Owwww

Dave climbed a volcano in Portugal with his wife and her relatives. He has an amazing tale to tell about it, involving the overnight survival of sub-zero temperatures when a tremendous storm traps his group at mountain-top.

Unfortunately, he won't let me say more than that until he records the story himself. I hope to offer it here at Mini Nerd soon.

In the meantime, I believe my subconscious was looking for something even slightly worthy of mention alongside Dave's extreme and extraordinary experience. Best I can do is neither unexpected nor uncommon: getting sick wasted on a Friday night in Cowtown.

It's been a hard week. But one shouldn't mix beer with gin with sake, only eating raw fish (which makes me gag ordinarily) at the end of several hours of this behavior. One also shouldn't try their first cigarette during such a marathon session, but I did all of the above and more and found myself hunched over a public sink purging former sea-dwellers, what was left of Sylvie's cake, and assorted/unidentified brackish sludge that could very well be whatever my unsuspecting lungs inhaled earlier - and I must say, nicotine produces a unique and satisfying buzz, sort of puffy and smooth in the head. I immediately wanted more of the same.

I write all this not to gross you out but because life makes for fun material and I process things with words. That said: though I'm not curled over a befouled sink any longer, my tingling hands, pasty complexion, and the unpleasantly throbbing gristle of my head and neck require more than paragraphs to be banished. So I'm off to the diner to do the deed with greasy sausage (always an effective hangover cure) and runny eggs.

Kind, kind thanks to Jon and Crista for sticking by me in extremis, talking me out of the baffroom and hastily-closing sushi shack, hailing a cab while I crouched, and showing an overall care and diligence with this drunkard I was most grateful to benefit from.

I'll get that Underworld for you by Tuesday, Jon, mark my words.

Lastly, apologies to Sunny - with whom I would have scaled my own excuse for a volcano out in Kananaskis this morning if I could have at least walked upright.

A distinguished start to the long weekend!