This past weekend, I considered and did things that I haven't done since college. Honestly, getting drunk was not on that list.

Being all alone this Saturday, I guess I forgot I'm supposed to be 31 (nearly 32). I started off my Saturday pretty normally: grocery shopping and football. However, I had been driving around town Saturday blaring Cowboy Mouth's Voodoo Shoppe. Something struck me and I suddenly really wanted to go to a Cowboy Mouth show. Even as I tried to dismiss it and had decided to sit at home playing video games, it kept gnawing at me. I watched the miserable game debating how far I would travel for a show.

This shocked and disturbed me. I'm not a groupie but I felt compelled to "scream and shout like (I) was five" again just like I had the weekend before. It's not often I make spur of the moment decisions, but I was ready to drive 4 or 5 hours to see them, grab a nap at a hotel and head back the next day. Luckily for me (I guess) they had no shows scheduled for Saturday night. I even debated catching a flight somewhere if it was too far to drive, but quickly dismissed that due to the cost involved.

Since there were no shows, my other idea came to fruition. It was me and my video games for a raucous night of fun. My original plan (before the Cowboy Mouth thought popped up) had been to drive to Meridian and see Colin Mocherie and Brad Sherwood from Who's Line Is It Anyway. Unfortunately, the ticket prices pushed me away. Since Erika was gone for the weekend, I might as well indulge in my passion.

Baseball and hockey started the evening, but soon, I found myself at my PC playing Half-Life 2, Episode 1. I played and played, barely keeping track of the time. I kept plugging along continually wondering what was around the next corner. Eventually I turned a corner and saw two mounted turrets at the end of a hallway that were really causing some frustration. I paused to consider the best way to get through this obstacle. It was then that I realized it was 4 AM. Holy cow!?! That clock has to be wrong. I actually got up and checked the other clocks in the house. Yep, it was 4 AM. Quietly, I saved and closed out of the game, brushed my teeth and went to bed. I wasn't really sleepy but I dozed off pretty quickly. And I knew that in a few hours Kitty would wake me begging for breakfast.

I can't remember the last time I've stayed up later than 2 and even those times are rare occasions. Usually I force myself to go to bed so that I can get up with Erika on Sunday and start our day together. I don't think she'd take too kindly of me staying up all night and sleeping all day especially since our time together is limited (stupid work).

I have to say it was a blast. Were I not going to Cleveland this weekend, I'd probably do it again.