When I gave a more detailed list and included that I was bringing three pillows, he asked, �So I don�t need to bring pillows then?�

Ha!

Think again, Benito. I have a three-pillow requirement. Note that since you�ve been around, I�ve added another pillow to my bed to meet my three-pillow minimum and your two-pillow minimum. These three pillows are mine-mine-mine!

So I left work on-time on Friday and hauled my overly-stuffed backpack, a grocery sack of foods, a large blanket, and three pillows down to my lobby to wait for my ride. The ride that was arriving at 3 p.m. I was a little worried that I�d keep anyone waiting, but all was fine.

G was on his way, and Happy�s boyfriend was waiting in the lobby for me. We�d be on our way shortly, right?

Wrong-o.

Happy made it to Benito�s house without issue. They were happily watching Tivo as G crawled through highway traffic. It took him 45 minutes to make it through two miles of traffic.

We high-tailed it along the city streets to Benito�s place, I made my first pee-stop there since you never know, and we hit the road almost an hour and a half late.

Twice there were wrong turns taken by my vehicle, but the only result of this was that we didn�t have to set up the tent in the dark when we got there. (We five were sharing Happy�s mansion of a tent, and it was luckily in her car -- the car that didn�t get lost twice.)

After heating dinner in link form on a stick and sucking down a few beers, we had to hit the hay. One thing we didn�t take into account: Wisconsin decided that despite it being the end of July, it would dip into the 40s at night.

Hey Wisconsin, you and me need to have a talk...

Benito and I were more snuggly than usual. Thank goodness for body heat. Oh yes. Thank goodness for the three pillows too. They were used as extra coverage to help keep in the heat.

Sometime during the night, I had to get up to pee. Everyone was snug in their bedrolls as I crawled out of the tent (toilet paper in-hand) and toward a large tree.

Along the path I met eyes with a raccoon. We both jumped, yelped, and scampered away after running into each other. However, my bursting bladder made me proceed, despite the wildlife.

I saw his eyes shine from about 50 feet away, so I turned off the flashlight and popped a squat next to a tree. I heard rustling and realized that the sucker was coming up in me. Were I a guy, I�d have pinched it off at this point, but I kept on, knowing that the raccoon was getting closer and closer. As soon as I wiped and got my pants up, I flashed the light in his direction. He was a mere twenty feet away!

I gave him a dirty look that informed him that I was the bigger bear, and I ran back to the tent without showing my fear.

The next morning a bulging bladder again woke me up. Since it was 7:30 and I wasn�t really tired, I gathered my stuff and walked down to the showers to take advantage of the early hour.

The quarters machine was quite a hassle, but I eventually got myself soaped up and ready to face the day. I ate some donuts and then joined Benito back in the tent to help keep him warm and give us both a bit more rest. Entering the tent, I saw that he commandeered my pillows. That was fine though, since I knew he didn�t sleep well and could use a few comfortable hours.

After waking, him showering, and all of us packing up our rafting materials (READ: beers and snacks), we hopped the bus to the drop-off spot and got our six-mile trip started. Benito was in full pirate fashion and snuck aboard Happy and her boyfriend�s raft in search of more beer.

Most of the boats stayed together for much of the time, but Benito and I got stuck on so many rocks that we were way behind the rest of the group.

After paddling and pushing the raft through a �-mile long rough area, we lounged for a bit. When we opened our eyes, the water was deadly still, and the raft was spinning slowly in circles. With no way to tell where we were supposed to be heading, we randomly picked a direction and started paddling. Eventually the water picked up and revealed that we were heading the right way. Whew!

As we finished off the final rapids and approached the dock, one person in our party was surprisingly standing there. He waved to us, and I waved back. I heard him shout, �Yeah, it�s them,� before he left the dock.

Lo and behold, the bus pulled away a mere ten seconds later. I have no doubt that my friends were snickering the entire way home.

Buttheads.

Benito and I ended up in a van with a gaggle of teenaged girls who giggled and Valley-girl talked the entire ride home. By then we were tired, well out of cold beer, and were ready to get clean and be back at the campground.

There was a little laughter at us being behind everyone and how they left us when we were ten feet from the dock, but all was fine. We ate a late lunch and went back to napping.

That night we snacked on more non-meat on a stick, drank more beers, and went to bed quite late.

The next morning involved getting semi-clean, packing up, and making another five-hour trip back to the city.

Benito and I napped in a REAL BED, took a shower that didn�t involve fungus or inserting quarters, and then went to a movie since we�re not going to get to hang out this weekend while I head to Houston.

Being gone this weekend works out rather well, as he�s out and about with work friends doing work-y stuff. I get to be out and about with family, doing family stuff. So dinner and smooching on Thursday it is! Fine by me.

Back to the weekend, we watched I, Robot. Halfway through the movie, the kid in front of me pukes. I have a weak stomach for this, so I immediately start heaving. I know I have to get outta there quickly, so I pick up my purse and run out the back to wait for Benito to catch up with me.

We sat in the next showing of the movie a couple screens over and got out late. The movie was pretty good though, and I�m a sucker for sitting near Benito while he has his hand on my leg. Sign me up for a double-showing of a movie at any time!

Well, that about sums the weekend up. I�ve got a busy week ahead of me, and I need to finish today�s work before I head to the grocery store.

G�nite all. �