Beer Joints & Haunts #4

Conder's Sundries was like Cardinal's annex building, a sort of liquid cafeteria. If Big Daddy couldn't be located in the office, chances are he was there (and Jones too) having a cool one.

Boarders at the YMCA down the street also used it as a convenience store.

You could take a brief walk over the South Blvd. overpass and get a cold beer or a can of soup or chili patiently served up by Jim, the proprietor.

After I left Cardinal, Jones made a point of telling me that gentleman Jim sometimes "asked about me." He knew such a remark would always embarrass me.

Several times I met Jones there again, and on one occasion we ran into several members of the Cardinal annex crowd.

This is Jones' depiction of that day (click to expand picture).

Wm P's words are cut off, but it basically said "I didn't wanna see these f--kers." Not sure what Jones' "decision" refers to. It could be his periodic internal debate about wanting to stay employed with Cardinal.


Some other details:

• Tom W has his empty "spoit" pipe and a "Stewart Granger" beer
• Big Daddy is wearing his 1970s plaid pants and has an "Effete" beer
• Morey Amsterdam (Head of Sales) is doing his cello act, and has a "Rickles" beer
• Jones has a "Bayreuth" beer, a tribute to his Wagner opera obsession

Conder's has long since been closed and its space converted into some sort of sprawling tavern for Charlotte's Yup crowd.