by Debbi | May 8, 2007 | People
This blog was on break last week while we went on vacation.
Chris, a former door guy, and Brooke were married on Cinco de Mayo, on a beautiful private beach in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Twenty nine fun folks joined them on the Carnival Fun Ship Imagination for a four day cruise that left Miami last week, and we were fortunate enough to have been invited along for the fun. The ship docked in Calica, Mexico, on Saturday where our group piled into four vans that took us to the beach. Brooke’s mom managed to arrange a gorgeous oceanside wedding complete with a canopy, Mexican guitar player, delicious snacks, and of course a well-stocked bar.
After an hour or so on the beach, the vans took everyone into Playa where we ate, drank, shopped, walked, and played for a few more hours before heading back to the Imagination. Congratulations to the happy couple!
Super fun time. I have pictures, but not with me at the present time, so you’ll have to wait. Hopefully by tomorrow I’ll be able to post some.
*****UPDATE!*****
I finally got my pictures back. Here is the gorgeous beach where the ceremony took place:
And here is the happy couple walking on the beach:
And lastly, for now, your favorite bartender Dave doing his best Baywatch babe imitation:
by Debbi | Apr 27, 2007 | People
It seems like only yesterday when Jake (and his buddy John) left us for the more exciting continent of Australia. We thought they would only be gone a few months…but they had so much fun Down Under that they renewed their visas and moved on to New Zealand. Who knows when they’ll be back….but in the meantime here are some fun facts about Jake that you may not know.
When did you work at The Sandbar and for how long? August 2005- September 2006
How did you get the job? {Jake’s story} John and I hung around The Sandbar entirely too much. I think Dave just felt really bad for us. {my story} Dave kept coming home from work talking about this fun group of college kids who were in the bar all the time. Most of them worked for the University Daily Kansas at KU. He knew he would need to hire some new staff members soon and kept watching this group, thinking some of them would make good employees. He always has an eye for the good ones.
What are you doing now? Not growing up. Living in New Zealand.
Last time you were at The Sandbar? I drank beer.
Favorite drink to drink? It’s a toss up between a Great White and a Boulevard Wheat with a shot of Bacardi Limon in it- thanks Blair.
Favorite drink to make? This is a very special drink, and it is very close to my heart: beer.
Any specialty drinks you call your own? When I would get customers that wanted a shot "that’s really strong but tastes good," I would generally stir something delicious up, although it was different every time.
Most embarrassing moment at the bar? Falling off the bar at our going away party. {and it was some fall- apparently he was face down for more than several minutes and people were starting to get worried.} Or, making out with a girl in the middle of the bar while Danny was doing the same with her friend right next to me. In my defense, I was drunk.
Favorite memory at the bar? Gee…let me think…ummm…I’m not sure…oh yeah…kissing Emerson.
Favorite song on the jukebox? Amarillo by Morning on the Cryin’ Fridays mix- thanks Ken.
Song you never want to hear again? Muskrat Love for sure.
Favorite bar dancing song? I can’t dance (although I try) so it really doesn’t matter.
How many dollars do you have on the wall? Zero. They are all in the till.
Longest you’ve waited in line? I was usually on the other side of the line making all the patient regulars wait to get in. I feel like Justin was probably the most patient.
What was the Sandbar like when you worked there? Probably the least fun bar in town- that’s why I chose to spend ungodly amounts of my free time and money there.
Any hobbies? Really getting into wine down here in New Zealand. Learning about it as well as drinking it- the two go hand in hand.
Hopefully we’ll see Jake and John again soon. They, and their antics, are very much missed at The Sandbar.
by Debbi | Apr 19, 2007 | People
Happy Birthday to our friend Mandy! And congratulations on reaching yet another milestone birthday.
Mandy ran in the Lawrence Half Marathon on Sunday, so she deserves a fun night out on the town to celebrate her birthday. And, I’m hearing a rumor that her husband Pat doesn’t want to go out and do anything, especially since they’ve already made plans to go to a concert on Saturday. Apparently, he’s tired on Friday nights and doesn’t want to go out two nights in a row. So, Mandy’s on her own if she wants to do anything on Friday. Can you believe he’s not doing anything at all??
I guess that’s what happens as we get older. After hitting 21, the birthdays just start going downhill. Nobody pays much attention to the birthdays after that, until you turn 40, or 50, or even 60- and then they throw parties just to make fun of how old you are.
So, Mandy, here’s to you. We hope you have a great birthday!
by Debbi | Apr 12, 2007 | People
Dave’s birthday is today!! And did I have a surprise for him….
Awhile back, we were shopping at our favorite local hardware store, Cottin’s, and noticed they had a new t-shirt. They print up a new t-shirt every couple of years, and we have most of them. The latest version had a fun caricature-type drawing of 
Tom, the owner’s, face. Apparently his wife Linda and the staff had done it as a surprise.
Fast forward a couple months and I was trying to come up with something fun for Dave’s birthday. I saw that shirt in the laundry basket- yes, unfolded, for at least a week- and started thinking about something similar. Our Sandbar logo has a cool tiki mask underneath an arched "Sandbar." Dave’s been at The Sandbar so long, he’s kind of like the face of the place…so I asked our resident artist if he could draw Dave’s face for me. No dice, he doesn’t do faces. So I scanned the design from the Cottin’s t-shirt, found a couple of good full front face pictures of Dave, and emailed them off to our friend Missi, of Grandstand Sportswear and Glassware.
A few days later I had a proof of a new, and funny, Sandbar logo- with Dave’s face front and center. After just a tiny bit of tweaking we were ready to go. I ordered 144 pint glasses for the Thursday night Bahama Mama specials and 60 t-shirts of assorted sizes. Surely our family and friends would want one, and perhaps a few random customers would as well.
Missi was awesome helping me coordinate this- Dave had called her to order more pint glasses just before I called. He was supposed to pick up his order yesterday, so I was planning to pick mine up today so for sure wouldn’t run into each other. I called Dave this afternoon to see where he was and ask about switching vehicles 
(six boxes of pint glasses and a giant box of shirts won’t fit in a little Prelude!), and of all places, he was at Grandstand! Missi called me right after he left, laughing about our near-miss. I told Dave a white lie about why I needed his Jimmy, we swapped vehicles, and off I went to Grandstand to pick up my birthday surprise.
Coleen helped plan the second part of the surprise- after I got off work and confirmed Dave wasn’t at the bar, I headed down there. We unloaded the boxes, restocked the pint glasses that had just been restocked, and even sold a few.
I headed home to hang out with Dave- it’s his birthday after all!- and then told him I was going to the bar with him at 9 to have a drink with him, since he still had to work. I got there before him, proudly wearing my new shirt and drinking from a new glass when he arrived. I think he was surprised and thrilled with what I hope was a tribute to him on his birthday.
If you’d like to have your very own limited-edition pint or t-shirt complete with Dave’s likeness, hurry in before they’re gone. The pints are $3, and the shirts are $10.
by Debbi | Apr 11, 2007 | Drinking Rules, People, Stories
I don’t know what I was thinking when I posted the blog about Brother Pants the other day- I should have waited until today, his birthday, to post it!!
Anyway, today is Pants’ birthday- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I’m sure he’ll make an appearance at The Sandbar sometime tonight…
Dave and Pants usually celebrate their birthdays together, because Dave’s birthday is tomorrow. We’ve had some fun parties through the years. A few years ago, Michelle came up with a great idea- we took several different pictures of each of the guys and printed them onto square labels to make stickers. We handed out stickers at the bar all night, so everyone who came in was covered in stickers with funny pictures of Dave and Ju…er, Pants.
Another year, the guys were getting interested in screenprinting t-shirts. And, they had both become internet-ordained ministers that year (another story, another day). We came up with a fun design for the front of the shirts that said "Party With The Preachers," and the back of the shirt had a top 10 list:
The Reverend’s Drinking Commandments.
1. If you fall off the bar, fall forward so you don’t break any bottles.
2. Drop your pants at least once during the evening.
3. Don’t do "the Worm" unless you’re young, sober, and on carpet.
4. Make funny faces in every picture.
5. If your sled is headed for a tree, jump off.
6. Keep cheese balls around for cheap entertainment.
7. Insist that others do shots with you all night.
8. Watch out for the bushes when riding your bike.
9. Steal cameras and take excessive amounts of cleavage shots.
10. Tip your bartenders. If the doorman kicks you out, they’ll let you back in.
Hang around, who knows what will transpire tonight when these guys hit the town….
by Debbi | Apr 7, 2007 | People
If you’re a regular reader, or if you pay any attention to the comments left on the blog, you’ve probably noticed "Brother Pants." Just who is this guy? Well, I’m certainly not going to ruin the mystique and reveal his identity. But you can learn more about him in this post.
When did you work at The Sandbar and for how long? Well, I’m not really an official employee, although I have helped with numerous building projects, paintings, and promotions. I don’t really consider it "work" so much as a great time with good friends. {Brother Pants is responsible for most of the paintings around the bar- in the back room, the women’s bathroom, and upstairs. }
How did you get the job? Oh I’m sure someone had to sleep with someone else up the company ladder. That’s usually how these things come about. {Actually, he just hung around so much that we just gave him work to do. Since he did a pretty good job, we kept finding more things for him to do.}
What are you doing now? Right now I’m filling out this questionnaire. I run a picture frame shop as a living though.
Last time you were at The Sandbar? Saturday night, or would it be Sunday morning) at 5:00 a.m. Some of the most interesting conversations and antics happen after the door is locked. {Brother Pants often sticks around after closing time and helps the guys clean, stock, mop and take out the trash.}
Favorite job besides The Sandbar? Back when I was a Vegas showgirl. The outfits were to die for and the respect I got was boundless. And I was a cook once.
Favorite drink to drink? Matt makes a great Colorado Bulldog.
Favorite drink to make? I am great at twisting the cap off a bottle of Bud Light.
Most embarassing moment at the bar? I don’t get embarrassed. {Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen Brother Pants embarrassed. And, he had more to say on this question but it’s unfit for printing. Go figure.}
Favorite memory at the bar? The time I saw the image of Mother Mary in the foam of a pint of Guinness, right before I slurped it down. I think that was me. And it could have been a shamrock. What was the question again?
Favorite song on the jukebox? Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. Good sing-along-song.
Song you never want to hear again? I hate that Ride a Horse Cowboy drivel and every person that knows the words.
Favorite bar dancing song? I like Shake Your Tailfeathers ‘cuz ya get to wiggle your bottom.
How many dollars do you have on the wall? I haven’t personally put any up but my name is on a dozen or so. The way those dollar bills migrate around the bar, I hardly know anymore.
Longest you’ve waited in line? Maybe a half hour. If there’s a line, I just pop over to Henry’s for a beverage. The lines usually don’t last that long anyway.
What was The Sandbar like when you worked there? That place has always been fun. First time I went in there- 10 years ago??- I thought it was a gay bar. Then I realized all of Key West looks like that. It’s the people who work there that make it awesome.
Any hobbies? I compose operas and usurp small nations on the weekends. And this one time, at band camp…..
5 Random Facts About Brother Pants
- I’m actually 17 feet tall, I just slouch a lot.
- My middle name isn’t Gerald.
- I constantly underestimate the power of love in the world.
- I can fluently speak 18 languages but only in English.
- This is the first time I’ve ever successfully counted to five.
So…there you have it. A few facts about Brother Pants. You just never know what you can believe from that boy. And who knows which of these ramblings are true or not true. We just let him talk.
