Strange....

Friday afternoon the Beast went to the store and, after he left, I thought about something else I needed.  However, I found his phone on the little table next to his recliner so I couldn't phone him to tell him.  It was something only I use so I knew he wouldn't even think of it.

But I was shocked when he came home and, at the bottom of one of the bags, I found it and was shocked.  He had bought me just what I had wanted him to get for me.  It was just so strange that he had thought of it at all.  His comment to me was....*I don't want to hear any complaints so I got you some more*.  What he bought for me was some French vanilla creamer that I like to add to my morning coffee.  He has never tried it so he doesn't know how good it actually is in coffee.  The Princess likes it when she stops over for coffee in the morning.  It takes her a half hour to drive here after Chewlee is dropped off at school so I like to have some here for her, too.  But it was strange that the Beast even thought of it at all.  It's really not like him....usually.  I have to either tell him or write it on his list.  Very strange that he thought of it to me.

On to other things.  When I met up with my girlfriends on Saturday, I first drove over to Marilyn's house so we could go together.  We have been friends for olmost 53 years and we have been meeting at least once a year for 28 years now.  We decided to do that at our 25th reunion for our class.  There were 15 of us that hung out together for a few years but we have lost four of us so far.  Delores came home from work one day and laid down on her couch to take a nap before she had to make dinner for herself and her son.  When he came in from cutting the grass and went to wake her, he discovered she was dead.  She was only 53 years old but the autopsy results showed she had died of heart failure.  It was something totally unexpected because she had never had any problems.

We lost Maria in a house fire.  Carrie in a car accident from a drunk driver.  Julie was killed as a result of a driveby shooting where she was an innocent victim.  It's always so sad to lose someone you have known for so long.

A few of the girls didn't make it this time.  They had made the earlier get-together in June.  Carol and Alyce had plans to come but they had some unexpected things happen (one was a funeral they had to attend for a family member, the other was a serious problem with a son).  Judy and Frankie both ended up having to work on Saturday which was not usual for them and they discovered they were scheduled too late to get someone to replace them.  

I will show you pictures of the other four that did make it.  I don't have the picture that the waitress took of us all because there was a problem with the card in my camera and they were erased.  I only know it was certain because of the numbers on the pictures that we were able to get off it on the card reader.  There are several that are missing.  Here's a picture of the four girls that made it.  From left to right, Jamie, Marilyn, Rose and Cathy.

  We had quite the reputation as kids.  We were active in sports and quite the cut-ups besides.  At least we didn't get into trouble often...LOL.  Well, Cathy did.  She was a little stinker when she was younger but loveable.  She was like a little sister to the rest of us.  

The restaurant is a really nice one and it's not real busy on a Saturday afternoon except for this day.  They had an auction on Thursday and Friday for some things that had been purchased with embezzled money by some woman in a government position and it was an effort to recover the money before she was sent off to jail for three years.  On Saturday, the day we were there, it was a garage sale type of thing that went on for the smaller items that she had purchased (clothing, small appliances, dishes, etc.).  There was a crowd that had gathered, waiting for the restaurant to open but they didn't do anything but shop so we pretty much were the only customers for quite a while.

We had a ball together.  We talked and laughed together for what ended up to be six hours!  So we had both lunch and dinner there.  Our waitress was a little cutie that had just finished working at Disney World for a year and was hired immediately when she applied at the restaurant.  We gave her $10 at the start and told her we would tip her nicely but we were there for a kind of reunion and wouldn't need a lot of attention from her.  We told her we would be tipping her well when we left (and we really did!) but she only had to check on us occasionally.

The food was excellent and Rose asked who the cook was that day.  When she heard who, she ordered a salmon steak for her dinner because she knew he did a great job on that.  She had ordered it in June and found it to be so good, she sent her compliments to the cook.  He came out to thank her so the girls felt like they would still be remembered.  They were and the cook came out to talk with us for a bit.  I had a California Club for lunch (that just a regular club sandwich with avocado added.)  It was delicious.  I had their ribs for dinner (also excellent and very tender) along with a baked potato with all the fixings.  I can also recommend their broccoli cheese soup.  Great food all around.

When we parted, it was with great regret but most of us hate driving in the dark.  We made plans to meet together for lunch at a restaurant that specializes in Italian beef on Tuesday.  It was in a suburb and poor Cathy had to drive out there from the city (she owns a condo close to the lake and downtown).  She moaned and groaned but with a laugh since she said she would have driven to Wisconsin if she had to.  I went back to Kay's afterward and took a nap since I had to go back home early the next day.  It meant being woken up at 2am so I could dress, make sure I had everything packed and make my own trek back to the airport to return the rented car and be there 2 hours before my flight left due to Security requirements.  I ended up almost 3 hours early and they put me on an earlier flight since it wasn't full.  So I got home 1-1/2 hours earlier than expected.  

I had called the Beast before I boarded to let him know the new time.  Thankfully, he was dressed and it was no problem.  He was actually glad that I would be home early and we stopped for lunch (I actually had breakfast since I hadn't eaten anything since I got up...only coffee had passed my lips).  Here's a picture of my host and hostess along with their son.  He doesn't take a good picture and my sister, Bratfink, said his eyes look like he's a serial killer...LOL.

Here's a picture of the aunt I went to see while I was there along with one of my sister, Bee and myself.

That's me in the grey striped top.    Rose is in grey and that's Bee in the pink top.  Here's one of my cousins that came to meet me.  We hadn't seen each other for almost 11 years.  She often comes over to Rose's to help take care of her needs while she is so ill.  Rose has Stage 4 breast cancer and elected not to take any treatments because she didn't have any pain and wanted to just be able to enjoy her grandchildren while she could.  She told me then that she had had a good life and was 82 years old.  She said when it was her time, she was ready to go.  I cried like a baby for almost an hour after hearing the news.  My aunt was always wonderful to me when I was young.  I love her very much.

  My cousin's name is Debbie and she is married to Rose's son, Patrick.  She's not a *blood* cousin but she is adorable and so sweet.  It was fun to see her and talk with her at last.

Well, that's it for now.  Love you all.  Have a wonderful weekend.  ***Hugs***