MONDAY HANGOVER: "Wow."

Incredible. Stupendous. Exhilarating. Amazing. Harrowing. Exciting. Thrilling. A roller-coaster ride of titanic proportions. Dramatic with the happiest of endings.

Of course. I speak of Sesame Street Live!

..oh, and I guess there was a football game, or something, this weekend. If only I could talk about it. Y’know, when this ride is over, be prepared for the Longest Post in the History of the Kingdom, because there’s just so much to say about the Team That Will Not Be Named. I will say this, though. I cannot describe how strongly I felt that the other shoe had finally dropped on the Team Saturday night, yet they still survived. And I believe that means something. I just wish it didn’t have to be New England. But I can’t talk about that.

But I can talk about Sesame Street! Okay, I’ve been made fun of for going in the first place, but let me tell you all that it was exactly what I needed. On Friday, I had written about feeling old, but I didn’t write about how strongly I felt as though I’m in a rut of sorts. That it would be another night in Pittsburgh of bar-hanging and accomplishing nothing. I needed a changeup. I needed something different to do. Something offbeat and quirky. And when Jeanie jokingly suggested taking in Sesame Street Live!, I realized that it was exactly that something. I’ll post a review today or tomorrow, for those of you wondering about the show. I will tell you all that I learned two life-altering lessons. First, the Martians say “Yupyupyupyupyupyupyup” not “Yipyipyipyipyipyip,” which is akin to Drew learning the correct lyrics to “Hypnotize.” Secondly, we are all Earthlings, we are all different, yet the same. And we should all love each other. I’m going to try to live by that lesson now. So love to you all (except Tom Brady.)

Friday also featureda spec-tacular dinner at the Hot Metal Grille, which included my first ahai tuna experience, salmon bisque, and duck with raspberry/blueberry sauce. Ex-fuckin’-squisite. After dropping Jean-Eileen off at home (Props to her, by the way, for being the only friend who would actually go to Sesame Street Live! with me), I rendez-vous’d with Z and ‘Pizz in Shadyside for a little well-timed drinkin’ where we ran into Drew’s old Homecoming Date, Melissa, and had a solid night of reminiscing and brew-hahas. Good times.

The rest of the weekend was donated fully to football, with the exception of a night on the town in W-Moreland. We watched the Team That Will Not Be Named at Pizz’s sisters house, in glorious surroundsound, on a 65+ inch television. It felt like we were there SO much, that I’m pretty sure Ben threw his first pick, because he thought I was open. Also, I want to go on the record for saying that the Vonage broadband telephone commercial (the one where the kid swings the baseball bat through the patio window), and its accompanying jingle, is the Official Lucky Commercial of the Team That Will Not Be Named. Learn the tune. Sing it when they need something good to happen. It works, I promise.

And yes, I’m superstitious as hell, and mentally disturbed. After this last playoff game, and my experience with the Cardinals in the World Series, I’ve come to realize that if one of my four personal favourite-massively-adored teams (Bucs, TTTWNBN, Pens, and Nits) ever actually play in a Championship Game, it’ll probably kill me. But WHAT a way to go.

Okay, back to the grind, THIS is YOUR Link of the DAY (go to the forum and read them appropriately trash dickhead TTTWNBN fans). No song, though, I don’t have one stuck in my head. I might be too fried from the game. Maybe I need to go see Sesame Street again? Finding Nemo on Ice is coming in March…

ONE LAST THING! – the first two new episodes of BattleStar Galactic aired this weekend, and were both dark, well acted, clever and exceptionally written shows. If you remotely like sci-fi, I implore you to check it out. Honestly, it’s just good drama, too. It’s just excellence, and this isn’t even me in fanboy mode—promise.

Alrighty, I’m out.

-apk