Friday, May 2, 2008

Day 3 - The Bachelor Follies

So it's Day 3 and the cowboy and I are driving south towards Portland before we head over to the Oregon Coast. We're just riding along and suddenly, out of the blue, he asks me, "If you had a jar of peanut butter that was dry and you wanted to soften it, how would you do it?" I looked at him and paused, not sure I really understood the question. I thought he must've been asking how to get the jar clean of the dried peanut butter but something told me that wasn't the real question. So instead of saying I would soak the damned thing in soap and water, I asked, "What do you mean?" He said, "You know, reconstitute it? I've heard you can put a little olive oil in it, and then it's a real workout, but if you stir it long enough it will be good as new." It was at this moment that I realized how deeply ingrained this man's bachelorhood is and it was also at this moment that I began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. The cowboy kept giving me these puzzled looks and asking me what the hell was so funny and every time I attempted to explain it, the giggles overtook me again and I just couldn't get the words out. Finally I managed to tell him that I would toss the peanut butter, as in throw it away, at which point his puzzlement seemed to reach astronomical proportions. "But why would you waste a perfectly good jar of peanut butter?" he oh so innocently asked. This only served to bring on more fits of laughter. I could tell he was getting more than a little irritated with me by now, but I tell you, I could not stop laughing! I finally stopped long enough to tell him that in my world, if a jar of peanut butter is that dried up, IT IS NO LONGER A PERFECTLY GOOD JAR OF PEANUT BUTTER! Then, he got it and started laughing which just started me laughing all over again.

It must've been about this time that the city of Portland came into view. It was an incredibly beautiful sight with all the lights and colors reflecting on the water. It was one of those magical moments that just make you go silent. This was a good thing because my stomach hurt for two days from all the laughing I'd already done. I didn't have my camera ready and could've never done the beauty justice anyway so I pulled the above photo off the web. We continued south for another hour before stopping for the night - laughing and giggles abated.

7 comments:

Rae said...

I loved this story ... it made me laugh too. And isn't it amazing that we try to figure out what men are thinking?

Hope you continue to enjoy your trip

R.L. Bourges said...

a belly hurtin from too much laughing is one happy belly.
the peanut butter: shiiiiit - the guy's a heavy-duty bachelor. Uh...maybe he could make peanut chips out of it. You know? take a knife and whittle the stuff and slow bake the shavings? Hate to see perfectly good food go to waste like that :-))

Angela said...

Ohmygod, Lee, don't get me started!

Anybeth said...

you drove right by me. next time I'll have you over for dinner. :)

Grandmama Carla said...

The best part is when the Cowboy started laughing too!

Beverly Keaton Smith said...

Hey Angela, what a great story...I felt my own heart lifting from left over residue of yall's laughter...such good medicine! and yes, I would have answered the same way...throw that dried up peanut butter away!

Anonymous said...

Love, love, LOVE this story. Thanks for sharing the peanut butter giggles with us.