So Worth It

On Friday I left work before 3 pm to start my journey north to New York to visit Julipalooli, the Big Hairy Man, and my 2 favorite fairy goddaughters C and A. According to mapquest, yahoo maps, and google maps, my trip was supposed to be betwee 7 hrs and 7 hours 40 mins. With the non-stop rain, wind, and typical weekend traffic, I figured that by leaving by 3, I would probably arrive there around 11, maybe even earlier. Ha!
Originally we had a plan to meet in the middle on Saturday, both of us driving a few hours. But after several days of Googling random towns in Pennsylvania, we realized, there's just nothing there to do with 2 little girls. I needed some time and space to myself, and the idea of a long car ride appealed to me. So I volunteered to go the distance. Again, only thinking 7 hours...
I got there about 1 am. Not exactly the simple trip I had been hoping for. It rained the entire way up there. The wind was just strong enough that I had to keep both hands on the wheel, or risk slowly blowing off the road and down a mountain or ravine. So much for catching up on phone calls while I drive (no hands-free device for me).
But come Saturday morning, getting to hang out with the Caldwell Chix made it all worth it. You can see that my two favorite hairdressers went to town and made me look very lovely. (7 barrettes and one bracelet, plus "Andi's famous twist") I got to play with the girls for a while, and then Juli and I set off to do what it is we do best. SHOP! And for the first time ever, Juli spent way more than I did. I'm rather proud (and a bit shocked).









After the necessary shopping, PF Changs, and girl talk, we gathered up one Miss Hermione Granger and her pet cat Crookshanks, and went to the church Halloween party. The girls looked so cute in their costumes!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Juli. I think it shows her "juliness" quite well.

In just 48 hours I will be in Utah visiting my sister and nephews. Getting to spend this weekend with J's girls will be an interesting contrast to my nephews. My nephews do not appreciate attempts at cuddling, hugging, and heaven forbid, kisses. They are little boys and do enjoy candy, things to hit with, and heavy objects. C (Juli's 6 year old), on the other hand, put in a DVD (Harry Potter of course), brought me a blanket, and pronounced that it was now snuggling time. I put her in my lap, we snuggled up, I fell asleep, and best I can tell, she watched the movie. (A, on the other hand, walked around the room asking if it was a funny part or a scary part next.)
After the movie was over and the girls tucked in bed, Jules and I sat down in the guest room for a good old fashioned girls talk. It has been a long time since we did that! It is always a good thing when you can just sit and talk with someone who knows you inside and out like that.
I got up way early (for me) this morning. Most of the Caldwells were already up and at'em. Whatever. Freaking morning people. ;-) I still managed to get in the car and be gone before 8 am. In spite of going the wrong direction on no less than my first 6 roads, I managed to still make it home by 2:30 p.m. And I must give my car props! Obviously to make a 401 mile trip in 6.5 hours, with 4 bathroom stops (world's smalled bladder, right here) I had to be speeding a little bit. More than once as I zoomed through the amazing gold, orange, and red countryside of Pennsylvania I would look down to discover I was going over 100 mpg. And the best part was I couldn't feel it. My car really does handle well at high speeds!!
All in all, I am looking forward to the next Caldwell Chix trip, and to my Utah trip this week!