Bloggin, Touchin, Wheezin

DAY TWO:

Well, day two was a big old blur of basketball, beer, karaoke and middled-aged women. I was up at the crack of 10am. After putting Friday's blog to bed it was time to shower and get the game face on. After all it was St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick's Day for crying out loud! We would need food and beverage ASAP, or at least as soon as we could all shower, change and get our lazy backsides off the couch. We headed out to Pinhead Susan's for lunch and some good 'ol fashioned revelrie. We had to wait about 15-20 minutes for a table, so we had some spirits at the bar and watched some basketball as we waited for our table. Now there are only three tvs in the joint, and as they slowly sat parties of two at four-person tables in front of the big tv, we got ansy. When we finally got seated, it was in a back corner, which is usually where they try and hide the likes of us. I had no view of any tv, so I would focus on the menu of Irish delicacies. Yes I said Irish and delicacies in the same sentence. We got some Irish fries (sweet potato fries, for those not in the know) for the table as Tucker worked his charm on our waitress. Javen and I split some fish and chips and the Pinhead melt (that's cornbeef and melted swiss) and it was gloooorious! We headed back to Javen's to catch the end of the first set of games, but not without first stopping off at the local Stewart's Shoppe for some ice cream. They were giving away free cones if you had green on. I went with the Peanut Butter Pandemonium, which was a wooooonderful fusion of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter sauce, fudge and peanut butter cups. It was so good I may go back and pay for one!! We for filled to the brim and just wanted to lie down.

We relaxed and took in the games before we would head to the Van Dyck for Happy Hour. The big highlight of the early games...Iowa losing to 14 seeded Northwestern State, while Villanov-Monmouth almost put us to sleep. Monmouth didn't score a field goal in like the first ten minutes but, amazingly was still in the game. At about 4:30 we headed to the Van Dyck for some $1.50-$2.00 beers and some quick grub. They have some pretty good food and beers here. I was in need of drink, after seeing that wearing my Oral Roberts shirt did aid the Eagles in becoming the first 16 seed to win. Okay maybe Memphis is a shade better than I gave them credit for. I drowned my sorrows in four beers and a brisket sandwich. Tucker tossed be a bone...with delicious chicken covered with buffalo sauce on it, suckers. I was now about to explode. Walking was not easy, but somehow I made it back to Javen's apartment. It wasn't easy, there's a fair share of stairs involved. So lay on Javen's floor eagerly awaitng the UAlbany game and the arrival of UA superstud, Mr. Electric City himself, Paul Hoff.

We had green beer and knew that we would soon be joined by Billyball, who was on the thruway racing towards us as we watched. The Danes put forth a valiant effort, leading by as much as double digits in the second half, but alas their would be no upset here. My UAlbany shirt did nothing. For those of you scoring at home, my SU shirt, Oral Roberts shirt and my UAlbany shirt had all failed me, leaving me with just my sweet ass West Virgina tee shirt. We were pretty raucous now as Bill was here, several of the neighbors had now popped in, followed by a busload of thirtysomething women. Hey, I was as confused as you are probably reading this. But it made a tad bit more sense once I saw TT. She had gone out with some lady friends and they had stoppped in for some reason, it was purdy strange. Well the ladies departed, heavy one Dunford, a win-win for all involved. Paul's better half, Becky, and I began creating a buzz about going out to a watering hole of somesort. Several moments later we were off to Slick's for some screamers! That's what you would call a Genny Cream Ale. We had a couple of beers and watched Bradley take down Kansas for yet another stunning upset, knocking out my first Final Four team. But of course I was cheering for the Valley and the upset. Well Slick's was closing up shop, so we headed to one of my personal favs the Grog Shoppe for some burgers and beers.

There was a live band and someone came around with a hat to collect donations to keep the band going. I tossed some Washingtons into the hat and requested Journey. To my dismay, they played Lovin', Touchin, Squeezin. Not a bad song, but you get a request for Journey from drunken idiots you better be playing Don't Stop Believin, am I WRONG! We got Tucker to dance erotically with a middle-aged woman (picture not included, dang it!). After the Grog, some of us were not quite groggy enough. Tucker and Javen went back to snuggle, while Bill, Becky, Paul, Reyn and myself headed to the Thai Bistro for some karaoke. I was quickly thrust into play trying to sing the Sonny part of I Got You Babe, to some strange woman's Cher. I was terrible and did not receive a kind vote from the crowd, but Bill and I would get everyone all riled up with, what is probably the best bar song ever, Sweet Caroline and then headed home to pass out. So to recap:
Things eaten:
Fried Cod, Fries (Irish and French)
Half a Pinhead Melt
Peanut Butter Pandemonium Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Twix
Brisket Sandwich, more fries, cornbread, chicken wings
Cheeseburger, even more fries.
Things drinked, drunken, drank:
Smithwicks, Magic Hat-HI.P.A, #9, and Batch something or other, Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat, IPA, German Altered State, and of course, Genny Cream Ale.