No Cocktail Hour This Week; Off the Grid

Dear Lost Souls,

We send you out into the Merry Holiday Wilderness as we head off the grid to high Sierras for a holiday retreat. We will be celebrating the holidays with the beasts of the hinterland but will pause for a moment to hoist a toast in your honor when Friday evening rolls around. We ask you to do the same!

Yours,

Los Cabañeros

Come As You Are; Two Score for the Son of Levi

Dear Lost Souls,

As we weather the final throws of the ever darkening skies before the solstice gives way to brighter days, and the promise of spring’s radiant redemption . . . BEHOLD! . . . the approach of the natal anniversary of one of the Haberdashery’s own!  Andrew Grumpius, Son of Levi, doth on the coming feast of Saturn complete his fortieth circuit about Apollo’s golden orb. To commemorate and culminate Dr. Levine’s two score years of sharing our infinite journey towards eternity aboard this indigo sphere, the Haberdashery will sound glad trumpets and hoist goblets of cheer in his honor (goblets to be provided). Patrons and kin from the Empire State will be effecting the sacred pilgrimage from the Far East to offer cheerful tidings and share in a weekend of boisterous celebration. Join them, along with the Sacred Brotherhood of Cabañeros, as we wish Andrew many more decades of good health, prosperity and contentment.

Yes, my Holiday Haberdites, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening, and you are invited to hit the pause button on the temporal celestial eight-track, slide out of the slipstream, and enjoy a moment of repose in the golden light of our communal gathering hall . . . where red velvet mingles with the blues, and dryness is a key ingredient in the alchemy of refreshment. Cocktails will be served starting around 7.00pm (getting an early start this week). Please feel free to stop by en route to your primary Friday evening venue, and hoist a quickie in Andy’s honor . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,

The Cabana Boys

The Haberdashery

2124 5th Street

Berkeley, CA  94710

www.CAYA20.blogspot.com

Come As You Are; Bourbon Season

Dear Lost Souls,

As we tread ever closer to the solstice, the zenith of the sun’s daily arc continues to diminish. And as the chill in the air deepens, the season of the Martini (vodka or gin) gives way to the darker souls of the alchemical pantheon. Bourbon is the flavor of Christmas in New Orleans, Scotch is the aquavitae that will guide you home through the darkness of an Edinburgh winter, and Irish whiskey . . . well, that’s what God invented to keep the Irish from conquering the world!

The season of the sour mash is filled with the rich aromas of malted barley and malted rye, beckoning us to wander through the permutational avenues of the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the Sour, and the Rob Roy. Whether you like it sweet or sour, peaty or salty, up, down, on the rocks or neat . . . Irish, Scotch, or from south of the Mason Dixon, whiskey is the drink of the season. Come help us tip our goblets to celebrate the close of the fiscal fourth quarter (non-denominationally speaking) . . . or Christmas . . . or Hanukkah . . . or Honokaa . . . or Kwanzaa . . . or, or, or . . . simply the culmination of another week in the greatest place on earth.

Yes my thirsty Haberdites, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening. You are invited to join us beneath the collective shade of low expectations to make wishes on electric starlight and share the warm cheer of the season. Cocktails will be served at 7.30pm. Please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,

The Cabana Boys

The Haberdashery

2124 5th Street

Berkeley, CA  94710

www.CAYA20.blogspot.com

CAYA; A Momentary Pause from Our Imagined Woes

LS,

There lies in each of us,

Between heartfelt regret for the many sins of our checkered past,

and a mischievous pride for those undeniable transgressions for which we have escaped a just retribution,

A buzzing anticipation for the moment when we shall, once again,

Fall blissfully into the indulgent arms of sinful abandon.

Thus burdened, we bend our backs to the rhythm of the Cosmic Mill

Wandering this indigo sphere, itself a wayward son of suns,

Seeking occasional shelter beneath a canopy of low expectations,

With familiar follies and the elixir that will awake those slumbering desires we have yet to know.

And so upon each seventh circuit of the sun

In the cherished company of our bonnie spheremates

We gather ‘round the warm glow of the Haberdashery’s enduring hearth,

Distilling wayward souls and alchemical wanderings into lucid sparks of ephemeral truth

To find momentary pause, fleeting as it may be, from the burden of all our imagined woes.

Come As You Are

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening.

Please feel free to stop by for a quickie . . .  or to linger . . .

CB

información adicional: www.caya20.blogspot.com

Come As You Are; Tryptophan Tweeker Shelter

When Black Friday comes
I'm gonna dig myself a hole
Gonna lay down in it 'til
I satisfy my soul
                                             - Steely Dan

Dear Lost Souls,

Got the Turkey on your back?

. . . “anybody mind if I  take that leg?” . . . “a little more stuffing and gravy never hurt anybody” . . . “ I don’t NEED seconds: I’m just being polite” . . . “I just need a nap, Man, and then I’m gonna be fine”.

 
And then after the nap comes the Dagwood sandwich . . . and maybe just a bit more dessert! . . . Don’t fool yourself! You’ve got the itch. Friday you’ll be sneaking back to the fridge, jonesin’ for one more sandwich . . . thinking you’ve got it all under control.

Oh yes, my Tryptophan Tweekers, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening. And nothing cures the Black Friday Blues like a dry Manhattan and a bowl of Turkey Gumbo . . . mind you; . . . just to take the edge off . . . get you through the weekend, ya know? . . . and then you can quit whenever you want. Our seasoned alchemical counselors are standing by to support you through the recovery process . . . shakers in hand; gently stirring you from this Waking Dream.

Cocktails will be served at 7.30pm . . . but Gumbo rules are in effect for Friday afternoon; so don’t hesitate to swing by and help stir the pot. As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary evening venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
The Cabana Boys

The Haberdashery
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA  94710
www.CAYA20.blogspot.com

CAYA; Pre-Holiday Decompression

Dear Lost Souls,

With Nigel Tufnel Day safely in proverbial hindsight, we now stare down the barrel of another holiday season; with its rising crescendo of codified revelry, institutionalized kindness and opaque reflections on the passing of another numerical benchmark. Black Friday looms, and that means that this is your last chance for repose before the steady winds of commerce blow helter skelter across our socio-cultural bow, irreverent in the face of domestic and international economic woe. But just before the precipice, in that moment before the gravity of the inevitable takes hold, there is a pause, pregnant with curious anticipation for how the pageant of familiar rituals will unfold on this particular circuit of the celestial orbs.

Oh yes, my Bonnie Spheremates, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening. Once again we will gather around our communal hearth, (this week) welcoming a pair of distinguished dignitaries from the North Land, and squeezing out the last drops of Indian Summer before we settle into the season of gathering gourds and decking avenues with artificial wishing stars. To celebrate, we humbly offer our usual mix of low expectation, alchemical musings and mélange of familiar strangers, seasoned with the pleasure of your presence.

Cocktails will be served at 7.30pm. Please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
The Cabana Boys

The Haberdashery
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA  94710
www.CAYA20.blogspot.com

Come As You Are - Turning it up to 11.11.11.11.11.11

Dear Lost Souls,


   The celestial spheres synchronize in a convergence of geometry and numerology,
   As the hands of time align in their gyrating dances of whimsy,
   Tapping a playful staccato in homage to the contrivances of Man,
   And so, a moment's pause to appreciate the ballet and mark the passing of the ages.

Oh yes, my Bonnie Spheremates, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday Evening . . . in solemn observance of Nigel Tufnel Day, when a maximum of 10 simply will not suffice. So, in his honor, we will be turning it up to 11 . . . 11/11/11 that is . . . and at 11 seconds after 11:11pm on 11.11.11 (that is: 11:11.11,11.11.11), in a magnificent moment of numerical ecstasy, the heavens will part above the Haberdashery’s Communal Hall, and we will lift a toast together with our patron saints, Serendipity and Contrivance, paying homage to Nigel, with a dram of his favorite drink (Glenlivet), for teaching us to think beyond the crippling limitations of the decimal system. Himself a Lost Soul of the truest calling, Nigel is on record as stating that if he had not pursued a musical career, he likely would have joined the field of haberdashery. A coincidence??? . . . I think not! Nigel has yet to confirm his attendance.

Watch the countdown! : http://www.nigeltufnelday.com/Nigel_Tufnel_Day/Nigel_Tufnel_Day.html

Cocktails will be served at 7.30pm. Please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to all of the other Nigel Tufnel celebrations you will be attending . . . to remain with us for the celestial breach . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
The Cabana Boys*

Other references:
http://nigeltufnelday.tumblr.com/about
https://www.facebook.com/NigelTufnelDay

P.S. We are pleased to announce the launch of the CAYA Blog at: http://caya20.blogspot.com/ .  Check out the email archive dating back to 2001.

The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at: 2124 5th Street, Berkeley, CA
Between Alston and Addison just off the University Avenue (UC Berkeley) exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association.

* No bulls, bears or cabana boys were harmed in the preparation of this email.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

SPAM CHECK - Indian Summer

Dear Lost Souls,

It’s time for the first SPAM Check - Simply hit reply (no message required) to stay on the Friday Cocktail Hour list.
E’ il momento per il primo controllo per SPAM - Basta colpire Rispondi (nessun messaggio richiesto) per rimanere nella lista per il Cocktail Hour.

Your physical attendance at Cocktail Hour is not required to remain a valued part of our Community, and to stay on the list . . . you don’t even have to be on the same continent. However, so as to ensure that this weekly email has not become a nuisance to you, if we do not get a return acknowledgement from you, I will remove you from the list.
La tua presenza fisica non è tenuto a rimanere parte della nostra Comunità, e per rimanere nella lista. . . non hai nemmeno bisogno di essere nello stesso continente. Se non si ottiene un riconoscimento ritorno da te verrà rimosso dalla lista in modo da garantire che questa e-mail settimanale non è diventato un fastidio per voi.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh yes! my aboriginal ‘aberdites . . . Cocktail hour is on for this Friday evening! It’s been another spectacular Indian Summer in the Bay Area . . . and it seems to be hanging on well into November. To show our approval . . . and to honor the noble Ohlone Tribe; on whose sacred grounds the Haberdashery has erected its communal hall . . . we will be hoisting a few of our favorite alchemical incarnations . . . incantations . . . fabrications . . . combinations and affectations; served up . . . and chilled, in a lighter pail of shade. Cast off the profunctity of current occupations, and join us for some idle prattle. Your weekend starts at the top of the steps . . . in good company and a vacuum of adult supervision. Please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your cause célèbre . . . or to linger . . . indefinitely . . .

Yours,
The Cabana Boys*

P.S. We are pleased to announce the launch of the CAYA Blog at: http://caya20.blogspot.com/ .  Check out the archive of emails dating back to 2001. Join the blog to stay up to speed on the latest content additions.

The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at: 2124 5th Street, Berkeley, CA
Between Alston and Addison just off the University Avenue (UC Berkeley) exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association.

* No bulls or bears (oh my!)  were harmed in the preparation of this email.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are; Mobilize! . . . Occupy the Haberdashery!!!!!!

Dear Lost Souls,

Tear gas drifts through the hazy avenues of Oakland and Atlanta . . . Rome is burning . . . Occupy Wall Street has gone viral, and following in the footsteps of the Arab Spring, cities around the world find their streets echoing with growing cries for change and corporate reform. Is this a wake up call for the unholy marriage of political cronyism and corporate greed, a death knell to capitalism, or simply the disparate and desperate flailing of a movement that lacks the momentum to command the attention of the entrenched power structure that it seeks to depose? Gadfly or Phoenix!??? Time will tell.

Yes Toto! the Emerald City is under siege. But, just over the rainbow, Cocktail Hour perseveres for another Friday evening, with the warm glow of homegrown music and fellowship. Come trade in your Molotov for a Martini. Whether you prefer your revolution dirty or neat, Cosmopolitan, or in a Manhattan . . .your protest is our occupation . . . shaken . . . and stirring up chaos in pursuit of alchemical perfection . . . CAYA’s humble contribution to the soldiers of the proletariat.

Cocktails will be served at around 7:30pm. As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary Friday evening venue . . . or to Occupy the Haberdashery!!!!! . . . indefinitely.*

Yours,

The Cabana Boys

The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at: 2124 5th Street, Berkeley, CA

Between Alston and Addison just off the University Avenue (UC Berkeley) exit

. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association.

* No bulls or bears were harmed in the preparation of this email.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!

http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html

be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are; The Last Resort

Dear Lost Souls,

The destruction and debris from last week’s Caiparinhas has been cleared and the Haberdashery is prepared to resume its regularly scheduled operations . . .

Tired of another Friday evening sipping Mint Juleps at your local Country Club? Is there no movie, concert of Broadway play beckoning you to the theatre? Don’t feel like going to that Rrrager your buddy nick told you about? Bored with the Friday evening television offerings?

Don’t fret . . . you have options! Carrying the banner of democracy and choice in these times of limited opportunity and personal expression, the Haberdashery sends you a gilded invitation to join us at The Last Resort . . . where you’ll always feel like you’re at the top of the guest list . . . where old friends are waiting to meet you for the first time . . . where you’ll captivate the masses as you spin lofty tails of herculean intellectual absurdity . . . swaddled in the warm glow of the Haberdashery’s hallowed halls.

Yes my wayward Haberdites, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening . . . ready to celebrate your arrival, cherish your tenure and anticipate your return. The Cabana Boyz stand patiently by, awaiting to fulfill your alchemical will . . . up, down, rocks or neat, shaken, stirred, dry or sweet . . .


Cocktails will be served at around 7:30pm. As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary Friday evening venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
The Cabana Boyz


The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at:
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA . . . 94710 on the dial!
Between Alston and Addison right off the University Avenue exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association . . . it’s all about picking your neighbors.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are; INTERNATIONAL ALERT . . . CLASS 5 CAIPARINHAS FORECAST . . . SEEK SHELTER

>>>>>> ALERT >>>>>>> BEGIN MESSAGE >>>>>>

Dear Lost Souls,

The international community is officially ON ALERT, bracing in anticipation of the scattered Caiparinhas forecast for this coming Friday. As yet, the strength of the these Caiparinhas has not been determined, but based on previous occurrences and the resulting sense of disorientation, this alert should be treated as an eminent threat. This is not a ‘watch’. This is a full-blown ‘warning’. You are instructed to promptly seek shelter at the nearest Haberdashery . . . preferably in the company of Samba music, comfortable seating, munchies, and warm lighting. There is no need to panic. A dedicated support crew of highly trained emergency response personnel will be on hand to assist you during this crisis, administering primary aid and comfort . . . likely in the form of . . . Caiparinhas.

Yes Haberdites, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening . . . and although there may be storms on the horizon, your Last Resort stands firm, ready to receive you . . . promising to deliver the warm glow of our communal hearth, and the cherished company of familiar refugees. The juke box will  be featuring some tropical beats from south of the equator, and our oh-so diligent Cabana Boyz will be on hand to make sure that the cocktails and the Samba go down sweet and smooth . . . cool and crisp . . . Creole style.
.
Cocktails will be served at around 7:30pm . . . with Latin punctuality. As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary Friday evening venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
The Cabana Boyz


The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at:
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA . . . 94710 on the dial!
Between Alston and Addison right off the University Avenue exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association . . . it’s all about picking your neighbors.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are; Ode to Steve Jobs

Dear Lost Souls,

Hoist your iPhones and iPods high into the air, turn up the volume on your favorite song, and take a moment to remember who made it all possible. Tis’ a sad day in the Modern Age! One of the founding fathers and tireless pioneers in the innovative tools that drive the gears of commerce . . . and also satisfy our most whimsical desires for entertainment and escape, has passed to greener pastures. The Haberdashery tips its proverbial fedora to the man who has made all of our lives, at least a little . . . if not a lot more enjoyable. This Bay-Area adopted child of Muslim decent dropped out of college, experimented with psychedelics, heard the call to follow the Buddha in his search for spiritual enlightenment . . and eventually went on to become one of the most powerful and innovative corporate moguls in history, Steve Jobs is the poster child of American opportunity and entrepreneurial zeal. We salute his countercultural spirit and offer up our condolences to the loyalist tribe Mac-faithfuls who tirelessly worked to realize his most ambitious dreams . . . and will no doubt continue to do so.

Yes, my mourning tech-head Haberdites, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening. The iTunes are cued and we await the opportunity to toast, together in solemn respect, the Apple of our i . . . 
No, we will not be mourning. We will be celebrating in New Orleans style . . . with food and drink, the passing incarnation of the sentient being who brought us the extraordinary magi-gadgets of light and sound that we have now come to take for granite. The Haberdashery Cabana Boyz will be on hand to guide you in the selection your personalized alchemical vessel of homage.

Cocktails will be served at around 7:30pm . . . and with these, we will toast a much-revered soul, as it transmigrates to find life anew on some higher plane of existence. As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary Friday evening venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
Greg


The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at:
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA . . . 94710 on the dial!
Between Alston and Addison right off the University Avenue exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association . . . it’s all about picking your neighbors.

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are; Hab 2.0 - Come Jew, Come Voodoo Come Gentile Too

Dear Lost Souls,

Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Oh my! . . . just when you thought it was safe to take off your party hats, the tribe has generously offered up a little Luuunar new year to bring your weekly toils in the coal mines to a satisfactory conclusion and launch the weekend!  But, for those of us that are not tribe members . . . not to worry! . . . it’s also Maitresse Délai Day in Haiti!! . . . Amazing how fast that one rolls around! In case you’ve forgotten your Voodoo, Maîtresse Délai is the patron loa of tambourine players . . . so you don’t want to miss this chance to hoist a glass of some tropical concoction to toast Délai on her special day (tambourines are optional).

Yes indeed Haberdites! Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening! Last week ‘twaz not a fluke . . . but a flute; to Pied Pipe you out of your sanctuaries and come join us in the Haberdashery communal hall for our weekly covenant. The lights are dimmed, the glasses are chilled and the spirits swirl merrily in tapered vessels of joy. CAYA 2.0 is here to stay and you, as always, are invited to come join us for another evening of tasteful absurdity. Cocktails will be served at around 7:30pm, toasting Mlle Délai and ringing in the new lunar year.

As always, please feel free to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary Friday evening venue . . . or to linger indefinitely.

Yours,
Greg

The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at:
2124 5th Street
Berkeley, CA . . . 94710 on the dial!
Between Alston and Addison right off the University Avenue exit
. . . easy access from San Francisco . . . just across from the Berkeley Bullfighting Association . . . it’s all about picking your neighbors.
See the yahoo map

To help you recall the long season of our contentment . . . The Haberdashery 1.0; from 1999 to 2004 . . . Five years you’ll never get back!:
http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html
be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Come As You Are . . . The Haberdashery 2.Ooooooooooooooooh!

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Come As You Are - The Haberdashery 2.Oooooooh!

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Come As You Are - The Haberdashery 2.0ooooooh!

Dear Lost Souls,

Behold a new dawn! After five years of intense alchemical research on three continents . . . the testing of new variations of old favorites and old variations of new favorites . . . fearless forays into the indigenes spirits of faraway lands . . . the prophecies have been fulfilled. Rejoice, sound trumpets and sing merry hymns, as the gathering call goes out for YOUR prodigal return to the primal womb that bore the karmic fruit and garnishes of every creation that once weaned forth from the shaded refuge of the Haberdashery’s hallowed halls.

Yes!!, my thirsty brethren, Cocktail Hour is on for this Friday evening . . . the first of many that lie ahead. The locality is new, but the hospitality has not changed, and the tireless Haberdashery Cabana Boyz still weald their honed weapons of alchemy to defend your right to fulfill your every cocktail dream. Joining the Boyz azz a resident shaker/strainer . . . Andy Levine has graduated from ‘occasional visitor’ to permanent host . . . and eagerly awaits the opportunity to demonstrate his prowess on the field.

This is not a drill Haberdites! . . . this is the real deal.

Soooo . . . to start a new era . . . you are invited to a LIMITED INVITATION event reserved for some of the oldest and loyalist of Haberdites, from near and far!  Some of you will be in distant lands when, for the first time, we place our sacred buttocks on the Scarlet Chaise . . . but in our hearts you will be near, and we ask that you . . . wherever you are . . . hoist your cup in the direction of the new dawn on this Western shore. The festivities will start at approximately 7:00pm and continue until the whims of each of you have been fulfilled.  As always, please feel to stop by for a quickie en route to your primary venue . . . or to linger indefinitely . . .

The Haberdashery 2.0 is located at:

2124 5^th Street

Berkeley, CA . . . 94710 on the dial!

See the yahoo map

Questions? Give me a call at 510.229.2970

To help you recall the season of our contentment:

http://theaup.com/pages/prsnl/frames/projfrm_prsnl_cktlhr.html

be sure to peruse the photo galleries.

Yours, as always,

Greg