Jazz, fish, and fun chicks with glasses.

I had a good weekend of partying to get done. I took care of that business like I took care of yo' mom last night. That chick is crazy.

We went out Friday night to Kingston Mines for Becky's birthday. It would have been more enjoyable if we could get things done and be places on time. This can be challenging for my friends, who are all college educated and own clocks. It doesn't bother me all that much but when it's almost 11:00 and we haven't left yet to go to a bar we don't really want to go to in the first place, it can be trying. I did have a good time seeing Becky and Christine and Sonal, all of whom it had been a good while since I saw them last. I believe last time I saw them they were all in costume, and for once it wasn't a dream.

Kingston Mines is a strange place. It is a reggae/jazz/blues club that isn't really conducive to dancing or hanging out to talk with friends. I'm not sure what it is trying to be, but it is trying to be there (/bows). I've made my feelings towards jazz abudantly clear (I just don't like jazz) and reggae was framed perfectly by Barney this past season on HIMYM. So for the record, I would have had a good time anywhere with the company I was with, I just wish it were somewhere else.

On Saturday I had a work lunch at the Shedd. My old boss invited Cass and I to his company's holiday meal at Soundings. It was fun because we got to sit on the balcony above the otters. Cass refused to be ironic and order tilapia. "I can't go look his cousin's in the eye after eating him."

We went to Steph's party that night and had a good time. We really only knew Steph there so we hung out with her for the most part. It was a fun time getting there in the dairy queen blizzard and parking required an expanding loop around her house before we parked in an illegal snow zone with 40 other cars. United we can resist them. Steph was her wonderful self even though she seemed a little down. I hope we cheered her up a bit.

Also, Cass got her tits stared at.

Steroids are for people too.

The Mitchell Report is out and for those of you who don't know what that is it means a lot of baseball players got named for using performance enhancing drugs based on an investigation by a former senator. A few quick things:

-I am most happy that the prelist released a few hours early was way wrong in including Pujols and Farnsworth. Pujols because he is one of my favorite players and Farnsworth because it is more awesome for him to be naturally prone to rage.

-Most surprising are the names not mentioned, specifically McGwire, Brady Anderson, and Bret Boone. I would say that there is no way you can keep McGwire out of the Hall of Fame now. He was never convicted or shown to have done anything and he played in an era when others were doing illegal substances.

-Of the players mentioned there are like 20 I have never heard of at all. This means that there are a significant number of people who do steroids to be mediocre at baseball. Take that as a lesson illustrating the difficulty of the game and the greatness of those who excel at it.

-There are still heroes out there but don't idolize people. Humans are fallible. You may not like a lot of your heroes personally and they may be assholes who use steroids. Be prepared for this eventuality and don't be blindly devoted.

The effects of Quicksilver.

It was a bit disingenuous on my part in retelling the events of last week therein my blog of Monday. In truth events of significance did transpire but their importance warranted an entry of their own that their fruits may be fully dispersed and enjoyed. Now that the sheet has been pulled from my slight deception I pray you forgive me lest I lose devoted readership.

On Thursday Cassandra and I were seen to have ventured out to witness the glorious Art Show of our friend Janice. It had certainly been a good spell since we had crossed paths, the end of this most recent of soccer seasons for us two in fact. Upon entering the tavern we set upon locating our party. This became an easy task as our compatriots elected to make camp just steps beyond the doorway. I chose to greet Janice first since I noticed no definitive faces I found recognizable, only half lit profiles and vaguely familiar body shapes and hairstyles. I made it a point then to take the laboured route to Janice in order to obtain best vantage of all parties seated with our artist.

I greeted Janice with an embrace and a smile, she with warm greetings and thanks. She proudly pointed us towards her latest efforts currently still decorating the tavern wall. Let it be said now that these works are wondrous.

The polite exchanges of pleasantries ensued with all parties that had not been visited on in some time. Among these, in order of greetings, were Vanessa, Anne, Jed, and David Lamb. Cass and I became bees among the flowers, speeding from one wonderful bloom to the next with only brief chances to pause and enjoy the nectar. Casual conversation and nostalgia were the course of the evening, and Carlsburg was imbibed to the very brink of inebriation. I truly do miss many of these teammates, barmates, and mates that I seem to rarely find opportunities to become merry amongst since I find myself so merry in their company. Hopes have been cast that a similar spell without their company will not be endured.

Unnecessary Movie Review: The Conversation

Two things that get Taylor all a titter:

1) forgetting to mention that you watched the movie The Conversation with him

2) the movie The Conversation

Cass, Taylor and I watched The Conversation on Friday night. It was a perfect relaxing night in with friends that I needed after several weekends of travelling.

The movie was aptly described by Taylor as a quiet thriller. The film is not fast paced or heart pounding in suspense. It is more about atmosphere and characterazation than dialogue itself, which is of course ironic. I enjoyed the film and Hackman's performance. The only actors I did not enjoy were the women he loved (Teri Garr and some floozy).

My only problem with the film is it is laborious so it is not exactly the movie to watch when you are tired. I also found that the ending could be misleading as I interpreted it differently than both Taylor and Cass. I have since come around to their way of thinking, only because the movie never establishes an unreliable narrator and therefore what we see must be taking place.

Overall the film is solid on all fronts, including soundtrack. I don't think I would watch it again but would recommend it as a thoughtful, quiet thriller.

The tip of the thumb.

Sorry it's been awhile again. I actually had to work this week due to weather, illness, and funerals reducing our lab to skeleton crew all week. It's like working in a ghost town if it was a town that used to test horse pee.

Cass chronicled most of my recent experiences. It seems everyone I know has a blog now so most of what I do is chronicled already before I get a chance to do so. This frees me up to write about nonsense, a skill I honed in graduate school. I do just want to touch on our Door County weekend.

Cass came with me to see the parents the weekend after Thanksgiving. It was a great time. We rode up with Luke and Katie and stayed two nights. It was a snowy, cold wonderland there. This meant spending a lot of time inside playing with Aggie instead of taking walks with her. That's ok but I would've liked to go hiking or something. No big deal.

My mom got to see me with a beard which must have been exciting for her. She said she thought I looked nice. I thought that was polite.

We enjoyed the quiet evenings in just watching movies and relaxing with my folks. I am hoping to make it up in the spring when everything is blooming to enjoy the scenery and make Cass's allergies go apeshit.

This past weekend was a quiet one. Cass and I bummed around mostly dealing with this thing and that thing. I have to thank her for calming me down when I seem ready to lose my shit.

I didn't realize I would get to see Oli, Ang, and Lily over Christmas as well as Megan and Marty. Cass said something the other day that reminded me. This will be great as I haven't seen them in too long.

Rehab sucks. I may do a post on HMOs in the future if I ever decide I am boring enough to do that.

Unnecessary innuendo: I'll put my devil in your details, honey.