The Shirtless Guy Thing

O.K.

Just so all of you know, I am in no way poking fun at the shirtless guys in Milwaukee. For the record, I don't have the physique to take my shirt off and hang with these dudes. In short, I am envious of the Milwaukee Shirtless Guy. Maybe someday...

And the A-Hole of the Month Award Goes To...

The Weissgerber Old German Beer Hall! If you read my previous post this April, you know this place has already received an a-hole award from me. I decided to give them another chance when an out-of-town friend and I were in the Old World 3rd. We just went in for a beer and a brat this Friday at around 3 p.m. or so. Same result. A bunch of middle-aged natives were bellied up to the bar and began shouting some German drinking song while doing shots. My friend and I waited at the bar for 10 minutes or so while the bartender (and everyone else) ignored us, as if we pulled them away from their Bavarian fantasy and grounded them back to Wisconsin. The bartender seemed to be more concerned with talking about German Fest, cleaning his Hofbrau mug and finding a suitable authentic polka CD to pop in the stereo than serving us. Finally I said, "I think they're ignoring us, that's a-holish." and walked out. Again, the people seemed to be so enthralled with trying to be German that they actually became German. Not the "I am loaded, good-natured, hopelessly romantic and I love you" Germany Germans but the mean Germany Germans you run into from time to time. Don't get me wrong, I have some AWESOME German peeps I love, but I guess there are a-holes in every culture. I can say this because I'm the 3rd generation from the Fullmers who came from the fatherland. Since I have some roots there, I should be able to hang with these dummkopfs. Not so.

Jesus. You know, you can take a good thing too far. I figured since my uncle was a German POW in WWII, this place owes me free beer for the duration of my existence in Milwaukee. For the most part, the people of Milwaukee have been nothing short of awesome. This place has been the exception.

I told my friend that we can go down to the Irish pub, the Italian restaurant, or the Polish joint, because they at least welcomed you there, and as soon as you have a few in you, you're like a brother anyway, no matter the ancestry (didn't we find out we're all related to some guy in Ethopia anyway? Did I burn one too many? Do I order Caucasians instead of White Russians? Does the dude abide?)

The Old German Beer Hall may just earn my A-hole of the Year award. IT'S CERTAINLY THE FRONT-RUNNER. Someone, please step up and tell me it isn't so. Tell me it's just the douchebag behind the bar in the early afternoons, and most of the time it's not like this at all. The a-hole clock is ticking...