Saturday was an odd day. Chris ran out to grab some juice/coffee from Dolores, while Layton slept (and slept, and slept). Bobby, Ian, Chris and I decided that we were going to head over to the Clover Grill for some breakfast (actually we thought about Cafe du Monde, until we saw the line; actually sat down at another place and then realized we should subject ourselves to Clover Grill). You could have knocked me over with a feather when we walked in and Earl, the “Diva of the Diner” was there (the same guy who served us back in 1998). Now Clover Grill is a 24-hour establishment, and the food is pretty amazing. Watching it get prepared is fun, but listening to the antics of Earl and the staff is what makes this place all that more special. After waiting a “while” for the food, we ate, and promptly felt bloated. We bid adieu to Earl, and wandered off to find Layton.
Friday, we (the whole group) had dropped by a store called Second Skin Leather (a leather shop not for the feint-hearted). They sell adult products (which means clicking on the link, may not be the best thing to do at work). Anyway, when we were there, Layton asked a question about some of the color codes that are used within certain parts of the gay community to represent sex (a non-verbal way of telling people what they were looking for, or interested in). After “outing” Layton as the straight boy in the group, the guy behind the counter was only too happy to explain the colors, and some of the items inside the case. I have to say that Layton deserves to be applauded for some of the questions he asks, as I found some of the information new and (semi-)informative. (Side note: Layton mentioned earlier that he was posting the card he got explaining the colors to his blog, so it may be there by now.)
We then met up with Brian and wandered through the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. It was hot, and humid and it seemed that everyone else decided that the Aquarium was the cool place to be. I have to say it seemed to have more than the last time I went through this, adding a frog and otter display (very cute). Chris, Bobby and Ian then went to IMAX to watch Sharks 3D, which Layton, Brian and I decided to skip. I had some assignments due Saturday night, so I opted to grab some rest while the others were at the movie, and then get these out of the way. My heart/mind was not in it, and at that point, neither was my stomach. The other returned with potent alcoholic beverages in hand, and then decided it was time to get more, so they left me to get my assignments done. Finally got them submitted, and then did a further booze run for the boyz in the pool.
We opted for pizza for dinner, and headed to Mona Lisa's on Royal (which was closed), so then meandered over to Cafe Royal on Decatur (which couldn't be found), and finally settled on Angeli's on Decatur (which was the first recommendation of our hotel staff). At this point, I was not feeling too well – a combination of the heat, humidity, and perhaps a touch of Clover Grill, so I didn't really enjoy dinner, even though everything looked very good. Interesting moment: the waitress was “granola-ly” (a term I had not heard before), and seemed to suggest that she was new-agish. She kept referring to us as men, as in “what do you men feel like drinking”, “how are you men tonight”, and “you men look after each other”. After din-din, I opted out of the evening's activities and went home where I watched local cable television (the kind from people's garages), and a meeting of the local Humanist Secular Association. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Chris and Layton returned for what was meant to be brief moment, but ended up being for the night.