Birth-Day-Me

Friday night is supposed to be a quiet one. I've got an early track meet on Saturday, so the idea is to go out briefly to celebrate Bini's birthday and then get in bed before I turn into a pumpkin. Half of that goes as planned. Hessica and I scoot up to the city around 8, and head to Do-Re-Mi, a karaoke place in J-Town. When we arrive, I'm immediately taken off guard as the place feels like a cross between a karaoke bar, a brothel, and that scary dungeon place in the movie Hostel. You walk in and there's a guy behind a counter in front of a long hall way with doors on both sides, all closed.

In each room are a bunch of couches, a tv and a karaoke machine set-up. Bini's there (complete with an awesome shirt that proclaims she's, "Better than a vibrator"), along with -Barbara, T, Tri, Za, McButter, Windy, Marge, Bini's brother, Xena, Cattastic and a few others. While I love the group, the karaoke songs start playing, (complete with very odd and absolutely unrelated video clips), and I feel like I've awoken in a sort of personal hell. But what's awesome is that not only is everyone in the room into it (and you don't have to share your karaoke with random strangers), but the place allows you to bring your own food and drink, so everyone proceeds to get boozed. We get a stern talking to at a few points when the attendant walking by outside sees alcohol bottles and tells us to put them away.

At 10, our stay there is over (you book the room by the hour), and the group is on to a dance club to continue their evening. This is when I'm supposed to go home, but we've told Hopper from the LoveShack that we'd swing by the AIDS benefit the I-Vibe crew was putting on with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence over at the El Rincon in the deep Mission. We arrive there and while it's not at all crowded, it's got the same positive and smoke friendly vibe that the Lark is known for on Monday nights. If being out past my bedtime wasn't enough, Hessica buys me a few drinks, and by the time we leave the club, it's late, I need a crepe, and I get about four hours of sleep before heading out to Pacific Grove.