The Journey begins. I leave work in like 5 minutes. Its gonna be some food on the run, then a sweet, sweet blue line up to O'Hare. After that, London, then Kolkatta(Calcutta). I'm insanely tired because a certain manWhore(Dan Shine) and T. kept me at Rhino's until close. And then there was some wrestling at Crescent, then some wandering home. A good, but late and drunk night.

As an important note, I think someone just hosed me down with Febreeze. I guess I shouldn't have skipped my shower this morning.

Yeah, I'm gonna be the stinky guy on the plane.
- posted by Pat @ 4:43 PM

 
Its interesting, the busier the day, the less I actually want to blog anything. Not because I just don't want to, but because I'm effing tired.

Monday: Woke up an hour late. Meh. Spent 3 minutes too long getting my pants on. Sprinted 3 blocks in boots, a coat that was having fun falling off and attempting to tie itself around my legs with aid from my backpack and on slippery cement. No, of course I didn't make it. 3 minutes. I would've been aces. So I'm waay late to work. And I've got a coference call at 9am. I fire it up at a little after 9 sitting in a Krispy Kreme right outside my train station. After a half hour, I'm awake and realize I can walk and listen in on the call. I don't need to say anything. And I'm muted anyway because doughtnut making is a noise intensive process.

The walk to work was great. I ran into Beth Doyle, a girl I went to highschool with. I became 'that guy'. 'That guy' who is walking down the street with his cellphone glued to his ear and making "important business decisions". Like, how early can we pop off work in India so we can get more of the happy hour? Needless to say, that is a 'that guy' I really want nothing to do with. Ohh how I hate 'that guy'.

Did stuff at work. Helped the masses. Or, at least the new types at my job. Can I say they're mewling? That's some tight consonance if I can.

The night brought dinner with the Ibbotson people, and then the fake coffeeshop. It was fake because it was closed. No one knows why. Also, no one really cares because we just went to the crossing instead. Oh, we played UNO. And it was a blog reunion with some dude named Jason Moss. I repeatedly insulted him and attempted to get him to bet on UNO. He would not take part.

Tonight is my last night stateside, so I'm prolly gonna do something cool like burn down some buildings then flee the country. You know, pretty standard leaving the country fare. That or pack and play video games. One of the two.

And now that I'm actually settled into what I'm doing at work, its time to leave. Ahh, I can only hope I'm completely unsettled for the rest of my life. Who wants to be regular?
- posted by Pat @ 3:08 PM

 
I've been busy. Been playing video games, watching Anime and bumming around. I also had a bunch of drugs shot into my arm. Good times.

Video Games:
Goblin Commander - Interesting game. Its a real time strategy game. Its a poor man's warcraft 3, but it killed some time. Well, really, Shine and I killed a bunch of critters that were running around the world. Found a Black and White-esque monster that eats shit like his own troops and then stopped. Eh.

Zelda: Link to the Past - It still rules. So much time I need to spend on it. W00t! Sometimes, I actually like being a commuter.

Anime:
Gasaraki - its medium sized robot fighting. Not Eva sized, not even Gundam Wing sized. Its an actually practical sized human controlled robot. I don't think its got a great cockpit interface, but I haven't seen one I liked yet. Not even Evangelion, which I thought was awesome, even if otherPat calls me a cockmuncher for it. Its got some weird stuff going on, but as I'm only 7 episodes in, its all still hazy.

Cowboy Bebop - A great, great series. Just spectacular. Its dark, it has its funny moments and the characters are very easy to get into. And, like many great stories, it gets better the second time through. That's really the test for me, can I read/watch/listen to this story again? Will it continue to make me think/laugh/want to hit Koby in the head for never posting? Or, is it a great rental, talk about the one good scene/paragraph it had and then move on?

Gasaraki may be a one watch only, not real sure. Cowboy Bebop? I'm gonna be watching this one for years.

I'm going to Kalkota next wednesday. Yeah, its in India. It used to be called Calcutta. Who knew? I'm gonna be gone for 3.5 weeks. I'll be putting stuff up while I'm over there. It should be some madcap mayhem, increased because I don't speak the language.

Its been since saturday. I went an entire work week without a beer. It was my goal for the week. Now, am I gonnna go out tomorrow and get loaded? No. This is me finding things other than beer and bars to do. It hasn't been the most interesting of weeks, but last night I heard a bunch of voices. One of them said "Northwestern". There were a bunch of others, but I wanted to give them all a chance to speak and I fell asleep before I could write what they said down. Hopefully they'll come back tonight.
- posted by Pat @ 11:14 PM

 
I was a big loser in grade school. It happens to a lot of people. Fine. I've dealt with it. I had some self esteem issues coming out of it, but I've gotten over that.

I still have a mental block when I run into the people who used to bully me or just the "cool kids" from grade school. And I know its a pavlovian response. But the people I run into have absolutely no problems chatting with me. They aren't cocky, or condescending. They're just hanging out and catching up with people.

Am I alone on this? The "still feeling like you have to prove yourself to people who you haven't seen in years and don't care about anymore because they are from a decade ago, but you still feel less then them" thing.

I'm getting better, I'm not quite as withdrawn with these people as when I first ran into them, but I'm still far more self conscious around them then anyone else I meet. This is just a Pat check that I'm not a complete nutter/hose beast or what have you.

Rock the comments.
- posted by Pat @ 3:18 AM

 
That work thing is doing something totally awesome for me now. Its all not making me come in anymore. Something about, not having anything for me to do and not, you know, actually liking me as a human being.

Or something.

Zelda continues to rock my commuting world and buying that GBA was probably the best purchase I have ever made. And it will, of course, only get better with time as I put more money into it. And invest in that stupid headphone jack adapter.

I got to talk to Zach Stroum of Shaw Island fame. I was, uh, something less then eloquent. Maybe next time I won't be shocked that I'm talking to a celebrity.

Or maybe I need to, you know, not care. I mean, he's just this dude that I've been reading for, you know, 2-3 years or so. Nothing special at all.

And where am I going for my first assignment? Still no idea. Seriously, anybody want to make bets? I'll give you odds.
- posted by Pat @ 10:26 PM

 
minorPat: Go to Texas. You can then revelle in the Statewide Love of George W. Bush, your idol in these hard and confusing times. They also go through hotsauce like water. Well, okay, they don't actually drink a glass of the sauce when they're trying to take some asprin. But they go through a lot of it. I suppose a better analogy would be "like ketchup", but who the fuck has ever said anything like that?

I have puchased a GBA SP. I feel good. I was walking home from the train station in Beverly last night. Yes, I had a couple of drinks in me. But, I walked for three blocks, part of which was up a flight of stairs, without looking up. I actually crossed a fucking street without realizing it. If I'm not careful, this GBA thing will make me cease to be.

But, it'll be Zelda induced, so I guess its okay.
- posted by Pat @ 7:01 PM

 
It was another night at Rhino alone. I still think these nights label me as some kind of drunk. But I have such a good time up there. Meeting random people, getting good sports talk when not hanging with Dan(the fake grog member). And I get great Grog material. All in all, its always a good trip.

The people who are advocates of the handicapped made a big, and wildly sucessful, push to change how people refer to them. They're not mentally or physically handicapped anymore. They're "special". All this has done to me is give me a different word to call myself when I do something stupid. So at least once a day. I'll look at what I've done and go, "wow, I sure am special today."

I'm not sure if that's another point for me going to hell, but it probably is.

I have to turn my in nuts in right now. Its a sensative subject that guys just shouldn't talk about.

My new shoes.

I got a pair of Doc Marten boots on saturday. I had to travel around for a couple of hours to get to the appropriate store. But I bought them. And yes, I realize that that alone is enough for me to have to turn in my card that says I'm a male. But my sweet new 8 eye boots give me blisters. I'm toughing it out and just taking the pain and letting the calouses(spelled wrong, eat me) form. But damn, that's some pain I never wanted. And all you women, what one of you who read this, who have dealt with this kind of shit for your whole life...

Damn, impressive. Dumb like me, but impressive.

I've been spending too much wonderful, wonderful time up at Rhino. I got called Cliff Claven(ala Cheers) tonight. It was a compliment because I'm a fan of Rhino and it would totally rule to be the Cliff of Rhino. But damn, I've been logging too many hours there.

And now, the sports commentary.

The Blackhawks produce the best goalies in the league. Belfour. Hacket. Hasek. Brodeur. These are names that need no first name they are so good. They just dominate. The next TWO entries into this category, Thibault and Anderson. That's Jocelyn and Craig, respectively. I have no idea how the 'hawks produce such amazing goalies so consistently and yet still manage to blow major chunks. But they do. All you have to do, to be a great goaltender is get into the 'hawks system. They just do something very, very right for that position.

Now, if only they could figure out the rest of the ice, I'd be set.
- posted by Pat @ 12:46 AM

 
I went to the Rhino again tonight. Yes, sadly, I was alone. However, I met yet another girl(there a lot of girls), I caused some havoc and I got drunk.

I also made a bunch of notes explicity for this post.

-I talked one of the bartenders into sprarying some his friends with water from the tapper thing. It wasn't the beer tap. It was that flexible cord tool thing that dispenses a number of things. But he sprayed water. And I got blamed, which makes it good.

-Michael Jordan, the greatest player in basketball history who only played for the Bulls. That wasn't Jordan playing for the wiz.

-The Bulls need to give the ball to the fat guy. Eddy Curry. He knows what to do with it. And he's Piefull. Piefull means fat, thanks Doug Stewart.

-Kirk Hinrich is the Rookie of the Year. He sees the court like a seasoned vetrean and he has the best moves I've ever seen from a white guy. I'm talking drive from the arc, make three defenders look silly and then score. He's amazing.

-I like being drunk. I went out alone tonight and it was awful until I started feeling drunk. I think I may have a problem.

-I made these notes while I was in the bar. Yes, I was making notes for the Grog while I was boozing. Shouldn't I have something better, like beer, to take care of while in a booze hole? I live for these posts. So all four of you should shower me in Guiness.

-I was totally "that guy" tonight. I was that guy that you end up talking to at the bar while you're getting your drinks. He's(me) is just sitting there, drinking alone and he starts talkning to you. And he won't shut up. Yeah, I was "that guy" for a bit tonight.

-Tyson Chandler is back. I don't know how healthy he is, but he is back. Thank you basketball Lords.

-So I had a post awhile ago about this guy who rewrote a bunch of the Lithuanian Consitution. That guy played me like a two cent bitch. Sorry, he lied. All he does is hang around the bar, spend an hour or two on the shitter, and then he goes home. I don't know what his actual deal is, but he lied to me. Sonofabitch.

-I had a "Beer Goggle" feeling tonight. It happens. You have enough to drink and every female is attractive. Thankfully for me Andy taught me how to recognize the beer goggle feeling. I had it. I have, written down, "go home alone. Its best."

Thanks Andy(fishman)

-I hate Tim McGraw. An exgirlfriend wanted to marry him. It was just her idol guy, or whatever. I don't want to know that. I will forever hate him. I really don't care if you only like him because of his music. That, right there, is someone I have no hope of competeing with. He's a country music god. Or something.

And yes, Laura(she doesn't read this Grog) I do hate him from when we dated.

This was a massive post, courtesey of me being drunk and sadly, sadly, alone. But its all good, because I am not drunk. Nope. I am shitfaced.

I'm gonna go pass out and look forward to an incredible hangover tommorrow. I hope everbody else wakes up without said horrible hangover.

And yeah Erica Enrigth(this last name is misspelled. I hate names) was my first drunken cell phone call. It was tonight. And it was good. Go St. Louis Erica.

And the girl...

Well, I'm gonna try. And the notice will be posted here as soon as it happens.
- posted by Pat @ 1:43 AM