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A Night at The Shed
Hello, friends of Buckskin!
I’m counting down to launch day—July 20! As a thank-you for riding along (or considering riding along), here’s an early excerpt from the series, Dispatch #17, when I was in Santa Fe. This comes in the middle of the dispatch:
…Come dinnertime, it was sprinkling. Luckily, I’d packed my oversized Bass Pro Shop rain jacket—roomy enough to fit over my armored riding gear. I looked a bit like a walking tent in street clothes. Not exactly a fashion statement, but at least I was dry.
I’d tried to get into Café Pasqual’s, winner of the James Beard Foundation's "America's Classics Award" in 1999, but word of its renown had gotten out long before I showed up. Not even a seat at the community table. The hostess said dinners were booked for the next two days, but if I came for breakfast or brunch, I’d have better luck.
The Shed had also been on my list, so I moved it to the top and was rewarded with a corner seat at the bar after being told the wait could be 30 minutes or more.
Road magic!
Perched at the angle, I fell into conversation with a nuclear engineer from Virginia and, improbably, a couple from North Carolina who had once lived just down the street from me—reminding me how small the world can feel when we’re open to it.
We began peppering the engineer with questions about Three Mile Island and whether the old SNL skit "The Pepsi Syndrome" had a kernel of truth. He took it all in stride, holding forth with clarity and good humor.
Somewhere between steam generators and spent fuel rods, I turned to him and asked, “Are you always the most interesting man at the bar?” We all cracked up.
He blushed a little, but kept right on explaining isotopes with the delight of someone who rarely gets to talk shop outside the lab.
As I nursed the last sips of my iced tea, I mused: Everyone deserves a night like this—a night to be listened to, delighted in. A night to feel like the crowd had come out just for them. I deserved a night like this too—a night to listen, to nudge, to take delight in someone else’s joy…
If you enjoyed this taste, I’d be honored if you shared it with someone who loves good stories, good food, or good strangers as much as I do.
Anyone can subscribe free to the full Buckskin Rides Again series here.
If you're a writer, I’ll occasionally include behind-the-scenes craft tips. Here’s what I had to say about this excerpt.
See you Sunday morning, July 20!
Get full access to Narrative Mileage with Tamela Rich at tamelarich.substack.com/subscribe
View all episodes
By Tamela RichHello, friends of Buckskin!
I’m counting down to launch day—July 20! As a thank-you for riding along (or considering riding along), here’s an early excerpt from the series, Dispatch #17, when I was in Santa Fe. This comes in the middle of the dispatch:
…Come dinnertime, it was sprinkling. Luckily, I’d packed my oversized Bass Pro Shop rain jacket—roomy enough to fit over my armored riding gear. I looked a bit like a walking tent in street clothes. Not exactly a fashion statement, but at least I was dry.
I’d tried to get into Café Pasqual’s, winner of the James Beard Foundation's "America's Classics Award" in 1999, but word of its renown had gotten out long before I showed up. Not even a seat at the community table. The hostess said dinners were booked for the next two days, but if I came for breakfast or brunch, I’d have better luck.
The Shed had also been on my list, so I moved it to the top and was rewarded with a corner seat at the bar after being told the wait could be 30 minutes or more.
Road magic!
Perched at the angle, I fell into conversation with a nuclear engineer from Virginia and, improbably, a couple from North Carolina who had once lived just down the street from me—reminding me how small the world can feel when we’re open to it.
We began peppering the engineer with questions about Three Mile Island and whether the old SNL skit "The Pepsi Syndrome" had a kernel of truth. He took it all in stride, holding forth with clarity and good humor.
Somewhere between steam generators and spent fuel rods, I turned to him and asked, “Are you always the most interesting man at the bar?” We all cracked up.
He blushed a little, but kept right on explaining isotopes with the delight of someone who rarely gets to talk shop outside the lab.
As I nursed the last sips of my iced tea, I mused: Everyone deserves a night like this—a night to be listened to, delighted in. A night to feel like the crowd had come out just for them. I deserved a night like this too—a night to listen, to nudge, to take delight in someone else’s joy…
If you enjoyed this taste, I’d be honored if you shared it with someone who loves good stories, good food, or good strangers as much as I do.
Anyone can subscribe free to the full Buckskin Rides Again series here.
If you're a writer, I’ll occasionally include behind-the-scenes craft tips. Here’s what I had to say about this excerpt.
See you Sunday morning, July 20!
Get full access to Narrative Mileage with Tamela Rich at tamelarich.substack.com/subscribe