Chatting – J.I.L.L.

Vero Beach – First Full Day

Well , today was rough… BA had to have shoofly pie for breakfast, a mimosa before noon, and a Pain Killer with lunch…

It was a beautiful day in Vero, despite lingering winds and choppy seas from the storm this weekend. And it was a great day. We both slept really well and slept in. We had some breakfast and took care of a little business and then headed over to my sister’s house.

We sat by her pool, listening to the fountain, soaking up some sun, chatting, and sipping mimosas.

Then BA and I headed to the island to Waldo’s for a Pusser’s Pain Killer and some lunch. We sat by the ocean and enjoyed the sound and smell of the surf. I’ve never seen the ocean here so muddled, nor have I seen such big waves here. It was still a lovely sight to behold though.

After lunch, we drove a few minutes south to a public beach access point. We set up close to the water. I may or may not have dozed off while BA watched the surf and even dipped her toes in. The wind was a little strong at times, but so was the sun.

We were so drained from our busy day that we both took naps after we got home. And now we’re hanging out while mom makes dinner.

In all, it was another wonderful day of sunshine and quality time with friends and family.

Atlanta, Georgia

We started our day a little leisurely, waking up without an alarm. Even so, we were on the road around 9 am. We skipped breakfast so BA had a few Wilbur Buds to hold her over (thanks Kim!).

About two hours down the road, we decided it was a frappe Saturday so we stopped and got ourselves medium caramel frappes and fries at McDonalds. I also filled up the car and cleaned the windshield and rear window. My car got 40 mpg again, which is great (especially given how heavy the car is now that it’s packed full).

Shortly thereafter, we crossed into Georgia; and, as has been the case all along the way so far, I said “Welcome to Georgia, BA!” To which she said thank you and promptly texted her brother that we just crossed the line into Georgia. Not even five minutes later, we passed a sign that said “Welcome to Tennessee!” We were a little confused but we went with it. I asked BA if she was going to text her brother that we were back in Tennessee now and she said, “Nope.”

Traffic today was noticeably heavier and less patient than the past two days. I may have dropped several expletives, which I was delighted to find BA completely agreed with.

A couple hours later we made it to Atlanta and BA’s brother’s home. We had a nice introductory conversation and then he kindly took us on a driving tour of parts of Atlanta. We saw Emory University (fun fact: Emory was the only place I applied to in high school – and, no, I didn’t get accepted), the Governor’s mansion, parts of Buckhead, and Peachtree Rd, along with several other sights. Atlanta is hillier than I expected and is lush with beautiful mature trees.

Upon returning home, we quickly dove into some day drinking and chatting while dinner was cooking. What a delightful time chatting with BA and David! Dinner was a delicious fall-themed meal and the great conversation continued. I talked with them about the 5 Love Languages – you know what a fan I am of that – and really enjoyed the whole visit so far because I am a quality time kind of person.

I particularly enjoyed the banter between BA and David. Here’s a nugget you’ll have to ask her about sometime. Check out the horse in the picture below. It wasn’t originally designed to have a removable tail. Yet, now it does…

We get an extra hour to sleep tonight. Perhaps we’ll actually make it past 10 pm! Good night y’all!

Good friends

Good friends tell you the truth. They don’t just tell you what you want to hear. And when I say the truth, I’m not talking about things like telling you when you have something in your teeth. Although any friend should do that!

I’m talking about telling you the truth by asking you the tough questions and challenging your perspective. Your friendship exists in a judgement-free space where you’re able to be fully vulnerable with each other, knowing that no matter what, you’ll always be there for each other.

I am blessed with lots of great good friends. I love spending time with them. I love sharing laughs. And I’m extra grateful for them when we need to share tears.

Be sure to be that good friend in return. Tell them the truth. And tell them how much you appreciate them, if you haven’t done that in a little while.

Hair

Hair, both beautiful and vile. When it’s attached to your head, it is prized and cared for. When it’s unattached from your head, it is gross and repellant. Think of how much time and money we spend on our hair, just to shed it or cut it off.

And although I’m not super girly, I do love getting my hair done. There’s just something therapeutic about chatting at the salon, enjoying someone else washing my hair, and the excitement of a new color and/or a cut.

This is yet another example of going someplace different from normal and enjoying good people. I love listening to the conversations in a salon. There’s something special about the conversations that occur between people who have an intimate relationship but only see each other every 10 weeks or so.