In case you haven't noticed, Lindsay and I are fans of fun little routines.

The newest routine-y thing that we're adding to our weekly schedule? Here it is: Friday nights after work, we're gonna go to the Chatterbox, a neighborhood pub, to eat some dinner and drink some beers. Every Friday from now on -- forever. Yeah, that's right, forever. We're in it to win it, folks.

We had both heard very good things about the place from different people, so last Friday we thought, Hey, why not? Let's try it! The Chatterbox is about 10 blocks from our house, so we can walk there, both drink a lot of beer, then walk home. No DD needed! Brilliant!

Here are some thoughts from Friday's inaugural visit to the Chatterbox: The menu consisted of good bar food -- with lots of vegetarian options. They also have good old school style entertainment -- any board game you can think of, they have. We played Scrabble while drink drink drinking our favorite beer (Blue Moon!) and munching on some tasty Pesto Pizza. There are TVs set up all over the place, so something is always on. Also, it seems to be a nice place to meet other cool-ish people our age. Overall, the atmosphere was super relaxed, which scored big points for Lindsay and I. Second hand, but cool chairs and couches surround a couple of the TVs. They have cool retro lights and ashtrays and such, too. Plus really good music.

After eating dinner and getting my ass thoroughly kicked at Scrabble, Lins and I moved over to the couch and played... Atari. Yes, you read that right -- Atari. And you know what?

I. Am. Horrible. At. Atari.

Good lord. We played Mrs. Pac Man (she's married, dammit!), Pitfall and... um... damn you drunken haze, what was the other game? Mario Brothers? Space Inaders? No, no... Wait -- now I got it -- Frogger. It was Frogger.

Yeah. I could absolutely not play any of the games well -- in any way. As if that didn't make me feel un-geeky enough, these dudes that we met at the bar that were hanging out with us -- total Atari ringers. They live for Atari, or so it would appear. Blip, next level. Blip, next level. Blink your eye? Next level. Me playing Atari: Bl... dead. Bli... start over. B... game over. I got past the first screen on Mrs. Pac Man, but that was about it. Yeah. Back in the day, I could clear 80 or so levels in my sleep. And Frogger? Puppet, please.

I... I just didn't have it Friday, Atari-wise.

Of course, we all know that the game was cheating me and the game was stupid. My inability to function had nothing to do with the 8 beers that were sloshing around in my belly. Nothing whatsoever! Look away, I'm hideous!

Next week, Friday night, I drink less and kick some Atari ass, ladies and gents. Look out! I think I still won't have a prayer at Scrabble, but that's a whole nother story.

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Fox. You have to love Fox. Each season, Fox inches us just a few steps closer to The Running Man, the Series.

Of course, the season right after The Running Man, the Series tanks, you know Fox will trot out with, of course, Celebrity Running Man, the Special 8 hour presentation.

Dear Fox, You make my weeknights so much more fun. Thank you, Fox.

Lindsay and I were flipping through the handy dandy channel guide on our Dish last night when we happened across a tasty morsel of psuedo-reality programming: Fox's Celebrity Bootcamp.

Whoah boy... Coolio, Tiffany (I think we're alone now!), Greg Brady, Tracy Bingham, Bud Bundy, Kato Kaelin and more B and C level celebs + Bootcamp = fun fun fun!

You had to know we would watch.

Immediately, the drill instructors laid into the celebs. They teamed up on them, bumped them, did their very best to make them feel like wee little vulnerable children. It was like the drill instructors were all hopped up on goofballs and bouncing out of their skin and wanting to taking the celebs down with them. They got the celebs to yell, too. And sing. And rap. And balance things on their head. Hee. Exhilirating TV. This is the future America, get up and hug your tv now.

The highlight, for me? Without a doubt, it was Kato Kaelin. I mean, can you possibly imagine coming home from a late night out, maybe you've had a couple drinks, and you see you've got a message on your answering machine. Ooh, answering machine message! you say to yourself. Then you hit PLAY and it's Kato Fucking Kaelin talking on your machine because he dialed the wrong number and called your machine instead of his kids or his dogs or his coke dealer or whomever. How messed up would you feel then? Um, Hi. This is Kato Kaelin. Blah blah blah. Boot camp is rough..

I mean, he has got to be the dimmest bulb in the entire bulb bearing universe. They gave all the "recruits" a minute to make a phone call and he dialed the wrong number. He didn't redial the correct number. Instead, he talked on someone's answering machine for the full minute. Wow. Earlier in the show, too, the drill instructors were "shooting" everyone and having them fall face down. They get to Kaelin and put their finger up to his head and go "Bang, you're dead." He doesn't fall face down, like he's supposed to -- no, no. He melodramatically swoons down onto the beach and lands on his back. He acted the fall. Kato, you were supposed to fall straight forward like everyone else. The drill instructor kind of looked into the camera at that point, as if he was saying Oh, boy. This is my life. When, by the way, do I get to beat the crap out of this moron?

Man. That was some funny shit last night. 2 hours of Celebrities actually trying to do well in Boot Camp. Whew. I'm sitting here riveted, glued to my chair, just waiting to see what Fox will possibly come up with next.

Thanks for stopping by...
Eric