Until recently, I somehow made it through a half decade of Chicago improv without ever going to a Whirlyball party. Whirlyball is a combination of bumper cars and basketball (with some la crosse thrown in), and its pretty high among the improv special occasion destinations (behind karaoke and just-going-to-a-crappy-bar-near-the-theater-and-drinking-too-much).

I finally went to a Whirlyball party a few weeks ago for Meador's 30th birthday party. I learned that I am terrible at Whirlyball, although not as bad as Young who spent half a game stuck under the basket because he didn't realize his bumper car had a gas pedal.

Meador: [later, via e-mail] You and your camera left before I got stupid drunk, right? It was a rough night of which I remember little.