What a freakin' DAY!

There was way too much going on yesterday. However, it all seemed to work out really well.

BeerFest Aftermath
Friday night was a gong-show involving the following excellent things:

• Live Music
• Beer(Fest)
• "Sniper Wolf"
• SFO
• The Purple Onion
• Partying with my sister, whom, I learned, I miss a lot more than I previously realized

Saturday morning dealt with cleaning up the wreckage and having the classic greasy-spoon breakfast. After that, I spent 5 minutes brushing the snow off of my car - it had snowed about 6 inches through the previous night and that morning. I then drove one of my friends home and then...

I went to Work!
In the words of my friend Jane, "wow, you math nerds are hardcore." As far as working on Saturdays go, yesterday was pretty good. I finished everything that needed to be finished and didn't have to spend more than 3 hours there. I also got a chance to have a laid-back conversation with my boss about all kinds of things - you know, one of those talks where the wise teacher casually bestows his knowledge upon the pupil. It was sweet.

Co-ed Bridal Shower
I went to a bridal shower for my friends. It was quite the experience, actually. I hear that those things are usually boring as can be, but it was a lot of fun. Having a chance to meet up with those two lovebirds. lol. If I'm not mistaken, I overheard the bride-to-be say, "Well, I'm not so much excited for the wedding as I am for marriage."

That's the way it's gotta be! She's got such a good head on her shoulders.

Kegger
Yes, that's right. After the shower, I headed over to a kegger and BBQ. It was a year-end deal for the university wrestling team, but because of the brutal weather, the host decided to open the invitations up to any of his friends. I walked over there from my apartment - a solid 40 minutes - and was greeted by SFO, red-faced, and somewhat damp.

The dampness was because he had a shower. He had a shower because he had just previously been in the sauna. Indeed, this house had a sauna. The sauna would periodically produce sweaty-wrestling-dudes who would then go outside and wrestle in the snow. It was crazy to watch. I had a few beers.

Up to this point, everything had happened before 7:30.

Movies!
The night before, SFO and I had told each other that we should rent Kill Bill Volume 2, because neither of us had seen it, but both of us wanted to. So, what better time to do just that than at 8:15 pm after having done the best you could at a kegger?

We made the long walk back home, cracked a couple beers, and threw the movie on. SFO's consciousness barely made it past the opening credits. I hung on through the whole movie.

I cried at the part where B meets her daughter. There I was, all the events of the day preceding, at about 10:30 at night, crying to KILL BILL?! Holy crap.

During the movie, I realized that it would be done by 11 o'clock, and with SFO passed-out, I'd need to find some other companion for further festivities.

Vagina Monologues and Fedoras
Jane is a real go-to-girl for good times†. This weekend was no exception. I called her up and she said that she was going to go out dancing soon, but currently she was over at a friend's place having wine and something something... VAGINA MONOLOGUES?

"Matt, are you going to be ok with this? I mean, this place is full of girls. You will be the only guy here."
"Yeah, I can handle myself." Damn, that's hilarious.

I grabbed my fedora and made for the door. Upon arriving at the place, I recognized that Jane was absolutely correct. I was the only guy there, but it wasn't hard to fit in. The ladies were incredibly welcoming. One of them went so far as to give me a cute nickname, "Empire." This was largely due to the fact that she was very drunk, did not catch my name and "Empire" was the word displayed on my shirt.

Sincerely, though, it was a great time*.

Following this, we headed down to the bar for drinks and dancing. After walking one of the lovely ladies home, I myself, once again, made the long stroll along the river to my apartment.

Arriving home at just after 3 am, I had had a long, satisfying, convoluted day.

I usually hate to juggle activities like that, feeling that I'm often unable to really "give'er" as I switch from one to the next, but this time everything turned out really well.

I was full of vigour and resolve.

However, this morning, I find that I am now in need of the latter.



†A friend of mine pointed out that this line makes it seem like it was a booty-call. This is not the case. I was not desirous of booty. Just company and an atmosphere conducive to dancing.
* And they all agreed that my fedora is awesome. I would not have typed this if it was untrue, nor would I have typed this if SFO hadn't hated my fedora so much. That's right SFO, if you're reading this, I typed that just to spite you!

Irony... and just plain haggard stuff

This morning, I was a mess. Evidence of this is found in the fact that I woke up beside my buddy Clinto, who, upon waking up himself, declared, "Oh man... Matt, give me some not head-death."

I gave him some Advil. He was appreciative, but unsatisfied with the quickness of the relief. He demanded INSTANT GRATIFICATION!

Anyway, needless to say, last night consisted of a grand ol' time involving conversations with people I haven't spoken to in months or, in some cases, years. I also discovered the beauty of Iceberg gin. Those Newfoundlanders can really throw a good gin together.

But I digress. As I was saying, I was a mess. Right now, I feel much better (full of vigour and resolve?). I just arrived home from celebrating Mass, which was a very good thing - as it always is. And, today being Palm Sunday, I was audience to the traditional reading of The Passion.

The Passion is so incredibly moving... I am ashamed by this. I am ashamed because when I hear it told, I get chills and goosebumps and I sometimes even shed tears. But I so readily forget the meaning of it. I so readily harden my heart to it and allow myself to detach myself from the implications of the greatest series of events in history, and I fall into some very bad habits.

I've done a lot of things over the last few weeks that I would be a fool to repeat. It would be closing the door on the most complete and true love that I could ever know.

But I have done that before. And all the while I have been well within reach of the most perfect reason to refrain...

Okay Man, What's the Deal?

According to a recent e-mail, which I sent to my friend Sean°, "I AM FULL OF VIGOUR AND RESOLVE!"

And in being full of such powerful things, I've decided to make a few decisions. Life-changing decisions. Or at least, the results of said decisions will be life-changing should I see the plan through.

You see, my trip to Ottawa* to visit Jessica^ gave me a grand new perspective on a lot of things. It gave me reason to place more value on certain things in my life, to emphasize the pursuit of these things more fervently. Indeed, this emphasis was previously misplaced.

So, here is the agenda:

French is awesome.
I need to stop saying I should learn it and just commence l'apprendre. This will require a great deal of patience, co-ordination, support and practice. I have not yet formulated a plan for it yet. But I will (see next item).

Organize.
Back when I was in university, planning was not a difficult thing. I had stuff to do. I had time in which to do it. 1+1 = 2. It seems that the two months I took off after school and prior to starting work did some serious damage to my time management skills. Streamline!

Reading.
Reading is something that I have always enjoyed and appreciated. The benefits are immense. However, in allowing myself to become rather reckless in planning my life (see previous item), I have found myself with little time to read.

Additionally, I will now be adding a hefty volume to the stack: The Holy Bible. I don't know it nearly as well as I should. I've barely cracked the spine in the one I've had since I was 12 years old.

It's time to change that.

Please and thank-you.
What the hell is that about? Did I forget how to use these words? The number of waitresses, airline attendants, and bartenders whom I left unthanked over the course of my trip was appalling.

And yes, this is a big deal! It's a slippery slope, my friends. If "please and thank-you" now, then I think that reluctance to commit grand theft auto will go later.

So it goes.



Updates on my progress in these departments shall be posted here on this blog in the future.



°you'd think I have no other friends. But no, I do, I swear I do!

*I have yet to chronicle this tale. It is a doozy. The post in which this story is contained will likely also contain the events of the 5 or 6 days prior. Or else, the post might just never be made. It depends on what I have time for.

^See! I told you so!