Very, very happy.

Tommy had his kitchen make us a veritable cornicopia of fried food, plus tomatoes stuffed with shrimp that had been drowned in thousand island dressing. In keeping with my diet I had one cornmeal battered french fry and one cream-cheese stuffed fried jalapeno. Both were delicious.

I also had four decidedly non-italian sized glasses of red wine. In other words, huge.

We had so much fun, in fact, that after the Mardi Gras got too crowded, we decided to continue. By we, I mean Elvis, myself, Maggie, Mr. VCR, Angie and Bruce. We ended up going to the Everything is Eight Euro Bar. The EEE has low, couch-like banquets that run the entire length of the place, low stools with very low backs and low tables. They also have live bands of the Hotel Lounge variety. Everything costs Eight Euros. Coke? Eight Euros. A bottle of beer? Eight Euros. Half a liter of bourbon with a tiny bottle of coke for mixing? Eight Euros.

Obviously, the economical thing to do is go for the cocktails. I had half a liter of bourbon and a tiny can of coke. Elvis had a Cuba Libre, Angie had a Tom Collins, and Bruce had something boozy as well. Mr. V, in keeping with his nature, had a coke. "Eight Euros for this?!?"

We warned you, buddy.

All the Italian patrons had the economics of the place figured out as well.

Which probably explains why they were all dancing on the banquettes and the wobbly tables shortly after midnight.

My own grasp of economics explains why I agreed to go to the Scandalously Expensive and They Don't Even Play Live Music Bar with Elvis on our way home. And also why I fell asleep over the glass of port he poured for me when we got back home.

Twelve hours later and I still can't type straight.

Also, I agreed to go on a museum tour with Angie and Bruce this afternoon. This was before I started on on the bourbon, but before I knew that I'd be sleeping until one in the afternoon. I'd better get moving.

Actually, I slept until 12:30, then laid there listening to my neighbors watch the World Cup game.

Italy lost to Croatia, 2-1.