That was the first thing I thought this morning when I woke up. How vile? How nasty? How could I smell or taste anything beyond that stench? How in the fuck am I going to get through residency without smoking? But my friend from work is quitting and I am trying to be supportive. And I’m tired of not sleeping with D because I snore (which is equal parts smoking and my weight gain), or not sleeping at all because I smoke. And now, I’m quitting again. Chris is taking some drug. So is Lex (come June 1), and so was my Mom. I’m the only one out of the bunch that doesn’t have insurance. But I do have this near-crippling sense of competition. Not with the women in my life, but with the cyclists I see on the road. I can’t ride fast if I’m still smoking. And if you’ve ever seen a casual cyclist, they don’t haul ass, they putter. I got smoked by a chick in flip-flops puttering down the road, and it still pisses me off. So, she’s a part of the reason I’m not going to smoke anymore. That, and it would be nice to see if my food tastes as good as I think it does.

And now to the weekend recap.

Thursday - We saw Indy @ the coolest theater ever - Cincetopia. Good food, and I’m not talking Enzian “frozen pizza disguised as gourmet” food - it was damn good food. I had a spinach artichoke dip, and D had mac n cheese with Gorgonzola. We also, because I’m a total lush, bought a bottle of wine. We met this cool biker named Eric, who just decided to go and see a movie since he was on his motorcycle and it was raining. So he came in, all covered in leather, and we chatted about animals who travel, food, where to go in Oregon, and the fact that it was his 44th birthday. The dude was seriously cool, very friendly, he giggled and he had these really cute freckles on his nose. He was born in Oregon, and loved Portland, but couldn’t afford to live there, so he lived in the Coove. He told us he sculpted grotesque garden gnomes. He was just a lot of fun. The movie itself was a good time as well. It’s a summer popcorn flick, and I loved that it didn’t take itself too seriously. Not my favorite, by far, but I still had a damn fine time.

Friday - Worked, and then D and I went to Mississippi Station for dinner and some wine. Amandapants called us on her way to the Gorge for the Sasquatch Festival. I felt bad, because she had 4 hours to drive (I think she called me around 6) and would be erecting her tent in cold rain. D and I ate dinner, and chilled outside for a while. The weather wasn’t cooperating this time though, so we went back to the house, and continued to beverage. Now I made the mistake of going to Fred Meyer and getting these bags - if you buy 6 bottles of wine you get 10% off…..so…. I did. That meant we had too much wine onhand for the night. That meant we drank too much. But D and I talked, like we haven’t in ages, about anything and everything. And the wine flowed, and I fell asleep and the world was spinning.

Saturday - Good morning Hangover! D was kind enough to take the beasties to the groomers so I could sleep a little. Then we walked to our breakfast place, where they were kind enough to fill me full of stuff so I could stop feeling bad. The sun was trying to shine through long breaks in the clouds, but it was far from the shitty weather we’d had earlier in the week. Then D and I walked to New Seasons, grabbed groceries for our trip and headed home. The Dogs still weren’t finished so we also went to Moosey, had lunch, and as soon as I got home, I needed a nap. I passed out. D got the call that the dogs were finished, and again, went alone to take care of them. I’m a shitty beaglemommy. But they got me back, pouncing me on the bed, bouncing me into wakefulness, and ushering us out of the house, ready to head to Lex’s house.

That part of the trip, I have to say, was blissful. The traffic between Portland and Tacoma can get quite awful (for you Florida folk - think I-4, but down to 2 lanes, for a lot of fucking miles). But everyone left on Friday, so I put on the cruise control and just chilled. Till I saw the first State Trooper. Okay, sloooooow down. So then I was only going 10 miles over the speed limit. Then I saw my second State Trooper and D gave me that look “you get no stuff (see: video games, bags, music, books, etc) if you get a ticket.” I slowed the car down to 5 miles over and we watched the pretty lights of the police sparkled and whirl from the side of the road throughout the 2 hours it took to get to Lex’s house. But there was no traffic. I was happy.

We got to her house, and I started a pasta dinner - home made sauce, veggie pasta (you know, the carrot, spnich, beet, and that white-stuff pasta), and fresh garlic bread. My sister recently got involved in Pampered Chef. For me, it could be dangerous, but I was safe becase D stood in the kitchen as she did her little song and dance, and the only thing he didn’t scowl about was the knife. It’s a good knife. Me wants sharp thingies. Anyway, so I finished Dinner. My one nephew - J - will eat anything, and thinks I’m gods fucking gift when it comes to cooking. And that is why I love him best out of that whole family (It’s okay Lex…. I know the smack is coming). My BIL also liked the food, but I think he just gets excited because it didn’t come pre-made out of a can. But the one I was most impressed with was my sister, who doesn’t like to try new things. She didn’t dislike the sauce, it just wasn’t…

*hurk*

Ragu

*puke*

We finished dinner, drank, and then went to bed.

Sunday - The BBQ started at 11. Yes, that is very early for Meow and her ever sleepy huzzie, but the neighbor who loves us was cooking our mushrooms special, so we had to get up and get out to the park by 11.

We got there around 11:30…it was close.

One thing I’ve noticed, and I’ve commented on this to my friends IRL, is that my sister puts up with a lot of shit from people on base. There are cliques that are impossible to ignore, and as such, it takes me a while to get comfy. When everyone was eating, I felt out of place. D and I took the dogs to the field and let them run, and when we came back, the women were sitting with their kids and the menfolk were scraching their nuts and congraduating each other on their manliness. Then someone pulled out a baseball, and all the boys went to play. That left us, the womenfolk, D and the dogs, to bullshit. D and I took to the field again, trying to keep Puck from eating deer shit (and rolling in it —that bastard ALWAYS gets funky after the groomer….he goes for starcrunches, opossom poop…what ever. I think he resents getting bathed and wearing those cute little bandandas), and running around exhausting the dogs. Lex’s doggy - Smeagol - okay his name is Casey, but he looks like Gollum. I’m just sayin’…

D and the rest of the group ended up playing kickball. I didn’t. Why? I was bleeding like a dying animal, and someone had to keep the dogs from going apeshit. Everyone, and I mean everyone, got burned. Okay, except for one of the neighbors, but all the white people, like my husband - —— looooobster time.

And I really do have more to write….the best dinner, my attempt at asparagus, the drive home, my exhaustion, but work calls. Let’s see if I get unlazy enough to ride when I get home. Or I could take a nap.