Last week I decided to start going to practice again. Need to get into shape, need to remember how to play, blah, blah, blah. Point being, tonight was to be the first night.

That was before my encounter with Painbringer, PT.

I woke up this morning almost unable to move. My hips, knees, ankles, shins and hamstrings hurt like a sumbitch (as we say back home).

So rather than practicing, I'm going to go to the gym and do the bike for an hour or so to loosen things up. Hopefully I'll be in better shape on Tuesday next so I can practice then.

Last night I walked home (trying to get in shape, after all). Right after walking in the door, I received a call from Michael telling me that he, Rob and Patrick were at XES Lounge for drinks. I was to cancel my plans (I had none) and join them. Great time. XES is a nice bar, clean, dark, nice patio, good crowd. The drinks were twofers during happy hour. The bartenders . . . well, they were pretty, but I wouldn't want them on my team at the Academic Decathalon. The manager (or at least I guess he was the manager . . . he was older than the other two bartenders) was this little crew cut sportin', camo wearin' hottie. Best part of the evening, other than being joined by Bob who lives nearby, was watching 'West Side Story' on a big plasma TV hanging over the bar. Of course, the sound was off so we could enjoy the house music. But this added to the general amusement. Sure we did the usual joking about the white 'Puerto Ricans', the extremely gay dancing gang members (kick, twirl, rumble), and the overblown emotions, but the best part was watching the dance numbers with modern dance mixes playing where Bernstein's score should be. Best one for me was Natalie Wood dancing on the rooftop to Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. It sort of worked.

Though it might have worked better over Anita's 'A Boy Like That'.