Weekend Warrior

The weekend got started on kind of an irritating note. I normally don't go to the gym on Fridays, but last week I did. It was time for my three-month fitness profile, which measures the progress I'm making with my workout routine. Basically, I go in and have some measurements taken, then get put through my paces in some basic exercises. The profile itself was encouraging--I've increased my muscle mass and decreased my body fat a pretty significant amount, which is pretty awesome.

I didn't mind going to the gym after work. Brandi had to work until 7:00, so we decided I would just hang out after my profile and then we'd go out to dinner together. I thought I would just head into the gymnasium after my profile and shoot some hoops until Brandi was done. Unfortunately, that was where the irritation came in. I got done with my profile shortly before 6:00, and there was a class on the basketball court that was scheduled to end at 6:30. That wasn't a big deal. I went down and put in some time on some weight machines. I figured I'd just go up when the class was over and I'd still be able to shoot for at least a little bit before we went to dinner.

Alas, it was not to be. I went upstairs at 6:30 to find the class running past its scheduled end time. The participants finally started streaming out around 6:40. I was a little irritated at how long they had gone over, but I was still ready to go play for a few minutes. However, a group of little kids starting pouring into the gym at that time, for a "Kid's Club" event which was not listed on the open gym schedule. I didn't get to shoot at all, and I had been looking forward to it all day.

After that, though, things got better. Brandi and I went out for dinner at Don Pablo's. The parking lot was absolutely packed, and I thought we'd have to wait at least an hour for a table. They told us when we got inside that the wait would only be about twenty minutes, and I don't think it even took that long. Dinner was pretty good, and we even got to catch a little bit of the Cavs game on the TVs by the bar.

On the way home from the restaurant, I stopped at the grocery to pick up a bottle of wine, and I also bought Brandi some flowers. Brandi and I sat at our kitchen table after I got home, drinking wine and playing Scrabble, and we just had a nice, quiet evening here at home.

Nothing noteworthy happened on Saturday afternoon; nothing is coming to me right off the top of my head, at any rate. We slept in and then went out for something of a late lunch, and that was about it. Oh, and we went to the mall so Brandi could get her nails done.

On Saturday evening, we decided to go out for a few drinks, and we got them. Yes indeed, we got them. We started at B-Dubs, where we played a couple games of pool (neither of us is very good, but it's fun to play) and had our first two drinks. From there we headed to Downtown, where our drinking escalated. We know one of the bartenders there, and it so happened that there were two open seats at the bar in the section she was working. Each time she poured a shot, she poured one for us to try. It was an awesome way to taste some new shots we hadn't tried (or even heard of) before, and it was also an excellent way to get pretty fucked up. I tend to have a pretty high alcohol tolerance, but we were both drunk by the time last call rolled around.

Neither of us being in any condition to drive, we did the sensible thing and walked home despite the cold. We made it home and watched some Chris Rock standup on Comedy Central before finally passing out together.

We got up at 10:00 on Sunday, and I found out rather quickly that I wasn't feeling very well at all. I wasn't in danger of throwing up, but I was a little queasy and pretty dizzy. There was a BG basketball game at noon, and there was at least some question of whether or not I was going to make it. I hate to miss a game, though, so we decided to go despite the fact the game was supposed to be televised.

Normally I like to arrive at the arena an hour before tipoff, just to make sure I get the spot I want. On Sunday, due mainly to how poorly I was feeling, we didn't get there until 11:20. Our timing was fortuitous, however. As we got into line to buy tickets, a gentleman got Brandi's attention and handed her two tickets he didn't need. He walked away before I could offer to pay him for them. That saved us $18, and it was really nice of the guy.

We walked into the arena to find that one of the backboards had been shattered by a dunk (by BG player Mawel Soler) in pregame warmups, and the arena crew was in the process of bringing in a replacement. It was really interesting to watch, actually. Of course, it was a good thing that we actually went to the game, because the start time was delayed due to the backboard replacement, and therefore the television coverage was cancelled.

It was an awesome game, even though it didn't seem like it was going to be. BG played Miami, one of the best teams in the conference, and the RedHawks got out to a pretty big lead in the first half. BG hung around, though, kept fighting, and finally took a lead at the very end of the game and hung on for a one-point victory. I was feeling much better by then (a pregame Pepsi had mostly calmed my stomach), so Brandi and I joined in the celebration as the students rushed the floor at the buzzer. That's always fun.

Before we left for the game, Brandi had put a pot roast and some vegetables into our crock pot to cook while we were at the game. By the time we got home, much later than we expected, it was ready to be eaten. It was quite awesome, especially since we hadn't eaten anything to that point (well, Brandi had some popcorn at the game, but that was it).

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. We did some laundry, watched part of the Oscars, and then watched I ♥ Huckabees, which I had borrowed from work. Interesting movie. I liked it, but Brandi didn't; she actually went to bed before it was over. I stuck it out, though, and ended the weekend when it was done.