Carmel, IN: Downtime

Nick: UGHGHGHGHGHGH, so much blogging to catch up on!!! We are writing to you, world, from Madison, Wisconsin on, we think, Day 55. Much to catch up on. That’s why we’d like to, for this one time only, activate warp engines and send this thing into overdrive. Let get the recap started: Thursday, Indiana: Slow day, recovery day. I’d like to tell you we did something fierce this day, something transformative, something beneficial for the good of all mankind.

Brian: Other than saving the world. Did we save the world?

Nick: I mean, we probably did. Really. But I can’t remember. So I’m moving on. Friday night, Indiana: Went to visit my friend Sarah at Purdue for some costumed bowling action. I went as Chuck Norris, Brian as a redneck. We looked good, I think. After some major pin destruction, we went to see “Paranormal Activity,” which, if you’ve been living under something heavy and dark, is the spooky movie in the flavor of “The Blair Witch Project.” It was alright. Notable in that Brian, for the days since then, has been threatening to put demons in my bed. We’ll see.

Brian: I read today that the movie cost $11 thousand to produce and has so far pulled in $62 million, and that number is expected to break $100 million by the time it is out of theatres. Sigh, Nick and I need to invest our cash in something with a stupidly awesome return like that, so we can go on a lifetime road trip. Makes me wish we had filmed our journey. Saturday morning Sarah took us to a Purdue dorm and we played a game that uses 2 pool balls where you run around the table and throw one of the balls at the other. I was really good at it but also I sucked at it in that I would get too excited and knock one or both of the balls off of the table and across the room.

Nick: Not effective strategy. We had a breakfast at a place called “tripleXXX” which, as far as we can figure, is either five or nine “Xs.”

Brian: It depends on whether the triple applies to just the first X or to all 3 X’s. Put some parentheses in your title!

Nick: Either way, the food wasn’t all that so I don’t think either of us care too much. Guy Fierri liked it when he was there though. Good for him. That night was Halloween night, and we had plans to meet up with my old high school crew then hit up Broad Ripple. We started off with a few games of beer pong, which Brian and I did fairly well at. In fact, I started the second game with 4 cups sunk in three shots. That’s right. After getting all liquored up, it was off to B-rip to see what our favorite stomping grounds are like on that most enjoyable of holidays. Turns out, they’re wonderful. Thoughts?

Brian: Broad Ripple is one of the primary party places for people between 21 and 25 in Indianapolis. It’s usually totally packed every Thursday through Saturday and Halloween was no exception. In fact there was probably triple the typical number of patrons at all of the bars and clubs. And everybody was wearing the craziest outfits imaginable. Everywhere I went I felt like I was in the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. And it may also be true that you’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. But also good times.

Nick: At one point, my wallet slipped out of my Orange belt. Thaaat sobered me up snap quick. But then, the most wondrous thing happened: the bouncer came over to me and wanted to talk. But it was a good thing. Someone had returned my billfold! Score huge. But then these chicks started yelling at me because I didn’t tip the bartender for fetching me my overpriced Coors Light. Why yell at me? Oh and also, I got stuck in a corner with them because this giant oaf a man was blocking me in. Sometimes, being on the shorter side is great. You can sneak in and out of things with major stealth, you can dodge booby traps, and you usually dominate hide and go seek.

Brian: But when push comes to shove (pun fully intended) sometimes a little extra size can go a long way. The night ended with a trip to Qdoba, where I bought the greatest burrito of my lifetime. When I turned around after paying for my food, a different girl was yelling at Nick, claiming that a future seminarian would never be out partying on Halloween. Between the multiple yelling experiences, and losing the wallet, it would seem Nick had a pretty rough night. But all’s well that end’s well and we made it back in one piece so I consider the night an overall success.

Nick: Rough night nothing, I had a great time with a couple hiccups along the way. NO biggie. But there was a lot of yelling… Monday night was a little more sane as Ella, a high school friend, came over and we made super cheesy shrimp enchiladas. Neither Brian or I are really recipe followers, and neither of us had made enchiladas like this, so I don’t mind telling you that they weren’t the best. The weren’t bad… Just not amazing. Ella hadn’t seen “Casino Royale,” so we popped that in, then followed it up with “Ferris Bueller’s Day off” in preparation for our journey to Chicago the next day. Brian fell asleep. Surprise surprise. Save Ferris, and in the meantime, we’re out.