bitch, i don't need easy. put my ass on medium...

Because Melissa and I are basically married (bitch hates my mattress) we occasionally double date. Lo many months ago, "my new friend Melissa" and I met for Sunday afternoon cocktails, with plans to meet up later for dinner at The Brians. As we finished our drinks, Mel invited me to join her playing Rock Band at some dude's house. I declined, and apparently wrote on my blog that I didn't want to "hang out with strangers."

I've never heard the end of it. 

Because that stranger is Vansmack, frequent I'll Flip You commenter and obviously, no longer a stranger. 

I really like Vansmack for five reasons. 1: He responds to any e-mail within 5 minutes. 2: He's married to a gorgeous, funny doctor who will talk to me about Tom Colicchio while Van and Mel discuss snoozer public transportation policy. 3: His brutal yet hilarious honesty shocks and amuses me, which is hard to do at this point. 4: Turns out, he makes one hell of a risotto. 5: He takes Rock Band incredibly seriously. 

I know this because I finally played it last night. 

I couldn't stop laughing. Here we were; 4 adults facing a flat screen, entranced in concentration, holding plastic musical instruments and avoiding unnecessary conversation so we didn't lose any points during Weezer's "Buddy Holly."

Then finally, 39 bottles of Zinfandel coursing through my veins, I lost myself in the vocals of "Hard to Handle" and got the point of Rock Band. Vansmack yells encouragement throughout each song, and at the end of Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's "Maps", I finally received the recognition from my coach I never knew I was so desperate for. 

"See, Spotswood. Look at the fucking score. You rocked. You rocked because you finally took it seriously. And something's up with you and that song. But whatever. Awesome." 

So yeah, I got home at 2am. Because I was doing this...