You know those Germans; if you don't join the party, they come get you!

Guten Tag der Toastedbloggen freundin. Ich habe gut Deutsch gelernt weil Ich Deutsch klasse im....dammit, I can't keep it up. Its been a while since I took German. Translation of above statement, Good day Toastedblog friends. I was about to say that I took it in high school and college but its fairly obvious that I can't recall all of that information right now. Had I not been at work the outcome may have been different. This place always seems to bring out the worst in me, mentally anyways. So, what's the deal with the German intro and title? Well, tribute to Badass, alter ego Matt Gang, and that's when the German comes in!! Its not really a tribute for him, but really a recap of a few days that happened to feature a going away gathering on Friday night for BA as he heads back to Ireland today. What the hell am I rambling about?? Stupid Mondays!!

In any event, we start by discussing the only real thing that had been going on with the Toast the last few days. On Friday I went with everyone's favorite little crapper Charlie Coville to meet up with a plethora of good people at Coleman's. The reason, well for Badass and Moe of course!! Looking back on the evening nothing too crazy really happened. Just having some drinks, sharing stories, going on and on for hours about absolutely nothing, drinking a lot of whiskey, yelling uncontrollably, not being able to drive home, passing out on your friend Kyle's couch. Really, your standard Friday night. OK, I don't usually hurt myself that bad but, it's a celebration bitches!! I like to refer to it as a night that got a little out of my control, fortunately I decided to be responsible enough to not drive, that and it was 5:30 am and I still was drinking. That might have had something to do with my decision making. Still, it was great to really hang out and get blitzed with Badass. I didn't really want to see him go back but what are you going to do. He assured me that he would return in 10 months so I got that going for me, which is nice. For you Toastedblog fans that haven't met him, you should really look into it. Good times, good times. We discussed briefly about myself taking a trip out to Ireland for a visit to the land of Toastie heritage and to hang out with BA. More on this as information arrives.

Nothing starts your day off like stumbling off your friends couch with your breath reeking of Bushmill (I ain't drinkin' your Protty whiskey!!!), enduring the arctic conditions of the outdoors, and receiving a telephone call as you clean the snow off of your car which has been parked at the bar overnight. I think it is a given that if your day begins like that it isn't going to be "spectacular". Key sidenote, exclamation above in parenthesis only works when you use an Irish accent. I drive home and take a good long nap to prepare for a Saturday night loaded with football. That phone call I got while cleaning of my Jeep, none other than Army Matt and he is having a get together at his place for the playoffs so I drove over at about 5:30 looking for a comfy chair and delicious pulled pork for I am still not quite over my Friday. However, after my first beer things are looking up for the Toast and we're feeling all sorts of fine (Lookin' fine too....dang!). He and his girlfriend Shannon have some good people showing up to watch some football including a few boys from the rugby team so the games are littered with good conversation as jokes are told and rugby weekends and practices are re-lived through story after embarrassing and hilarious story. The following may not be funny to y'all but Army Matt, myself, and fellow rugby teammate and Buffalo native "McCracken" were rolling as it was brought up. We travel back in time a few months to October 31st, the day of our division championship game against Rochester. They had this scrumhalf (guy kicking the ball with grey scrumcap on) who with his huge nose was delegated the nickname "Rooster". By the way, look in the background on right side of that picture, who's wearing short shorts, high socks, and standing next to Army Matt? Well, we would heckle the hell out of "Rooster" every time he touched the ball, partially for reasons that he was a punk, the others had to do with him kicking the ball anytime anyone got close to tackling him and us drinking. Army Matt would try to district his kick offs and penalty kicks with an on target Steve Perry impression singing "Oh Sherry". You should here him hit the highs. Various comments were made about his sister, rooster crows, and lets not forget the trademark yelling of Noonan before every kick (Noonan, Mmmiss it, Noonan). Kinda had to be there but nevertheless, good times. Well, we wrap up Saturday with a stop at the Blarney on the way home and not resisting a 2 am viewing of "Boyz in the Hood" as I turned on the TV when I got home. Ah, the finer acting days of Cuba Gooding Jr., before he got crazy annoying and his agent hooked him up with scripts to "Snow Dogs" and "Boat Trip".

So, that's about it. Sunday was all football and jammies. And last week, well last week was just crazy. Rugby practices have started up again, basketball games Change O' Pacers style, a hockey game on Thursday night that featured our team only showing up with 7 guys, including the goalie, so the Toast was on the ice for the entire game, aside for a two minute penalty and about 2 minutes of rest time with our lone sub. My legs still are sore. We lost 8-3 to a bunch of chumps who out manned us 3 to 1. Had we been with our full roster, they would have been no problem. At one point the puck had deflected off a body in the neutral zone and I flew on it, only to have one of the referees skate directly in my path. So I did the only thing I could do in the situation, I lowered my shoulder and sent him flying. He bounced on the ice and took out one of the opposing teams defensemen to boot. This action instigated a lengthy argument between me and said referee for the remainder of my shift out there. As play continued he threatened me with tossing me out of the game for actions like that. I responded by saying that he should be out reffing girls youth hockey and he was lucky he still wasn't down on the ice. He told me to watch my mouth and next time anything happened I was gone. As I skated away I yelled next time I'm going in with my elbows high. The whole exchange reminded me of the way I played in High School and College. I wasn't a goon or anything, but I could hit and play mean; which is surprising when you look at my demeanor off the ice. I am very likeable. But when I play sports, I turn it up a notch. In fact, I lead my high school league in penalty minutes two years in a row. How's that for the Toast my fans know as "I'm getting upset." Makes you wonder huh.

Ok, I have gone on enough about random things and it is 11:11 am here at work. I really need to get some work done. Speaking of work, have I mentioned that I am beginning to get frustrated and unhappy at my current place of employment. Grad School news in the future?? I certainly hope so for I can't keep this up here. Its killing me!!! All right, Toast out for now!! Take care.