Fried Pickles and Young Brides

I really thought that fried pickles were a myth .... one of those things we Yankees say to denigrate the south. Well, apparently they are alive and well in Little Rock!! Saturday night was spent on the town with some of the NICU's finest and most fun nurses. We started the evening at a downtown night spot for dinner and I quickly understood that health food is not a priority for these Arkansans. Three of the girls ordered fried pickles which apparently are best when dipped in ranch dressing - there was a part of me that was morbidly curious but I just couldn't bring myself to try them! Others were ordering fried mushrooms, or just the fried appetizer platter. Then for the main course there were "sticky fingers" all around - fried chicken fingers that this particular restaurant is known for. You could order one of about 8 varieties of fingers then two dipping sauces. Now I have to admit, I was totally down for the fried fingers but as I was thinking about my diet for the day ..... breakfast of biscuits and gravy, lunch of a corn dog and now this for dinner?? I was starting to worry that if I'm not careful I'll be a little plumper by the end of this assignment :)

After dinner we headed to a local piano bar which excited me because Jenn LOVES piano bars!! There was of course the requisite 80s songs, and piano bar favorites, but with a healthy sprinkling of country music. When those songs were played, I'd just smile and bop my head back and forth and pretend that I had actually heard it before. I mean I'm down with Johnny Cash and Devil Went Down to Georgia ... but who the hell is Carrie Underwood???

The piano bar had an interesting mix of culture from the young girls in revealing tops to the white trash fat ladies who should have been banned from revealing tops, to the 40-50 something men with mustaches who were just plain creepy. For me, the saddest part was the blonde celebrating her 21st birthday complete with cute tiara and sash. When they brought her on stage and then asked for male volunteers to assist, she protested because SHE WAS MARRIED! So instead they brought her husband of one year to the stage to lip sync "you lost that lovin' feeling." I know they get married young around here, but it just made me feel sorry for her. On my 21st birthday, my sorority sisters took me out, got me completely loaded, and apparently I ended the night at a bar telling random boys to "kiss me! It's my birthday!!" Then I woke up the next afternoon on the bathroom floor of the sorority house (with a pillow and blanket 'cause my sisters loved me) so hung over I could barely move. Now THAT'S a good memory!! Sadly one that this girl will never experience ... unless she wants to go to divorce court.