Recovery Mode

Yesterday I woke up feeling like I'd aged twenty-five years. My Diet Mountain Dew caffeine fix didn't even cut it. Late-night boozing + 3 hours of sleep + 8 A.M. runs = exhaustion. As if the energy drain weren't enough, my leg muscles ached with a stiffness I hadn't experienced since I started running again last March. Apparently, my body felt the need to punish me for not taking better care of itself! Painfully questioning, how the hell do you plan on running 26.2 miles in a month?

I don't have the energy to give a detailed weekend run-down so you get the truncated version. Friday night GC and I hit up The Loop. Every time I go there, I like it even more -- good music, laid-back atmosphere, older crowd (25-35 age range). Through repeat visits, we've established a "regular" bartender -- she bought our first round!

GC and I saddled up to the bar and passed judgment, as we do. She noted that most of the people there are average-looking, but they're dressed nicely. The majority of guys wear button-down shirts and the girls wear cute tops. So true! And what a difference it makes. I love hanging out with her -- she really cracks me up and always offers insightful observations. Never a dull moment.

TheGuy texted and asked what I was doing so he met up with us later. By the time he got to The Loop, he had to stand in line seeing as how he wasn't a hot chick. To further delay his wait, some drunk douchebag directly in front of him kept harassing the bouncers, eventually calling one of them a "fucker" and getting kicked out of line. Prior to TheGuy's arrival, he sent me a text saying he was at some bar in the suburbs where there were thirty dudes and two chicks, wanting to know if I thought it was a gay bar. Turns out it's just some dive bar in a strip mall, as he explained later. Funny nonetheless, especially when GC said, "So you were at a gay bar?"

Not-So-Honorable Mentions:

- Someone had a heinous case of gas all night - it was foul and obnoxious
- One chick (the crazy dancing fool she is) got permission from the bartenders to dance on the bar and wowed everyone by doing the splits
- I met some girl while standing in line for the bathroom - our urination schedule was in sync
- Note to self: Stop sleeping in your contacts!

Saturday I went out with a friend downtown. We bounced around from place to place, bumping into friends and acquaintances along the way. We spent time at The Annex in hopes of spotting my friend's crush and he did, in fact, turn up there, but it was so packed that we never found him again and she later learned he left five minutes after we saw him.

Over the weekend, it was apparent just how much I go out these days. At my regular places, I no longer have to pull out my I.D., the bartenders know what I drink, and they hook us up. When I end up in AA, I'm blaming them.