Australian Open 2008 - Day 8

I chose deliberately to get up an hour before I had to be at work and to forgo that extra sleep after a longer than average night.  I needed to run.  I was slated to work day shift today and was going to meet an old buddy that I haven't seen in 4 years.  Since that meant an above average chance of significant drinking, I knew Saturday would not likely be a workout day either.  Well, that's an odd thing to say honestly, as 3+ miles of walking a day isn't exactly being lazy, but the point is that I wanted to go for a run one of the next two days and this was the only way to make sure that happened.  As I had indicated yesterday, laid everything out ahead of time and was able to get up, get dressed and get going.

The run is actually quite nice, and amazingly I came back to the hotel feeling refreshed and more energetic than I had before the run.  Must have been the runner's high I never had before (I get done with a workout and I am exhausted, not refreshed.)

Worked a day shift uneventfully and then walked to meet Bill.  It was the first time for me at the River Bar.  It is a bar that's totally open air, which in this era of no smoking indoors means it is chock full of folks dying to light up.  Security was annoyed at me because the bar was pretty packed, but I saw Bill, he waved me over and the security guy had to deal with it.  I got there, and walked to the bar to order.  That is still one thing I'll never really get used to.  There is rarely if ever such a thing as table service at a bar so you have to work your way up to the bar and then hope to catch the eye of the bartender.  I ordered a pint of Asahi and tried to not show any sticker shock when she calmly told me it was $13.50 for the pint.  I was reminded of the line from 40 year old virgin and managed a weak laugh.

From there, we went literally upstairs to Transport Bar.  It wasn't any less expensive.  I did at least convince Bill to let me put my pack in the trunk of his cousin's car so I didn't have to worry about that.  Also gave me the chance to take off the venue shirt and stow it as well.  It was at this point that Jagerbombs and a variety of other drinks started to flow.  I knew then it was likely to be a bad night.

Bill likes to go to Brunswick street.  It is definitely more colorful than here in the CBD, so I am more than willing to go.  Unfortunately, I hadn't had any food and I was starving.  I chose to have a lamb souvlaki and some chips and I was set.  We popped into an odd little bar and a band called Dr. Detroit was playing.  Now, that in itself was uneventful, other than the fact that the lead signer also was a flute player.  Rare to find a bar band with a flute player.  In the end, I asked for a ride back to the hotel.  I am too old to be out partying that late and that hard.

I called Colleen at work on the way to my room.  I was happy to speak to her, and slurred a bit about how much I loved and missed her.  I tend to get sappy when I am drunk and she knows it.  Into the hotel to discover that my cool key bypass trick is acting flaky.  Too drunk to care, I stuck the key into the electricity slot and passed out on the bed.

Cheers!