Thurs. March 20-- Trivia & Carol's aka How old am I?

I'm retarded.

Last night was trivia and this time I got my friend Liz to go. I love Liz. She's one of my favorite people. But she's 28 years old. And I forget that sometimes. More importantly, I forget that I'M not 28. I forget that I don't have the bounce back that I did even a few years ago. I really forget it when there are cute boys around. Last night I forgot it completely.

Liz's boyfriend Andy goes to trivia as well and last night Liz & I got our butts kicked while watching college basketball. I did get the question right about a "Jersey jughandle" and about what country first tried to build a canal in Panama. But the round on Notre Dame football was brutal. Anyway, something I didn't know about losing in trivia is that you get a free round of drinks. Hot. So we drink and watch basketball.

Andy & Quiz Master Rich

Then go w/ Andy and his buddies to another bar. And another. Until finally we wind up at my favorite-- Carol's. For those of you not in Chitown, Carol's is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. It's a dive country bar that's open late. On the weekend there's a live country band every night. Old guys ask you to dance. Toothless women serve you beer. It's awesome. Last night was karaoke night and it was nuts. I really did feel like I was in college-- some guy started singing the Gin Blossoms (which is the 2nd time I've heard them in a week. What's up with that?) and then Liz and I sang "Shoop". It was so surreal-- Liz & I were singing, or rather rapping, and other people just took the mikes from us. This guy was dancing in front of me and just took my microphone and just kept singing "Charlie Weiss" to the tune of Shoop. And some girl took Liz's. We were kind of stunned. Of course, later I took a guy's mike bc he kept screwing up the words to "American Girl". There was a VERY butch lesbian who sang "Private Dancer". A random girl told me & Liz that she was scared of us. It was all too weird for just words.

That is a woman. I swear. Singing "Private Dancer"Liz & Andy
Liz & ConorMe & Conor around 3:00 am

My night ended at 3:45 am. 3:45. In the morning. Liz was the voice of reason suggesting that we go home and that we refrain from a burrito from the 24 hr Mexican place next door. I'm 34 years old. It was a weeknight. I have a job. I should know better. I should have learned my lesson by now. I'm sitting here using all my energy focusing on not puking. Puking in my own restaurant would NOT be smart for business. The Taco Bell I got at 10:30 am hasn't "settled my stomach" as I somehow reasoned it would. I've done this before. You think I'd grow out of this kind of behavior.

But I haven't. And I'll probably do it again next week.