376 Girls Weekend 2010

Okay, so it has been a week since we loaded up the van and headed back from Destin, but I just had to share my Girls Weekend with everyone. Well, most of my Girls Weekend. You understand that inside jokes were created and confidences revealed that are locked up tight. And as long as you are satisfied with checking out some pics and hearing about what I am comfortable sharing then keep on reading.

Thursday. July 15th.
I didn't leave out until 3PM. I stayed until Chip left for work and then headed out. Jumped in the van, and Chip pointed out that my Inspection Sticker was expired ... And then he asked what my mileage was .... So, in other words I didn't really hit the road until 4PM. Freshly inspected (in Mississippi this means that all my lights and my horn works) and with new lifeblood in my car I headed south for my first pickup. I gathered up Tracy and Julie just north of Jackson, MS, and we headed on out again for our next stop.

(yes, I was at a stoplight when I took this pic)
A little impromptu karaoke in the car of Brick House and Total Eclipse of the Heart as we looked for Andrea's parents' house and then we were finally settled in for the night. Sitting around the kitchen table, eating some homemade ice cream and laughing our rears off. A great beginning to Girls Weekend for sure.

Friday. July 16th.

We started out bright and early for Destin. I must have been excited because I woke up at 5AM, and just lay in bed surfing the internet on my phone. (Have I mentioned how much I love my phone - and its not even an iphone *GASP*) We all managed showers and we hit the road. We had a quick detour in Mobile, AL to pick up a hitchhiker (kidding, a work friend of Andrea's), Tracy closed her eyes and prayed while we drove through the tunnel, and it was back on the road. Beach Bound!We would of course choose a weekend when there was a 60% chance of rain each day. The main point to our weekend was to visit though, and even had it poured the entire time we would have been just as happy. We talked and talked, and we laughed and laughed. It was truly wonderful to be surrounded by a group that really loves each other. We met in college and bonded over frat parties and beer (well, I didn't drink beer ... I mean, yeah Mom, I didn't drink in college) and we have shared years of our lives together. Some of those frat boys are still around, some are not, but we have gone so far past hanging in the frat house. We have bonded over weddings and babies and even loss. We may not see each other often, but I know that I have a group I can lean on. I have people who will catch me when I fall. And I have people who will laugh their asses off with me when they tumble down beside me.

Sorry, off on a tangent there, just wanted to put forth how much my girls mean to me.

The skies were stormy and it was hot and muggy, but we loaded up a cooler (overloaded a cooler as it turns out) and headed for the beach. Destin is on the Gulf so we weren't sure what to expect, but the water was clear enough. We only got in to our knees the first day, but my legs didn't rot and fall off, so SCORE!

It started to rain after we had been out for about an hour, so we dragged (and I do mean dragged, leaving a deep gouge in the sand) our cooler back to the car and headed home. We had talked about getting out on the town, but the truth of the matter is that we are getting old. We opted to hang out at the house, and barely managed to gather ourselves to go have dinner at a Mexican restaurant nearby. If I am not mistaken it was a restaurant called Fajitas. Pretty yummy. More time spent on the screened in porch of Amy's bungalow, and we wandered off to bed.

Saturday. July 17th.

We slowly emerged from sleep, and started getting ready for the day. I think I was the last to wake up (not surprising). We bummed around the house, just enjoying the day before we headed off for another day on the beach. More time sitting on the front porch, telling stories.

We brought the cooler with us again, but this time we had Keagan from the chair rental place drive it out on his 4wheeler. And he was probably the last cute guy we saw for the rest of the day at the beach ... That is a little unfair, Destin is a family vacation spot, so most of the men were fathers and grandfathers. It still would have been nice to have some man candy to look at!
We got out in the water a few times, but most of the day was spent lounging in our chairs, reading or listening to music or chatting. Clouds rolled in and out. It even sprinkled on us for a short time. Total relaxation. Sun warmed muscles and a happy heart. After a day on the beach what else is there to do than turn all decisions over to my friends. Tracy, Julie, and I headed to CVS and I let them pick out my new hair color (my roots were growing roots, it was time). I told them they could color it whatever they wanted, and Julie picked up a box of bright purple dye. I shrugged my shoulders and told her that was fine if that is what she wanted. When you know your friends won't make you look like an idiot you can say things like that. So, this is what they picked out. And I was moments away from being a redhead. Tracy was in charge of the dying process.She was much more thorough than I have ever been when doing my own hair. And I know better than to even attempt highlights on my own again. I get bored and just glob it on anywhere, it is not a good look.As we sat there looking at the box we all commented on how cute the models hair is .... so I told them they could cut it if they wanted. (I am so not a girly girl, and there is nothing you can do to my hair that would be too bad. I could always shave it) Katy was the one with the scissors and I enjoyed everyone else's reactions to the faces she was making. At one point she was behind me crossing herself before she closed the scissors on my hair. She was freaking out, and I was perfectly calm .... though maybe if I had seen this face I might have been a bit more worried. I think my hair is cursed anyway. It refuses to change too much. But with a little extra love from my stylist Katy, it was blown dry and perfected.And as usual, about an hour later it looks like it was never touched. Humidity is not conducive to good hair. We hit The Village on the San Destin resort. First we tried Rum Runners, but it was too packed for a table downstairs, so we headed off to eat dinner at Hammerheads. There was a band playing and people on the dance floor. The food was yummy and the company spectacular. Next we headed over to The Village Door, cuz' you know how much I love to dance. (okay, you probably don't know, but the answer really is almost not at all) But who am I to argue? I just wanted to have fun with my friends. The music was good. The floor was crowded, so most "dancing" was more of a shuffle, but it was still fun. Amy suggested we check out a place called The Funky Blue Shack, so Amy, Tracy and I headed over. Now this was our kind of music. The band is called The Burnin Smyrnans and we loved them. Loved that they all rotated on the different instruments. Very Impressive. They really made our night! Amy and I bought a CD and I have been enjoying them since.I did point out that it was hot, right? And small bas with lots of people only increased the temps ... and the amount of shine. Yes, we were GLOWING!

Katy & JulieJulie & I (yeah, horrible pic, get over it)Julie, Amy, and ShannonThe whole crew:

back row: Me, Amy, Tracy, Julie

front row: Ashley (our hitchhiker), Andrea, Katy

We stayed out until the bar closed and headed home for one last chat around the table. Wandering off to bed as we couldn't take anymore.

Sunday. July 18th.

The drive home. It was sad to leave Amy and Katy, but we did have a good ride home. More talking and laughing. Reminiscing. Rehashing. Another trip back through the tunnel. Three drop offs and 13 hours later I pulled up in my own driveway. Exhausted. Happy to be home, ready to leave again. I miss my girls like crazy, and I can't wait until we can do this again. But it was good to hug my hubby and eventually my babies when we picked them up on Tuesday.