Category "Nightlife"
May 03, 2007
At the Onion...Again
It's another nice day in Minneapolis again, and I decided to skip an actual workout in lieu of it. It's sunny and 72º and it doesn't get much better than this. So I walked from my house to the Purple Onion and it's patio overlooking University Avenue and downtown Minneapolis.
The last time I was here I started doing some "fuzzy math" for estimates for the total eligible gay male population in the Twin Cities area... and this is my result:
5,000,000 people in minnesota * 50% that live in the metro area * 50% male percentage * 5% gay percentage * 20% (within the acceptable age range 20-30) * 20% (the ones that are actually datable) * 50% (the ones that are single) = 1,250 eligible gay male bachelors.
That 5% was being very generous. Same with the second 20%. However, if we're going with the percentage of men on the patio that are gay right now... we're looking at 6/7.
Okay, whatever, critique my estimates, I don't care. So I was reviewing this math with Peter B one Saturday morning, and we, understandably, became depressed. Considering we know, or know of, almost 1,000 gay men in the city. That leaves 250 datable gay men left.
We were ready for a break.
My solution to our worries was to take a road trip somewhere. Chicago was too far for a Saturday afternoon. On top of that, if we went anywhere we would need a place to stay. Duluth? no... LaCrosse? no... EAU CLAIRE!!! For anyone that doesn't believe me, I will testify that Eau Claire does indeed have a gay bar. So do Duluth and LaCrosse, for that matter... but where would I have stayed there? I've never actually stayed in a random hotel ever. I was not about to call the Eau Claire Marriott and ask them for a room. No... Trying my options, I finally came across crazy Ben. He's a freshman at UW-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Yes, he lives in the dorms. We've hot tubbed together after the Saloon one night.
Around eightish Peter and I departed and headed east on I-94. Part of the deal for putting up with us over the weekend, I offered Ben that we buy him dinner. So, we arrived in Menomonie around 9, saw UW-Stout, picked up Ben, had dinner, dropped him off, and continued the extra half hour to Eau Claire.
It was around 11 oclock when we finally walked into Scooter's. Perfect bar time, right? Indeed. I'd estimate the place probably had about 100 people in it. It was definitely not disappointing; at least not at first. I'm not going to lie, it felt good to have everybody stop what they were doing to look up at us. I am somewhat narcissistic like that. We both had to pee, so that was priority #1. Peter went first, while I worked on priority #2: getting drinks. I ordered two beers and handed him a ten, hoping it would be enough.
He gave me back seven fifty. Excuse me? Two beers? Two Fifty? Beers in Minneapolis cost anywhere from four to five dollars, even six. This was ridiculous. It was my turn to pee.
I was waiting in line when I noticed a stack of Lavender magazines on a stand by the back door. Even 100 miles away, we could not escape the reach of Sven Sundgaard. It's uncanny. I did dine out for life, by the way. They better find a cure for AIDS now. [P.S. Sven needs to not be so orange.]
The rest of the night was a broken record for the most part. I found the 10 cute (or close enough to cute) guys at the bar went up to them with my beer and started talking out of nowhere.
Me: "Hey dude, what's up?"
Dude: "Hi there."
Me: "So... are you from Eau Claire?"
Dude: "Yup, I live right over there..."
Me: "What do you do here?"
---Peter jumps into the conversation---
---Five More minutes elapse---
Dude: "Well, my boyfriend does this and this..."
Me: "Oh that's cool."
---Five more minutes of chit chat---
Me: "Oh! I need another beer! See ya later dude!"
Repeat previous sequence five times.
I'm not joking about the boyfriend line. Literally everyone that was cute at Scooter's had boyfriends. Peter and I had to give it some thought. How does this happen? I can't find a boyfriend with a dating pool 50 times bigger. Yet, in Eau Claire, everyone seemed to be dating someone. Not that I'm really that desperate by the way. I guess it's different in Eau Claire. The guys there try a lot harder to make relationships work out because, well, nothing better is ever going to come around. So what, they'll put up with dating a republican, an complete idiot, or someone who insists on having much too much facial hair, simply because there isn't anyone else moving there. Boyfriends by default. Cheating can't happen, there aren't enough men.
I did meet one decent guy, he was cute, nice, athletic, and very down to earth. If I lived in Eau Claire I would date him, despite being ten years his junior. It's not what I look for in Minneapolis though.
By 1:30 a.m. I was ready to go. Peter and I were both sick of this boyfriend bullshit, and we headed back to the Volvo and went straight to Menomonie. Arriving at UW Stout proved to be a greater challenge than we had anticipated. Finding a parking space was a challenge, and then trying to find Ben's residence hall was even trickier. It was warm enough. I just wanted to crash in the sand of the volleyball court.
Ten minutes later, we found Ben's building and he let us in. I nearly hit my head on the ceiling of gopher holes I was winding through. The air had that musky dorm smell of 50 boys compacted into a few cubic meters. Ben's roommate was out, which meant it was only going to be the three of us that night. I immediately stripped down to my boxer-briefs and crashed on the futon, only to find my myself double handcuffed a few minutes later to the futon, while Ben tortured my nipples.
It stopped, I was released, and I passed out.
Taco Bell the next morning perhaps wasn't the best thing to be eating. But I didn't care.
Posted by piep0058 at 06:47 PM | Comments (2) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
April 19, 2006
Chipotle or Burrito Loco?
Trenches are dug deep between differing philosopies. Democrat or Republican. Country or City. Britney or Metallica. And specifically on campus, Burrito Loco or Chipotle.
One's a bar, one's related to McDonalds (I think?). One's in Dinkytown and Uptown. Another has at least ten locations in the Twin Cities I can think of, and specifically, Seven Corners and in Stadium Villiage.
My first 50 burrito experiences were at Chipotle. The streamlined way of ordering things there was simple. They tell you how to say what you want, they put it on, they roll it up, DONE! The food is always fresh, I see it being grilled right in front of me, and it tastes great. One burrito or fajita is six to seven dollars depending on what meat you get.
My first experience at BL a while back was not as great. The location in Dinkytown is much darker than any Chipotle location anywhere. Dark places somewhat bother me, not gonna lie, especially when it comes to cleanliness. I'm sure it's great during the day. The location has sort of a wintergarden design, so the light would surely come in through the windows when it is shining. However, at night... not the case. The prices are comparable, six to seven dollars.
The darkness at BL is justified in that it is a bar. So they serve beer/drinks and lots of it. Although Chipotle offers beer to drink, drinking there does not appeal to me. I couldn't get relaxed in the seating they have there. BL definitely has an advantage there. And BL also does a Thursday night Bladder Bust, ensuring its popularity among the college population.
But when it comes down to taste who wins? I must say I tip my hat top BL. Do I cringe at the thought of Chipotle? Not at all. Would I go out of my way to go to Burrito Loco? Not a chance. There is something about the flavor of Burrito Loco burritos that is somewhat more appealing than Chipotle. There are more options for chicken, different condiments, and chips are also provided. And plus, drinking either inside or on the patio at BL is 100X more comfortable than Chipotle. Chipotle might be obviously fresher. But when you get down to it, the food is quite bland, which fits better with Minnesota tastes. What can I say, I like my food flavorful!
Posted by piep0058 at 07:26 PM | Comments (4) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
March 23, 2006
V for Vendetta
I went out to see a movie the other night. I know, I couldn't believe it either. The last movies I've seen in theaters were Brokeback Mountain, Walk the Line, and before that it was the Fantastic Four.
I went to see V for Vendetta. I was actually really impressed. I had no idea it would be such a good movie. The plot centers around a Guy Faukes character named V who hopes to destroy the orwellian society that has been created in the future Great Britain. There are men that go around the city listening in on conversations in houses; censorship of the media is prevalent; and homosexuals, muslims, and hippies have all been arrested and interned or are in hiding. The government has used terrorism to keep people in fear, justifying the breach of human rights.
The movie's political message is quite clear, and one can draw parallels with the current administration in the United States. The accents, the humor, and the setting might be different, but the argument is the same. Herman Goering put it best:
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
The antithesis to Goering's idea is the protagonist of the movie: V believes that the government should fear its constituents, not vice versa. In fact, V always remains masked througout the entire movie, believing himself to be an idea rather than a person. And using Guy Faukes as a disguise and some talented rhetoric, he manages to eventually inspire Natalie Portman to become the vector of the idea that he embodies. His methods are somewhat far-fetched. The head shaving, the rats, the dungeon, the lesbian tragedy-- it was a bit much for me.
The torture that Natalie Portman undergoes supposedly allows her to live without fear. Is it true that torture can induce fearlessness. I know from experience, after having to go through last semester, that I can handle any assignment in chemical engineering without an extra heartbeat. It's definitely mellowed me out. One knows the worst, and when one survives it, there's nothing left to fear. (Well this lasts for a while at least, until the traumatic memories begin to fade.)
The movie definitely shows what can happen when the government keeps its country in fear. Inferring from the movie, why is it that so many Americans fear a terrorist attack on the United States? Especially in the Mid-west. Yes, it is a real problem. I will not deny that there is someone out there that might have a plot to blow up a building. But he's not necessarily a foreigner. And yet the scope of much of the anti-terrorism campaign is aimed outside of the United States (*coughIraqcough*). Oh my god I'm turning into Michael Moore. Time to stop.
Posted by piep0058 at 07:20 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
August 16, 2005
Finally A Break
It's been a long time. I've been really busy with my internship and just getting things done and going out and having fun that I haven't had the down time to actually just sit at my computer.
So yeah, what's been up?
I finally made it to A Rebours Bistro. (sorry they don't have a website). It's on St. Peter Street in downtown St. Paul inside the renovated Hamm building. Did I like it? That is quite the understatement. Of course I liked it! There was so much food though! The next time I go back (and I will go back soon) I will have to order less.
The food in general was very well put together. The portions were larger than what you might find at Levain or Cosmos or Red. One entree here will fill you up. I got the salmon, the wiener schnitzel, the foie gras, and the lax. Too much food indeed. And I think I'm going to give up on foie gras, for a while at least. My co-worker at the pasta bar feels it's too inhumane. And so I did some very credible research on Google and many of the websites make it appear to be rather inhumane. (It involves force-feeding ducks and geese to make their liver grotesquely large.) Yes, it tastes good. But I think I need to find out some more facts than just doing a Google search.
Then came my alcoholism. Yes, folks, the past two weeks have seen some of my heaviest drinking. Thirty per week. Going out every night. Having a whole bottle of wine to myself. Forgetting what I did. It needs to stop. And it will. Yeah, I don't have any responsibilities at all really, I just need to cut back on the booze for when I actually do have responsibilities. And for the safety of my liver.
I really just wanted to get rid of my alcohol. And I did. Except for my black cherry smirnoff and my wine. I think I'll pawn off my vodka to my roommates for the party this weekend and just stick to wine/beer when school starts again. So I might pop open a bottle this week before I leave for Missouri. But I'm in no rush to get back to drinking.
I went to Valley Fair yesterday to get the life back into me. Nothing says ENJOY LIFE OR ELSE than feeling like you're falling fast to your death. I went through this whole acceptance that I am going to die at least seven times yesterday. And that whole process of letting go once things are out of your control was quite enjoyable. That might not be the allure for other people of roller coasters and thrill rides, but that's why I like them.
Posted by piep0058 at 12:13 PM | Comments (5) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
August 01, 2005
Restaurant Levain
Friday night I was allowed the privilege to enjoy a dinner at Restaurant Levain with some great company. We opted for the five-course dinner. It's been a while since I've enjoyed such great food. While everything I tasted was definitely superb in quality, I must say that the duck [with a whole bunch of other stuff going on] was my favorite part of the meal. The only thing preventing me from going back here anytime soon would be the price. This is a once-or-twice-a-year kind of restaurant, at least for me. Well, I guess if I end up having fifty dollars lying around the house every week, it wouldn't be a bad thing to stop in.
The quality is definitely worth the money though. The service was great, the style was great (simple, but definitely refined), the food was great, and the wine was great. We brought our own wine, a cabernet sauvignon from a winery near Walla Walla, WA, but I'm sure the wines that they supply would be excellent as well.
The only critique I would give, and perhaps it's just because I am by no means an expert epicurean, is that there was so much going on with each dish. Sure, it was either duck, bass, tomatoes, whatever the dish was, but it had a minute long trail of extra flavor that was put in, or what exactly was on the side. I stopped listening after I heard "duck" and whatever the sides in the sauce she said I simply ignored, mainly because listening to whatever our server said would mean nothing. Again, I am but a lowly midwestern boy, who knows nothing of such haute cuisine. Bottom line: try to condense what comes after the word "duck" or "bass" or whatever the main part of the dish is [like, cut the time in half].
Will I go back? YES! But only for a special occasion. Like if a family member were to come and visit me. Or I get hired somewhere.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
May 27, 2005
Dude, where's my phone?
So yes, right now I'm in St. Louis in case you didn't know. And it's okay. The trip back wasn't so bad; I got to stop in Rochester to see Rob's house. It was relaxing sitting out on the deck behind his house. I reached a state of mind I haven't reached in a while. I just concentrated hard to hear somethign and I couldn't. It was so quiet I started to laugh. No cars, no birds, no bugs, nothing. I somehow reached a meditative state.
Anyways, I continued on 7 more hours further south. And the genius I am, I decide to drive the whole distance with my sunroof open. For some reason getting sunburnt while driving never really crossed my mind. Anyhow, half of my face is sunburnt, and it looks cool, I guess.
My motorola phone had been missing in action this morning when I woke up this morning. Yeah I don't really remember much after I left the Loading Zone last night. [side note: Loading Zone is a gay bar in St. Louis with a style similar to Boom! except a little less high tech. I mean, Boom! has plasma screens and a much more sleek look. Loading Zone is, well, less New Yorkish and more Bransonish.] But it was good times. I had a lot to drink, a lot was paid for me (thank god for being young and gay) and the music was allright. They even played Alcazar! After they did that I was cryin' at the discoteque all night long.
Later on today I found out that my phone is no longer missing in action but rather a prisoner of war at 'the Croatian's house'. And I still haven't heard anything about picking it up yet, so I think I better just go to their apartment and wait.
Then I'm headin' down to Lake of the Ozarks!
Posted by piep0058 at 05:35 PM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
April 25, 2005
Pop!
I went to Pop! today with Colin. although the menu was somewhat limited, I was very impressed! I was so excited about my food that I forgot to save room for dessert. You know what that means...I'm going back! And next time, I'm gonna eat dessert. Pop is definitely the place if you want to enjoy pasta with a good cream sauce. And I love cream sauces.
Soon enough I'm gonna go back for some more food and some dessert. I give it 4.5 stars out of a possible 5. The only reason why I reduced points was because the menu was somewhat limited, and I am very stingy with my 5s.
It's definitely a great date place, my total bill for two people was 25 dollars. I went while it was still light outside...it might look more romantic later in the evening. The style and ambience of the restaurant was very nice too for it's size. It's cute.
Posted by piep0058 at 09:55 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
April 16, 2005
Joe's Summer Restaurant Mission
Okay, now, everyone knows I love to go out to different restaurants. Well, here's the list of restaurants I'm going to make an effort to get around to trying before September rolls around.
Modern Cafe
Pop!
W. A. Frost
Zander Cafe
JP American Bistro
Auriga
Tryg's
Fuji-Ya
Pane, Vino, Dolce
Corner Table
Al Vento
Heartland
Mojito
Muffaletta's in the Park
Tiburon
Chang Mai Thai
Fhima's
Babanis
Machu Picchu
La Bodega
Giorgio's
Cafe Barbette
Nye's Polonaise Room
I'm sure I won't make it through half of these restaurants for the summer. I really just don't have the time or the money or the desire to go everywhere. But I know that most of the cheaper once I'm sure I will get to eventually. Some I want to go to more than others (Pop! JP American Bistro, Cafe Barbette). And some I won't really care if I miss (Giorgio's, Aurgia, Tryg's), but if someone invites me I won't object.
In case you couldn't tell, a lot of these restaurants really aren't the most reknowned places in the twin cities. I guess La Bodega and Nye's and Mojito seem to be the most popular ones just because they're on major streets. But the latest issue of Lavender told me something I already knew: independent smaller scale, less busy, more neighborhoodish restaurants are the new hip thing. Not that this is news to anyone...I just have nothing better to do with my life than go out to restaurants.
Posted by piep0058 at 01:50 PM | Comments (6) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
April 15, 2005
*rolls eyes*
So yes, last night I went to Boom! and Saloon. And yes, I was dressed for both occasions. I had on my white steve madden shoes, some jeans, a blue shirt, my white belt. It was fun. Well, most parts were fun.
I don't know if it's a good thing that out of all 500 homos there I knew like 50 of them. I guess that's a good percentage, 10%. Anyhow, even though I did have quite a bit of fun last night, that wasn't enough to get me out of my super-bitchy mood last night. It's not that I was even in a bad mood. I just was feeling frustrated with all the idiots out there. Or something. I don't know. I felt like my eyes were going to roll out of my head because they were rolling so much.
I realize I'm being quite over-dramatic right now. But I'm out of the dating scene. I could just be over-pretentious, but everyone just seems like such an idiot when they're drunk and laughing and staring at the Saloon. What's worse is that I think I'm like that too. Oh man, I'm just as bad as those fools. Sad. Maybe I'm just jealous cuz I see everyone around me making out and I'm stuck in UPTIGHTPRETENTIOUSLAND with no one to do that with.
On a lighter note, I've decided to memorize all the royal families of the world. This is just another form of when I decided to memorize all the world capitals in 5th grade. But I'm doing quite well so far. I've got all of western Europe down...now it's time to move onto Asia and Africa. I think I'm gonna have issues memorizing the monarchs in Oceania. We'll see.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:01 AM | Comments (5) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
March 25, 2005
Workin' It
So I'm at the front desk right now at Comstock. Workin' the front desk is loads of fun. I feel so popular. It's like when I was sitting in front of Coffman the other day. I ran into 100 people that I knew, I felt so cool saying hi to everyone. Definitely good for my self esteem which has traditionally been in the negative zone.
Anyhow I went to the Saloon last night. No, I did not make out with anyone, thank God. I actually had a good time dancing, talking, and having a few drinks. It's always fun to meet new people.
However, the highlight of the night for me was eating at Cosmos. I have never eaten anywhere this nice in my life. I probably won't have any manhattans any time soon, I'll stick to my martinis. Cosmos was really nice. It was also very expensive. Thank goodness for the kindness of others. I probably won't be able to go there for a few more years. The food was awesome: crab cakes, liver, duck, beef tenderloin. My duck was a bit rare (I asked for medium) but other than that everything was awesome. Good wine too. I had a pinot noir from oregon.
A great night to be me! Let me bask in my glory.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:49 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
March 14, 2005
90s on Sunday
So yeah, I went to the 90s on Sunday night.
And I was a saint. Not only did I not make out with anyone, I even brought along some virgins to the 90s. I think they had a good time. Well, at least I hope they did.
I danced a ton! Which was good for my cardiovascular system I guess...
I guess I was a little disappointed I ended up being such a saint. I mean, except for the attack from Meidinger, I seemingly did absolutely nothing. I know what I'm saying: I'm sad cuz I wasn't a lil' slut.
It's not that I wanted anything out of that night. It was fun! Maybe I'm just getting used to making out with at least one person. Maybe I just want to make out with someone anywhere. A relationship maybe? who knows.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:02 AM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
March 12, 2005
Thursdays at Saloons...oh man
I know it's been a while since I've updated but I'm gonna try my best to recall the events of Thursday, March 10th, 2005.
Yes, it's true, I had a midterm in analytical chemistry on the 11th, but considering I did awesome on my mass transfer midterm the Friday before and I went out to the Saloon the night before that, I figured I should continue the trend.
So I went to the Saloon on Thursday. Oh man, I went crazy. It was basically Ben, Ben's friend Matt, Mike, and me. I wish I hadn't been so tipsy. I didn't even have that much! I just had like five or six drinks but I can't really remember the faces of two out of the five guys I made out with. YIKES! Five guys? This is the last thing I needed. I don't even remember their names! I think one of them went to St. Thomas. Anyhow, the two I don't remember were both around six foot tall and blond...So if you're one of them, please talk to me again...I know, we can just be friends, you know, hang out, get to know each other.
That aside, it was a good time. Especially compared to the Thursday before when I wanted to kick everyone there in the nuts. God I was pissed.
My exam in process analytical chemistry, however, was not a good time. Hopefully the damage is kept to a minimum.
Posted by piep0058 at 08:27 PM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
February 28, 2005
Belgian Beer, Little Twits, and Beyonce
Wow what a weekend. Definitely a good one. Full of Action
Friday.
Finally I get a day off! I sat around talking online for far too long, but I just had to go out and have a few drinks, so I did! I had some really weird Belgian beer. I forget the name, but the taste was very distinct. It's definitely not what I'm used to.
As I was driving home, I stopped by to talk to Tim. It's always a good time at Marcy Park Apartments. I really got to relax which is something I haven't been able to do in a long time. Thanks Tim.
Saturday.
Work wasn't running as smoothly as it should. Tony was on vacation so we didn't have the 4th person up front as usual. Thus, the information that open tables were open wasn't getting relayed as fast as it should have been. Nonetheless, everyone got in on a timely manner except for one party.
One guy left because I quoted him 45 minutes for a table of five and by the time 50 minutes rolled around he yelled at me and just left, shouting, "you just lost 200 dollars" or whatever.
WHATEVER! Okay I'm sorry I can't predict the future. Some parties stay longer because they like to drink after dinner. If he would have stayed 10 more minutes he would have goten a table.
I can handle that.
While I was preparing some tables for seating, this one man from a party of three must have exchanged some discourse with Kim, the other host who was at the front desk. I really don't understand what went on, but when I got back this man demanded a pager (when he was first put on the list we were all out).
Anyhow, I was giving out our last pager to someone and he comes up and calls Kim a "little twit" after she leaves to fetch something. I mean, I honestly don't know what evoked such hostility. He didn't get a table and slower or any faster.
I didn't really need him yelling at me about what Kim did. And it didn't help the situation at all.
Sunday.
I studied with Erin for a few hours at Moos Tower. Well, she studied while I did my application for the Bioinformatics Summer Institute. I am praying to God I get this internship. It means an extra $5,000. This will basically cover my entire living expenses (well, just rent and food) next year. All I will have left is tuition and books. Working at the pasta bar a few nights a week should add another $500 per month. I am biting my lip right now to keep myself from bitching about the price of tuition.
Apparently I had to work the front desk last night. I was a little panzy and whined and complained to everyone to take my shift so I could go to the 90s (don't ask me why I wanted to go...it's a lame reason). Thank God Dave took a few hours of my shit...I should buy him some beer. But the 90s was a great time, and something might have started.
Okay I can't stop myself anymore. I'm sick of supporting old people with social security and getting nothing in return. They should support my education!!! The price of a higher education is ridiculous and heavily favored toward those with money. The current system that is designed measures parental income as a measure of financial aid. However, even if a parent makes a ton of money, this has no indication of the parents' generosity towards their child.
The current system is out of date and needs to be reformed. Tuition in Germany is 100 dollars at most. Why is it 100 times that here?
Posted by piep0058 at 03:35 PM | Comments (5) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
January 23, 2005
Fun in the First Week
Soooooo last week was quite interesting.
Tannen came to visit, that was cool! I'm glad he had a good time. At least I hope he had a good time. The University of Minnesota is such a cool place. I don't think I could imagine myself going anywhere else. I just read today in Lavender that Minnesota and New Jersey were the only states to receive an "A" grade. So that's cool, I guess...however they were grading the states...
Anyhow, Tannen managed to convince Nick to come out to the Saloon. Yes, that's right, Nick came out to the Saloon. Amazing huh? I never thought I'd see the day. Actually I've become much more sympathetic towards Nick lately. I hope he enjoyed his time with Tannen.
So Nick didn't freak out when he got into the Saloon. But he did get kicked out. Which isn't such a bad thing. The Saloon is lame most of the time. I mean, I got kicked out too the first time I ever went. I was kicked out for nearly 20 months. And...shhhh...I secretly snuck back in numerous times and they didn't care. They need the money anyhow. The only time I didn't get back in was the one time I went out with Cathal and the stupid lesbiouncer said, "You look familiar" blah blah blah. So one time I didn't get back in (out of the 20 times or so that I went back there until I was 21).
And then came the snow. And now I just hate the snow. (At least when I have to drive.)
Posted by piep0058 at 02:10 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
January 05, 2005
Gay Coffee
Prompted by a reader (what? you mean people actually read the crap that I put in this thing? surprise to me too...) I decided that I'd write about what I like to call "gay coffee." And, I'm going to make this story much longer than I need to.
Ok now growing up in St. Louis, young people are always complaining about "things to do" blah blah blah. Everyone has to do something as a group. Like, hey, let's go ice skating or hey, let's go watch a movie, or let's go to steak 'n shake! yeah!
I, on the other hand, hated doing things in groups of more than 4 people, just because no one could ever agree on doing anything and we looked silly walking around in such a huge group. Now, by the time I hit age 17 I read about this website in the newspaper.
Now the previously mentioned website has a "places" guide. Enter the Coffee Cartel (about 4 pictures down). I was so nervous the first time I went to this place. I went on a Sunday morning when I was supposed to be at church. It was so weird. Nobody was there except for some older men who had to be gay. They actually talked to me while I was waiting for my mocha, and commented on how dirty my sunglasses were. (My oakley straight jackets did have a lot of finger prints on the lenses, for the record.) Anyhow I figured this place was pretty lame until I decided to go with some friends (just 2, not 5 million) to go get some coffee one night. When I got there I was schocked. I had never seen so many young gay people in my life. Like, this is what you saw on TV. Apparently the Coffee Cartel turns into a huge gay mecca (as does the whole Central West End, at night). Thus, the term "gay coffee" gets coined. There's nothing about the sexual orientation of coffee, it's just a coffee shop where homos seem to know about. It's also a pre-bar destination for those old enough to go out to them.
Minneapolis actually has gay coffee too. If you've ever gone down Lyndale right next to where they should build a light rail track next to the bicycle path you've seen it. It's called Vera's. No one, of course, must be gay to go there. But if you're a male and you go in there people will probably look at you when you walk in to determine if you're gay or not.
I hope I'm not spilling a huge secret here...I mean...it's not like you can't tell when you walk in there that 4/5 people there are gay. That 1/5 is probably a girl or someone's friend and the people that work there. In case people were hesitant to assume, I'll just tell you that everyone in that picture of Vera's is gay. Well...I'm assuming that.
Posted by piep0058 at 12:27 PM | Comments (2) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
December 31, 2004
Happy New Year 2005!
Yay it's New Year's Eve and I'm gettin ready to go out!
But now let me look back on 2004.
Ummm...so I had some good times with Mike and Brent...good times.
Good music? Franz Ferdinand (their self titled album), Janet Jackson (all nite), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (their album), Scissor Sisters (their self titled album), Interpol (antics), the Shins, and ummm...how about Björk (Medulla) and Röyksopp (see previous entry). Don't wanna forget my northern european favorites. Sigur Ros's untitled album was just too slow and emotional for me. I need something more upbeat when I'm doing homework, like their first album.
Movies? I loved the third installment of Harry Potter! The prisoner of azkeban is my favorite so far! Kinsey was allright...so was Closer, Supersize Me. The michael moore film was good...but it just kinda bothered me that he could do that someone can be so persuasive in a movie, he just made it clearer how someone can do it, if anything, and some people didn't approve of it.
Books? HAH! I don't read anything but magazines, the newspaper, weblogs, and textbooks.
And I simply don't watch TV anymore so I don't know anything about TV shows.
Well! Time to go to Hannah's!
Happy New Year's Everyone!
(By the way it got above 70 degrees down here...I was sweating!)
Posted by piep0058 at 06:23 PM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
December 23, 2004
College Parties...gotta love 'em
Ok so since I officially have no more duties for the rest of the year, I decided to treat myself to a little fun after checking out all the rooms in Comstock.
And what a party. I'm so used to people knowing I'm a homo. It's just funny when they talk about me getting on some girl. ha ha! I love being the token homosexual at the straight party. It coulda been worse...but I actually had a good time. I was so intrigued by the hot sauce that I ate someone's leftover chicken meat off of their already-been-chewed-on bones to get some leftover meat. Mmm mmm good.
Anyhow I head back to Missouri in 4 hour or so...so...sleep anyone?
Posted by piep0058 at 03:05 AM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
December 22, 2004
Moscow on the Hill
so on my last night in Minnesota, I decided that I'd go out to Moscow on the Hill. sooooo gooood. I was so pleased. good food, good atmosphere, good service. 5/5 stars.
and oh were the martinis good.
i wish i could have had more than 2...god i'm such an alcoholic...but I had to come back to comstock to check out the rooms and make sure the windows were closed and the heat was on low, etc etc etc. but i wanted to stay longer soooo badly you don't even know. unless you're a certain person. somehow i can't stop smiling.
i head back to Jesusland [Missouri] tomorrow. i'm excited.
on the down side of things i got in an accident today. yeah, it sucks. i have this little dent on my car's back bumper and i just want to have it taken care of but it's complicated cuz i'm going back to Missouri. the insurance agent would need to look at it first before we do anything.
Posted by piep0058 at 09:47 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
December 06, 2004
My Ass Hurts!
I know what you're thinking...and NO! I did not have any butt sex last night.
Let me start from the beginning:
Joe was pissed. And Joe drank. Joe feels better now, but Joe has a big welt on his back.
It all started in my room. I had a ton of vodka, a ton of amaretto (so basically 8 shots over the course of an 90 minutes or so). Got a ride to the 90s where I proceeded to have 2 more (rather strong) drinks. And we all know my little stomach hates excessive amounts of alcohol. Hence, I puke in the bathroom, get kicked out, take the bus home (it was free, YAY!). For some strange reason though, I got off at Anderson Hall on the West Bank. Why? I don't know. I guess I pulled the yellow cord a little too soon and felt compelled to actually get off just cuz I felt bad for pulling it. Who cares.
After walking the bridge (which looks so far when you're so drunk) I started down the stairs next to Coffman...and we all know how much fun it is to go down those stairs when it's snowy out. Well, I fucking fell down those stairs. Unfortunately I don't remember much else. But at least I didn't require any assistance.
And I feel good today!
Posted by piep0058 at 03:24 PM | Comments (5) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
November 22, 2004
Bolt Again?
So I think i told myself a while back that I would never go back to the bolt (or at least for a while). Well, I went back to the bolt on saturday night. and i gotta say, it wasn't that bad. it wasn't the mexican night that i had remembered the last time i went.
anyhow, after work (it was a hellish night that i want to forget) on saturday night i went over to the gay party at anthony/toby/jeff's house near the quarry. it was ok, i met up with Josh, Matt, Joel, Dimitrius, etc. (and more from the frat). But when you got right down to it, it was a bunch of homos sorta sitting around. This sure beat the alternative party -- that would be going to Andy's (where I could punch Becky in the face). Anyhow, some of the guys there decided they wanted to go out. So we did. I was the driver.
Even though I was a bit apprehensious to go to the Bolt, I somehow gave in. And i'm happy i went. Yay!
Posted by piep0058 at 12:00 AM | Comments (4) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
November 20, 2004
Kinsey
Ok so I just saw my new favorite movie. As far as dramas go at least.
Everyone should go see Kinsey. I felt like this was my life on screen. I feel like I am Alfred Kinsey reincarnated. It's like he went a complete turnaround from being sexually repressed to basically educating people about sexuality. And it wasn't just his thoughts on sexuality that i could relate to. It was his whole thought process. His quirkiness to complete tedious tasks (such as collecting all those wasps) is something I can relate to very well, especially growing up and collecting everything.
There was one point in the movie that was nice...it kinda has to do with homosexuality. There was this one woman who read his book about female sexuality (which wasn't very popular, in fact, a lot of people hated it. Who wants to hear about grandma doing oral sex? ewwww). Anyhow, she said she had serious troubles with dealing with her attraction for this other female. She was alienated from her family for drinking so much. But then she read the stories and realized she wasn't alone. Then she said she got the courage to talk to her love interest and she has never been happier.
Anyhow, Kinsey's devotion to science kinda freaked me out. But I consider my view to be somewhat reactionary at times reguarding his methods of scientific research.
To me, Kinsey is a saint for pioneering research about sex and removing the myths about it. He's affected U.S. society more than a lot of other researchers I can think of off the top of my head.
Posted by piep0058 at 03:20 PM | Comments (21) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
November 15, 2004
Fun on the Weekend!
Boo to Monday! And I have a crapload of crap that needs to get done for Wednesday...so I'm here typing away.
Anyhow, I sorta had this plan to go to Stillwater. However, I have never been to Stillwater so I ditched that plan and just decided to go the Bonfire. Dan works at Axel's Bonfire out in Eagan...so I decided that I would head way the hell down there.
I didn't really have a clue where I was going...I just knew that if I went south on 35E and exited at Cliff Road I would get there somehow. However, I was stuck somewhere on Yankee Doodle Road (because I had gone down 55)...
That is sad. I was lost with Kay and Kelsey on Yankee Doodle Road. When I looked out my window I saw this.
Anyhow, we did actually make it to the Bonfire (it's seriously out in the middle of nowhere. I should have stayed on Yankee Doodle). I ordered a really big beer just to make Kelsey and Kay feel bad that they weren't 21. I'm evil. I guess that's what making me reminisce of those times in Germany.
Overall, I give the Bonfire 4 out of 5 stars. I would have given them 4.5 except for the fact that it was all the way out in the middle of nowhere in Eagan (so, maybe, the one on Grand might get 4.5). Other than that, the staff was very friendly, the food was really good, the prices didn't burn a hole in my pocket. When I left my stomach was ready to pop. Seriously. I felt like a beached whale.
When I got back I found out that there had been an incident on my floor and that some things had been damaged (holes in walls, lights torn down). I was pissed, needless to say. But it didn't matter really. I'm too annoyed to deal with it now, and nobody wants to talk about it, so I'm not going to push. I can wait for Jackie, I guess. They will talk to her at least, even if they don't want to. She has more leverage than I do.
Posted by piep0058 at 09:16 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
October 31, 2004
Trash!
So I got sixteen hours of sleep last night. I was thinking of going out last night. I mean, for a while I really wanted to. but for some reason i felt so secure and cozy inside my little room. And I was also very sleep deprived. The sleep felt great!
Friday night was only somewhat fun. I went to Yummy with Brett and Cody and the food was very good. However, one thing severely bothered me: they were soooo slow about getting water out to the table. i swear, we didn't have any water for over 20 minutes. did they not have any glasses for water? I don't know! They seriously failed the whole experience just on that issue. otherwise everything esle was allright. the food at Yummy was all really really good...or yummy... ha ha ha i crack myself up.
Then we went to Southdale to look for a pink shirt. I couldn't find any that I liked. sad! i need a slim fitting shirt because i don't like the ones that make me look like a sailboat. So i gave in and went to Abercrombie and Fitch, only to find nothing. There were some allright things...I just don't feel like wearing XXXL. i don't know why they even make such sizes. seriously, they need more smalls and mediums.
After that Brett dropped Cody and me off at my place and we hung out before going to the saloon. When we finally did make it to the saloon we were stunned to see that the average age there was at least 44. Was it "take your nursing home patients to the saloon night" or something? I don't even know...but after an hour of hanging around there we decided to leave. i guess friday night is just not that night to go out. oh well. i love going out on friday night. i guess i'm just so used to working on saturday night and getting things accomplished on sunday. oh well.
then after the saloon we both went back home. and then i went out again because some guys called me to say they were leaving the 90s. it was fun. but then i was an idiot and locked myself out of my car. oops.
so saturday was spent trying to get back into my car and just lounging around. saturday night was so nice. sure, it would have been nice to have gone out. but i really could not handle another night without sleep. i'm glad i caught up.
Posted by piep0058 at 10:34 AM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
October 16, 2004
there's a hole in my pants
ok so i've been walking around all day with a freakin' hole in my crotch! and please, no jokes about me having a hole in my crotch area. my penis is huge and nothing like a vagina. anyhow, i need to stitch it up.
so thursday night was the night from hell with the homework from hell for the class that can sometimes be hell. i actually like the professor a lot. Tsapatsis does a good job. however, the material is not really that exciting. anyhow i spent a ton of time learning nothing really and just doing silly work that even Tsapatsis said was perhaps a little too hard.
thus, i felt like i was dead on friday. and my nap wasn't even that great. stupid insomnia. it's really hard to sleep sometimes. even when you have a hangover at 7 a.m.
like this morning.
so i went out last night with a couple of CAs from comstock (Mandi and Kay) and Kay's friend Becky from Carleton who supposedly has a cute gay friend there that is a political science / computer science major. That's nice that he's so smart but i am not going on any blind date with this dude from Northfield. but hey, i guess it could be exciting and then it would give me someone to make fun of if he is really kinda wierd. or who knows, it could blossom into a huge fruitful relationship.
anyhow, we previously went out for gay coffee at vera's (that bitch) and then stopped at Hum's liquors. I got a blottle of hpnotiq and it was...ok i guess. i don't intend on getting anymore anytime soon. but that's cuz i don't have my own place with a bar. now, when i do have my own place with a bar. i will for sure buy a bottle.
then we headed off to chris's apartment and that was fun. i met some cool people and a lot of other people showed up. but then i met the people next door...and let's just say they were a little gayer than the ones at chris's party. so naturally i headed over to hang out there. AND I GOT SO DRUNK! note to self: do not play "fuck the dealer" when you are already drunk off your ass.
the end result: i got super drunk and puked and passed out in my room on my futon. i hate having to be helped. like, i think i woulda been ok, but yeah, i was nuts. and i have a psychological problem where i like to get attention.
well, almost time to close up shop at the front desk. volleyball tomorrow! we're gonna win!
Posted by piep0058 at 11:23 PM | Comments (6) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
October 11, 2004
Am I still Alive?
God I feel like I'm dying...
I have absolutely no energy. I have decided that I will not go out this weekend. I'm going to go sit by lake Calhoun and just walk around Uptown, come back, watch a movie, and go to bed.
Last night at the 90s was worth it though. I saw Ale for the first time in so long. And then I saw Anders...and he totally jumped on me. Which was fun! And then I saw Mike, and yeah, that was not so fun. And then I saw the other Mike, and that was a lot of fun (he jumped me as well). I also met up with Peter, Cody, Ian, Toby (the not good one) a boy named Miah (Jeremiah, how gay is that?!?!) Tom, Mike, Tony, Kent (the security monitor supervisor), and a scary asian man that would not let go of me.
I'm really happy Rob is on my floor. Too bad Derek was not around, I'm sure he would have loved to go. Ha ha. Poor Dubs.
It would have been better if I had not had the fight with Mike last night...but some things are just unavoidable. Sad.
Actually what is sad is the banquet dinner at the Loring Pasta Bar on Saturday night. It was a really boring shift to work, but at $15/hour I decided I couldn't pass it up. It was an event to honor Camp Courage. I know I shouldn't have cried during the video about them, but it was just hard not to when you see people experience things that they would never be able to without such facilities. It was more or less tears of joy. I don't know what came over me. Why was I so emotional? Am I getting depressed? Probably not. It's so silly--I'm usually never an emotional person. But I just decided to let myself go. Just before the video played this one guy left the building to go out and smoke. He left just as they were recognizing why they were there. Perhaps I felt like that if i didn't feel anything I would be just as bad as he was. But then again, I'm going to hell no matter what...haha.
Posted by piep0058 at 03:09 PM | Comments (10) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
October 10, 2004
A Double Dipper
Woah, kinda late on getting reviews up here...but this is what I did Friday night:
Once class was over I went to the mall. There was a sale at express so I capitalized on that opportunity. Bought a nice sweater that I really didn't need but I liked it a lot and it was a good deal.
I really didn't feel like I needed any clothes. I have a lot of other pressing matters.
But after that I went out with Brent to the Vintage. My review: it was nice and cozy. Nothing really original. But I did find it to be a good experience. I had some kinda of chicken with a spicy red sauce and mussels. It was great and delicious. They did have a TV in the bar area which made me sort of...unsure about the intimacy of the place. But nonetheless...it has my seal of approval. It was certainly better for a more intimate experience with someone. At the Loring Pasta Bar it's hard to really talk to someone out in the open like that. It's really the luck of the draw if you get a good seat or one that's out in the middle of the floor. I did get to see a lot of other restaurants on Selby which looked like they were asking me to visit. I'm definitely going to stop by some of those in the near future. Next stop: Moscow on the Hill.
So I went home after that on Friday night hoping to stay in and do some homework and do some laundry. Maybe watch a movie by myself in my while doing the loads.
But, alas, I ran into Spencer and, since it was his 21st birthday, decided to go out with him to downtown because I still hadn't really experienced it yet. So we went first to Drink basically. "The Original Fun Bar" whatever! I was dancing with 40 year old women! Well...at least I didn't have to worry about getting them pregnant. But...I didn't really care for "the night at the roxbury" dancing on the other side of me as well.
Then we went out to other places, not really impressed with them that much...and then we stumbled upon Bar Fly. It's on Hennepin not too far from the Saloon. We all had free passes so we did not have to pay the cover. As I was paying the cover I saw this wierd person in a tight yellow suit run past me with a horn on his head, much like a telletubby. It was really scary at first...but then these little creepy aliens actually warmed up to me. Now the crazy space-anime girls were another thing...they were a little too wacky for my taste. But all in all, the Bicardi Limon promotion (I later found out that's what it was) was awesome. I think it kept out the conservative old people and attracted the new crazy youth. The style there was great as well. Very futuristic and Ikea-ish. The walls that changed colors...that was awesome.
I hate saying this...but...when i was at Drink I felt like I was in "the straight world" --meaning everyone around me was straight. And people there were either married or looking to dance with the opposite sex. And, if someone were to start dancing with the same sex, it would be the most stared at thing in the world. Bar Fly, on the other hand...actually had a decent mix of people. There were a few homos there...and it's not like people really cared that they were there/dancing with each other.
Posted by piep0058 at 02:21 PM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
September 25, 2004
The Days After
Well, 21 has come and gone. So what did I do?
Wednesday night: Kitty Cat Klub...I'll come back to this later.
Thursday night: oh my god. What the hell happened. I didn't start drinking until i got to the saloon. Saw a lot of old friends there: Jay, Clay, Tom, Ken, Devin, Aaron, Brad, Josh, Brent (ok, not really an old friend), Matt (ditto). But man, I got so drunk. So drunk that I had projectile vomit on the way home. Oops, did i do that? Yes. Had to walk past the security guard from my building with cranberry (vodka cranberry) stains all over my face and chest (i took off my shirt).
Friday: Stopped off at Surdyk's and got a bottle of wine. This time it was a Gewuerzraminer. I started drinking at Noodles & Company! Ha Ha! I had a beer with my dinner and the didn't even card me. Isn't that sad? Then I stopped of and Vera's Cafe and read National Geographic. Boy it is gay there! Seriously people need to keep their eyes to themselves. Anyways I went home and then headed out to Boom! with Clay and Andrew. Jon and Brian (new guy) also showed up.
Ok, honestly, I'm feeling kinda bittersweet about 21 now. Perhaps it was because I saw some of the pro-staff members out at the bars. I was just comparing this to going out with my friends (Cody, Megan, Andy) to the Kitty Cat Klub on Wednesday night. Honestly, I liked the Kitty Cat Klub 500 times more than Boom! Ok so after I left Boom! I went to the Bolt. Scary! But a new experience and I will treasure the fact that I have been there.
After the Bolt I headed to the Saloon (again!) and it was ok, just overwhelming. So many homosexuals in that little space was a bit much to handle.
So how am I going to rate my drinking experiences:
1. Kitty Cat Klub
2. Saloon on Thursday
3. Boom!
4. Saloon on Friday
5. The Bolt
So what made the Kitty Cat Klub so nice? I know what it was: it was relaxed! I could lie down on the couch with a drink and listen to jazz music. I was with people I knew and could sit down and talk. People weren't running around grabbing each others' asses.
So where to next? Azia this Wednesday, and then FRANZ FERDINAND!!!
Posted by piep0058 at 01:32 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
July 19, 2004
my life without the internet
it's really sad times folks. i have been without the internet at my residence for 4 days now that i have come back to minneapolis. but here's a news update: so i talked to emmett and he said that we didn't pay the bill but now we did so they should connect us again. ooops. come on! i have a lot of songs to download before i forget about them! and then i have all that talking on instant messenger to do! and i'm getting sick of having to go all the way to walter or coffman to use the internet.
*sigh*
so brett left today to go to ireland. i hope he has fun. cathal is really bad about e-mailing people back. i know that first hand. but seriously! brett is going to visit him and he needs to know how to get to his house and everything. he is really slacking off. tsk tsk. i'm sure everything will work out in the end though. it usually does.
so last night was fun...well...to a point. so i had to work at caribou and deal with the bitchy customers but then i went to pizza luce with brent and wohlman. that was good. then i had to get my precious bike that was parked out on the riverfront. well as i was biking home i happened to run into Russell at his apartment and he was like oh my god you're going to the 90s with us tonight. so i did.
it took a while because i had to drop brent off at his mustang on *cough cough* como avenue, not energy park drive, and then go back and change out of some shorts. who wears shorts to go out? not me. maybe those silly homos, but not me.
so i finally make it to the 90s. and when i walked in, there was like, no one there...so i was like ruh roh there's gonna be no one here...but then i went upstairs and was relieved to see a lot of people up there.
but on the first floor! it seems to be taken over by black people! and i don't mean black people in the rascist sense. i mean black people as in NOT GAY PEOPLE. i mean, it's not that big of a deal, but why are all these BLACK people going to the, ahem, GAY 90s? I should reiterate, i'm referring to black straight people, not black people in general. i would never bar them from going, it's really fine by my if they go (because i never go) i just don't know why they would all start going there! it's like the new trend. black people are overrunning the gay clubs. and then there are those fatass black dudes that get in my way when i'm trying to walk over to one area of the bar. and it's already packed enough as it is.
ok, so i was having a great time dancing with russell, his sister, pedro, and company until russell stopped being so gentle. i mean he was really grinding hard up against me and hurting my balls! he drinks WAY too much. but i saw loads of people, adrienne (the only girl, i work with her at caribou) mike, brian, tom, ryan, josh and the frat gang, nate, cody, and chad (chad from volleyball, i had a feeling he might have been a homo but i could never get any evidence for it, so it was a surprise for me. i mean, he was REALLY bad at volleyball. homos aren't bad at volleyball. i mean he sucked royally! well i guess adam larson was pretty bad and he was a really cute homo too...so i guess that theory does not work...i wonder if chris seberson is good at volleyball, if i didn't have to work on wednesday night i guess i could find out)
so all in all it was a good night at the 90s until the alcohol took over russell and REALLY took over his friend pedro. yikes to pedro.
all the more reason not to get drunk.
there are some people that are just scary to me now, their appearance and their actions are so not reasonable that it bothers me to the point of shivering under the covers. take the poorly dressed east african guy that was trying to get on some of the girls at the 90s. whhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
Posted by piep0058 at 12:26 PM | Comments (7) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
July 17, 2004
hot hot hot
so the aquatennial block party was ok...i've never been one to go to concerts because i think everyone there is nuts. why would anyone want to get on top of someone's shoulders and scream and wave their hands? i don't know. i just wanted top push them off and tell them to shut up.
then the cops came through and told us to leave. which makes sense. but it was nice sitting on the grass (where it was actually dry, no one spilled any beer there)
ew nasty, i just saw an ad for full house. remind me later to write about why i hate full house, because i'm gonna go out with brett now. oh my god it's so gross. who really liked that show. all the characters were so wholesome it made me sick.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:04 AM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
July 04, 2004
happy 4th of july
another stupid holiday. fun!
oh, if any of you are interested in getting some pizza, i might suggest this place called Punch. it's in the "older" shopping area over by calhoun crossing next to the Calhoun Beach Club. yeah, it's in the ghettofied late 70s style shopping complex. but still, the inside has a nice style to it.
the pizza is quite tastey too. i went there with Jake and i liked it. I went there with Brett and i liked it. the artichoke dip isn't so great. i'll stick with the superfat ramekin at loring. and they need a better soda selection.
does anyone know what happened to this one "red" restaurant? i can't find it! and i don't think it's in the foshay tower...but it might be right next to it. hmmm, strange.
Posted by piep0058 at 11:52 AM | Comments (3) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 26, 2004
strange condition
so i got to drive a mustang tonight, all by myself. tee hee! it was a change from my silly jeep grand cherokee. thanks brent, you're the best.
and i also went to tonic for the first time tonight. i admit, i had low expectations. but i was impressed nonetheless. more comments later, i'm about to go to bed.
and i just drove the mustang around dinkytown. oh it was awesome. loved it. i think i might get a black one. those look evil. a big black mustang...oh hell, i'm just gonna get a big black bmw. those are cool...
well, more chit chat later when i have the time. gosh i have a lot to write but just haven't had the time to write! i feel so cool now that i have a social life.
Posted by piep0058 at 03:04 AM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 24, 2004
the day off
yay, first day off in like 20 days or so. it felt good. spend most of the day with brent.
excellent review of Taste of Scandinavia, by the way. i went there first thing and loved it.
then on to lake calhoun, were i canoed for about 2 hours. i got to see 2 girls capsize, which was sad. they lost all their nice equipment. but at the same time, seeing 2 dripping wet girls walk ashore was pretty funny.
saw some nice furniture to decorate my room with from pier 1 and urban outfitters.
then i cooked some dinner, and we headed over to clay and andrew's to watch the pilot for Lost with Ian Somerhalder...omg omg omg hot hot hot, i love his eyes....*sigh*
and now i'm back, completely satisfied and ready to go back to work. ahhhh, i'm only going to work 20 more days at caribou coffee. i've settled it.
but i'm tired now, let me talk more later...
Posted by piep0058 at 11:54 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 14, 2004
1st trip to wisconsin
allright so i decided to try some of that brown ale from new castel. sooo good! i'm so glad hillary got it for me.
and yeah, after smoking the hooka last night, i went with my roommate emmet and his friends from work to some denny's in wisconsin. boy as it classic. they're nice though. i'm glad i went, even though i nearly fell asleep (well i did in the car)
and i have to work tonight. sad! but i need money, i need money real bad.
Posted by piep0058 at 02:08 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 12, 2004
it's so nice outside!
so i decided to take a bike ride today...oh my god it's so nice out, i love it. tonight will be great too, i can just feel it. so i'm on a mission now, to go to exotic restaurants. i mean, i work at one myself. and you can't get more exotic than the loring pasta bar, at least for minnesota standards. but i'm excited. so i've been to chino latinos, and i know quang is always good to go to, so that doesn't count...tonic, i think i'll pass on for now...how about bilimbi bay? and then there's the dessert bar right next door. or some other places in uptown/downtown/st. paul/grand ave? then there's azia and some other places down nicollet.
this one boy dan works at some restauarant i've never heard of out in eagan. i might check that one out, even though it's in eagan...
and then there's the concession stand at lake calhoun. that place makes me feel like i'm in florida or something. i don't know.
be prepared for an entry of some of my favorite places to eat.
i'll start off with quang. it's cheap. and it's REALLY GOOD LIKE HELLAH GOOD! enough said. it's just nice place for good vietnamese food. i'm so glad jon showed me it--i might not have ever gone there. but i kinda feel like going back right now!
and oh. harry potter was really good, go see it if you haven't, i'm sure you will be entertained (well at least i was). and i want to go see that silly "saved!" movie soon. maybe some late night brett? maybe on sunday someday? i don't know. we'll see when i don't have to work.
Posted by piep0058 at 02:34 PM | Comments (1) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 09, 2004
sitting by the lake at sunset
thus describes last night, sitting with brent. i gotta say, i didn't have much hope for brent, i mean, what's up with that...but now i see something happening. i don't know. i guess i dreamed of falling in love with a philosophical geek that was also really hot and was really smart and had written tons of books or discovered the cure for cancer and had an apartment in new york and london or something.
but brent is really hot and he's a great guy and so nice and we get along great and and and...i don't know, perhaps this feeling is coming over me. but i could be wrong. no rushing, of course. i mean, it's not like i was falling over cathal the first time i met him. i was really more interested in Matthew Shapiro. that was just first sight though. and cathal and i really got along well. but obviously someone doesn't care to e-mail me back. sad! but that's ok, i know he's still alive.
and it's not like i was not attracted to brent at first sight. he might be a homo, but he could even slip under my gaydar if i met him. and i have really good gaydar too. saying that he could slip past me without me detecting it actually means something big. perhaps that was it. i felt like i was sitting and eating with a straight guy. and we all know straight guys are not interested in me.
and i was kinda nervous as we were sitting there at loring. but last night sitting at lake calhoun was so chill. i didn't care about anything. and talking to him about stupid stuff was actually fun. there is still something in the back of my mind that tells me "he's too different from me" but i'll just put that aside for now. who knows, perhaps we might think the same. but i find myself laughing and smiling when he's not around. the same thing happened when i started dating cathal and mikey. wow that was a long time ago.
but brent is a boy scout and we all know how i feel about boy scouts... that one James Dale is kinda hot though, i guess.
Posted by piep0058 at 01:35 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
June 07, 2004
so i'm bitchy now? part deux
ok so it's true, i just got back from the 90s and while it was fun to dance on the dance floor with brett i just have am soooo annoyed right now. why are people interested in me. i don't know. gay people are retarded.
i went out with brent tonight. i liked it, he is a good guy. i think he is what i have been looking for in a guy. he's nice, has a good heart. i must say i am very attracted to him at this moment. but are we compatible? well i would like to investigate it more. we're going out again. he just seems so cool about things. i might even start going to church with him sometime. who knows.
but he does seem kinda dorky...agriculture major? hmmm that's a rare one.
Posted by piep0058 at 03:22 AM | Comments (5) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
May 30, 2004
parties are fun!
ok so i went to a party last night at the Le Meridien Hotel next to the Target Center downtown. it was pleasant. good times had by all. i'm really glad i went. now i have a friend in L.A. of course, i drank way too much and got way too drunk and way too naked. but it was all in good fun. the view from the top floor was great, as i expected. and i slept really well. then we went out to the perfect place for my next date: this malt shop at 50th and Bryant. boy was it cute, just like in scooby doo.
again, i have to work, and i'm still hung over. sad! and i don't feel like typing anything anymore.
Posted by piep0058 at 02:31 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
May 25, 2004
eyes wide open
i just saw "supersize me" at lagoon with sexy scott. it was a great movie; there should be more of them like this. people don't realize how much others are controlling them. these companies are after making money, and they are being so sly about it. it's very wrong what they are doing.
i will never eat at mcdonals ever again. and to think, noodles is owned by mcdonalds! well i guess i will eat there.
but yeah, i'm hungry, but i'm sleepy, so i'm going to sleep and then eat tomorrow morning. yum yum yum.
Posted by piep0058 at 12:54 AM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
May 15, 2004
moving out
so this will be my last entry from middlebrook hall. so sad. actually it is, i'm not being sarcastic here. i've lived here for 2 school years, and it's wierd as i'm living it to say i won't be here tomorrow, and i won't ever live here again. which really isn't all that bad, i mean, dorm life is kinda dumb.
oh well, whatever, no big deal--this is just a transition, and new surroundings are always cool, so i'm excited to move into my apartment.
so last night i went to kennedy high school with brett to see his sister in their song and dance performances. it was ok, there were a few good ones, and then there were a few not so great ones, and then there were a few bad ones. but the most interesting thing i saw were these japanese students visiting the high school. it's so wierd to see them--they look like america in the 1950s wearing their sport coats, except too perfect. when they were standing in line, they were all evenly spaced, perfectly. it's like they were on a grid. i've never seen such a thing in such an informal setting. i was quite intrigued.
japanese culture in general intrigues me. they've adopted american styles so much. and yet, it's all so traditionally japanese. i'd like to visit some day (considering i can speak japanese).
oh, in case you were wondering--Straub's is on a level higher than Byerly's. I forgot that there were some people unfamiliar with the St. Louis chain.
and oh, i need a haircut, bad.
Posted by piep0058 at 01:26 PM | Comments (0) | Nightlife
Category "Nightlife"
May 09, 2004
i should be understanding, shouldn't i?
ok so apparently it's like a celebration that people avoid joe on saturday night. i don't know, i know i'm being over dramatic here, but it would just be nice to hear from some people who need to talk to me. namely this one girl, emily, whom i happen to be subleasing from. however, i havent' seen the place and she hasn't e-mailed me back since tuesday with any info. so i'm still left in the dark on where i'm living, but I WILL live there.
and nick, good ol' nick, why didn't he call me? i sure wish he did - that woulda been nice, but you can't always get what you want. so i'm not going to worry about it too much anymore. oh what a bunch of crap, you know i'm going to pull my hair out of my head. but i'll try not to.
if you want to see a funny online journal check out my friend brett's journal.
soooo, i went to a party at cody's last night which was fun, preggers meggers was there as well as lily and kit. i drank a full bottle of boons farm, isn't that nasty? it was raspberry hard lemonade. i woulda preferred a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. or a bottle of jack daniels. but it was good i didnt' get drunk, i have a biology midterm on monday that i need to actually do well on. which makes me sad, because this is the easiest class ever. and i need like 40/50 points to get an A. i can do that. it's just evolution and all that crap.
i really spend too much time on these online journals. but oh well, that's good for me and bad for you.
Posted by piep0058 at 10:05 AM | Comments (3) | Nightlife