We (as in Bethany9, Ozwald, my friend Happy, and various friends-of-friends) spent much of the early evening on the drinking porch that looks out onto Belmont. I made sure to fill my belly with a burrito before taking to the beers, and after a few we all headed out to Boyztown�s Sidetrack -- one of the cleanest and nicest bars around.

Happy and I took turns buying rounds for each other to make sure that we kept our drink count similar. It�s just one of those safety things where we try to keep an eye on each other so we don�t end up having to carry the other home.

After a couple hours at Sidetrack on their AMAZING rooftop deck with a bunch of great people and a few frozen and very yummy vodka lemonades, Happy and I headed elsewhere for a little bit. Her boyfriend showed up in time to buy our last round, say our hellos to other people out there, and then head our separate ways.

I got on the homebound el at 1 and was asleep not too long after the 30-minute trek home. Don�t ask me why it took that long to go 4 miles, but it did. Luckily I wasn�t too drunk or too sleepy, and I made it home without incident... unlike the night I woke up at the scary-Larry 79th Street stop last summer�

On Saturday I found myself waking up to the sound of a scream.

My own scream.

I had just long enough to think, �Self -- Why are you screaming?� until the searing pain hit my nerves and allowed my sleepy self to realize that I was having a horrible calf cramp.

If you don�t know how to cure those immediately, here�s the secret that I read on the Internet that works for me: get out of bed and stand on the leg. The sharp pain is gone instantly, unlike all of that rubbing and pleading that I used to do.

One problem with having a massive leg cramp is that I�m left useless for a few hours afterward. Seriously, walking around is not an option. Luckily it was 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and I had the luxury of lounging in bed and feeling sorry for myself.

Benito called at 11:30 to make our Saturday plans. By then I was walking around the house, cleaning up and organizing stuff, so I was receptive to going to the Taste.

My boy showed up in white trash clothes and I looked �cute� (his word, which also became mine as the day went on). We bought a gazillion tickets and tried a little of this and a little of that. We rode the festival�s ferris wheel and saw just how many people were crowded into the park�s thoroughfares -- eek! We also saw a section we hadn�t been through, so that was our next stop.

My only request the entire time we were there was that I got a big ol� pickle on a stick as my last food item. I got my pickle all right, and I worked on it until we left the park to walk back to my place. By then, I had pickle fatigue that was cured by a 7-11 blue slushy mixed with the Crystal Light raspberry slushy.

We lounged around my place for a bit, recovering from the sun. He showed me this weird thing with cats where they freak out if you pant. Seriously. The next time you�re in the company of a cat, start panting, and they�ll roll around the floor and act nuts.

I just googled it, and there�s nothing out there. If you know what�s up with that, let me know. I�m quite curious, and I don�t have a vet visit planned to demonstrate the behavior or ask what causes it.

Whatever it was, Benito and I spent a long time panting and laughing and trying to continue panting while laughing.

After sitting on our asses for entirely too long and knowing that he had to leave the parking garage by a certain hour since his monthly parking doesn�t start here until July 1, we left my place for Whirlyball. We had no plans of playing, but since I didn�t know what it was, we watched. Watching was enough pain for me, and I even had one Blue Moon to lessen the view of the blows. OW! No whirlyball for Jo!

I got a couple dollars in quarters, and we played some of the arcade games. And after a spectacular come-back from a showing of 6-3, I maintained my undefeated status at air hockey. I think it�s time that I retire, a mere few months into the relationship, as not to tarnish my air hockey reputation.

In retaliation, it was suggested that we play this other videogame. Him knowing a thing or two about football coupled with being one of the guys who designed the damn game, he�d definitely be at an advantage there.

No. Thanks.

A stop at Block Buster, and we left with the Winnie the Pooh videogame having to do with Piglet helping other people be happy.

(Benito was pining after this game for weeks. He�s the one who likes pink piglets who get scared and tiggers that bounce and all that other stuff. Not me, okay?)

When he handed me the game to exchange, I made sure to tell the cashier just how *ahem* excited Benito was about playing the Piglet game.

Thirty minutes after playing the most unintuitive game (Holy crap -- I couldn�t navigate out of the options menu! How could a kid figure this out?), it was time to hit the hay.

Zzzzzzz.

We slept in the next morning and tried to decide what to eat for breakfast. Veggie eggrolls sounded most excellent to my morning time palate, so we found a place online and tried it out. YUM! Bangkok Inn gets a thumbs-up for having loads of vegetarian fare, cheap prices, and super-yummy veggie eggrolls.

We lounged back at his place, watched plenty of MTV, and then got me home well before dark so I could supposedly get things done.

Of course, very little got done. Ya know, unless you consider reading 300 pages, making some minute rice, reheating leftovers from that morning, and panting at Hambone productive.

Something kinda neat: I put on my Houston Astros night shirt last night, and it smelled like Benito�s sheets from the night before. I couldn�t help but sniff my shoulder every so often until the scent was all sniffed out and again smelled like me.

It was a most excellent Sunday, even though I apparently slept though an earthquake.

Today I�ve already gotten 112 emails that planned my week for me.

Tonight I will grocery shop since I obviously will not have time for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow is vball, followed up with our usual partaking in the social aspect of the Chicago Sport and Social Club. Bethany9 is joining my team for the $2 burgers and tots special with $2.50 draft beers. Whee!

On Wednesday I�ve been drafted onto a vball teammate�s softball team. I got an email this morning asking if I�d fill in so they didn�t have to forfeit, and I didn�t have the heart to say no since I usually just hang around the condo on Wednesday nights anyway. I emailed the captain and said that I was most definitely, um, sick if they were in an advanced league, as softballs lobbed at my face are not my idea of recreation. I was assured that the team sucked, was in a recreational league, and had no expectations of my abilities. Whew!

On Thursday we�re having another d-land rehash of this weekend where Bethany9, Ozwald, and I are meeting at my place (they�ll be the first besides Benito to see it!) to walk to the Taste to see Melissa Ethridge perform. Bethany plans to wear her �I love cunnilingus� t-shirt, and I just sent an email saying that I�d get all lesbionic with her since I�m so short that my face is already in her tits. I�ll make sure I wear my �Boys are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them� shirt.

On Friday Mick is coming into town to celebrate his 21st b-day and to join the fun at Lorinda�s going away party. Really. Is there anyone else to celebrate your 21st with? Uh-huh. That�s right.

So that�s my week. Being out so much, I�ll likely forgo the Monday night grocery shopping and just make sure I have enough supplies to make my dreamsicle frozen drinks as a pre-game for Thursday night�s free concert.

Have a great Monday! �