Night on the town, and a relaxing weekend....

Well... the "guys night out" that John Madden had been planning in Portland came and went. The night started with a great meal of salad and Chicken Parmesan cooked by Michelle. We had a couple of after-dinner-beers, and then headed out to Rosie's (transportation courtesy of Michelle). All three of us, John Madden, Tim Hayes and myself drank too much cheap beer listened to music, and frequented a few of the "off the beaten path" watering holes. We headed back to John & Michelle's apartment after finishing off our bar hopping night at "Bubba's" where Michelle's sister Christine tends bar. It was a surprisingly unique establishment which from the outside appears to be a typical dive. They were having "80s" night complete with a dance floor that has built in multicolored lights (circa 1970s). The place was packed with people, and I didn't notice the dance floor till it emptied out later on. Truthfully I was too wrapped up in conversation to really care much about the festivities.

Back at the apartment we listened to a play list John had made specifically for the occasion on his ipod. It was a broad array of tunes covering vast expanses of time and genres.... in both the context of our own lives, as well as the broader context of music history.

At one point in the night Tim convinced us all to try to play cribbage. By this time I had been awake for probably 19-20 hours and on about 4 hours of sleep from the previous night. The game has sentimental value for Tim, as he explained. Apparently his grandmother always encouraged him to play, or to learn how to play since he was a child. I was really exhausted and honestly I have a tough time having enough attention span to play cribbage when I'm awake and sober. However, it was clear that Tim was looking forward to sharing the game with us, and we all listened as Tim explained the rules. I don't know if it was bad luck, bad skills, bad hands, or all of the above but I did poorly. John smoked both Tim and myself at the game. When John was 80% around the board I think they could see me slipping into a coma induced by alcohol, and accentuated by a lack of sleep. I think Tim suggested that John already had essentially won the game... or maybe I suggested it. The suggestion was complementary to my train of thought, that was certain. I can't remember who brought it up, and it doesn't matter either way. I was just relieved not to play any more hands, and was fine with the prospect of finishing last, despite a slight chance I could have caught up with Tim.

I think I was lying down on the futon before the night (actually the morning) officially came to an end. John gave me a pillow and threw a blanket on top of me, and he and Tim continued talking while a couple more songs played. I tried to participate at random in the conversation. I'm certain when I chose to interject it just was only a waste of energy and what little wit I possessed had long vacated the premises.

I slept intermittently and finally woke up for a period of time to use the facilities and then try to hydrate myself with a couple glasses of water. I could hear Tim downstairs talking to Jaxon (spell?) Christine's little girl who is about 4 years old or so. John and Michelle live in the upstairs unit of a duplex, while Michelle's sister Christine and her two children occupy the first floor. Tim came up later trying to coach me into going to the gym later with him, and/or playing some basketball with John, Tim, Brandy, and their friend Sherri. I had a head ache... a trend that has gotten worse in my "old age" that I tend to get even from moderate drinking. Hayes located an Advil for me downstairs, which I chased down with some more water. I managed to catch a couple more hours of sleep and woke up around 12:30 feeling a lot better. John was up around this time and we went downstairs where Christine and Tim were watching Jaxon play with some blocks in the living room. Brandy and Sherri arrived and John & Tim readied themselves for their basketball match. I decided this was a good point to go my separate way since I was a little too tired for competitive sports.

After leaving I decided to grab a bite to eat at Arby's before heading back to Melrose. I think I scared the teenager at the register. I hadn't showered, had significant facial hair growth from not shaving in greater than 24 hours, was wearing an old red "Walmart special" hoodie, and my hair was in chaotic bed-head form. Not too mention my essential tremor was really kicked in due to previous long day and exhausted state.

I really enjoyed my roast beef sandwich and curly fries. Even the fountain soda seemed amazing, and satisfied that cola addiction that I most definitely have. We don't have Arby's around Boston, probably due to the prevalence of mom & pop roast beef sandwich shops. Sadly, I actually enjoy Arby's moist roast beef more than I do the dry, and often rare, (as people prefer) roast beef of eateries such as Kelly's or Liberty bell. Arby's is what I grew up on, and I have a sort of sentimental spot for it too.

I was going to write minimally about the "Guys night out" experience and instead compose a fantasy piece about what it would be like to eat lunch with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling especially creative so you'll have to settle for this in its place.

Saturday night Kate and I went to Friendly's (Kate's favorite). I had a turkey melt, Kate had a chicken wrap sandwich, and we split an ice cream sundae for desert. Sunday we poured through our travel books on Germany and took some notes. We took a walk and went to the Melrose library where I picked up a history book on Berlin. It was a nice day despite only being in the 40s. There were a ton of people out walking around enjoying the sun. The tennis and basketball courts in Melrose were filled with cheerful people getting exercise in the cold spring air. Kate and I got some Chinese take out for lunch. I had chicken with mushrooms, and Kate had General Gau's chicken. Later that evening I drove Kate back to Brookline. For a change it was still sunny out when I said goodbye to her. A sign of warmer weather to come.

Well it is time for bed... I should sleep well again as I am still catching up!
Happy end of March! Bring on the April Showers....