by Debbi | May 31, 2010 | Off the Wall
This shark picture frame is one of the millions of items that hang out on our walls. We love sharing the stories behind our decor, when we can remember them.
Several years ago, a woman who worked (or maybe still does) at Lake Perry brought a group of friends and family to the Sandbar on a regular basis. Her dad lived in California, and he'd come to Kansas for extended visits during the summers to see his daughter.
The group loved drinking Shark Attacks, and they collected all their sharks and sent them back to California with dad. He strung them up and used them to decorate a bar he built in his garage (or maybe his basement, the details are a little fuzzy).
One day, the woman came in and told Dave that her father had passed away. She'd taken several pictures of their family wearing Sandbar shirts or drinking here and created a collage frame- complete with beads and sharks glued around the edges.
She asked Dave if he would hang the picture in the bar as a memorial tribute to her dad, and of course Dave agreed.
The picture frame hangs in the front of the bar near the windows. Check it out next time you're here.
by Debbi | May 25, 2010 | Birthday Party, Events, Graduation, Off the Wall, People, Trinkets and Toys
Sundays aren't usually a busy day at the Sandbar- they're laid back and slow, a good day for idle chatter with the bartender or even watching TV with the jukebox turned a little lower than normal. Last Sunday was an exception.
Some of our Margarita Monday (and some other nights of the week) regulars are experiencing some life changes: Briana graduated, Amerika is moving to New York City, and Phil had a birthday (but he's not going anywhere that we know of). So, what better way to celebrate than to open a few hours early for Sunday Funday!
Of course there was a shotski for six, featuring the Fail Whale shots:
We ate Choco Tacos and cookies; drank Bahama Mamas and beer and Beachtini's (some drank more than others, ahem); and socialized. Oddly, there was no hurricane or mermaid, but there was a ceremonial signing of a dollar bill that was later stapled prominently on the wall.
The party might have carried on into the night if it wasn't for a certain popular TV show that was ending its run on Sunday night. It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, especially one that was nice enough to enjoy the patio.
It's always a sign of a good time when you have a pile of tropical drink toys at the end of the party. Thanks to everyone who came in on Sunday, come back soon!
Photos courtesy of Phil Martinez and his fancy camera.
by Debbi | Apr 24, 2010 | Off the Wall
Builder Dave is at it again- more new construction has appeared at The Sandbar.
We've had the same wobbly tables for a long time now, and the convenience store remnant tops have always irritated Dave more than the wobbles. I doubt the customers care- it's a dive bar, after all- but Dave's rather particular.
Since he had nothing else to do one day, he shaped and sanded and varnished new tabletops in his home workshop a few weeks ago. He had ulterior motives, also- the old tabletops caused the chairs to sit farther out into the path from the front of the bar to the back, and on busy nights it causes quite a bottleneck.
Now, the two anchor tables- the one right beside the fishtank and the one in the back right in front of the window box- are triangle shaped. The tables in between are much smaller and sort of shield-shaped. The smaller size helps keep people's chairs pulled in closer, leaving a larger walkway through the bar.
Funny story about these table tops. Dave took them to the bar late on a recent Monday night. The bar randomly got busy, and he was distracted by the crowd and also by some good friends who were there. He set the table tops down in the corner while he chatted, and when he looked up they were gone.
He was pretty sure which group was the culprit, and fortunately a good friend (who also happens to be one of Lawrence's finest) knew at least one person in the group and where they worked. He made a trip down to their downtown Lawrence place of employment the next day, and Dave followed up a few days later. The manager made a phone call, and our tabletops finally showed up that Thursday night.
by Debbi | Mar 24, 2010 | Cool Stuff, Off the Wall
A question came up on Twitter the other day: "What's that surfboard thing with shot glasses?" I quickly searched for a link to the blog post that explained the shotski…and found nothing.
I'm shocked and slightly sad that we've never explained the Shotski to you. I guess I took it for granted that you've all experienced it already.
The Origins of Our Shotski
Our shotski got its start many years ago when Matt still worked here. (Wow, has it really been 2 1/2 years since he was behind the bar?) Matt's parents have a little party lake house at Lake Dabinawa, and it's been an informal holiday spot for many Sandbar staff and friends. There's a bar, of course, and that's where we discovered the Shotski.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the first Shotski in existence, but it's the first one we saw, and we loved it. Matt was cool with us borrowing the idea for the Sandbar. Dave found a waterski missing its mate, attached permanent shark shot glasses from Margaritaville, and the rest was history.
How It Works
The shotski is a group event. Find two friends who want to play- or bribe them- and sit or stand in a line. The three sharks hold plastic shot glasses, usually filled with Dirty Banana goodness. The plastic shot glasses are replaced every time- this is a sanitary operation. Everyone holds onto the ski, raises it together, and drinks the shot at the same time.
Here are some pictures to demonstrate the fun:
See? It's not hard.
Dave got ambitious recently and upped the challenge- he found a longer ski and put SIX shot glasses on it. Of course, he had to hang this one underneath the tiki roof over the bar, so most of the staff can't reach it. It makes cameo appearances every once in awhile.
Have you had a shotski? Email us a picture!
by Debbi | Mar 8, 2010 | Off the Wall, St. Patrick's Day
In honor of our upcoming favorite holiday of the year, here's the story behind one of pictures nailed to our wall.
St. Patrick's Day, 1997. The float theme was "Under the Sea" and we built a giant aquarium. By 1997 standards it seemed huge and elaborate; by today's standards, not so much.
Doorboy Andrew was a wee little thing back then. He was a scuba diver on the float. What this really meant: he was suspended in mid-air in the "aquarium." Dave was a giant red lobster. There were mermaids and sea creatures and King Neptune.
And a zebra.
Peach and Ted had started acquiring their various exotic animals, and the zebra deserved a place of honor in the parade even though she didn't fit the theme at all. Peach and several other staff members walked alongside the float, decked out in Hawaiian shirts and beachcomber hats, and the zebra walked with them.
This picture features Cheryl, one of the first and only doorgirls (she kept the Tuesday night crowd in line- literally); Peach; the zebra; Ted's daughter Betsy, and little Andrew. Wasn't he cute?
This picture hangs near the front door. Check it out next time you're in the bar. Oh, and notice the old white paint on the building, and the palm trees that used to adorn the old windows!
by Debbi | Mar 7, 2010 | Off the Wall
You might have seen the little handcrafted wooden plaques with witty sayings painted on them hanging around the bar. We haven't seen any new ones in quite awhile, but a few days ago some arrived.
For a long time we had no idea who was leaving these gifts at our door. Last May, the Lawrence Journal-World ran a story about Larry Colley, a local artist who took up a new hobby when he retired from the Lawrence Parks & Rec Department.
Mr. Colley's made hundreds of these trinkets, and he gives them all away for free to people and businesses around town. The Lawrence Humane Society turned them into a fundraiser after visitors expressed interest in owning the signs, and they've raised several hundred dollars from the signs.
We've probably received at least 30 of these over the past few years. Some of them are in Lawrence, and some have been dispersed among our other businesses in Baldwin City and Ottawa. We always look forward to the next one!
