I wouldn’t consider them drinking buddies…

One of the major PSA[i] campaigns I remember from my college days posed the question, “Are you making friends or drinking buddies?”  It had never been a major concern of mine until tonight when I realized that I don’t have drinking buddies – I have eating buddies.

Growing up is funny, because relationships never turn out how you thought they would.  I have moved thousands of miles away from two of my best friends,[ii] and now that I live in the same city and the three of us work less than a mile from each other I feel less connected to them.  When I lived 3,000 miles away, there were several phone calls every month that lasted for over an hour and when I came home for winter vacation we would hang out for days on end.[iii]

Now we meet up once or twice a month for happy hour.

However, on my standing happy hour dates, I’m just as likely to order a Diet Pepsi with an appetizer as I am to drink my dinner.  This afternoon I received an e-mail from an eating buddy in another state about our upcoming trip to Vegas. Half the things she wanted to do involved food.[iv] That was about the time I realized that all of my best friends have somehow turned into or were always eating buddies.

That just leaves either my family[v] or my cats[vi] that I could consider my drinking buddies.

So, I’m thinking that I need to come to terms with my unhealthy relationship with food and as part of the cure – I should probably start drinking more.

Note to self:  Suck it up and go to one of the many, many neighborhood pubs and belly up to the bar already!

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[i] For those of you who missed out on the glory of interning for a public television station in high school or working for your college radio station, a PSA is a Public Service Announcement.  The more you know!

[ii] Twice

[iii] Granted, the only difference between me crashing on a couch for a couple of days or a couple of weeks is about three inches of snow.  Thank you, Oregon, for snowing my ass in multiple times!

[iv] She wrote:

[Is] there anything special people wanted to do? Here's my wish list:

Diablo's Cantina nachos and margaritas (or whatever the place at Monte Carlo is called)

House of Blues - their blacked chicken sandwich is making my mouth water right now!

Free Pirates of Treasure Island and Exploding Volcano at Mirage shows at night
Fancy ladies dinner someplace where we all dress up!

Discount vegas show...Tara and I have been discussing

Also just found out they have a zipline over fremont street while the big ceiling light show is going on...for $20! Also I wouldn' tmind hitting up Madame Tussards...

[v] I drink much too much during my weekly family dinners.

[vi] Arguably, my cats are also my dinner companions, roommates, peeping toms…1

1 With those dirty jerks (see: perverts) sharing my adorable (see: tiny) studio, I’m never really alone during “alone time.” 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19

2 Yes, I’m talking about “double clicking my mouse.”

3 Rubbing one out

4 Going to the gym

5 Washing my hair

6 Airing my orchard

7 Watering my flower

8 Carpet bumpin’

9 Fluffin’ my muff

10 Going to the gym

11 She bopping

12 Dipping my digits

13 Focusing on a hot button issue

14 Bangin’ my hood

15 Undergarment typing

16 Making cookies

17 I think I’m done

18 I was wrong – masturbating

19 Okay, and now I’m done