Monday, October 30, 2006

Day Off in Lowell

Woke up at 6:04am, just as Steve is pulling the bus up in front of the hotel. He tells me that a couple of guys were up all night and just went to bed about 20 minutes ago. That's something I just don't give a damn about these days – staying up all night drinking on a damn tour bus.

We didn't buy the rooms for last night, so we won't be able to check in for a while. I grab a couple of newspapers in the lobby and sit in the front lounge reading them while Steve watches country music videos on the TV.

Finally get everyone's room keys a few minutes past noon, so I grab my stuff, head up to my room to drop it, then head out for a walk. On the way through the lobby, I checked out an area map and looked for the nearest bar for tonight. Looks like it's a place called Major's Pub, about 2 blocks away. I ask Mary at the desk about it and she says it's a cool place. She calls the owner up and tells him I'll be bringing a crowd over tonight to drink and watch the football game.

Take a walk around the neighborhood – not much here. I grab a sandwich at Subway and take it back to my room. Accomplish much of nothing all afternoon.

Meet a few folks in the lobby at 7pm and we head out to Major's Pub. I ask at the bar if Cory (the owner) is there. He's not, but he'll be in later. Then a guy at the bar introduces himself to me – he turns out to be Craig Gates, the general manager of the Tsonga Arena, where we're playing on Wednesday. Somehow, he found out that we were coming here tonight. Came to say hello, and then he tells me that he's picking up the tab for the whole crew tonight. Whoo-hoo!

A few more crew folks trickle in, and eventually there are 11 of us eating, drinking and watch the Patriots kick the living shit out of the Vikings. Poor Molly, she's from Minnesota and takes a bit of ribbing whenever she cheers her team on.

Feeling no pain, I slip out around 12:30 and head back to my room.

Snnnzzzzzzz…

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