Megan Venable: More bucket list fodder...

First, may I just give a play-by-play on how my train of thought went this morning?

Running late for work, what to wear, out to dinner with the fam after work then trivia, might not be able to get back to change, supervisors out of office, no need to be fancy but fancy enough for dinner out and trivia tonight and walking a lot so no heels, dress with the pom poms good, flip flops ok, grab purse, what's that bag - oh emergency bikini bag, no need/time to re-pack right now - oh wait, dinner at Lakeside Tavern, better be safe than miss out on lake, re-pack quickly and out the door.

So. If anyone wants company out on Loudon tonight, just give me a jingle.

In other news, I swung by friend and co-worker Cathy's cube a few weeks ago and found her bucket list lying there on it. Two items were listed, white water rafting and skydiving. I have a terrible fear of airplanes and I understand how gravity works but planes are still kind of a mystery to me. I love white water rafting but told Cathy she was on her own in the skydiving department, but if she wanted to go white water rafting I'd be more than delighted to arrange a trip for us down the Ocoee. Because no one ever get hurt white water rafting while skydiving I'm sure has a higher fatality rate. Hold on. I'mma check that. Ok I Googled it. Nothing definative, but I did find a quote that I'm just going to blanket apply here: Danger is a relative concept. So there.

cathy (hot queso pantalones), sharon (zen baby d) and me, the ubiquitous pants on fire. because i NEVER stretch the truth. even when the embellishment would make a story just THAT MUCH BETTER.

We arrived and were waiting for the tour to start and Sharon made the off hand comment, "Oh look. A tire swing." To which I responded: "WHERE? Bye."

cathy pushed and i spun in a circle until i was dizzy and got off and walked funny for a few minutes. good times.

We loaded up the bus and headed on toward adventure.

i prefer to have my adventures unlimited, thank you.

Along the way, we passed this by the side of the Ocoee:

remember that waiver? that you don't read but just sign because nothing bad ever happens white water rafting because there's guides and they'll take care of you and it's really just pretty much like Disney World where when something goes wrong they just turn off the ocoee and come get you and whisk you away to safety and maybe give you a bandaid and aspirin? that waiver? THIS is why you sign it.

As a runner, I have to say - that's a somewhat sexy-pants sport. Literally. I have some very cute running outfits, and even though running is slobbery and sweaty, I think that most runners look pretty tight when practicing the art of the daily grind. Rafting? Notsomuch. Very unsexy gear. Very mildewey. Very smelly. Life-saving? Yes. Necessary? Evidentally. But when Sharon asked why I was redoing my hair into a side pony tail before putting on my helmet, I told her it was so people would know that I was a girl. Cathy agreed and redid her 'do too.

the side pony tail really ties the whole outfit together.

Cathy did GREAT. She even didn't bat an eye when Sharon and I insisted that she take the front seat.

ready to paddle forth

Great weather, great company, great trip. Wonderful time had by all. And Cathy can tick this one off her bucket list!

jumping in for a dip in the doldrums. sharon, cutie-pie guide lauren and cathy on the ocoee.

love love love this pic. east tennessee gal's version of toes in the water, ass in the sand.

After the trip, we got cleaned up and headed out to the Dam Diner and Deli for some well-earned grub. Dam it. And yes, we did not stop saying this the whole meal.

two thumbs up on the dam hot plate

Choice phrases include:

"Where's the dam driveway?"

"Is that a dam parking spot? No! It's a dam compact car! This dam place is crowded!"

"They better have a dam Sprite or I'm not staying."

"NO WAY, DAM IT. If they have no dam Sprite we are making you sprite out of soda water, sugar, lemons and limes and calling it dam homemade Sprite."

"It is dam hot out here. This place better have some dam A/C because I'm tired of dam nature for the day."

"Ooooooh, this dam okra is delicious!"

"Dam skippy it is."

Ad nauseum. You get the picture. In any event, good times. Great to alive and living somewhere I can trot out and hour away and have such a great experience.

And can I also add, please scroll back up and take a look at me in the Dam Diner picture and take note of that dress? Just humor me for a second and do it. Go on, I'll wait riiiiight here. (Introspective soliloquy commencing forthwith. If you're not down with it, scroll to the next graph. I won't judge, promise.) Saturday morning I ran a race, bopped over all sweaty and gross to the hospital to visit a friend (yea you're home, Kristi!), zipped to the apartment with only enough time to blow off the stink real quick, out for a picnic, quick nap, woke up late, grabbed emergency bikini bag out of the car, ran out to the lake, off the lake at dark, home for a second to run one more time through a shower, threw on a dress, out to dinner late so when I hit the pillow I just pulled off the dress and slept in the slip I had on underneath, woke Sunday morning to a "want brunch?" text, tossed on the dress off the floor and headed to brunch, then home lickety split to pack for rafting, then rafting all afternoon, showered at the outfitters and put the whole mess of clothes from the day before back on one more time because in my spare time I cannot be bothered with niceties like clean clothes or makeup or hair. I have said this once, and I'll say it again: I am a hedonistic machine. I cannot and do not and will not stop. I visited Hawaii years ago with BFF Heather once, and I think we bathed more often with sandy bars of mushy soap in those beach shower-off areas than we ever did at her apartment, and the three or four showers we did take there left a huge ring around the tub, because we didn't stop going the whole time we were there. I remember thinking at the time that was how I wanted to live - contstantly going from one activity to the next, never stopping always moving. I used to think those weekends like I just had were few and far between so enjoy the lightening... but dam(n). They are crowding in closer and closer together and I think I like it? But if I don't settle down soon I think I may forget how to read books and crossstitch and sew clothes. Oh well. For now, I'm keeping it. It'll be fall soon and cold weather will force me back indoors and then football season will start BUT WHATEVER.

Oh and wait - last little bit of introspective soliloquy (quick I swear. And funny.) Although since being single my bathroom stays blessedly clean without having to try, I always thought the stinky laundry hamper was smelly boy. Ooops. I guess not. Maybe I should re-think that whole "clean clothes" thing.

In other news, I totally showed up the Lizzard and Josh with my adventures in eating.