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It's a relief to be past the crunch of summer visitors clogging Commercial Street. |
Walking out our doors into the streets of Provincetown today, we heard a kind of collective sigh of relief, and began to feel like we were getting our town back.
A long, lilting, musical sort of "AAAaaaahhh!" was carried on the faint breeze wafting down Commercial Street this morning, breathing new life into many who had found this summer to be maybe a little tougher than usual. Many people felt that they had worked harder for less income than they had counted on, yet were eager to have their schedules slow down a little, so they could relax a bit and turn some of their time to a little recreation in this gorgeous paradise we live in, even if for only a few months out of every summer, for some.
I haven't talked to a single person who was not cheering on a quick end to the season, even though it had been an especially short one. Nearly every business lost virtually the entire months of May and June to cold, wet, windy weather that kept a great number of visitors from venturing out to the tip of the Cape, almost until the Fourth of July. And with Labor Day falling on September 2nd this year, it made for a very short season indeed.
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Beach Plum gathering is a great way to de-stress after a workaholic summer. |
But as we settle into the far less busy "shoulder season" most of us are less scheduled, even perhaps having a day off, which is rare for a lot of us during the summer crunch.
We can spend an afternoon out on Long Point, maybe bike through Beech Forest, or revel in the joyous invigoration of a whale watch trip
We'll finally have the time to stroll the edges of the dunes, and the fringes of Beech Forest, gathering the last of the Beach Plums before they're all picked. Those are all time-tested ways to begin the recovery process once the stresses of the summer begin to fade away.
There may be an employee party to attend, a favorite annual pub crawl to join, or any number of celebrations among friends who gather to have a lovely beverage while venting their feelings about the horrors of the season.
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Tonight we celebrate the late Khris Francis at Townie Bitch Night. |
Tonight, continuing a favorite post-Labor Day tradition of the late Khris Francis, where PTown workers can vent their grievances of the summer at an open mic evening known as Townie Bitch Night, we'll also be marking his recent, unexpected passing.
Most of us met Khris Francis through his raucous, coarse, provocative and unabashedly offensive comedy, which packed the bar at the Town House, and later at Steve's Alibi, beginning in the mid-1990s. His wall-to-wall audience would be howling with laughter, shocked at the outrageous things that came out of his mouth in one minute, and then be moved by his angelic singing voice a moment later. He was truly one of a kind.
His annual Townie Bitch Night was the way Khris liked to celebrate making it through another summer, and he held court at the event every year, on the evening following Labor Day. So tonight, at the Post Office Cafe, where Khris had once again been packing in the crowds on summer evenings during the last several seasons, we'll honor our departed friend with a celebration he would have loved...
We'll kvetch about this past season, dump on idiot bicyclists with a death wish, and tourists who displayed IQs far below the average; And we'll all
say the most offensive things we can muster up about this legendary
Provincetown performer, who will be remembered fondly by each of us he took the time to personally offend, and missed by all who knew him.
Make it to the Post Office Cafe tonight, before the 9 PM showtime, for a good seat. Uproarious comic Mama Tits will be acting as MC, and will do her best to offend us all, on behalf of Khris, who is no longer able to shuffle his big ass through the front door. XOXOXO!