Girls' Weekend

I decided it will be easier to write about the weekend in one post and then include the pics in a follow-up. Keep in mind that this is MY version; ladies, you're welcome to write from your own viewpoint and I'll post it for ya.

The excitement began (for me) on Friday morning with a train ride to Chicago. I've never been on a train before and I haven't been to Chicago since I was a kid, so I was geeked. Unfortunately, other than Union Station (which is cool enough by itself), all I saw of Chicago was through the train's windows (I did spot the Sears Tower, at least). In Chicago, I switched trains to the Metra, which is basically like a local commuter train that travels from the city to the local suburbs. After a total of 4+ hours on trains (and about 6 hours of actual time, including layovers), I arrived at Renee's.

We saw the boys off and commenced with the hanging out. We went to a movie (The Happening, which both of us really liked but has gotten SLAMMED by the critics) and to dinner, where the first drinks of the weeknd were had. I thought we did something else, too, but for the most part, it was a laid back night as we chatted, caught up and waited for Anna.

She arrived around 11 am the next morning--and within the hour, we took the obligatory alcohol inventory and hit the stores (including the shadiest, most ghetto-looking liquor store I've ever seen--and that includes the bad parts of Detroit) for supplies. My personal highlight of the weekend was the discovery of Blue Moon ice cream, my all-time favorite flavor that, unfortunately, appears to be a regional treat (and sadly, Florida is not one of the regions). (Blue Moon is a love-it-or-hate-it taste; I was the only one in the former group.)

So we returned to Renee's (Camp Alcohol) and began with the other highlight of the weekend, the key component of every Girls' Weekend: the game of Tripoley. It's impossibly hard to explain, so I went online for help. Here's what I found at areyougame.com: "Tripoley has been a family favorite for over 65 years by combining 3 of the world's most popular card games; Michigan Rummy, Hearts and Poker. Recently recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the most-loved games of the 20th century, Tripoley has become a family tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. It's a game that just keeps getting better with age!! Tripoley combines strategy and an element of risk, making it an enduring family favorite." (Note: I bought one online tonight, and I plan to expand the Religion of Tripoley down here.) Anyway, it's as addictive as crack and we spend, literally, hours at a stretch playing this game (always supplemented with copious amounts of alcohol).

So yeah....that was actually pretty much our weekend, LOL. Seriously. Drinking, Tripoley-playing, eating lots of junk food and best of all, LAUGHING OUR ASSES OFF. Seriously, at one point, we were laughing so hard that we couldn't catch our breath and Renee was making these guinea-pig-like squeaks that I've never before heard in 25+ years of friendship. Oh, yeah--we took a break mid-way through the night to take a walk around the neighborhood (to sober up, I think, because we were getting drunk waaaaay to early) and also to walk off the calories associated with the consumption of Apple Pucker and Chex Mix.

Sunday morning, after Renee whipped up some pancakes, bacon and fruit, we packed up and began our journeys home. We sadly saw Anna off and, a couple hours later, Renee took me back to the train station. I got home just before 10 pm, exhausted--but the kind of happy you can only be after a truly great weekend.

Ladies, thank you so much for a wonderful time. It was very "recharging" to see you guys. And Kish, we totally missed you! Next year, come hell or high water, ALL FOUR OF US will be there! (We're tentatively discussing Chicago again.)