I walk past the Gate many times a week. The Gate on Third Street at the corner of Fifth is Park Slope’s premiere outdoor watering hole.

In the summer it looks like such fun. A real beer garden, people sit outside and drink, smoke, talk, laugh.

I’m never in a position to stop. Running here, running there. Errands. Walking with OSFO. Going to Hollywood Video.

There’s never time to stop.

But last night we said, WHY NOT. Let’s go to the Gate.

"I could go for an Arrogant Bastard," Hepcat said.

So that’s what we did. They were out of Arrogant Bastard, Hepcat’s favorite beer on tap so he had something else which he said was hoppy. I had a Diet Coke but I shoulda had a beer and took many sips of his, which was cold and delicious and just perfect after the parched scenes in Rescue Dawn.

WE DID IT. We sat in the open air patio and were just like all the fun-looking people I see day and night when I walk past the Gate.

But this time I was inside, I was inside the Gate. Not outside looking in.