Yummy food and basketball overload.

Despite a couple slight missteps and the world's busiest boyfriend, I had a lovely weekend in Indy, my first spent here in a very long time. It was mostly filled with basketball, great company, and food, so I'm not complaining.

After a botched attempt to visit the City Market on Saturday, Wheat and I settled on trying out Barcelona Tapas. We had heard great things about it and now I can confirm those things. We ordered five different tapas - chickpeas with spinach, grilled asparagus, ham and chicken croquettes, grilled lamb chops, and fried calamari. I can't really choose a favorite as I'm stuck between the croquettes, calamari, and asparagus, but it was all so delicious. I thought Wheat had died and gone to culinary heaven.

After lunch, we headed to the mall to walk around and kill some time before the Fever home opener. We got milkshakes, posed with some Pacers, and went to the site of our very first date - the arcade upstairs. The arcade has become a personal favorite of ours, the perfect place to spend $12 on games only to win a pirate eyepatch and some candy.

Doing his best impression of The Governor.

Wheat had to work the Fever game and I scored a couple free tickets, so I hunkered down in my seat and watched my first WNBA regular season game by my lonesome. The game was awesome - those girls play so unbelievably hard. It went into double overtime, but unfortunately, the Fever lost to the Atlanta Dream, 90-88. My seats were great (anyone want to join me for the next game?) and I even caught lucked into a t-shirt that bounced off an enthusiastic, screaming kid's hands and onto the ground next to me. I felt guilty keeping it, but sometimes you gotta do you, right?

Sunday, my dad came into town for Pacers-Heat Game 1. But first, he took me to his guilty pleasure spot, The Tamale Place. He's been raving about these things for months and he told me it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I don't make it a habit to listen to advice from a guy that wears sunglasses on the back of his head, but decided to give it a try, anyway. Sure enough, these things were delicious, despite the giant signed picture of Guy Fieri on the wall.

We ordered quite a few to try, variations of pork, chicken, and beef in green and red sauce. After extensive sampling, I decided that chicken in green sauce is the way to go...with a side of chips and delicious guacamole, of course. We went to the location on Rockville Road, but apparently there is also one in the City Market for inquiring minds.

When I felt like I might explode with Mexican goodness, we ventured downtown for Game 1. The atmosphere was unbelievable. Between the tailgate outside, the face-painting and sign-making inside, the music, and the general vibe in the air, it was nearly impossible not to feel like a Pacers fan. We explored the fieldhouse a bit and I made a special sign for Wheat before we settled into our seats.

Bonus perk: The game was a "Gold Out," so we both got free t-shirts.

The game itself was incredible, probably one of the coolest sporting events I've ever attended. The crowd was so amped up after the videos and player introductions and my adrenaline went through the roof right before tip-off. A dubstep remix of "Seven Nation Army" was playing. LeBron James was banging his chest and screaming. Paul George was screaming. I was screaming. It was NBA playoff basketball at its best, or so I'd imagine.

...and the Pacers did exactly what they needed to do and beat the Heat, 107-96. In fact, they never trailed and led Miami by double figures for most of the game. For these NBA newbies, it felt like basketball perfection. It also meant the world to me to spend time with my dad away from all the stress we've had lately.

I closed the night with dinner and drinks with Wheat and Manny at Scotty's and now, as always, I'm in denial about the insanity of the coming week. We can do this. Only four more days...