The PBR at The Deer Lodge

Since we are nothing if not meddlesome, Montana Barn Cat and I have been pondering how to help the divine SoCal Jay experience his first-ever PBR event. Because he and Pamela have too much sense to spend a bazillion dollars on premium cable service every month, they don’t get the Versus channel, which is probably the only one that I’d miss (and that for only about four hours a week) if we came to our senses and deep-sixed the big cable bill. I don’t to this day understand how we ended up with all the crap we get on the tube, except to say that Barn Cat was here the day the cable dudes appeared with their magic box and he said yes to everything—HBO, Starz, HD, local stations, and the other assorted nine million channels we can haul in. Those guys are nearly as good at up-selling as the ones at Jiffy Lube.

And of course, even with all those options, most of the time it seems like there’s nothing on. Just last night, in a fit of PBR-deprived desperation, we watched, yet again, the first part of Independence Day, which has rapidly become one of those movies you can always find on, at any hour of the day or night, and sometimes on a couple or three channels at the same time. A few years ago it was the same with Demolition Man, which, for all its right-wing, tough love, gun-totin’ posturing, is still one of my favorite movies. It’s worth the price of admission to hear Sandra Bullock tell Sly Stallone that the crook Sly had just cold-cocked “finally matched his meat. You really licked his ass.”

But fortunately for Jay, Barn Cat grew up in the same town and he probably knows the local bar scene there better right now than a bunch of folks who still live there do. Late one evening last week, he called one such fine establishment, The Deer Lodge in Ojai, California. I’m not sure to whom he pled his case, but suffice it to say he told the lady on the other end of the line that he was calling from Montana because his good friend would probably just die if he didn’t get to see the PBR on Versus, and soon. He asked her if Jay could come over there on August 2 to watch the Tulsa Open on one of their tvs. I sort of suspect at this point there was at least a brief pause in the conversation before she said, and I quote, “That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.” She then assured Barn Cat that Mr. Jay could come watch the PBR and welcome, since they have three tvs and they would happily set one aside for him.

So the preening Barn Cat, being very pleased with himself, left word for Jay that the arrangement had been made and our good friend would cheat death for a bit longer, though whether the riders will be as lucky is one of the main reasons we are so hooked on this sport. Jay almost instantly replied:

What a beautiful thing! I don't know what's more impressive: Your vision of this bold idea, or your execution of it. In either case, I hope you can hear my applause, and my fervent shouts of "Bravo!" right now, way over there in Montana.

Thanks. I'll be there with my spurs a jingle-jangle-jinglin'. (And of course, as you know, there should be something in the neighborhood of 30 Harleys parked, by 4, in front of The Deer Lodge. My guess is that those boys are gonna dig the broadcast, too. If not, I guess I'll just have to open up a can of cowboy "Whoop Ass.")

Loveys, Jay

So to all you who may also be suffering from a lack of access to the PBR broadcasts, or if you just want to go hang with Jay and the bikers on Saturday, August 2 for Jay’s First PBR, I’m sure the folks at The Deer Lodge would be happy to accommodate you as well. Here’s a link to their website: http://www.ojaideerlodge.net/home.htm

It makes me positively pine for the chance to lift a few and holler at the screen with Jay and the boys. Y’all come!