I remember when my mother and her friends used to get together.

They’d play cards, eat, chat about their kids, tear apart whichever friend couldn’t make it that day. Ya know just be girls.

Yesterday a few of the “Girls” came over to my apartment. One girl was visiting from another land, Hawaii, and she wanted to catch up with some of the friends she hadn’t seen for awhile.

Susan actually organized it but it was at my house because as she explained to the others, “Mattie doesn’t like to leave her dog”

There were 5 of us, all connected to the music business in some way, either through work, marriage or previous marriage.

This wasn’t exactly like my mother’s get togethers.  I may have heard her and her pals discuss their home remedies for stress but I don’t think “blow”was one of them.

Except for Susan I don’t really know the other women well and her telling them that I didn’t like to leave my dog might have given them an idea that I’m not all there.

Liz, the girl from Hawaii seemed more than amused by the dog carriage in the corner.

“No kidding, that’s for your dog?”

That’s when I took out the vodka.

Everything seemed to be going well until the dog that I” didn’t like to leave” ruined it by bringing every toy he has to the feet of the ladies and barking incessantly until someone threw  it.

I tried to distract him by feeding him cheese and crackers but it only quieted him while he was chewing.

“You feed him cheese and crackers?”

I mumbled something about “only when there’s company”

More vodka.

Ray would simply not stop barking. He had finished the brie and was giving the Jarlesburg the glad eye so I resorted to something I had read somewhere about quieting your dog.

I put my face close to his and screamed “Shut the fuck up you fuckhead”.

Then I gave him some more brie.