On our last evening in San Diego, California, Terry’s mom and her boyfriend took us to the American Legion 282 in La Mesa for dinner and dancing. The musicians of 2 Guys + 1 stood at a small staging area by the bar. I was the only one who actually ordered dinner and it was quite good.
The room was rather dark so sketching was a challenge. Marcy seemed proud to show off her daughter. The cover tunes were fine but I never felt the itch to dance. Terry seemed satisfied to watch. A woman pulled Macy’s boyfriend aside and suggested he dance with a woman who was recently widowed. He is light on his feet and was happy to comply. I’m not so sure Marcy was happy with having her dance partner loaned out.
My sister Pat frequents an American Legion Lodge in Florida and they all have the same atmosphere. There is palpable pride in those that served and the food is cheap and tasty. Who could ask for more? There is also a scent of stale beer and cigarettes that has seeped into the buildings woodwork. The Lodge in San Diego was in the basement giving the impression that you were walking down the steps to a speakeasy. I wonder how many American Legions there are in this country. There must be more than 282 of them. That means there are at least 5 Legions per state.