Last night we went out to a friend’s birthday party. He’d decided to split it into two parts — the first at ESPNzone’s sports-themed arcade and the second at a local bar.

I admit it — we blew a lot of money at the arcade. It was like a step back a decade or two and we had a blast bowling, shooting hoops, skiboarding, waterskiing, playing in baseball, and playing air hockey.

Then we came back to Dupont Circle to hit a local bar and have a bite to eat. Unfortunately, the bar was mobbed and the air heavy with smoke. By the time we eventually found the rest of our party, I was coughing and decided to head across the street and join some other friends at another restaurant.

I continued coughing until well after we arrived home two hours later. My clothes still hadn’t aired out this morning.

I’m not one to throw away a whole year of my life, but I will be very excited when January 2007 rolls around and I’ll be able to join my friends at any restaurant or bar they choose without having my lungs fill with smoke. I realize that it’s currently a choice for me that I can opt not to go to places that allow smoking. But it severely cuts down on my ability to go out with friends late at night. And that hurts me — and any business that wants my money. Last night the Big Hunt didn’t get any of it and Cosi got it instead.