the hawthorne walk

After doing the holiday decompression yesterday, I decided it was time to shop for Christmas gifts today.  I will never understand the compulsion of people to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  For one thing, if you have the day after a holiday off, stay at home in your pj's.  For another thing, no amount of savings is worth injury and possible death from trampling.  Lastly, consumerism is killing the planet.  Unfortunately, I only waited one day before giving in and doing my part as a consumer during the holidays.

After meeting Dom, Sophia and Martin for brunch at Cricket, Martin, Sophia and I made plans to shop Hawthorne.  My intention was to buy Christmas gifts.  I ended up buying myself a T-shirt, two books (one for school and the other one because it's the third book in the Wicked Saga), Christmas cards, bath salts, many drinks and an avocado.  Jen met up with us so Martin and I ended up accompanying Jen and Sophia on their ladies night out.  After being disappointed at Mulligans (never going back), we went Backstage.

Backstage is a bar behind the Bagdad.  I've stood in line in front of this place many times before for Battlestar, Lost and various movies but I've never given the bar much thought.  I absolutely loved it.  It was unusual and comforting all at the same time.  If it wouldn't have been so cold upstairs, I would have stayed longer.  McMenamins knows how to add a unique charm to its bars and they did well with this unusual space.  I will definitely be bringing people back here.

After Ashes and Victory joined us, we went to close down Starky's.  The drinks were cheaper and they had some awesome videos as always there.  It was a great bar crawl and a fascinating day, even if I didn't get my shopping in.