There are a few of us girls who hung out in high school that try to get together every now and then (as in every four years or so) and do something sort of special. Our tradition started out with a meal out the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We've had big groups and little groups. It's always something to look forward and we have a great time. In fact, that will be upon us shortly. There is nothing better than eating and laughing with friends and family, is there?!
This past Saturday three of my girlfriends got together for a night of camping. When this idea was proposed several weeks ago, the response I received was humorous. Camping? Uh, no. In a tent?! Uh, no way. I explained to them that we had just purchased a pretty modern camper and they would survive. At my dad's surprise party, I got the approval from 'Susan' and 'Danielle' after a tour of the camper. They were all about it...especially Danielle. 'Brandi' would just have to trust us on this one.
The day came, and of course, life got in the way a little. (This is what happens when you don't go far enough away from home.) For a couple hours, I ended up at my son's playoff football game in Palestine and Danielle headed to Casey for her nephew's game. Susan and Brandi were left behind in the camper to catch up.
I had warned the girls that I was hoping to be at a playoff game for Lane's football team, but I didn't realize it was also the conference tournament championship game for volleyball. It didn't matter though because Jay was working nights. Lane is 10 years old and in a contact sport. Madolyn is a freshman dressing varsity, and as long as there isn't a major catastrophe, she shouldn't actually play in the Varsity game. Of course, this made Lane and I laugh...(Madolyn is a walking catastrophe). So there was no question that I would skip the volleyball game and go to the football game. (I do believe that is the first volleyball game I have ever missed since Madolyn started playing - eck.) I'm sure it won't be the last!
We didn't plan much of a menu and were going to keep things pretty simple. But great minds think alike...I was baking a batch of Grandma Great brownies in the camper oven when Danielle showed up holding a plate of her delicious cupcakes with homemade icing (they were so yummy), then Brandi waltzed in with a package of Pilsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (oh, just like old times). And later on that night, Deputy Deb (Brandi's sister) brought us some homemade chocolate & peanut butter chip cookies that Brandi's mom had made us. I had forgotten what a good cook Dorothy was. They were soft and mouth-watering. We had the sweets covered.
It was funny, right before I left to go to the game, I asked the girls if they wanted me to start a fire in the fire pit. They laughed, "Uh, no, we aren't going outside. We're going to sit right here." That cracked me up. But I had the furnace on, there were warm brownies, cupcakes, hot cheesy salsa dip, and a working bathroom. Why would you go outside?!
The football team lost (boo) but on the way home, I learned that the volleyball girls had WON. I was so excited, I almost (almost) teared up. I was sooo happy for them! Now I could quit stewing about it and get back to my girls! I arrive at the camper and am filling Susan and Brandi in on the games, when I get a text from a mom that says the fire trucks are escorting the girls' bus through town. I looked up at Susan and Brandi and without hesitation said, "I have to go!"
They wanted to go to Pizza Hut and Danielle was going to be heading back from her game soon, so the plan was for me to drop Susan and Brandi off at Pizza Hut, go to Martinsville and return. Danielle would head over to Marshall from Casey and go straight to the restaurant. Only, I started to panic that I was going to miss the bus and the escort, so what do we do? We all went to Martinsville.
And just like old times, we got in line and escorted the Streaks through town behind the fire trucks with horns blaring and hazard lights flashing. It was great. Honestly, I was glad they came along so I wasn't by myself, and Danielle's car added one more to the fan caravan! We talked and laughed reminiscing about our glory days, when we were the ones going through town with the fire trucks and the sirens.
We made it to Pizza Hut and sat there for almost two hours, talking away, and returned to the warm, cozy camper for more chit-chat. It was a good time, even though it was heavily interrupted. I wouldn't exactly call it a camping trip either. I told them that theoretically, we could have done exactly what we did with my camper sitting in my driveway plugged in. Ha. Danielle got numerous texts and phone calls from family members asking her if she really was camping. They seemed to be in disbelief. I wonder if they realize we weren't really roughing it...ssh, maybe that is a secret.
Soon Brandi will be back home, and hopefully, we can have more nights like this one with our fellas and kids. I think I've made 'campers' out of at least two of these gals, and we're trying to convince Brandi to live in mine temporarily. I'm not sure that's going to fly though. She might have been the least impressed with it all. That's okay, she brought the cookie dough and her mom sent cookies. (By the way, B, I ate that cookie dough the next day:)
Oh, and the exciting news, Danielle and I are planning to rent an RV and travel across the USA some day. Now, doesn't that sound like fun?
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