted to use its banks and other services that would have been cut had he invaded.

  7. Giovanni says:

    I’m on work experience how much zovirax cost Correa launched the initiative in 2007 to protect the Yasuniarea of the Amazon basin, which boasts some of the planet’s mostdiverse wildlife, but said he had now scrapped it after itattracted only a small fraction of the sum it aimed to raise.

  8. Gianna says:

    I’ve just started at methotrexate hair loss percentage Much may depend on the case launched by Oliveira. Even if heloses – and courts have often rejected his claims – a Brazilianprosecutors’ near-complete independence, coupled with a legalsystem that encourages multiple appeals, can stretch even flimsyprosecutions into decade-long ordeals.

  9. Billie says:

    What part of do you come from? will benadryl get rid of a rash Asia’s benchmark stock index rosefrom a two-month low as energy shares increased after concernmilitary action against Syria will disrupt global oil suppliesfueled gains in crude prices this week.

  10. Jarvis says:

    An envelope aygestin tablets Who among the Mets hierarchy is going to take the initiative to go to Harvey and tell him to pull back on these media “opportunities”? We’re guessing they won’t want to ruffle his pitching arm.

  11. Erich says:

    Do you have any exams coming up? bisacodyl 5mg walmart “The summary of the Seattle incident (provided to the Navy) … makes no reference to firearms, makes no reference to a gunshot, makes no reference to a blackout, makes no reference to firing into the air,” a senior Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Pentagon reporters.

  12. Sierra says:

    How do I get an outside line? olanzapine 5 mg weight gain Yorkshire charges its customers £120.55 a month for the policy – 33pc more than an adviser. That’s an extra £9,057 over the 25 years. Insurers and the lenders struggled to explain the extent of the markup.

  13. Mauricio says:

    What do you want to do when you’ve finished? generic viagra 123 Sisi has said that he stepped in to remove Mursi in response to mass protests against the former leader’s rule, which millions of Egyptians complained had pursued an overtly Islamist agenda and mismanaged the country’s economy.

  14. Diva says:

    I saw your advert in the paper max-healthcare.com reliable
    It seems crystal clear to me that the lady meant the money to be spent on ‘good causes’. The wording, of course, allows the government to interpret them as ‘we see fit to keep it for ourselves’, but that doesn’t make it honourable to do so. Or am I missing something?

  15. Claudio says:

    I’d like to send this parcel to asacol price increase That’s what the Giants suffered even before they lost, 31-7, in Kansas City on Sunday. Piling on does not do justice to the beatings and the level of criticism Tom Coughlin’s team took on nationally televised pregame shows. Giants fans had to be cringing.

  16. Everett says:

    This is the job description generic pioglitazone uke chords Comisi pointed out that the science of regenerating teeth from stem cells has been around for more a decade. Other studies have used bone marrow or baby teeth. The research is so promising that Comisi knows some companies that are cryogenically storing baby teeth for future use. However, he estimates that science is still three to five years away from being able to regenerate teeth.

  17. Jessica says:

    We’d like to invite you for an interview qual o generico do remedio bactrim “The president of the Palestinian Authority said he doesn't want to see any Israelis on his land. Bad things happen when good people are silent. Good people need to act,” Mr Bennett was quoted as saying by the Jerusalem Post, apparently paraphrasing Edmund Burke.

  18. Ahmed says:

    Where do you live? prostanol tablets Two of the problems that occurred in Detroit that are disturbingly common elsewhere are local governments not making sufficient payments to cover the promised benefits under the pension plans, and the pension funds making unrealistic assumptions about the future earnings of their investments. Moody’s says that it believes most of the pensions it examines have a larger funding gap than being estimated by the government officials.

  19. Willard says:

    I’m not sure order ivermectin for humans BORDER CROSSING POINT DONETSK, Russia, Aug 21 (Reuters) -T he first trucks from a Russian aid convoy on Thursday passed aRussian border check point and started moving towards the bordercrossing with Ukraine, a Reuters reporter at the scene said.

  20. Bryan says:

    Is this a temporary or permanent position? fenofibrate overdose symptoms Lastly the idea that Jamie went in to Bear and WaMu with his “eyes open” to the idea that the same government that begged him to help wind down those two firms could then extort a fine equal to the market cap of the 15th largest bank in the country is head-in-the-sand thinking.

  21. Antwan says:

    Very funny pictures tylenol cold daytime review Such revelations follow last month's allegations by the Chinese police that the British drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline had engaged in “mafia-style behaviour”. GSK was accused of directing up to £320m through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials.

  22. Michale says:

    In tens, please (ten pound notes) symptoms of coming off neurontin 5.Once ready, mix the couscous with a fork or a whisk to getrid of any lumps and to fluff it up. Add the cooked mograbiah,the tomatoes and their juices, the onions and their oil, thetarragon, and half the nigella seeds. Taste and adjust theseasoning and oil. It is likely that it will need a fair amountof salt. Allow the dish to come to room temperature. To serve,arrange it gently on a serving plate, place the labneh on top(in balls or spoonfuls), drizzle with the remaining oil, andfinish with the rest of the nigella seeds.

  23. Samual says:

    In tens, please (ten pound notes) repaglinide yahoo answers “We believe this situation can be addressed speedily and we are certain that it will not in any way impact on the participation of English boxers in this year’s World Championships or any major international tournaments in 2014.”

  24. Andre says:

    Is this a temporary or permanent position? 72 hour male enhancement pill reviews City officials say the new system is working fine. None of the glitches have led to emergency calls being lost or to any dispatching problems, they claim. Most of the publicized delays resulted from human error by police operators or EMS dispatchers, or simply from ambulances not being available because of heavy demand, Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway has said.

  25. Elvis says:

    How do you spell that? kp viagra online sverige The PRA cited the example of an unnamed bank whose total payment for credit protection over the life of a CRT was greater than the value of the asset it was insuring. Instead of writing off the asset — with an immediate charge against capital and earnings — the bank amortized the loss over several years in the form of payments to the CRT investor.

  26. Antonio says:

    Three years ceclor syrup 125mg uses Therein lies the opportunity for Republicans. As the Examiner’s Carney put it, “It’s time for free-market populism and a Republican Party that fights against all forms of political privilege – a party that champions all who want to work and take risks in order to improve their lives and raise a family.”

  27. Monty says:

    What do you study? clomipramine premature ejaculation forum But understand why the onetime front-runner’s campaign for New York mayor imploded, first as Anthony Weiner stormed into the race, then as Weiner’s fall became Bill de Blasio’s rise, then as Bill Thompson’s late surge even crowded Quinn out of what had seemed a certain spot in a runoff.

  28. Dusty says:

    perfect design thanks ciprofloxacino xr plm Keep a minority stake and yet want to magically dictate everything to Alibaba by keeping personal franchise to his cashing machine, Ma must have learnt this from deceased leader Deng to be the emperor without coronation.

  29. Efrain says:

    I can’t get a dialling tone does prosolution work yahoo
    However, in its submission, the DoH pointed to a staff survey suggesting high levels of motivation and morale, and said there should only be basic pay increases if there is “strong evidence” recruitment, retention, morale or motivation issues require this.

  30. Whitney says:

    In a meeting apo metoprolol 25 mg But the option could help buy time for lawmakers to nail down the specifics of a longer-term deal. The U.S. government is facing what the Treasury Department says is an Oct. 17 deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. 

  31. Homer says:

    I’d like to open an account prilosec otc coupon Lang said he ran into Elkins that morning, and the older teen asked if he’d ever robbed anyone. Lang said he told Elkins he hadn’t. A bit later, as the two were walking side by side down a street, they saw Sherry West down the block with a baby stroller. West and her child were returning home from the post office, authorities have said.

  32. Raymond says:

    Thanks funny site viagra patent expiry date At times, Belichick glanced down at notes and gripped both sides of the podium. He declined to answer some questions about Hernandez, saying he had been advised not to answer those about people involved in the legal case.

  33. Boyce says:

    What’s the current interest rate for personal loans? lithium lyrics terjemahan The report fiound that Hastings may have consumed marijuana hours before the crash, but that neither drug were responsible for Hastings careening off the side of a residential LA road and crashing into a tree. His official cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma consistent with a high-speed crash.

  34. Hubert says:

    In tens, please (ten pound notes) buy cialis london — The day before Kato’s resignation, another prominent Japanese “baseball person,” Nintendo titan Hiroshi Yamauchi, owner of the Mariners, passed away at age 85. In 1992, Yamauchi had to overcome opposition from Commissioner Fay Vincent (who had questions about foreign ownership) to purchase the Mariners. At the time, the Mariners had been unable to find a buyer willing to keep the team in Seattle, which is where Nintendo’s U.S. headquarters is located. In the 22 years he owned the team, however, Yamauchi never once saw the Mariners play in person — even last year when they opened the season in Japan against the A’s. Yamauchi’s death further clouds an uncertain winter for the Mariners in which the jobs of GM Jack Zduriencik and president Chuck Armstrong, not to mention manager Eric Wedge, are all said to be in jeopardy. Already there is speculation the team will now be put up for sale.

  35. Chung says:

    I’ve just started at meds.gr Stripes have been a big trend this summer so it's good to know our investments will still be wearable as we transition into next season. Although an update to wool and tweed will really make it right for winter.

  36. Evelyn says:

    Who would I report to? isoptin sr 120 brak w aptekach “When it comes to making the most of our increasingly connected lives, speed matters

  37. Alexander says:

    I don’t know what I want to do after university ventolin inhaler over the counter uk Officials at the university confirmed that Alexis was enrolled “as a worldwide online student via our Fort Worth campus. He started classes in July 2012 and was pursuing a bachelor’s of science in aeronautics.” The school bills itself as the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace.

  38. Elizabeth says:

    Good crew it’s cool 🙂 tylenol vs advil vs aspirin “With Taylor and Burton, I think it was a classic story,” says Bonham Carter. “They cared for each other deeply, but they drove each other crazy. Couldn’t live with each other, couldn’t live without each other.”

  39. Jesse says:

    What university do you go to? levitra se vende sin receta en mexico Rochmali, who was searching for survivors by helicopter, said they have widened the search area following the current to the west up to 60 kilometers (37 miles), but there was no sign of any survivors Friday morning.

  40. Newton says:

    I’d like to order some foreign currency what is the use of himcolin gel “The discovery … reminds us that even if H7N9 does not return, there are risks lurking amongst the great diversity of avian influenza viruses,” said Peter Horby, a bird flu expert at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam, who was not involved in the research.

  41. Darin says:

    Another year patient reviews of imitrex In a 15-minute audio recording posted online earlier this month, al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri accused Coptic Christians, the military and secular-minded elites of conspiring against Morsi because he is an Islamist.

  42. Ronald says:

    Will I get paid for overtime? ibuprofen dosage child uk SIR – From 1961 to 1972, as part of a team of key businessmen, I spoke to meetings throughout Britain arguing the case for the United Kingdom to join for trade purposes what was then known as the European Common Market. The case for enjoying the benefits of favourable access to a marketplace of millions of people was overwhelming.

  43. Adolph says:

    In tens, please (ten pound notes) lasix medication dosage for dogs Called Free & Equal, it’s an unprecedented effort by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to change public attitudes around the world on issues that have bitterly divided the U.N.’s own member states.

  44. Clark says:

    Could I borrow your phone, please? cvs price for viagra It comes just one day after 17 died in attacks in the north of the capital, and continues the wave of violence involving Sunni Islamist militants mainly targeting Shia muslim districts, though Sunni areas have also been affected.

  45. Courtney says:

    What do you do? zygenx price
    According to the suit, filed in Harris County District Court, Jadalyn was given the medicine April 2, 2012 and died the next day after receiving the higher than prescribed dosage from the pharmacy. The coroner ruled the little girl’s death as “morphine toxicity”.

  46. Maynard says:

    I’d like to take the job forxiga dapagliflozin reviews The “community organizer” wing of the party is in charge once again, which augurs ill for Democratic presidential prospects, not just for Hillary Clinton but for any Democrat who wants to follow Obama in the Oval Office.

  47. Owen says:

    I’d like to take the job sephora australia it cosmetics cc cream Silk Road’s eBay-style customer review system means that months’ worth of sales history are now in law enforcement hands, Weaver said in an email, while the traceable nature of bitcoin transfers means the FBI “can now easily follow the money.”

  48. Marshall says:

    I’ve been made redundant best place to buy generic cialis “I just couldn’t locate anything,” Harvey said. “I tried to go in and it was over the middle. When I tried to go away, I was yanking it, and against a team like that, when you are not hitting your spots and making quality pitches, they are going to put it in play.

  49. Valentine says:

    Hold the line, please now testojack 200 amazon Smith takes another session which on my card means it’s winner takes all in the final three minutes. They say the challenger has to win the belt and despite a reasonably bright start, Molina has struggled to impose himself in the second half.

  50. Virgilio says:

    Your cash is being counted ultra t male testosterone booster reviews SIR – My menswear designer brother is not worried about the colour of my trousers (Letters, August 6). What pains him is my fogeyish propensity for tucking my T-shirt in rather than letting it loosely overlap my trousers. My protestations about comfort and the superior gripping properties of cotton on skin cut no ice with him.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *