Magnetic Darts, Rice and Beans, and Drug Busts
So I only saw about 2 minutes of yesterday's swim meet, thanks to my afternoon procrastinations and my adherence to the "self centered triathlete" stereotype (i.e. finishing my workouts for the day was more important than supporting and encouraging young athletes). But I did get enough of a glimpse to deduce that cool high school swim team boys do NOT use swim hats, even in races.
Another reason I missed the meet was that Greg and I went to a real live friend's house for dinner last night! It was great fun for a lot of reasons. For one thing, Eric (the friend!) is a fantastic cook, and he provided a tasty and, for me, much-needed respite from Greg's and my regular dinner menu: either pasta or rice-and-beans.
For another thing, my incredible knowledge of sports was admired by all. I am not even kidding you. Eric, his wife, and their roommate are all from Ohio, so (cough cough) I mentioned what a shame it was that the Browns didn't make it to the playoffs this year because the Titans beat the Colts because the Colts played their second string because their playoff spot was already guaranteed.
I ALSO mentioned that I was curious to see how Tyrelle Pryor was going to do with the Buckeyes.
It was about this time that Eric's wife Nicole started getting shit for not watching Sports Center.
And it was also about this time that I decided to be the designated driver, so I got soberer as the others did not. You know how that goes. So the evening descended from discussion of Stephen King stories (I am suggesting "The Shining" for the next book club selection), to tales of Ohio's rollercoasters, to comparisons of how Eric and Greg make fun of Nicole's and My swimming (scarily similar methods), to me and Nicole comparing Eric's and Greg's P.O.S. 1991 Hondas (both of which have duct tape holding various parts on the car) and plotting how to make the damn things disappear, to looking at wedding albums, to hearing a certain someone's gross sweeping false generalizations about women, to a drinking game involving magnetic darts and some apparently gross wine called Fish Tail or Fish Sauce or something. Fish Eye I think, actually.
It was fun.
Now, you might be wondering why a designated driver is needed in a town that is about 1 mile across and has a population of approximately 5. Well, a month or so ago there was a big scandalous drug bust, side note this seems like Small Potatoes compared to some Oak-town shenanigans I witnessed. Anyhow ever since the big bust, the cops have been out in force, looking for the next major local criminal, pulling over cars with busted headlights left right and center, and stationing themselves pretty much permanently at the "less desirable" corners of town (for example, ours).
We decided last night that a. we needed to designate a driver, since it was Friday, the cops' second favourite day of the week after Saturday, and that b. it would be me since Greg has already gotten pulled over twice. He is such a baaaaddd boy. The first time was for expired tags on his car (another reason why it's a POS), and the second time was funny:
Last Saturday I was begging and begging for ice cream after a dinner of, surprise surprise, rice and beans. I also insisted that Greg come to help pick out the flavor in case they didn't have Ben & Jerry's Peach Cobbler. He drove since he thinks I suck at driving (too many blog posts attest to this for me to hyperlink to just one). The store is 1/4 mile from our house so we brought one wallet, mine, because it was all my idea so I had to buy the ice cream. Anyhow Greg pulled into the parking lot in a somewhat speedy manner, next thing you know two big SUV's with flashing lights AND sirens screech to a halt right next to us! They found Greg's maneuver to be shady and a probable inclination of shady materials in the car and shady intentions borne by the driver... The rest of the story is anticlimactic: I sat in the car while the cops walkie-talkied for a while and Greg just stood there cold and annoyed, he ultimately got off with a warning, Raley's was indeed out of Peach Cobbler ice cream, so we got Mint Cookie instead.
However, last night I did an excellent job driving us home and today everything is grand, and I'm sort of watching basketball, except I just got a call from Greg that his car won't start so I have to go get him from work. I HATE THAT $*@)%))# CAR I AM CALLING NICOLE FOR MORAL SUPPORT.
Another reason I missed the meet was that Greg and I went to a real live friend's house for dinner last night! It was great fun for a lot of reasons. For one thing, Eric (the friend!) is a fantastic cook, and he provided a tasty and, for me, much-needed respite from Greg's and my regular dinner menu: either pasta or rice-and-beans.
For another thing, my incredible knowledge of sports was admired by all. I am not even kidding you. Eric, his wife, and their roommate are all from Ohio, so (cough cough) I mentioned what a shame it was that the Browns didn't make it to the playoffs this year because the Titans beat the Colts because the Colts played their second string because their playoff spot was already guaranteed.
I ALSO mentioned that I was curious to see how Tyrelle Pryor was going to do with the Buckeyes.
It was about this time that Eric's wife Nicole started getting shit for not watching Sports Center.
And it was also about this time that I decided to be the designated driver, so I got soberer as the others did not. You know how that goes. So the evening descended from discussion of Stephen King stories (I am suggesting "The Shining" for the next book club selection), to tales of Ohio's rollercoasters, to comparisons of how Eric and Greg make fun of Nicole's and My swimming (scarily similar methods), to me and Nicole comparing Eric's and Greg's P.O.S. 1991 Hondas (both of which have duct tape holding various parts on the car) and plotting how to make the damn things disappear, to looking at wedding albums, to hearing a certain someone's gross sweeping false generalizations about women, to a drinking game involving magnetic darts and some apparently gross wine called Fish Tail or Fish Sauce or something. Fish Eye I think, actually.
It was fun.
Now, you might be wondering why a designated driver is needed in a town that is about 1 mile across and has a population of approximately 5. Well, a month or so ago there was a big scandalous drug bust, side note this seems like Small Potatoes compared to some Oak-town shenanigans I witnessed. Anyhow ever since the big bust, the cops have been out in force, looking for the next major local criminal, pulling over cars with busted headlights left right and center, and stationing themselves pretty much permanently at the "less desirable" corners of town (for example, ours).
We decided last night that a. we needed to designate a driver, since it was Friday, the cops' second favourite day of the week after Saturday, and that b. it would be me since Greg has already gotten pulled over twice. He is such a baaaaddd boy. The first time was for expired tags on his car (another reason why it's a POS), and the second time was funny:
Last Saturday I was begging and begging for ice cream after a dinner of, surprise surprise, rice and beans. I also insisted that Greg come to help pick out the flavor in case they didn't have Ben & Jerry's Peach Cobbler. He drove since he thinks I suck at driving (too many blog posts attest to this for me to hyperlink to just one). The store is 1/4 mile from our house so we brought one wallet, mine, because it was all my idea so I had to buy the ice cream. Anyhow Greg pulled into the parking lot in a somewhat speedy manner, next thing you know two big SUV's with flashing lights AND sirens screech to a halt right next to us! They found Greg's maneuver to be shady and a probable inclination of shady materials in the car and shady intentions borne by the driver... The rest of the story is anticlimactic: I sat in the car while the cops walkie-talkied for a while and Greg just stood there cold and annoyed, he ultimately got off with a warning, Raley's was indeed out of Peach Cobbler ice cream, so we got Mint Cookie instead.
However, last night I did an excellent job driving us home and today everything is grand, and I'm sort of watching basketball, except I just got a call from Greg that his car won't start so I have to go get him from work. I HATE THAT $*@)%))# CAR I AM CALLING NICOLE FOR MORAL SUPPORT.
Labels: enjoy the blog, IV, lisa i'm HUNGRY do you have any food, random
posted by Courtenay at 3/22/2008
8 Comments:
there are so many things wrong about this post I hardly know where to start.
first of all, those HS swimmers were neither cool nor fast, the fact that some of them didn't wear caps is irrelevent. If anything, it's further indication that caps are cool and appropriate.
secondly, my cooking is delicious and nutritious. all you know how to make are pancakes and cookies, so you have no room to complain whatsoever.
finally, you took so long to finish this blog that i went back to my car, it started this time, and i drove back. thanks for coming so quickly. and my car is great. yes, sometimes it has a little trouble starting when it's been sitting out in the sun for a while, but it's got a lot of great features and low mileage.
so there.
you are clearly still hungover.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!! Wow on such a crappy day (for me), reading your post was one of the parts of my day (shows you how BAD my day really was, doesn't it?).
Wow. On so many levels that cracked me up.
One because I am the proud owner of POS 1989 Nissan Stanza that has a broken license plate frame that says "How 'bout a threesome?" with the swim, bike run thing on it. I think the fact that it's broken on the bottom just adds to the quality factor. Except mine only has 130,000 miles on it so it still hums pretty nicely and the only thing that's really broken is that I can't unlock it from the driver's side. :) I'd rather spend more money on my bike. :)
Okay second because The Shining is an AWESOME book and movie.
Third because I concur Fish Eye is a nasty, nasty wine.
Fourth because I didn't know you lived in Oak-town!! I <3 Oakland! I only lived in Oakland for a few months back in 2004 but have lived in Berkeley for the last 3 years or so (just moved up to Santa Rosa in January). Wow! Where in Oakland did you live?? Ah, Oaktown...
Thanks for the great story.
to quote icanhascheezburger: oh noes!! bad day?! i'm sorry.
anyhow, as for me an' the east bay... i was in the "up and coming temescal district", close enough to bart that i could walk but i did NOT walk. i am a scaredy cat. i miss a lot of things about oakland though, and despite the safety complaint, i loved it there. i lived there for 2 years, after 3 years in the city (LOVE and miss the city too), and prior to that i was in virginia. greg and i moved up here in october of this past year - time for a change, that sort of thing.
i thought of you as i descended today, crouched down on my bike like it was a racehorse!
LOVED this post - it totally cracked me up! Thanks for making me laugh so hard that my stomach hurt! hee hee hee!
Its great to read your posts again - thanks so much for all of your love and support. You're awesome!
And BTW - I find its so much better being the DD... no icky hangovers and such. Good stuff. Glad that you guys had a great time... and I can't wait to catch up on all of your other blogs.
Talk soon!
I should have offered to be the DD last night!! I am sssoooo paying for it today.
You know, I think cops in small towns have to drum up things to do on the weekend. Seriously, why pull over the driver of a honda mini van (full of kids mind you!) at 8:00 on a Saturday night. I was speeding because it was bed time!
Ah, Temescal. Don't you love how it was being called "up and coming"? And while it IS being gentrified (hello, Bakesale Betties, Pizza Aiolo, Dona Thomas, Genova Deli is now in a nice building...), it's still just as ghetto as ever. I sort of miss that aspect, though. I miss the diversity. I miss good cheap Indian food. I miss the Cheese Board. I miss Lake Merritt. I miss BERKELEY BOWL.
I'm sure you must miss cops who have better things to do than to pull you over for speeding into the parking lot...
Anyways. I worked in SF but only lived there for a short time (Inner Sunset, blah). Ran back to Berkeley.
I smiled yesterday when I was about to hit a couple bumps on the road and got into a tuck position up out of the saddle like it was a horse. It was great. :) Saturday I was running out in the country and there were three horses just basking in the sun all happy...it was so sweet! Just wished I'd had a camera.
OMG Katie that is classic! I totally laughed, which I hope is OK, cops really kill me (although I do admit that I dated one once...)
And Sarah: I do miss Bakesale Betty, and Berkeley Bowl!!!! My fruit and veg intake has dropped off severely. I actually lived in the inner sunset too, at 11th and Judah, but that was back in 2003, and as soon as I knew better about neighborhoods and their microclimates I hightailed it outta there. How do you like Santa Rosa??
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