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Tuesday was Janell’s birthday. Lots of people I hadn’t seen in months, some “hot Germanic wine,” and Laura’s killer enchiladas. She was leaving for Louisville the next morning for a trucker convention event. She showed me pictures of the “snowbunny” models they booked. I kept expressing my need for the blonde’s phone number, but Janell refuses. Guess she’s looking out for me.
Thursday night I had dinner over at interior designer’s place. Then we watched 3:10 to Yuma, which wasn’t as good as I had heard. But she won a ton of points for asking her friend for a kick-ass recipe and then trying her hand at it. Enchiladas suizas with guac. I’ve totally been on a southwest kick lately. Also had my favorite beer in her fridge. I knew I wanted to be with J when she bought a case of my favorite beer and had it in the fridge the first time I ate over. So girls, figure out his favorite beer and have some on-hand. I didn’t stay the night, but left pretty late. I think she’d be a great girlfriend, but I’m not ready to make that call. Sucks that she has three roommates.
Since I knew I would need to get up at 3 AM on Sunday, I made it a point to relax beforehand. So Friday night I made Hamburger Helper and Luke came over to watch basketball for a while. Saturday I tried to cut the grass, but the damn battery on the lawn tractor was dead and wouldn’t take a charge. Then it rained… a lot. And it kept raining… a lot. I took Benadryl and beer and was out like a light by 10 PM.
Marathon morning. Rainy and cold. I was the only idiot who wore shorts. We got the truck unloaded and got the water ready right about the time the wheelchair racers came through. Shortly behind were the front-runners of the half marathon. By the time I left at 10 AM I was freezing, stiff and hoarse. But I loved it. Didn’t see physical therapist, but she said she finished the half with a decent time. I texted her saying that I missed her and was looking forward to seeing her as the high point of my day. She wrote back later that night saying she was hurting and was trying not to move until Monday AM.
Then the boss man organized a Blue Planet Run 07 reunion since so many of the runners were in Atlanta for the marathon. We ate at this swanky place called the Peasant Bistro on Park Ave. Great view of the Park and World of Coke and they had this awesome specialty: sweet potato ravioli. Drool. Then we grabbed a drink across the street at Stats, a new sports bar on Marietta St. It was then that I saw the score of the Kansas/Davidson game and wished that I could have seen it.
Headed out in a few minutes to the Braves’ home opener. It should be awesome.
Last night was my close friend Patrick’s birthday. Originally, the plan was to charter a limo to pick-up a group of us and haul us to the Pink Pony while we helped ourselves to the full bar. Once there, we would get VIP seating with dinner and Patrick would be brought on stage for mockery… and maybe a t-shirt. He changed his mind since the SEC tournament was in town this weekend and figured the club would be packed. (I kinda doubt it after the storm on Friday night)
So instead his girlfriend, whom I had only met once, decided to organize a party on his behalf. She invited all her friends. Out of the whole group, only myself, Beth and Laurie even knew Patrick outside of the “relationship.” She rented a room at some place on Holcomb Bridge in Roswell called VIII-Fifty. It was probably the best steak I’ve ever eaten, and she kept trying to hook-me-up with our server. (I’m too much of a pimp right now as it is, but she did bring me a beer on the house) She convinced them to make a certain dessert for everyone that is no longer offered on the menu. I wonder how much money she’s spent in this place before. So Patrick’s girlfriend and her friends kept pounding the drinks, getting loud, texting guys they shouldn’t. Then they started screaming about wanting to dance. Read the rest of this entry »
What are everyone’s St. Patrick’s Day plans? I have no clue, except that I have to go to a friends birthday dinner on Saturday night. I’m buying him a paperback ghetto dictionary for a present. Then we’ll never need to check urbandictionary again. I hear there is something going on around East Andrews, and then of course the family stuff at Underground. Let’s not forget Spiral Entertainment’s orgasm of poor planning at Park Tavern. Or I could wait until Monday and go to Smyrna or skip work and go see Kip Winger at Perimeter Mall Taco Mac.
WINGER! “She’s only seventeeeeeen!”
Either way, I want to drink some beer and meet some cute, funny and inebriated redheads wearing tight green shirts and dresses.
Andy n’ Friends = 0, Everybody Else = 2
We went to Raging Burrito in Decatur last night to try our wits again… failing miserably. I think we ought to do like a girl I met suggested: Start off at early trivia, drink, then finish the night at late trivia when you’re toasted. Either that or add a couple of ringers to our group.
Blondie’s last post brought a very good point. It’s gorgeous today. Go have lunch outside. Crawl out from behind that computer screen and get some sun on your face. Have a drink on the patio of your favorite bar.
Speaking of that, I’m meeting another match tonight and that is exactly what we’re doing.
Friday night was a special night for my circle of friends, as Janell finally moved to the city. She’s sharing an apartment with Laura in midtown. The only time they had available for her to move was before 11AM, then work, then work an event at the World of Coke. So after all that she calls me and tells me to come on over to the apartment. Then I hear that Laura is at the ER because a dog bit her… she didn’t get home till 1:30 AM. Phil wrapped-up watching a play at OnStage where a co-worker is performing. (I believe one of my “matches” has performed there before too…. hmm.) So Phil, Janell and I walked a block to Twisted Taco to meet up with Tricia and her date for the evening.
I’ve never been a big fan of the place, but I was fine with that since my friends were there. Tricia really enjoyed herself, and her date, for the first time in ages. I’m happy for her, but ending the night with shit-faced PDA is not my idea of a good first date. We met up with Teresa from work and her friend Marissa. Like Phil, they are a few years older than me, early 30’s. That was the first time I had ever hung-out with Teresa outside of the office, so I now know why everyone says she’s a cool person to go out with… she can get free drinks. I only paid for one round the whole night. So the whole night was spent chatting, watching girls do the “white girl dance” and laughing at the pop-collar doofuses groping them in their inebriated state.
Another co-worker’s roommate, Greek Lisa, came out with her friend who was visiting from Poland. Phil forgot her name, which no girl enjoys – despite what you’ve heard. So she made him guess her very Greek middle name. Between the two of us we never got it. When the Taco closed and kicked us out, we just walked home… it was 3AM after all. Woke Laura up to see the wound, severely burned our mouths on thermo-nuclear hot pizza bites and couch surfed. Lisa somehow had Phil’s number, and called to see if we were coming over to keep the party going. I think I finally guessed her middle name, but all sorts of bad would come from taking a cab from midtown to Lindburgh that night. In fact, lots of bad was avoided that night as a whole.
PS – Phil had on black shoes with white socks, which were highly visible. Some girl pointed this out to him.
Since we’re the coolest bloggers in Atlanta, I propose myself and my two new girlfriends (Blondie and Serial Dater) have a blogger bar night/happy hour. Discuss.
Spiral Entertainment organizes quite a few parties in Atlanta such as Halloween, St. Patrick’s, NYE, Day Before Thanksgiving (WTF?) and most recently the OysterFest this weekend.
Now I went to their Halloween thing back in 2006 and that was pretty fun once I could squeeze my way through the crowd. OysterFest was pretty much a repeat. You could smell the seafood from Monroe. I didn’t get there until 5 and the place was packed. No overflow into the park… just cram everybody into Park Tavern. And they had a wedding reception upstairs last night too.
In a moment of brilliance, both my friend Tricia and myself forgot to get cash from the ATM before going. The on-site ATM was out of cash. There was only one bar which could accept plastic and about 200 people had the same idea as me. So we stood in “line” for about 45 minutes trying to get beer. People were ordering like seven drinks at a time, most of which were mixed drinks, and passing them along to their friends not in the line. Meanwhile, I’m missing pretty much all of Cowboy Mouth’s set. I was chatting with this girl next to me about how we could jump out of line right now, walk to the Kroger on Ponce, buy beer, walk back and drink most of it before the people in front of us got their drinks.
So we finally got beer. Hooray for double-fisting Guinness! Got pretty close to the band, saw the last four songs or so.
I have tons of respect for someone who can simultaneously play the drums and be the band’s frontman. And chick bassists are the hottest thing since heels and thongs.
Afterwards we bailed and drove over to Six Feet Under on Memorial Dr. for some more trustworthy seafood. If you’ve never been to this place, let me give you the rundown. It’s in the Grant Park area. They have a rooftop patio which is awesome in the spring, and you have this beautifully morbid view of the Oakland Cemetary. (Get the irony of the restaurant’s name… har har har) So this place was packed, line spilling into the parking lot. So Tricia suggests we go to their other location on 11th near Tech campus. Free valet parking = yes. Their rooftop patio gives this awesome panoramic view of the city, partially obscured by a parking garage that went up across the street. Food was good, music wasn’t live but still my taste, and it looked like a fun place to get a beer after work.
So we’re trying to see what everyone is doing later that night. Seems like I have a lot of friends who don’t like to go out. Phil was just enjoying a chicken nugget dinner and said he may go over to the Righteous Room later. By the time we left Six Feet he had already relocated to The Local on Ponce. We stayed there till about 12:30 drinking PBR and shooting the shit, giving the eye to college girls. One of the biggest challenges a guy faces when meeting girls is when they are in groups of three or more, especially if he’s flying solo. Here, not only does he need to open the whole group but win over his target AND her friends. Tough without a wingman.
Lesson of the day: Bring cash.
I’m off to see “No Country for Old Men.” It’s been out forever and I hear amazing things. But the Academy Awards are tonight and though I have no intention of watching, I’m sick of sticking my fingers in my ears whenever someone wants to discuss this movie.
Some people feel like they have to buy their love a bunch of branded, useless garbage on Valentine’s Day…. or else the axe of raging emotion will fall on their head. So they bombard the Wal-Marts, Targets and Krogers of the city and eagerly pay 300% mark-up on flowers. (Obvious hint o’ the week: Wait a few days after Valentine’s Day to buy flowers. They’re back to regular price and you may even get them cheaper if retailers are trying to unload them before they turn to potpourri)
I’ve never bought-in to the event, rather, I revel in the people watching. This was the first year in many that I couldn’t witness this from behind the pharmacy counter; taking a break from dispensing Viagra to smirk.
Even when I was in a relationship, neither of us made a big deal of the holiday. J got me a card and a new clock radio I had mentioned wanting; I took her to a show at Smith’s Olde Bar she wanted to see. Besides, we had just gone on a weekend getaway to Destin, FL. My idea of romance as always been the little thoughtful things you do for someone, which is best used sparingly to enhance the quality of your relationship. Some people don’t get that concept.
So what did RA do last night? I happen to have a long-time friend who’s birthday just happens to share the same date, so several of us met at TAP on P’tree St. for some unfulfilled advertised V-Day drink specials. Apparently the drink specials were reserved for people who had Valentine’s reservations upstairs. The lowly single folk had to drown their sorrows downstairs, paying full price and listening to a musician sing sad rock songs. I anticipated “Heart Shaped Box” or “Every Rose…”
Regardless of the lies, we had a good time. TAP is billed as Atlanta’s first “gastropub,” a term which I am unfamiliar. I just assumed the fare would give me indigestion. Gastropub is a British fad where a pub serves higher-quality food than your typical dive. I ate a tasty cheeseburger, served on a toasted English muffin (a first!) with a shooter-sized Wendy’s Frosty. Maybe the chef has heard that dipping your crappy Wendy’s fries in Frosty makes them edible. I thought it was chipotle mayo from a distance.
Never the type to end a night early, Phil invited us to tag along to the EARL to see the Liars. I hadn’t heard of them, but I know Phil has excellent taste in music. We all drove separately but the show was sold out by the time we got there. So Phil split his time between seeing the band and drinking beer with us at the bar. The best part of drinking beer in East Atlanta is the chance to sit and watch people. They never disappoint.
While taking a leak in the bathroom before driving home, I looked above the mirror and saw this:
And I smiled….
