best birthday ever? i think so.

This year, serendipity shined down upon me and scheduled a Toad the Wet Sprocket concert in Chicago on my birthday. What better excuse to make a trip back to Chicago. Best friends and favorite music? Can't beat it.

It was supposed to rain in Chicago, but there was no way it was going to rain on my birthday. In fact, I expressly forbade rain, and it went away as requested. First, my BFF James and I picked up Asshead from his job working the corner over in the Financial District. We headed to Stanley's for some 20-minute chicken. (Best in Chicago - if you ever visit, you must have some.)


Then we headed over to the zoo, where in theory, we were to act all cool and say "We're on the list". Yeah. Not on the list. Phone call. New list. Not on that one either. Another phone call. New list. And finally allowed into the park. So much for being cool.

I got to see all sorts of Chicago concert buddies at the show. It made me feel very loved. Glen opened for Toad, which was just brilliant, because who wouldn't love double the Glen?


I even overcame the adversity of stupid people standing in front of me, by going to the other side of the stage and standing in front of someone else. What?

Throughout the show, there was this crazy drunk girl, who kept talking during the songs, flailing her arms around and yelling how much she loved Toad. She actually accosted James and I before the show started, poking us in the arms and demanding to know how we knew Toad. Not in the carnal sense, but just in general if we knew their music. I conceded to being a casual listener to try to get her to leave us alone.

Then, near the end of the show, Glen and Dean wished me a Happy Birthday, and in the middle of Glen talking about me, drunk girl decides she is going to steal my thunder and yells out that she is the biggest Toad fan ever. Who am I to argue? We took pictures with her afterwards, because it was important to document her idiocy. Oh, and Asshead ate her brain.


After getting James and Asshead's photos with Dean, Todd, and a very smarmy Glen,

we hustled to my favorite spot, Dublins for some food and merriment. Oh yeah, and my favorite hot waiter, Mattycakes.

The next day brought a Transformers movie, The Misbehavers from Four Rooms ("Police? Come right away! There's a dead whore in the room!"), and a drive up to Milwaukee. We even drove by a Cheese Castle, presumably occupied by a Cheese King. At Milwaukee, we met up with some more wonderful friends for a Glen Phillips solo show. It was a great show, filled with rarities, a discussion about the legalities of necrophilia in Wisconsin, and even a song by the ever-wonderful Dick Prall. We tried to get pictures with Glen and Dick, but we couldn't seem to get in synch with each other. Blink. Blink.


Awesomeness abounded.