Friday night, after a week of partial planning spearheaded by Jarles, it's time to surprise Da for his birthday by taking him bowling. We're doing it Big Lebowski style, which means a bathrobe and white Russians on the lanes. I've been told that the meet time is 9pm. I think this probably means more like 10, but I decide that I'll trust Jarles on their estimate, even though I consider it to be incredibly off target. Here's some news for you....don't trust Jarles!
I get the news around 7:30, as I'm preparing myself to leave the apartment, that they've just been seated at Sushi Sams. I figure if it takes an hour, they still MIGHT make it by 9pm. I finish getting ready and getting sloshed (try playing Beirut against yourself with Rodka in the cups instead of beer), and head out the door around 8:20 to get the 8:37 train to get to the lanes at 8:47. I figure this will give me time to go to the bathroom, burn one and then be on the lanes before Da shows up. It's when I pull into the Bart station around 8:30 that I'm called and told that they haven't eaten yet and it should be more like 10.
I then feel like I'm doing everything on rewind as I back out of the parking lot, drive home, go back upstairs and continue drinking (hey, I'm not paying for drinks out if I can avoid it!). This time, I decide to give them a little more lag time, and leave the apartment at 9:30 for a 9:47 train that arrives shortly before 10.
The Bart station is only a block from the bowling alley, I get my shoes, get a cup of ice for the can and flask in my pockets and find Da's family and D, who have already been bowling for about an hour. D and I start another game and about 20 minutes later the guest of honor walks in, dressed in his robe, ready to roll. It's white Russians for this guy...
Following two games in which we attempt everything from speed bowling to bowling without putting your fingers into any of the holes (this is D's preferred method), we head up to the city. I ride with D so he can drop his car off. This is a wise decision as, instead of driving up and parking and going into the bar, he and I get a ride with Maurod across town, drinks in hand, smoke out the window. At this point, I'm completely incapable of driving, and I have not yet paid for a single drink. This is a good start.
We decide to meet at City, because even though it's the same old, all the time, it's easy to find, get into and get drinks at. We treat Da to his first Mind Eraser, which, I think you can tell, goes down quite nicely...
What I remember at this point is that I had to ride back to the Game in the trunk of Gavroche's car. I'm also told that I was assaulted by Glace, which doesn't surprise me, and after getting all the way back to my place, realizing that I needed to be taken to my car at the Bart station to get my house keys. Hey, I wasn't going to call the fire department to let me in AGAIN.
Saturday's a good day off, and Sunday ushers in an actual birthday party for Da, complete with Beirut and other games of chance. It turns into a splendid Sunday affair, the only thing noticeably missing was a carrot cake that not so mysteriously never arrived. It was as if it was promised to be there, and didn't show up instead. I can only assume that it met the fate of most young carrots...it got eaten by bunnies. This is exhibit B of what I told you at the beginning.
Something in the air is starting to feel like the Lake.
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