BEER DUDE

There are many colorful people in Argenta but none so much as Beer Dude. I call him Beer Dude because he owns a liquor store and whenever Argenta has an event where beer is needed, Beer Dude is the one to get in touch with. Beer Dude has several sides to his personality. I’m not talking Sybil here, people. I’m talking multi-faceted. I mean, I could have picked several names for this guy. Skateboarder Dude, Party Guy, Birthday Dog Owner, Leg Lamp Man, the possibilities are endless. Whenever something fun is going on in Argenta, Beer Dude is there. When The Editor and I go out to do something fun, we just about always run into Beer Dude. I don’t know him very well but he always makes me smile, and usually makes me laugh, when I see him. I’ve never seen him without a big friendly smile on his face and he is just the coolest guy to talk to. Down to earth, funny, yet smart too.

Things I know about Beer Dude:

1. He owns a liquor store.

2. He skateboards.

3. They say he has a birthday party for his dog every year. The Editor and I went to the one he had last year for his dog. Beer Dude provided food, liquor, a band and everyone brought their dog too. The Beer Dude’s backyard was full of dogs. That was just the ultimate for me. I love dogs. You know how when most women go to a family reunion, they seek out all the newborn babies? Not me. I’m lookin’ for dogs. It was great fun. Heck, Mayor Hayes was there and gave Beer Dude a plaque that I think declared that day Beer Dude’s Dog’s day in North Little Rock.

4. You know the movie "A Christmas Story"? The Editor and I were driving down the road last X-Mas, I looked over into the picture window of this house and yelled "STOP". The Editor slammed on the brakes. There it was in the picture window. A MAJOR AWARD!! FRAGILE!! Yep, a leg lamp......tassels, panty hose and all. Shining brightly in the picture window of Beer Dude’s house.

Anyway, now that you know a little about Beer Dude (you Argenitals know a lot more than me, I suspect and I wish you’d leave comments) I’ll tell ya my latest Beer Dude story. Halloween night, The Editor and I were walking down the road about 8:30 p.m. We had ridden the trolley from the restaurant my son manages in Little Rock to the trolley stop in Argenta and we were walking the rest of the way to The Editor’s house. It was dark and quiet....a few trick-or-treaters on the sidewalks where we were walking.....the perfect Halloween setting. We see this old man coming down the middle of the street in a kinda electric wheelchair thingie. He has a robe on and his hair is just this comb-over mess. We can’t help but look at him, our eyebrows up....I mean, it’s not everyday you see an old man going down the middle of the street at night in a wheelchair thingie. The Editor and I didn’t say a thing to each other. I think we were speechless. He’s going pretty slow....he looks over at us....he says, "How you folks doing tonight?" We say we’re fine (in that quiet voice you use when you think you’re talking to a weird stranger - ya don’t wanna be unfriendly but ya sure don’t wanna be too friendly) and we start to continue on. But he turns his contraption towards us and slowly starts coming right for us. We’re not sure what to do.....we just stand there....still speechless. He stops and says, "you don’t know who I am, do you?" I didn’t have a clue. The Editor squenches his eyes up and says, "Beer Dude"? At this point, the old man jumps up, grabs his robe and flashes us. Under his robe is a t-shirt that says "Old Men Rule." By this time, I'm just doubled over with laugher. He tells us he is on his way to a local restaurant/bar that is having a costume party. Says he has a blowup doll that he’s left at the restaurant. I don’t know if Beer Dude won, but he should have. I took the picture above. Priceless.

I went to the Argenta neighborhood yard sale the next morning. Somebody told me that they saw Beer Dude later that night, hovering back towards his house with a passenger aboard - the blowup doll.