So, Saturday night at midnight I began my birthday celebrations. I’m 34 now. Actually, the celebrations started earlier, since we were at Greg & Nicole’s party. I did indeed get the requested “naughty presents” (um… people…. send me the photos!), and a killer hangover to boot. It was probably the most fun I’ve had over there. The pool-noodle-fight (while changing “Ooh Mama!” in Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! style) was something else. Rockband was a great way to pass time before critical mass was achieved as well. And I didn’t go to bed until 6:20AM. Not quite the last man standing; Greg & Justin were still up. I was DAMN hung over the next morning… Considering I only get 2-4 hangovers a year, I am off to an auspicious start this year. I opened another bottle of wine around… 5AM? I didn’t have my own party this year because I didn’t expect to be partying that hard… Not this year.. I have my reasons…However, I re-enforced the fact that I have little self-control at times. Still, it was nice not to have to clean the house up for my own birthday! :)
Sunday Carolyn roused me out of the bed I was in (she was on some couch) at 10:20AM and got me to the car. Next thing I know I’m home, face down, shoes still on, in our bed. Next thing I know, it’s 12:30PM, and I’m being roused again for my presents prior to going to Rio Grande restaurant. She got me the Slayer shirt that I used to have, that mysteriously disappeared, and of course Zombie Fluxx. I think I can get rid of my original Fluxx cards now that I have both Stoner Fluxx and Zombie Fluxx. I’m pleased to see that Stoner Fluxx has been sold 15,000 times, resulting in $15,000 being donated towards legalization efforts.
So we went to Rio Grande restaurant. I was extremely hung over and had 0 appetite, but the second I stepped through the doro — that changed. The food was indeed damn incredible, but the prices were exorbitant. 8 of us ate for $120 or so. $10 for 3 tacos? That was a cheap meal. The fajitas were like… $20 or something?!?!?! I could easily get triple the tacos at taco bell for the same price. Of course, these tacos were probably double the size and double the goodness of taco bell tacos, so it might have actually been a better value.
Carolyn & my sister took Parthena’s advice and got the fajitas. I actually don’t like fajitas because the meat chunks are too big. But the beauty was — since most of my family doesn’t particularly care for Mexican (just like I don’t particularly care for the Chinese food they always seem to want), everyone gave me their leftovers. It’s 4:26AM Tuesday night and I’m still not done with them. The chicken strips from the fajitas can be cut up into small pieces (preferred for me), put into the leftover tortillas, mixed with the leftover rice/tomatoes/cheese/lettuce, and re-heated with some Sriracha and green jalapeno pepper hotsauce to make a mean frickin’ taco. Unfortunately, all I have left is the rice for tomorrow. Then I can move on to Saturday night’s leftovers. If I play my cards right, I wont have to come up with a meal on my own until Thursday.
What I didn’t realize at Rio Grande was that, because I never changed shirts from the party the night before (Was never awake long enough to change clothes, between the party and the restaurant), I was wearing my Ministry shirt from their last tour. It was the tour supporting their “Rio Grande Blood” album. I didn’t realize the coincidence until I was there.
Ultimately, Rio Grande management gave us free dessert (pupasas or something? some kind of heated pastry that you dip in honey?) because of my Rio Grande Blod Ministry shirt. Considering the crowd looked like a bunch of upscale yuppies with their kids fresh out of church, I was surprised that my shirt, featuring a crucifixion on it, would garner free stuff for me. They said it was also because it was our first time here. (Not to mention it was my birthday.)
Anyway, this is the 2nd time a shirt I have worn has gotten me free stuff. And both times, it was a shirt defacing George W. Bush, scumdog of the universe. So here’s a hint: If you want free stuff, wear an anti-bush shirt.
My sister made me a cross-stitch that says “Happy Fucking Birthday”, which made for some good photo ops.
After that, I had to say goodbye to Carolyn at the restaurant, and ride home with my parents/grandma. On the way out, I saw TWO GAY SQUIRRELS. Either that, or they were into gender play. They took turns mounting each other furiously. I watched for quite some time. When an ambulance suddenly turned its siren on, we all had the same reaction (human and squirrel) alike, which made me feel more connected to them. Well, that, and enjoying mounting others. Haaaaa!
And then … The alone-ness. No work, no Carolyn, and other factors to exacerbate my boredom. I had acquiesced to the fact that I was an extrovert several years ago. (I had a phase where I started to think I was an introvert.) And it’s very apparent now. With no distractions, I should be getting more done than usual, but the sad truth is, without Carolyn around, I lack the energy source to do productive things as much. Stupid psychology. At least I do not need to adhere to any discernible sleep schedule.
But wow. I haven’t felt this alone in a long time. A week apart from Carolyn has not occurred since she was in college in 1998. And other times she has left, I always had a job to go to during the day. It’s now been 36 hours since I’ve seen another human being. I thought I’d be man of steel and would be totally fine with this (I dislike most people!), but I’m not. I actually have…. an emotion? Is that depression? I feel it so rarely I don’t always remember what it feels like. I’m not unhappy in the slightest, but I think I am definitely depressed. There are definite “Blahs” going on! I’m listless. Blah.
It’s okay though, I’ll get some solo activities out of the way, and I’ll call some tiling places (First estimate: $1600-$1900, depending on straight or diagonal install — we’re going diagonal), finish my video review backlog, maybe actually upload a few pictures again, get some blogs out of the back of my mind (which I’m already doing), do a couple things around the house, and go to Home Depot. I think I’ll leave the dishes for Carolyn though (ducks!).
Carolyn will be back Friday, but just long enough to switch suitcases and go skiing the next weekend. So, I might be looking for something to do Saturday night. Friday night too, possibly, but John The Canadien may come over and keep me company. At least Carolyn has ethernet in her hotel room, but it’s $10 a night, so today she only emailed during breaks in her training.
Anyway — for this week at least, I feel like I actually look forward to February, [allegedly] going back to work, and Carolyn’s birthday party. The End.
Claire's blog 
January 15, 2008 at 9:01 AM
heh. “Waaaah! I’m lonely!!” – Clint
January 15, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Wow…so your basic conclusion about Rio Grande was that the food was pretty good, but that it was more expensive than you’d normally pay? I don’t remember them being more expensive than any other typical restaurant in the area, unless you’re going to TGIF’s or Ruby Tuesday’s. ;)
I do remember the fajitas platter being around $18, but it’s basically like 2 meals (so much stuff!) in one. Did Carolyn like them??
That is hilarious they gave you a free dessert because of that shirt…they’ve never given me anything free, damn it! *mind begins churning with bitterness*
Anyway, your review of the place amused me. Hehe. And of course, now I want mexican food. *shakes fist*
January 15, 2008 at 3:00 PM
It was more expensive than I’d normally pay for mexican food, yes.
Usually mexican food is cheaper than dirt!
And I’m not just talking Taco Bell. I’m talking Taco Laredo too! (zing!)
The main Mexican *restaurants* that aren’t fast food that I’ve gone to would be in Woodbridge and Blacksburg during the 1990s, so prices were probably cheaper then due to era and location.
A lot of the specialty dinners were like… $28 and such.
But you’re right, it’s at least 2 meals. But still … All of us thought it was expensive. My parents eat out a lot, but they eat out in Stafford & Fredericksburg. I forgot just how overpriced anything in the Clarendon/Ballston/ish area is.
(Even the dentists there are almost twice the cost of a dentist in Landmark!)
At least we didn’t have to pay for parking!
And yea, Carolyn liked them too! My parents complained about not liking mexican food, but they did indeed eat it. Carolyn got the fajitas AND Chile Rellenos, half of which went straight into the box for me to eat as a leftover the next day.
I want mexican food now too! I just finished the last leftovers this morning!!! And I can’t go out and buy more, because I have Saturday-night leftovers in the fridge still. . .
January 15, 2008 at 4:14 PM
OH, dude, no question, most restaurants in F-burg and Stafford are significantly cheaper than the NOVA/DC area. I can see why your parents would have been taken aback at the price differences if they’re used to eating in Fredericksburg.
I went to college in Fredericksburg, and the lone Mexican restaurant there was, on average, like 8 bucks a plate, for lots of food. I remember gas was 1.79 per gallon in 2003 down there, too. (when it was about 1.90 in Arlington)
If only there were decent Mexican food *delivery* places. I would never cook again, bwahahaa.
I found a place recently that delivers tiramisu!! (/random)
January 15, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Happy belated B-day Clint!
Btw, what you had sounds like sopapillas (I think I spelled that right) – pronounced soap-a-pee-yahs. Most of the time they are hollow and you pour chocolate or honey in them. Some people dip them into chocolate or honey.
Pupusas (which you would be having if you came to my show next week) are from El Salvador. They are small, round tortillas filled with cheese, meat, whatever. They’re cheap (a couple bucks) and just two will stuff you.
That’s my lesson for the day.
January 17, 2008 at 12:11 AM
#1: I’m having a birthday party?
#2: Chicago isn’t as exciting as I thought because my coworker didn’t sign up for the rental car like I thought she did, so all we have is the hotel shuttle bus that’ll take us within a 5-mile radius from the hotel – in the suburb Skokie. But the group of girls who flew in for the training are planning a night out for tomorrow. We’ll see how motivated we are when we’re facing a high of 5.
#3: Clint’s Mexican birthday meal was the start of the stuff-my-face-full-of-free-food nightmare week. I got the fajitas (which I did like, Parthena), and a chili relleno. I intentionally split both of them in half to be sent home with Clint, because what was I going to do with leftovers? I can barely eat what is being either provided or reimbursed this week.
#4: Where was your family when you were watching the homo squirrels? Were they still with you at that time?
#5: I miss you too!
January 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM
#1: You’ve had birthday parties for many years. I don’t usually celebrate mine like you celebrate yours. (I really wasn’t expecting this last weekend to be so celebratory)
#2: That, and it’s snowing every day there! Yuck. VA is warm by comparison!
#3:N/A
#4: They were ‘screwing’ on top of the tables in the outdoor area of Rio Grande. I had already said goodbye to you.
#5: awwww
January 17, 2008 at 8:09 AM
#1: Yes, but we used to have one big party in February and called it a celebration for both our birthdays. But this year, we had the new years party and didn’t really talk about having another party.
#4: I think I get it now. It was when I left, and you were waiting for your dad to come around the corner?
#5: soooooo tired… I’m hating that it’s only Thursday.
January 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM
#4: Yes.
January 17, 2008 at 12:53 PM
For some reason my mind pieced this conversation together this way:
Carolyn: “So where was your family when this weird thing with the squirrels happened?”
Clint: “They were screwing.”
….Oops. Heh.
January 24, 2008 at 10:20 AM
[…] by Carolyn under Animals, Friends, Fun, Pointlessness, Vacation, skiing, work After we had lunch at Rio Grande for Clint’s birthday, I got onto a plane headed for Chicago. Chicago itself wasn’t very exciting. I was there for […]