Well Hello Robert Redford

It was a regular night at the bar until she walked in. Now this was not your typical lower 48 bar. This was Alaska 1979. The town was Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. It was winter and 40 below outside. The Mavrick club was an Alaskan redneck bar which housed numerous pickup trucks in the parking lot each with a gun rack and many with rifles and shotguns visible. I liked to frequent this place because my log cabin was nearby, and I enjoyed the rough and tumble atmosphere. It was known as ” a bucket of blood” for the numerous fights.

Now Alaska at that time was still in the heyday of the pipeline and a good many people had money. Alaska also at this time had a high man to women ratio with men outnumbering the women 5:1. Women were rare and much sought after especially at the Maverick club on a cold blustery Friday night with a live old time country band playing. I was driving around with Gloryann who was sweet but a little naive. I liked that about her. I could talk her into just about anything. She had never been to the Maverick club but had heard about and was a little afraid to go in. I assured her everything would be fine and talked her into a little practicle joke that popped intop my head. I said Why don’t you go in by yourself and go down to the end of the bar away from the door. I guarantee you will be immediately surrounded by a bunch of hungry rednecks looking to buy you a drink. It will be like 20 seagulls on a herring. Just ignore them and buy your own drink. I will come in in about five minutes. After a while tell the bartender you would like to buy me a drink and we will ad lib from there.

I knew the bartender and knew he didn’t know the girl. I came in and stood at the opposite end of the bar from Gloryann close to the front door. I ordered my usual a shot of Jim Beam and a Bud chaser. I noticed all the attention she was receiving without giving anyone encoagement. I smile to myself. I saw her flag down the bartender and saw the bewildered looks on the the sorryass guys hovering around her when she said something to him. Soon he came to me a said the lady at the end of the bar would like to buy you a drink. Really, I said Well make it another shot of Beam. I got my drink and rose it in the air in her direction to shoe my thanks. I gave it a minute for dramatic affect and then made a deliberate slow saunter down the bar in her direction. I couldn’t help gleefully seeing the looks on those faces as I slowly approached. Now I’m just an average looking guy but you would have thought it was Robert Redford himself coming down the aisle. It gets better When I got to the girl and within earshot of the others, I thanked her for the drink. She said Well I noticed you when you came in and I liked what I saw. Our conversation turned ribald. She was a good role player. Because of this venue I can’t really use the real words that were said but I invited her to my cabin to see my etchings if you will. We left together into the Alaskan night leaving a group of bewildered frustrated men in our wake. By the way this is a true story.