Back By Popular Demand

My eyes are bloodshot, my eyelids are heavy. That can only mean one thing: I had one hell of a weekend that is worth mentioning.

First off, I apologize to all -- especially the boys and girls across the great states of Minnesota and South Dakota -- that know me well enough to read this thing. It's a little difficult to explain ... I guess it seems to stem from the finalization of the divorce in September. I just simply had no willpower to pick and choose the little details in my life during that time to publish. I basically put myself through a self-imposed depression, a state in which I just had to look inwardly and keep the thoughts to myself.

The truth was that I really didn't like the person who I had become. I've become more cynical, more serious, less "fun." This was all reflected upon my classroom, in which my own students were questioning my behavior and they all wondered what happened to the "old me."

Luckily for me, I've got a wonderful and supportive family and I've got friends that no money can buy ... but they can only take a person so far. To reach my full potential, it was putting my care and my trust into someone else -- a soulmate, perhaps -- but all I have now is a void.

But I do feel a comeback coming on! Slowly and surely, I'm coming back to regain my confidence once again to take on the world. For a while there, I was scaring myself into thinking that I was "one and done" and I "didn't have it any longer." But with a nice invitation to South Dakota to see the ol' mates once again, Josh and Troy -- Tony could possibly be back.

Josh surprised me with a phone call on Thanksgiving Day to say that he had scored some hockey tickets. He didn't need to twist my arm around to attend the best spectacle on ice, so on Saturday I made the plans to head to pack a few things, drive on down to South Dakota, and enjoy a great weekend.

Immediately when I met up with Josh, a friend of his Brett, and his brother-in-law Jim, it was all about beer drinking (and eating buffalo wings). Between that and the hockey game itself (with a few 21 oz. taps), I could rightfully say that I was unable to drive back to Josh's hometown.

We entered the hometown bar, affectionately called "Fresh Horses" and hooked up with Troy and his new girlfriend, Trisha. Even Bennie and the Fro-Man made an appearance!

After several cervezas and a few "Duck Fart" shots (while meeting the new, hot bartender along the way), yours truly was not feeling too well. Again, my fate was sealed, right along with the past New Year's Party, when I visited the back of the bar and let loose the excess alcohol that I couldn't process.

What about this new, hot bartender?, you may ask. Ever so often in my life, there will come along a female with such quality features that will actually stop me dead in my tracks. Sure, there are lots of "hot" women around, but while looking at those choice ladies there is that little voice in the back of my head that says: high-maintenance, man.

It may sound sappy, but I can truthfully say that there has been only three women during my entire lifetime that have made me sit back and say, "God, that's good." Usually it's in the eyes -- but for this girl -- it was totally about the smile. If I had a picture of her, I could probably just sit and stare at the smile ... it was just that good.

But what sucks is that she was working! Sure, we struck up a pretty good conversation during certain times that night, but of course, you know what happened to me later on. Josh was doing his best to "brag" me up a bit and things looked good, but considering my current luck and my so-called confidence, I really wouldn't stop the presses on this one. But, you never know and things could happen!

That next morning, I felt better considering that I had ralphed the night before, but Josh was a pile with a nice puke-bucket next to him on the couch. My head did feel like it got bashed into a brick wall, but I deserved it. Josh and I both swore off shots for a while.

I tell ya -- that last weekend could really jump-start a few things in my life -- this ol' blog as one of them. At a time in my life when I thought that things were basically over, things are looking great right now. Even if it doesn't work, no biggie -- at least I know I still got it.