I can't miss you....

...if you don't go away. It was something my husband said to me the first time I went away for vacation with my girlfriends. It was his way of saying go and have fun and do those things you do with them because I don't get and you need it. It made me fall in love with him all over again.

I'm off to Hilton Head tomorrow with one of my oldest, bestest, dearest friends. We never seem to see each that months have past...but to me it never seems that way. She is always in my thoughts. I don't think she believes it but I do have conversations with her in my head..meaning stuff happens and I think about she would react to it and what she would tell/advise me...I'm glad we can pick "us" up...it's good to know that someone has your history.

We are meeting up with our friend Amy...my longest friend...known her since college...I get to meet Amy's beau for the first time...Connie has met him before...and well, it makes me nervous. It makes me nervous because Amy is in love with this man and I want to make a good impression. I know that seems silly...

I remember the first couple of times Molly and Bob were around each other. He so pissed her off and ruffled her feathers...he can be a bull in a china shop....he is SO missing the conversational censor chip sometimes...his innocent heart and my explanations have him getting slapped upside the head more than he knows.

He loves the ocean. Wish he were going with us...but we would make him crazy.

Next year, I'm taking him to the beach.

Eleven Days....

...and I off to the Island with Connie and meeting Amy and finally get to meet Charlie.

I am looking forward to spending hours in the car with Connie and catching up. We have not seen each other in an obscene length of time. It never seems as long a time as it actually is to me because I always have conversations with her...albeit in my head...and I know that sounds a little insane...but it's true. She is just always with me.

One of the greatest things about this vacation is that I don't have a cell phone. Which means I have to call my husband in the old fashioned collect call...bet you haven't done that since college or in a major emergency. I don't even know if I remember how to call collect but I will find out. The second greatest thing is I don't have a cell phone and enough said.

I am so looking forward to spending time with Connie and Amy and sighting gekkos...they seem to be our good luck charm. Every time we have been to Hilton Head, we have daily gekko sightings. The last time Connie, Amy and I went there was one waiting for us in the kitchen sink and we knew it was going to be a good week...

...and it was.

Been thinking...

...about my girlfriends and how important they are to me and how they just spark my life.

A couple of weeks ago I went to have drinks with my ladies at the Chocolate Cafe. It is place that does chocolate everything and they have a small apertif area (BAR) and make the best chocolate martinis. They make a tequila martini with chocolate drizzle that is...well that is all you need to say "I am slowed down and this tastes good." We all got there one after the other and just fell into the conversation. Some of these women I have known for a few years, some of them are newer friendships.....but what I loved is that everyone just meshed. We all laughed so hard.

This group of people has energized me in so many ways.

I adore their company.

Going back....

...and reading previous posts is an interesting venture. One word keeps popping out at me. That word is sad.

I'm striving for gleeful...joyous...at the very least content. Sad needs to be banished.