Relaxing and reminiscing. Thirst quenching. Flinging steel arches at cold metal spikes. Drawing promises of fortune out of a box, and feigning excitement as brutes flee whips that they can never outrun.

Such was my day.

Familiar faces in unfamiliar surroundings, they just don't seem to fit. Or maybe I am the one out of place. Sound crossing still waters, driving its rhythm into my bones. Man's best friends, excited to see me, though they've never done so before. If they only knew.

Such was my evening.

A comfortable chair. A comfortable friend. Silent camaraderie. Life exhales and allows itself to relax.

Such was my night.

Ha ha. Just kidding.

Today was a long day, even though it didn't really start until 3:00.

First, I went to my friend Eric's Derby party. This party, like last year's version, consisted of Eric and his wife, and about 800 people that I don't know - mostly friends of Eric's from high school.

To drink, I had the same thing I had at last year's party. So maybe I'm starting my own tradition here. At any rate, I had five bottles of Blue Moon (270) and it was quite good. I'd like to have had something better, but not in the middle of the day when I know I'll be drinking for several hours.

After some preliminary crap like eating and being introduced to people whose names I immediately forgot, we pitched some horseshoes.

The first game, Eric and I were down 19-10 and I caught fire. We won that game 21-19.

The second game Eric and I just ran away with. I think we won with a score of 21-4 or something equally embarrassing for our opponents.

The third game we had our asses handed to us. We both just sucked.

The fourth game we lost 21-19. Close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and this time it didn't even count in horseshoes.

Once the fourth game was over it was time to watch the race. I'd drawn the name of some horse I never heard of in the $5 pool. I think it's still running.

Then, it was time for me to move on to my next appointment. This one chick was having some people from Rich O's over for a post-Derby party.

While there, I had the last of my Blue Moons (282) and talked with the PBDs. It was definitely strange to see those people outside of Rich O's.

The people across the pond were having The Party To End All Parties. There must have been 50 cars parked all along the street outside that house, and their music must have been audible for miles. I expect arrests to be made at that party before the night is over.

I couldn't stay at that party for long though, because I had yet another appointment.

I'd promised SassyGirl that I'd meet her at Rich O's before she had to go into work.

The place was dead. I sat on the throne and ordered a Smithwick's (746). After a while SassyGirl came in and we bullshitted for a while. We also spent some time making fun of this one pretentious asshole that was sitting at the bar. It was a nice way to wind down a busy day.

Once SassyGirl left for work, I went to White Castle then I came home.

I figure I better go ahead and write this now, or I won't get to it until Sunday morning.

I was going to go to Burger King before I went to the bar, but some asshole had my parking space so I went to Wendy's instead.

After that, I went to Rich O's.

It was one of those calm and quiet nights that I love but the bartenders hate. All of the cool people must have been at some party as LaptopGirl and I used to say.

UplandWheatDude was sitting on the throne talking with some strangers who were sitting at the bar and the kiddie table. There were some PBDs, including GlassesGirl and MusicalHippyDude, sitting at the island. A few more strangers were scattered around, and that was it.

I loved it.

I had myself a Founder's Red Rye (120) and just kind of vegged out for an hour or so. I did try to call SassyGirl but I got her voicemail so I figured she was working.

Once the strangers at the bar and kiddie table left, I talked with UplandWheatDude for a couple of hours, mainly about women and how weird they all are, but we also discussed a couple of the PBDs that have, apparently been hounding him about LaptopGirl just as they used to hound me. So, while I used to think that their obsession was with the concept of LaptopGirl and me as a couple, now I think that it's just LaptopGirl that they're obsessed with.

I know the feeling.

My second beer was a yummy Delirium Tremens (481).

I made sure to tell UplandWheatDude about DaveFest. He's been quite erratic with his Rich O's visitations lately and I might not see him again before June.

Near the end of the night I found myself sitting alone on the throne, but I wasn't ready to leave yet, so I had myself a Guinness (1217). I talked with FutureDude for a while since he was waiting for DooRagGirl to come and pick him up.

I was going to go to White Castle, but I completely forgot to do that, so I just came straight home.

I was just looking at my server logs and noticed the following referrer:

http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/events.html

DaveFest is listed!

Yay!

That loud popping sound you hear may be my head exploding.

With last night being virtual Friday and all, I of course went out.

When I got to Rich O's I was feeling slightly sociable, so I took my Founder's Red Rye (120) and went and sat in the throne.

This was a mistake, as evidenced by the fact that two chicks I never saw before immediately decided to talk to me.

Luckily, this one dude came and sat on the sofa and talked to the chicks so I wouldn't have to.

Unluckily, the dude wouldn't shut up, and I decided that I couldn't stand it the sound of his voice any longer. So, as soon as some PBDs left the bar I picked up my shit and went and sat there.

After that, not very much happened for a long time. That's the way I like it.

At about the time I ordered my second beer, a yummy Upland Winter Warmer (200), a bunch of foreign people came in. If I had to guess I'd say Ireland, but that's mainly because one of them was wearing a Guinness shirt and another one was a leprechaun.

Oh yeah, at one point some dude came out from the kitchen and started calling me sir and stammering out a greeting. By the time he managed to ask me my name, I'd figured that he might be the elusive ArtistGuy that's supposed to talk to me about DaveFest t-shirts.

But, when I told him my name was Dave, he said, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

So apparently the guy a had a blind date lined up for after work. Not my problem.

I ended the evening by drinking a half-pint of Smithwick's (736) while I talked with some dude that looked like Grizzly Adams but clean-shaven.

It's not my fault that you're beautiful.

So beautiful that, when I catch myself looking, I have to tear my gaze away from you no matter how difficult a chore that seems to be.

Someday, I fear, I will delay for too long. And my eyes will become so spoiled by your face that they will from that moment on refuse to see anything else. They will betray me just as my heart once betrayed me. They will go on strike, and they will demand concessions that are not mine to give.

This is why I turn away.

Because I must.

Because, for now anyway, I can.

Great minds think alike, or so they say.

And, every now and then, a mediocre mind manages to think like a great mind.

That last part is just something I added myself. I don't think that they say it.

Whoever they are.

Anyway, I had this brilliant idea for an entry. I had it somewhat outlined in my head, and I had some fairly decent ideas for how I'd flesh out that outline. How I'd run with that idea. How I'd expand that idea, and expound that idea.

It would have been great, if I do say do myself. And I do.

But noooooooooooooooo!

Somebody has already had the same idea, and she's done more in thirteen words than I could have done with a thousand.

So now, once again. I have nothing.

I'm off work tomorrow, so my work week just finished.

I'm so happy that, once again, I could shit.

An added bonus to having the day off is that I won't have to deal with the riots scheduled for Louisville.

introduction seduction...insertion exertion...desertion

If you watch Lost and if you've watched this week's episode, then I wonder if you're as freaked out as I am right now.

You ever want to write something?

You ever want to write something important?

You ever want to write something so important that you find yourself resisting the impulse to write because you know deep down in your heart that you're just not ready to write?

I have three topics rattling around in my head. Three topics that are as entry-worthy as anything I've ever written. But each and every time I sit here to write an entry about any one of them, I stop myself. I write a few words, or a few hundred words, and I realize that it's all drivel.

And I delete it all.

This is who I am right now.

I'm the guy with important things on my mind - but I'm also the guy who lacks the ability to put those things into words.

Yay for me.

Or not.

Let me be clear. This is not a problem of desire, it's a problem of ability, and of focus, and of perspective.

It will get better.

I will write these thoughts.

Or not.