Final Four Chronicles - The Interregnum

April 7

Sunday between the games is always play day.  Usually this day is reserved for golf, except, it's Minneapolis.  And while the weather actually isn't that bad in terms of temperature, none of us brought our sticks this year expecting the worst.  We are pretty sure that we can make the most of it.  Let's see what adventures await.  There is some strong language today, but as journalists we have to report exact quotations as they occur.

11:20 - Ubering to Jax's for brunch.  Sinickal asks the driver why uptown is south of downtown?  Driver responds "Why is America west?"  Curtis asks the driver, "Why are your windshield wipers on?"

11:43 - Windshield wipers are still on.  You can probably surmise from the context, but it is not raining.

11:53 - Jax!  Much brunching will be done.  There is a wait for a table, so we sidle up to the bar.  Aaron the bartender is not ready for what is about to hit him.

12:41 - Amanda and Amber stop by for brunch on their way out of town.

13:15 - Sinickal remarks that he is tired.  Dr. Pepper tells him, "Go stand in the corner and take a nap like a man, instead of showing pictures of sleeping motherfuckers."  We don't know to what Dr. Pepper is referring. [Ed. Note - we do.  It is him].

13:21 - In response to a story told by Pepster, Dr. Pepper exclaims, "That's 7 minutes of my life I won't get back."

13:26 - In describing what they had for dinner at Mercury the night before and what so good, Amber says, "Food was good.  We had some fries and some bullshit!"

13:27 - After continuing her very non-descriptive talk about the food, Tony tells her that if one of her friends ever disappears, that Amber should not be the one to give descriptions to the police.

13:29 - We find out that the piano player takes requests.  Sinickal asks, "Do you know any DMX?"

13:35 - It seems like Amber has been gone a long time.  We ask if anyone knows where she is.  Tony says he thinks she is "playing with the lobsters".  Pepster replies, "Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays".

13:39 - Aaron the bartender explains the buffet to Amanda and Amber as they finally go get something to eat.  "We even have a nice cold table with fruits and vegetables."  Amanda, "We do like us some kale."

13:44 - While the guys were talking about various perks from different airlines, Amanda returns from getting food, "We all like them perky!"

13:56 - Amber remarks that she is going to the bathroom and get a donut.  Pepster tells her that is a pretty decent to-do list.

13:57 - Amber returns with a slice a cheesecake.  Tony tells her, "That's not a donut!"

14:32 - Dr. Pepper needs a mimosa refill.  Turns to Aaron and says, "When the glass is empty, Pepster's not funny".

14:34 - After receiving a re-fill of what apparently is a good cup of coffee, Amber exclaims to Tony, "you gotta smell my cup!"  Sinickal to Curtis who has a nonplussed look on his face, "She said CUP".  Amanda snorts for the second time.

14:38 - Amanda and Amber exit for their drive back to Madison.

14:52 - While discussing the bottomless mimosas, we ask Aaron if the bottomless ends at 3.  Aaron responds, "Sure". 

15:21 - See how it starts.  It starts at home.

15:45 - Discussing the pay phones in the back of the place.  Aaron tells us that when Jax first opened it was Polish mob owned.  "That's why there is a funeral home next door."

15:48 - Finally leaving brunch.  "It's still daytime?"

15:55 - While in the Uber, we see a woman walking on the street.  Dr. Pepper points out her rather prominent posterior.  Uber driver to Dr. Pepper, "Where are you from, Texas?"

16:03 - Jon from the DC metro area meets up with us. 

16:43 - Hang out with Andrea, one of the promo reps from Orange Vanilla Coke.  She does NOT want to be doing the promo work so she asks if she can stand at our table and talk to us for a while pretending to be doing her promo work. 

17:20 - Jon sends us over car bombs.

17:23 - Derrick, a friend of Sinickal and Tony's, joins the party.

18:33 - The entire table next to us is watching the women's final four and cheering loudly for Notre Dame.  They do not know who Arike Ogunbowale is.

18:53 - Brian, a friend of Pepster's from college, joins us.  We will be heading to Burch Steak for dinner shortly, primarily on the recommendation of Leah, the Inter-Continental bartender from Friday.  Brian, who lives in Minneapolis, concurs that it is a good choice.

19:48 - Uber has been a challenge this week. This time, the Uber is on the interstate going away from us. Uber cancelled.  Sinickal orders a second Uber which appears to be less than a block away. that Uber got lost.

20:00 - Finally at Burch Steak.  Meet up with Alan and Joel, Tony and Dr. Pepper's friends from Providence.  Pepster and Sinickal worry that they are definitely going to pick up a RICO charge.

20:15 - Jay Wright with a Villanova entourage at the next table.

20:33 - An older retired coach starts talking to Jay Wright, one table over from us.  Sinickal tries to get Pepster's attention to figure out who it is.  Pepster waves Sinickal off.

20:36 - Pepster waves Sinickal off again.

20:43 - Pepster flips Sinickal off after Sinickal says, "Hey!  Don't worry about it anymore."  No idea who that coach was.

21:50 - Jay Wright leaves.  Lots of pics.  Wife is the enforcer.

21:51 - Mike Brey sits down right behind us.

21:52 - Tony disputing that it is in fact Mike Brey.

22:05 - Derrick and Brian leave.

22:25 - After several hours, several shots and mixing drinking priorities, Pepster heads back to the house.

23:02 - It is now just Sinickal with the Providence crew somewhere north of downtown Minneapolis.  It has taken us 12 minutes to park.

23:05 - In the spot, and Dr. Pepper refers to it as "snug".  That place where players play.  Yup, got that feel.  Tony just went NYC.

23:54 - Blonde in her 60s keeps trying to get men to dance with her, including all 5 of us.

Time Unknown - Uber home for Sinickal, Tony, and Dr Pepper.