* GAME OVER *

PEEPS! Oh, peeps... I have missed you so :D

~

I have never told you the story about how Ruffles potato chips and I became so attached at the hip. I know I talk about Ruffles, joke about Ruffles, take photos of Ruffles, eat a lot of Ruffles, give Ruffles to friends, and receive bags of Ruffles from many of you as gifts (thank you!)... but I have never told you The Story. It's very short and simple really. And to this day it remains incredibly baffling to me. But it's true.

Exactly three years ago, I literally woke up one morning, and Ruffles potato chips were the very first thing I thought about. Before my head was even off the pillow. Ruffles. Ruffles potato chips. "R-R-Ruffles Have R-R-Ridges". I had to have them. I could hardly wait until I was able to get some. The opening of the bag. The crispy ridges. The salt. The craving to knock everyone and everything in my path to get to them was completely foreign to me. I had enjoyed a very tasty relationship with Cheetos occasionally throughout my life time, but I had never EVER been one to gravitate toward "regular" potato chips. But this could not be denied. Oh, it could absolutely NOT be denied. 

(*special note of thanks to the talented & amazing Riley Lyon 

for the most awesome chip clips on da whole planet earff)

I got me some Ruffles. It didn't take me long to realize that the Original kind were way too greasy and made me sick to my stomach. I quickly found out the Reduced Fat Ruffles were my personal Nirvana. Not greasy. Still salty. Exactly how I imagined they would taste when I woke up that fateful morning. Made just for moi. PERFECT. 

I could not get enough of my Reduced Fat Ruffles. I was insatiable. I had to travel with them. I had to have a bag in the trunk of my bug. I had to have at least two to four bags up in the cupboard so I always knew they were there and I would not run out. One time I *did* run out and could not find them anywhere. I went to 8 different grocery stores. SERIOUSLY. To no avail. So I tried the Natural Ruffles with Sea Salt in the interim (very good, I might add), until I found my beloved Reduced Fat Ruffles once again. I think I purchased twelve bags when the delivery finally came.

I was a freaking Ruffles connoisseur. Everything was categorized. I had my all time favorites - bite size, slightly more well-done. My next favorites - folded over. And my meh ones - really large or odd shaped (still edible of course). And though I would eat them morning, noon, and night, here's a little Ruffles trivia: they taste the very best in the morning. I'm guessing because your tongue has been resting all night so your taste buds are rearing to go. And I wouldn't be me unless I mention Ruffles go best with diet Coke w/ a splash of sugar free vanilla syrup in it (aka: R with DC with some V)..... but my ongoing love for diet Coke is a story for another time.

(*Special note of thanks to Diana Bingham for my MAGNIFICENT "M" cup!)

The first two years of this curious obsession were by far the most outlandish. I picture myself as a beaver gnawing through trees... sawdust flying in every which way. OBSESSIVE MUCH? Sometimes my hands would shake until I could get that bag opened. DRUG OF CHOICE HMMM? You would think that I blew up like a balloon with all that Ruffles eating, but I had previously blown up several years ago, so that was already taken care of. In fact, I lost 15lbs. And being so health conscious and all... I made sure I was always eating mozzarella cheese sticks to round out my Ruffles plan with some calcium and protein. I ARE SO SMART.

(*Speical note of *LOVE* to Kerrie and all my precious girlies, 

for their Ruffles & DC enthusiasm... but mostly for their love)

This last year has been a hard year. A hard world year. A hard family year. A hard me year. A hard Ruffles year. Not long ago, I began noticing the Ruffles weren't tasting as good. I thought surely I was mistaken, but no. It came as a shock when they sat in my stomach like a rock. Until I threw up. Repeatedly. It was still surprising though, when I found myself not wanting them as much, or even thinking about them. One thing I didn't know, was that I was getting sick - that I was actually already sick and would be getting sicker. Perhaps that had something to do with the change - I don't know. Over the last few months, I have thought a lot about this odd Ruffles phenomenon. Why did I wake up that one morning craving them in the first place? What purpose could they have possibly served in my life? Why exactly three years? Where is any significance whatsoever? I don't have answers for any of these questions. I just know my Ruffles days are over, even though I can hardly believe I'm saying that. Oh, I'm sure I'll eat a few occasionally. But that crazy, salty, crunchy, chip-obsessed roller coaster ride that usually ended with me puking? We're done now. We're done. This is me exhaling. 

* GAME OVER *

(*Special note of thanks to Carlos Porto and 

FreeDigitalPhotos.net for his tennis ball image.

To visit Carlos's webpage please see below:

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=345)