This weekend was packed full with football, old friends, and some good food!

Friday night Dave and I went to the Tampa Bay Storm game. If you haven’t been to an Arena football game, you should check it out! Non stop action and tons of fun. We had a great time and the Storm kicked ass! Afterward, we walked down the street to Channelside for dinner. It was great to get to spend time alone with Dave. With his new teaching job, he’s been so busy we barely get to see each other.

Saturday night we headed to a birthday dinner for my good friend Chris at the Cheesecake Factory. There was lots of food, laughs and of course, cheesecake! It was great to get together with some of my favorite people from college. Hopefully we’ll get to do it again soon!

Sunday was Dave’s Dad’s birthday. We went to Crazy Buffet, one of my favorite restaurants in Tampa. I even got Dave’s Dad to try sushi! Fun times…and way to much food!

And now…pictures. These were my two favorites from the weekend.

Tori, Grant, Dave, me, Heather and Chris outside of Cheesecake Factory. Dave is actually smiling!

Chris, me and Grant. This describes us to the t. Grant’s being ridiculous, Chris is enabling it, and I’m about to pee my pants from laughing so hard. Yep, that’s us.

I hope everyone’s weekend was as awesome as mine! I can’t wait for Friday to get here!

Tags: arena football, birthdays, Cheesecake Factory, Crazy Buffet, friends, life, Tampa, Tampa Bay Storm

When I moved to Florida almost 10 years ago, one of the first friends I met was my friend George. I thought he was quirky and funny, but figured we wouldn’t be friends because we didn’t have much in common. I wasn’t into theatre or acting and I definitely couldn’t sing, but George accepted me as a friend immediately. That’s just the way he was. He didn’t care who you were, what you did, or what things you liked, he just accepted you for who you were.

For the next several years, I hung out with George and a group of friends almost every day. We all were pretty much inseparable. George was the best at making people laugh and he’d get crazy ideas for stuff to do around the neighborhood when we were bored. He’d dress up in a clown costume just to be funny. He’d bust out in song in the middle of Walmart just because he felt like it. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him and always made people feel comfortable just being themselves. I never had to put on a show for him. He was okay with who I was. Because there was nothing wrong with me, or any of us, just the way we were.

Then one person went to college. And another person moved. And another one went to school in Orlando. We all tried to stay in contact, but eventually we grew apart. But there will always be things that remind me of those days and specifically, of George.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
It was the first time I saw George perform and unfortunately, the only time. He loved the stage, acting, singing, and making people laugh.

Goldschlager
The first time I drank Goldschlager was with George. It was also the last time I drank Goldschlager.

What I’ll remember most about George was how accepting he was of everyone. He taught me to never stay angry, be a better friend, and above all, be a better person. The world needs more people like him.

You died last week in your sleep. You were only 28 and taken from the world way too soon.You helped me realize just how short life is and that I should do what feels right, even if people might stare. Make people laugh. Wear a gown to a store. Sing in public. Eat a lot of bacon just because bacon is awesome.

I might not get the chance to do it tomorrow.

Tags: friends

I’m back.

I should be telling you about my trip to Las Vegas. How our flight there got delayed and we spent Cinco de Mayo in the Minneapolis airport.

I should mention how homeless people kept wanting to talk to Dave.

I should say that the Beatles Love show was awesome and the Louis Vuitton store in front of the Aria casino is so big that Neil thought that Louis Vuitton got into the gambling business and opened up their own casino.

I should mention that I haven’t eaten any fast food in like 8 months, but ate it almost everyday in Vegas. Thank God they don’t have Del Taco and In and Out Burger in Florida.

I should say that seeing Hot Water Music (finally) will probably be the highlight of my year. Oh, and the Sunset Station was pretty awesome for allowing a bunch of punk kids to take over a weekend. And also, thanks Frank for introducing me to scotch.

I should also say that Sara got so drunk off ass juice at Double Down Saloon that she tried to steal a statue in our hotel’s lobby. That the same night I was so drunk that I left my bank card at a bar in Luxor. Apparently a lot of people do that because when I went to security the next day, the lady had to dig through like 50 lost cards to find mine.

I should say something about how we got attacked by ladybugs at Lake Mead and decided spending the day at our rooftop hotel pool was a much better option.

I should say that we ate at way too many buffets.

I should mention that Andrew Dice Clay had security escort a guy out of his show 5 minutes into it.

I should say Freemont Street is fun and the drinks are cheap.

I should say all of this, but I’m going to sleep instead. Something I didn’t really get much of this week.

Tags: drunk times, friends, fun, Las Vegas, vacations