The Ladies of Derby

Always a sold-out event, now's the time to get tickets to the upcoming Rat City Rollergirls bout on Saturday, May 17. I've never been, but it sounds like fun. Live music and cash-only beer garden. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Hangar 30 at Magnuson Park, 6310 NE 74th Street, Seattle. Get tickets.

Roxy's Deli...Bingo!

Killin' time after the Fremont Market and looking for cheap eats, we fell into this quirky deli-diner. Okay, bar our waitress, we loved Roxy's. It's nothing fancy but has good NYC-style grub and drinks all reasonably priced...even when it's not happy hour. The Reuben sandwich was yum and came with a pile of thick chips and a tangy dill spear ($1.50 to split orders). And there were plenty of drink deals to be had—$3 wells, $2 mini champagne cocktails and Bloody Marys, $1.75 domestic bottled beer, $9 micro-brew pitchers, etc. etc. We want to go back for happy hour to try the Deep-Fried Pickles. Also, they have bingo every Wednesday at 7:30...this week grab your cape and blotter because the theme is Super Heroes. 462 North 36th Street, Seattle. 206.632.3963. 

Don't Miss It: R. Crumb at Frye thru 4/27

Enter with an open mind and a sense of humor...the artwork is awesome. Hit nearby Hideout for a fresh-squeezed greyhound or Tango for a happy-hour mojito afterwards to untweak. Free; closed Mondays. R. Crumb Underground exhibit at Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Avenue, Seattle. 206.622.9450. 

Green Idea

The latest Newsweek magazine's cover converts into a prepaid envelope for sending Target plastic bags to Terracycle where they are turned into reusable reTotes. In turn, participants receive a coupon for a free reTote. More...

Cheap Sips

This city's swimmin' in pink slips, so here are a few tips for saving shekels and having fun while you ride out the recession. Cheap(er) Drinks: Tips for Enjoying Drinking Without Going Broke by Paul Clarke.

Holy Tequila: new eats & drinks on the hill

The Saint grabs your attention from the get-go: bright turquoise exterior opens up to white and airy insides, framed matadors on the walls, Mexican fare that's all-natural and handmade...a plethora of tequilas. The perfect place for our first 70-degree day, we wandered in for a nosh and a drink, and lucky us, it was happy hour and half off food. We went for the small plates—spicy prawns, pork empanadas, citrus salad, chips with three salsas. Pretty tasty. Just be careful when you're ordering margaritas...the house marg set me back nine bucks—definitely not shoestring (although deliciously turbo). The Saint, 1416 East Olive Way, Seattle. 206.323.9922.

Every Dog Has His Day

I'm always looking for a great happy hour, but the other day I was looking for a great happy hour that my pooch pal Gomez could enjoy too (he's the fuzzy one drinking Guiness). Anyway, the friends and I landed at Sully's Snowgoose Saloon. Loved the laid-back and friendly neighborhood feel and the fact that everyone—including a smitten doberman—loved little Gomez. Sully's is a cozy Irish tavern with fireplace, patio, jukebox and happy hour till 7 p.m. Drafts were $3/pint and they had a good-n-greasy pub menu with corn dogs, salmon burgers, etc. for really cheap. Even my Irish friend who hates Irish bars approved of this one...and that's saying something. Sully's Snowgoose Saloon, 6119 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle. 206.782.9231. (thanks to Ciaran M. for the pic of G-dog)

Fun with Brooms

I don't totally get curling, but it's kind of fun to watch...provided there's enough alcohol. Luckily the Granite Curling Club has plenty of that. During the recent April Spiel we sat in the tiny overlook bar to watch the 'action'. The friendly bartender was serving up cheap cocktails and beers, including $8 pitchers of stout. That kept me interested. That and the fact that the GCC has a homey Elk's Club vibe—the real deal that's getting harder and harder to find. Granite Curling Club, 1440 North 128th Street (just off Aurora), Seattle. 206.362.2446. Be sure to call ahead to check hours/days of operation; it varies.

Mmmm...Tastes Like Heart Attack

I like bacon. I like chicken-fried stuff. I like gravy. But the notorious chicken-fried bacon and gravy at Twilight Exit was bleck...I still have the rank taste in my mouth. The bacon was raw under the crispy coating...if it'd been fried first it might have been good? I dunno. But for about five bucks it was worth the novelty. And even though I've heard the Twilight was better before it moved across the street to where it is now, we thought the bar was pleasantly divey. Happy hour till 8 p.m. Jukebox. Video games. Pinball. Patio. Gigantic wooden spoon and fork sets on the wall. Twilight Exit, 2051 East Madison Street, Seattle. 206.324.7462.

Q: Where can you sip from a paper bag, eat wings, pet pooches and win money all at the same time? A: Norm's Trivia Night

Last Thursday we wandered into Norm's for happy hour and stayed for the 8 p.m. trivia match...which was a blast even though we sucked a little (is Dancing in the Dark really Bruce's biggest hit?). For $5/group you can play four rounds of ten questions each, with topics changing weekly. It's pretty rambunctious. And there are cash prizes for winners—and the biggest loser. We liked the happy hour menu (4-7 p.m.) with $5 apps...especially the hot wings and 40-oz. PBRs that come wrapped in paper bags. Draft beer was $3/pint. And did I mention dogs? The place is full of 'em, which was one more layer of entertainment. Norm's Eatery and Alehouse (Fremont), 460 North 36th Street, Seattle. 206.547.1417.

Spring in Slo-Mo

For some it's cherry blossoms. For others fahrenheit. But for me, the only real way to tell if it's spring in Seattle, is if the Greenlake turtles have left the mud and are back to sunning themselves on their favorite log. Looks like it's official. 

I Heart X

Uh...this isn't exactly related to shoestrings or Seattle...but I love this band. With two shows at the Showbox, we caught the one Monday night...soooo great! Packed house and somehow we got to the front of the pit, guitar-touchin' distance from Billy Zoom, X's legendary axe man. The original lineup sounded tight and looked spruce—Billy, John Doe, Exene and DJ Bonebrake. And they were so friendly with the fans after the show...you gotta love that. Highlights: Exene changing aprons mid show, John making fun of Duran Duran for forgetting the lyrics to Hungry Like a Wolf, and Billy pointing his guitar at me and saying "lick it!" 13 X 31 Anniversary Tour 2008. (Thanks to Sandra K. for the pics of Exene and John)