A Saturday Night

So I went down to the Luce Blockalypse music-beer-and-pizza thing. Met up with some friends (Melinda, Ben and Andrea).

Ben had his first show with his new band the other night at Stasiu’s.

Band Name: Sneaky Pygmy.

Best Song (so far): Auto-Erotic Asphyxiation.

For the bridge Ben read out this text book “Auto-erotic Fatalities” he found in a dumpster at the U. As his band mates jammed he read in this low droning voice a medicalized description of hanging oneself while masturbating. I thought it was pretty cool. It reminded me of my Sex and Culture class. Pretty much everything reminds of that class.

Back to the Blockalypse: I purchased 20 meal/drink tickets (a dollar a pop). I ended selling a few back to Melinda and Andrea. I got a couple beers and stole a slice a pizza. I don’t think anyone was impressed. I guess sneaking off with food isn’t as impressive as it was when you were 16. It’s funny, I would have never have done that at 16, being a very serious 16 year old.

I wasn’t sure about Andrea or Ben but Melinda and I were there to check out the Alarmist. Melinda had told me good things. It was time for them to hit the stage so Melinda and I head towards the stage temporarily losing Andrea and Ben. I am always for getting right up to the stage, I don’t go to too many shows so when I do I want my ears to ring for days. Melinda is usually game but our other friends didn’t seem as enthusiastic. No big deal. The Alarmist were not that big of a deal anyways. So we held back and watched some of the more entertaining audience members.

A middle aged balled guy in a huge neck brace. He looked very serious and very uncomfortable having the fat under his neck pushed up through the bottom of his jaw. I imagined him head banging in his brace. Instead of bending at the neck, having to bend at the waste, and his arms up, fist and finger making the devil horns. I had a few laughs and passed the observation on to Melinda- I get a chuckle.

To the right- a slim well dressed graying couple in there late 50’s. “Oh she is drinking white wine” Melinda observes “Some lucky guy is getting head tonight”. I crack up.

A couple layers of people ahead of us is another 50 or so year old woman. Slim, dressed all in black with old beat up chucks. She is dancing like a mad woman. Some kind of punk/mosh dancing. Pretty much just bouncing around like a fool. We made a few cracks but I think we (at least I did) had some respect. She looked like she was having a great time. A lot better time then the guy in the brace or the stale, white wine drinking couple to the right. This lady could probably party harder then any of us and by the looks of it has been doing just that for many years.

The clouds looked like rain and soon enough produced. I was fine getting wet and rocking out but Melinda was dressed up and wasn’t down for getting soaked. Plans were quickly made: To the Red Dragon.

Ben and Andrea drove together; Melinda and I would meet them up there. It started raining pretty heavy so before we headed out I suggested we grab a couple of city pages to help stay dry. With the Pages over our head we started down the ally.

The paper wasn’t doing much. More of homage to the desire to stay dry then a successful attempt. Something caught my eye- behind a gray metal trash can was big piece of folded foam board. I tossed the Pages in the can and grabbed the board

“Here take this” I said to Melinda holding up one side of the foam board over her head. No hesitation from her, just surprised and approving laughter “Good idea!”, she hoist the board above her head and we walk down the ally looking like complete fools- albeit very dry fools.

After a few wrong turns and some confused looks from others on the stree we find her car. We ditch the foam board, pile in and head to the Dragon. A few drinks and a few eggs rolls there and then on to Liquor Lyles.

Turns out it was two for ones that night. Not a bad deal at all for a Saturday night. The place was pretty full and seemed like people were having a good time. After a few rounds of g&t’s, and cheap beer we became restless once again. Where too? Tiffany’s, St. Paul. Why? No clue. But it was an idea and our lazy minds attached. We got back into our various cars and to St. Paul we went. Ben and Andrea arrived there a few minute before us and called me. I guess there was a $6 cover and they were just going to head home. $6 cover? Bullshit.

So new plans began to form. To Goby’s- the ol’ standby. We arrive and ten friends are there to greet us. What a great place right? A round of shots (Melinda), a round of discreet puking (Sarah), and a pool cue into an eye (Sarah again…ouch).

The lights turn up and it’s bar close. Where too now? To Annie’s to drink some more and pass out. Thankfully Annie’s was walking distance. We go there, cracked some Mic Golden’s and Melinda orders a pizza from Luce. It all comes back around right? We started the night with Luce and ended it with Luce.

Things we getting late and we were not getting any more sober. Annie crashed in her bed around 3:30. A few wardrobe malfunctions later Liz soon followed with Melinda not to far behind. It sounded for awhile like they were fighting for bed space but soon enough all went quite. Out of curiosity I went and checked on them- nope, no lesbian orgy…damn!. So in disappointment I throw some pennies at them that were lying on Annie’s dresser. Nothing, they were out cold. After a visit to the john, I fell on the couch and started talking god with Sarah. After a few minutes of slurred pseudo-philosophy we let the late hour and intoxicants take over and quickly fell asleep.

Two minutes later Melinda comes out the bedroom, fully awake. “Ok lets go” Wait what? I passed out around 4:00am. I didn’t realize the sun comes up at 4:02. Fucking Christ. Oh, its 8:00. “the fuck is wrong with you?” I yell at Melinda. “Go to bed”. She laughs and grabs her keys. Fuck. We stumble into the car, laughing like idiots. It’s a curious feeling. Waking up drunk- not sloshed or anything, but drunk and its early in the morning. We are delirious- things seems really funny, if a little too bright. We drive back to Uptown and find our cars. A couple half drunken jokes and a few high fives and we go our ways and to our own beds to sleep the after noon away.