Ships is not closed. Repeat: Ships is not closed. But this blog was written after the news from a friend of mine that it WAS closing. She thought the closed up look of the place meant they had packed their bags. Nope! Just the regular look of the place. So I'm running with this faux obituary thing as a sort of tribute. Enjoy! 
I didn't really love you, you were more like the broke down caddy on the list of Dallas bars I've hunkered down in. BUT I was saddened by the news that you were closing. It has left a void in my life. It will definitely leave a void in my life. I will think back on you and smile for these particular reasons:
-Your barkeep...I will call her Bertha because she looked like a Bertha. Either way, she was old as molasses...really really old...and I think she might have tried to make smoking an Olympic sport a time or two, at least that is what her voice was telling me. Scary. But man, she could open a beer. And I sort of enjoyed listening to her stories till my eyes glazed over and I nodded slowly into my beer.
-Your decrepit wire rack of 10 year old potato chips that you try to pass off as bar snacks. Who is buyin those?! No, really, I would like to shake that person's hand for taking the chance of catching a deadly "old chip" disease because they had the munchies. Call me if you know.
-Your bar bumper. Yes it was a dirty vinyl bumper with rips and holes and stuffing coming out thats been touched by GOD KNOWS WHO but for some reason I just couldn't resist the urge to rest my head on it for a minute. I heart bars with bumpers. It means "I'm here to drink. You know that and I know that and I may fall down but you were gracious enough to make sure I'm not injured when that happens, god bless ya"
-Your cash only policy. Yes it was slightly annoying but I liked that you were like an old grandpa... set in your ways, not doing what the other young whippersnappers were doin with their fancy credit machines. Nope! You weren't changin for nodamnbody.
-Carpet. In a bar. In a bar thats been smoked in for a loooooong time. Didn't smell too great. But you had it.
For these reasons I raise my can of Keystone and say cheers to you, Ships! You will be missed.
Ships
Ross Avenue @ Greenville Ave.
