I’ll admit it, there are times when making my way in the world today takes everything I’ve got, and that taking a break from all my worries sure would help a lot. When I would like to get away, sometimes I want to go – home.

What was once my home is now my home bar, equipped with four neon signs, a bar with four stools, and enough posters, signs, banners and pennants to stretch from St. Louis Missouri all the way to Golden, Colorado.

I love the way my house – I mean – Paulie’s looks. It took a lot of hard work to turn a house into a saloon, but with the help of some good friends, a little imagination, and a slew of beer stuff, Paulie’s was born.

I confess, throughout my life, I have always coated my rooms with so many posters that the color of the walls remained a mystery. The only thing that varied was what was on the walls. When I was younger, it was wrestling posters. During my teens, music posters were proudly displayed on my walls. Now, it’s beer paraphernalia.

Now, I am not condoning drinking in any way, nor am I saying that someone should spend their spare time covering their house with posters. I am simply stating that while some people spend time collecting comics, baseball cards, or coins, beer stuff is my weakness.

Believe it or not, most of my wall accessories have been donated by friends. After they come to Paulie’s – and get over the initial shock of the place – they tell me that they know someone who has a sign they don’t want, or that they have an old beer sign in their closet that they were going to throw away. So, Paulie’s grows, and grows, and grows.

I have been told that I am childlike in my demeanor. I agree. This assumption can be proven best when I am given new beer memorabilia. I get as excited as a kid who just received $20 from his grandfather.

I must admit that since I have opened Paulie’s, my social life has gone where it has never gone before. There are nights when I have almost twenty people over, and I love it. I love the fact that on a Friday or Saturday night, when there is a group of people driving around asking the same old question, “So what do you want to do tonight?” That question is sometimes answered with, “Let’s go to Paulie’s!”

The best part of a typical night at Paulie’s is when someone new comes over. They spend at least a half an hour looking at the walls in total amazement. While these amazed onlookers were strangers when they came here, they immediately become good friends, and always come back. I know what you’re thinking, what possible benefit can I get from turning my home into a bar and having a bunch of people over every night? The answer; I have made some of the greatest friends and memories of my life, because there’s always a great time at Paulie’s.

The funniest thing is that I have been told my many people that I am the 90s version of Sam Malone – it makes sense – after all, I have a home bar, my version of a Norm and Cliff – even a friend named Woody.

Cheers.