GREG'S GOLDEN BIRTHDAY 

In keeping with birthday season, Greg turned 25 Tuesday. He told me he was going drinking at Bruno's for 10 p.m. Count me in, I said. I got caught up watching the Heels beat the shit out of Oregon and got there at about 10:45.

Paul ordered this concoction. I forgot the name of it. It is sweet potato fries, blue cheese, chunks of beef and raisins. Yeah, I didn't ask for a bite. I took this picture while sitting on a bar stool at a regular table. There weren't any regular chairs left. I felt like the king of the bar. Nobody, however, followed any of my decrees. 

While we were there, Don't Stop Believing came on the jukebox. I continue to be amazed by the popularity of that song in a bar. It's like everything else going on stops and people just start singing, "Just a small town girl..." Though I seem to be the only one totally rocking still at the end of the song. After all, it was my official theme song in 2004, and I do have a drunk dance for it. 

I didn't get a chance to finish this Tuesday entry until Wednesday afternoon because I was catching up with TV during the day Tuesday. I was going to knock it out when I returned from Bruno's, but I had too much to drink and passed out when I got home. Greg's girl companion Jessica kept making me drink more.

Me: That's it. I'm done.

Jessica: No. You're having another one.

Me: I can't have another one.

Jessica: I can see you want a shot. What shot?

Me: No shot.

Greg: SoCo and lime.

What was I going to do? Not drink it? Then, she insisted I drink another beer. Then another. By the time we were approaching Six Beers status, I was taking the bottle and dumping out a little bit at a time in an empty glass at the table next to ours when Jessica wasn't looking. Luckily, she was caught up in some karate cement chopping contest on ESPN. 

When her and her friend went to the bathroom, I made a run for it and went home. I felt OK to drive, but if she would have bought one more round, I think I would have been screwed. There's a cop car that hides under the Causeway bridge sometimes. I slowed down to the speed limit when I got there. Who does he think he's fooling?

Speaking of Jessica's friend, she was cute enough, so I start up a conversation. Five minutes into it, it was going fine, and I was intent to keep it going. Plus, I was buzzing. Then, she whipped it out. Her pack of cigarettes, that is. End of conversation.

As I was walking to my car, two girls, a guy (and a pizza place) were heading to their car in the parking lot. They were having a friendly argument. 

Girl: Come on. Guys are so easy.

Me (as I walk passed them just loud enough for them to hear): Yeah. Sometimes.

All three laughed. My other option I could have used was: "Yeah. As long as she's hot."

THE TINA CURSING CORNER

My mom is looking forward to the after Thanksgiving sales. "Fucking stores are opening at 4 a.m."

Mom is making shrimp and corn soup with crab meat. (This is like the best thing ever.) "Fucking crab shells. I can't get them all out."

Mom is watching Two and 3/4 Men. Allan calls Malibu The Bu. "Who the fuck calls it The Bu?"

Mom can't get anybody at Best Buy to explain to her how buying gift cards works with your reward zone card. "You ask somebody over there, they look at you like you're fucking crazy."

Mom still is sick. "I can't take this sickness anymore. I get fucking bombarded every day. The fucking dentist called with more bad news." I ask mom what that news was. "I need a fucking root canal. It never ends. I have a fucking cold. It's miserable."

Mom is pissed at me because I didn't eat any ribs Monday or Tuesday afternoon. "Start eating the fucking meat before I have to throw it away."

SHE HAS TO BE OUT THERE, RIGHT?

I bought the new Nickelback album Dark Horse last Tuesday. I've been listening it to in my car until today when I got the new Killers album. I like Dark Horse, for the most part. 

Here's a breakdown of the types of songs on it.

Songs with a romantic feel: 4

Songs about partying: 2

Songs about having sex: 2

Songs about a whore: 2

Songs that seem to be a true story about a friend on drugs: 1

My favorite song is from the first category and is also the first single. It's called Gotta Be Somebody. It's kind of my optimistic theme on life right now. It gives me hope for the future.

First verse:

This time I wonder what it feels like

To find the one in this life

The one we all dream of

But dreams just aren't enough

So I'll be waiting for the real thing

I'll know it by the feeling

.....

So I'll be holding my breath

Right up till the end

Until that moment when

I find the one that I'll spend forever with

End of chorus:

There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere

There's gotta be somebody for me out there

FANTASY FEVER

The Gene Poolers (7-5) won a big game this week against the No. 1 team. I'm now in second place, which if I can hold it for two more weeks will give me a bye in the first round of the playoffs. I won by less than four points. Two plays were huge for me.

1) Ed Reed's 108-yard Jarrett Lee gave my team eight points. 

2) Kaesviharn's pick of Rodgers in the end zone. My opponent had Rodgers. I was winning by less than a point when Kaesviharn picked off the ball in the end zone. If that's a touchdown pass or he throws another one after that, I lose. Special thanks to the Saints defense. 

PARTING SHOT

Lopes called me with this one from the office.

Someone: We need to trim this story by a smidge.

Lopes: Smidget. That's a fun word.

D: What's  a smidget? (Pause.) Oh, something smaller than a midget.

THE DAILY TOP LIST

More of my top bands.

15) The Killers.

Third album a little bit of a letdown.

14) Maroon 5. 

First discovered them when I noticed that just about everyone in the Maroon office had the first album on their iTunes. And I'm not kidding you, when I was reading over this entry before hitting publish, I realized for the first time the Maroon 5 in the Maroon office connection. Good lord, I'm such a maroon. I mean moron.

13) Breaking Benjamin.

They opened for 3 Doors Down once. I only knew their single. I was blown away by them live and have been on the bandwagon since.

12) Simple Plan.

I think they, more than any other band, have songs that remind me of things in my life.

11) Weezer. 

Anytime you can't decide what album out of like four good ones is your favorite, you know you really like the band.