No Bull

Alert Readers would have noticed that yesterday was my birthday. Richie asked me where I would like to go for a celebratory dinner? I didn't hesitate. "Union Cattle Company" I replied confidently. (Previously reviewed; unioncattlecompany.com)

He may have thought that I was thinking of their excellent beef. I wasn't. I wanted to have my picture taken astride the mechanical bull in the middle of the bar/dining room. I thought that would be a fitting souvenir of my 71st birthday.

When I told our friend Tony what I intended to do, he wanted in. The possibilities for side-splitting laughter (at my expense, of course) were rife with potential -- in mounting, I might overshoot the distance and go splat! on the other side of the bull; some merry prankster might come along and actually plug it into the wall -- and I'd find myself hanging onto the ceiling fan blades...

Richie charged his camera battery, Tony checked his cell phone battery and we were off!

At 6 p.m. there weren't a helluva lot of people around and that suited me just fine. I followed the woman seating us, eyes straining ahead to see the bull first.

No bull. His area had been filled in with seating for more customers.

Alarmed and beginning to be bitterly disappointed, I asked her, "Where's the bull?" She smiled serenly and said, "Oh, we moved it to another place for awhile." Translation: business is slow and liability insurance is costly.

But all was not lost! Monday nights are half-price drinks and appetizers (5 to 7 p.m.) We went to town! I remember onion rings, New Orleans bbq shrimp, Cajun-dusted shrimp, a chicken quesadilla and a Caesar salad big enough for all three of us to have a generous portion. Who needed a stupid old mechanical bull?