Ordinary Pholks

(usual apologies for not posting lately)

I don't think I can adequately describe the shock V and I received last night. It had all started innocuously enough. We were grabbing a late Halloween dinner at the local Vietnamese place. I was wearing my Urkel get up which, sadly, was so close to my usual wardrobe that no one realized was a get up. One of the reasons I chose the place was because I knew the bars would be loud and crowded and this place wouldn't, however much I may have been craving garlic fries. Oh. I was so wrong. 

It all started innocuously enough. We were seated quickly. Ordered. Our food arrived. Chatter chatter. All good. Then a waiter in costume interrupted everyone and announced that the show was about to start. The show that'd been advertised in the store windows for two weeks that we knew nothing about. 

What show?  The drag show.

Music was cued. And out came one drag queen act. After that, another, then another, then another. (We had to leave before they ended, but it was at least an hour long). Each in wonderfully over the top costumes. The drag queens shared the same narrow pathway as waiters delivering hot soup.  Our server stopped by to check on us and whispered, apologetically, "I should've warned you this was about to happen."  Confusion and delight reigned on the faces of each new group of customers. There was also much laughter. The arrival of two cops- or two men in cop costumes?- added more to the juxtaposition. As did the Vietnamese grandmother watching on with a blank expression.  And all of us, trying to juggle eating, clapping, watching, and talking to each other.  I can't quite formulate a coherent overview because it was all so bizarre, unexpected, and fun. In other words, it was Baltimorean.