Man, it was crowded last night.

At first, I sat on the throne. Some strangers were on the sofa. I suspected that they might be weirdoes, but I gave them the benefit of a doubt while I had a Rogue Chocolate Stout (1352). Plus, one of the people wasn't a stranger - it was HotEuchreGirl, and I was convinced that she was about to lose a button on her shirt. I didn't want to miss that when it happened.

For the next hour, at about five-minute intervals, more people kept showing up and joining the living room area people. It was quite ridiculous. Every time someone would walk through the door, the crowd of now-confirmed weirdoes would holler out greetings, and the new person would squeeze into the area.

Luckily, by the time I ordered another Rogue Chocloate Stout (1372), this one hot girl had left the bar so I moved up there and sat.

I talked with MusicalHippieDude for a while about various crap. He will be getting a new nickname, but not until after the holidays. I don't know who reads this thing. I also had some potato wedges with beer cheese. I just kind of vegged out.

At 9:30 or so I walked over to this Jack's place next door. Mainly I wanted to see if (a) HotEuchreGirl was there and (b) if that button had popped off yet. It had certainly been under a lot of strain when I'd seen her earlier. I've read that spider silk is the strongest substance in nature, but I don't believe it. I think it's the thread that was holding that fucking button on.

Well nobody I wanted to see was at Jack's, so I went back to Rich O's and had a beer that was new to me:

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (10)

(draft) Black in color. Decent white head. Roasty cola aroma. Very well-balanced between coffee and chocolate. Pretty damn good.

At Mac's, I didn't see anyone I knew at first, but then I saw a familiar hand sticking up out of the crowd.

MisunderstoodGirl, waving at me!

Yay!

So we spent a few minutes talking about what she's been up to since I last saw her. There wasn't any need to talk about me because nothing ever changes with me.

I came home at around 11:00 and played some pool for a while.

...my true love gave to me,

Eleven DaveFest t-shirts,

Ten doses of Paxil,

Nine orthodontist appointments,

Eight ponytail holder thingies,

Seven trips to Vegas,

Six pints of Tremens,

*** Five pairs of jeans with sexy yet still modest holes in them ***

Four sleepless nights,

Three designated drivers,

Two cute pairs of glasses,

And a yummy pint of Guinness.

Tonight, I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about doing something, doing something with someone who I have no business thinking such thoughts about.

It was wrong of me to think those things about that person.

It was wrong, but I don't care, right now.

It's my brain, after all.

And it was a lot of fun, thinking about doing those things with that person.

Also, there was certainly no disrespect intended. Even when I was thinking about that one certain thing that's illegal in many states.

...my true love gave to me,

Ten doses of Paxil,

Nine orthodontist appointments,

Eight ponytail holder thingies,

Seven trips to Vegas,

Six pints of Tremens,

*** Five pairs of jeans with sexy yet still modest holes in them ***

Four sleepless nights,

Three designated drivers,

Two cute pairs of glasses,

And a yummy pint of Guinness.

Something's been bothering me all day.

Not, as some people might suspect, not the fact that HatGirl called me "Dan" last night. That was surprising, but only until I realized that she'd had a whole inch and a half of beer. I actually consider myself lucky that she got the first two letters right. And that she didn't vomit on me.

What's bothering me is something that I can't really write about, except in a vague and generic and rhetorical sense.

Did you ever do something incredibly stupid? Maybe even something that seemed, deep down in your gut, like a bad idea, but you did it anyway? Something where, if you'd thought to actually ask, everyone you know would have told you how stupid you were about to be? But you didn't bother to ask, because you were being so stupid that you thought you already knew all the answers?

And then, days or weeks or months later, then did reality come crashing down upon you, making you realize how stupid you'd been? And did you then wonder why nobody had told you, before it was too late, how stupid you were about to be?

Did you ever wish that people would have just spoken up, that they wouldn't have waited for you to ask? That they'd locked you into a barrel and fed you through the bunghole until you came to your fucking senses?

Well I've done every one of those things. More than once. But right now I find myself on the other side.

That's what's bothering me. I want to help someone, convince someone to not do something stupid, but I haven't been asked for advice, and it's really none of my business anyway.

I kinda wish I had a barrel handy tough. Just in case.

Went to lunch at The Pub yesterday, just mainly to get out of the office for a bit. I had a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (204) while I was there. It was quite good, though it clashed with my curry fries a bit.

Then after lunch I got a text message from this chick I know. Her name escapes me, but she wanted to see if I was going to Rich O's after work. I said that I'd go if she would.

Then I went and got a haircut, then I went to Rich O's. I had an NABC Bonfire of the Valkyries (40) at the island while I waited for some strangers to leave the living room area.

Then they left so I moved to the throne.

Next I had a beer that I didn't think I'd had before. I was wrong about that. I did, however, go ahead and update my review:

Ridgeway Seriously Bad Elf (22)

(draft) Take a bland IPA, and wash your socks in it. Then take it to your local steel mill, and use the same beer to wash the socks of everyone who works there. This just might give you a good idea of what this beer tastes and smells like. Actually, it would taste and smell better than the beer does, but I didn't want to go overboard with my description.

Then some weirdoes came and took the sofa. I figured it would be okay because WhatsHerName could still sit on the loveseat.

But noooooooooooooo!

Another weirdo came and sat on the loveseat. Disgusted, I moved picked up my shit and moved to the bar.

At about 6:30 I was starting to figure that WhatsHerName had stood me up. I was thinking about leaving, but then she came in.

So I ordered a yummy Rogue Chocolate Stout (1332) and we talked for an hour or so. It was nice.

I'd really like to see WhatsHerName again. I hope I remember her damn name by then. I can't call her "Hey you" forever.

This DM1 dude tagged me to list some crap. I just copied these from my about me page.

1. I have this rock. I talk to my rock and take it everywhere. Did I mention that it's a rock?

2. I'll make up new, cat-themed lyrics to songs and sing them to my cats. I make Buddy dance with me while I do this.

3. I've developed the habit of smelling my beer before each sip, to enhance the tasting experience, and now that habit has spread to everything I drink. Doesn't matter if it's water or Diet Vanilla Coke or orange juice or whatever - I'm smelling it before each sip.

4. I brush my teeth, then rinse with this supposedly "cool mint" mouthwash that burns my mouth so much that I brush my teeth again right away to neutralize the mouthwash.

5. When I'm on the phone at home I can't just sit and talk. I have to either walk around or shoot pool or straighten things up - anything but just sit and talk.

...my true love gave to me,

Nine orthodontist appointments,

Eight ponytail holder thingies,

Seven trips to Vegas,

Six pints of Tremens,

*** Five pairs of jeans with sexy yet still modest holes in them ***

Four sleepless nights,

Three designated drivers,

Two cute pairs of glasses,

And a yummy pint of Guinness.

Just two more days of work, then a five-day weekend! Then two days of work next week, followed by a four-day weekend!

Yay and yay!

But wait! I'm on-call next week.

Boo!

---

Looks like my little diatribe about HatGirl's birthday did some good. People have recognized her spectacularity and have agreed to attend her party. HatGirl at first wanted me to bring cut up tomatoes, but I told her that's way outside my culinary abilities. Now I'm bringing taco shells and shredded cheese. Those things I can handle.

---

I get irritated when people jump right out of one relationship and into another. This is probably just a jealousy thing.

---

I slept for ten hours last night. I needed it.

---

There was a brief period when I thought that there was an actual chance that I might have a girlfriend this holiday season. I think that would have been nice. Especially on New Year's Eve.

---

This dude at work was on the phone yesterday morning. He hung up the phone and announced that he had to go to Mexico. We all thought he was kidding. Then the guy flew to Mexico, and so now we're not so sure.

Not because she felt it.

I'd sometimes, like maybe a gazillion asstillion times, worried about it, or hoped for it, depending on my current insanity level.

Not because she felt it.

I was surprised because she said it.

Out loud.

To me.

She could have stuck her tongue in my ear, and I wouldn't have been more surprised than I was when I heard those words come from her lips.