My Girls

Some people meet their best friends in their neighborhoods, some at college. Some meet in their fraternities/sororities and some meet people at work. Some are even fortunate to marry their best friend. In each of these categories I have some amazing friends that I hold very dear to my heart, but the girls who know me, without a doubt more than anybody else in this world are my girls: my best friends from high school (there is one very large exception to this rule with somebody I met at ERAC, became roomies with, and I believe lifelong friends with.)
I don't know what it is about these girls that make me so emotional. I can only describe it as a stripped down friendship. We just know each other. You can't pretend to be something that you are not, you can't lie, you can't be fake. You just are who you are (I am so poetic sometimes, aren't I).
Since I have moved away, we try to get together a few times a year for just girl time. The last few years has been easy to combine trips with bachelorette parties, weddings, weekend trips, etc. Trying to schedule a time we can all get together is often difficult but we always try to make it.
Our most recent time together was for my best friend Alicia's 30th birthday (which is scary because we were talking about her bbq that we had for her 15th birthday, and really, she would kill me if I even began to discuss her 16th birthday). We met up with Sasha for dinner but missed Kristin (my other half basically) who was sick. Sasha is planning her wedding and asked us to be bridesmaids in her wedding. We said "Of Course!" simultaneously (this is what happens when you are friends this long. You finish each other's sentences and think the same thoughts, not that this was a difficult thought to think, but you get my drift). Naturally, we had to celebrate so we ordered some wine and some champagne and some cocktails to hold us over while they opened other bottles of wine.
Alicia and I decided to go out and enjoy (re-live?) our youth. She took me to a place called MoMo's, a big hangout for Giants fans. It was pretty dead when we arrived and we got some very special treatment being that it was Alicia's birthday (probably doesn't hurt that she is beautiful as well). Had a shot to toast her and then a drink. My eyes started to go cross eyed but I said power through it, power through. So I did what any other sensible person in my position would do. I took another shot. Followed closely by another drink. The bar got crazy packed all of a sudden and everybody was talking about what an amazing game it was. Couldn't figure out why because it seemed like they won by a landslide of 8 to 0. I was so gone, I didn't even realize it was some monumental game for the first no hitter by a giant since 1976 or some crap like that. All of a sudden a man dressed up in a panda suit walked in (which still confuses me sober) followed by my infamous words "I'm Done!.
Being that we are now 30, we came home at the respectable time of 11:00pm in which I proceeded to pass out, throw up a few times, and pass out again. Leesh woke me up early in the morning and asked how I was doing. I felt great! Than I sat up:( Oh great, here goes that cross eyed thing again. Took a shower, went a layed down for a bit, put on half of my makeup, layed down for a bit, tried to eat something, layed down a bit, put on the other half of my makeup, layed down. Finally decided that this up and down thing is really not working for me so I just blew dry my hair laying down. What, you ask, am I getting ready for? Oh, just a grand day of wine tasting! Yumm. Just what my tummy is calling for!
We all meet up to drive into Sonoma and my sister takes one look at me and tells me not to puke in her car. Though my girls know me backwards and forwards, I don't think I could ever get anything past my sister. We put on some old school Bay Area rap that we grew up with (Think RBL, Too Short, etc) and laugh at how "gangsta" we used to think that we were. I can only imagine what the people thought when we exited the Infinity after blasting some of the most disgusting songs ever made. Oh Well. We got over it. We get to our first destination, Gloria Ferrer, or however you spell it and they have sparkling wine. To my amazement this (somewhat) settled my stomach. We stayed for a over 2 hours just catching up and reminiscing. That is the thing with these girls. We can talk for hours and hours and never try to come up with new conversation.
We hit up a few more wineries and had lunch in Sonoma Square. We decided to hang out at the Lotus Hotel and have another glass of wine (because we really needed just one more). Naturally, we bump into some guys we went to high school with and got caught up with them even though we were over an hour from where we grew up. Headed back and Leesh convinced me to rebound for night two (I only get a weekend like this a year, so I have to live it up right). Went out to dinner where my stomach still isn't feeling good (seriously, longest hangover I have ever had) and got ready for night two.
We met up with some of my ERAC girls and went to a club. I was one of 4 white girls there so I fit right in. Got to see a Dance Off and kept looking for Randy Jackson to see if he was dancing for America's Best Dance Crew but could not locate him. Evidently these guys were doing this dance off thing for fun. Hmmmm. I am out of it! Finished off a bottle of Grey Goose (between 5 of us girls. What, we couldn't waste!) and headed back.
Finished off the weekend with a nice healthy (read: high calorie) brunch at Sam's in Tiburon. Had a Bloody Mary or two there before my liver started to shut down. Finally got to see Kristin even though our time was too short. We began to talk about our next adventure, where we were going to go, what we are going to do, and when everybody is available to get together. We have an exciting year already (bachelorette party, showers, wedding) to make that many more memories.
I recently finished a book called "The Girls from Ames". It is a nonfiction book about 9 girls and how they have remained friends for 40 years. There is not a doubt in my mind that we will be there a few decades from now. We have dealt with each others first boyfriends, and first breakups, first loves, first marriages. We have dealt with pregnancy, heartache, illness and loss. Through it all, we have found the laughter that is the base of our friendship. I love my girls.