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It's been years since I had any nail art!! Just fun. Now on to it.
So, we're at the beach---Mexico Beach--Connie's place. After Hurricane Michael and 4 1/2 years of restoring from total devastation. It's been a long road for her, but it's back! And, so are we.
My friends love the beach. There are six of us here: me, Connie, Susan, Karolyn, Pam, and Nancy. After 30+ years together and traveling now and then, we've got it down pat. We come armed with a plan--all the meals are carefully assigned so no one gets two on the same day. The itinerary is posted on the refrigerator. Everyone pitches in. It's easy...most of the time. But then,
We're all old ladies now which brings all kinds of added problems or maybe more correctly, I should say--have idiosyncrasies or are set in their ways. All of that:
*One needs distilled water for her c-pap machine.
*One doesn't eat this.
*One doesn't eat that.
*One only drinks Diet Coke out of plastic bottles, no cans or 2-liter bottles.
*Three are obsessed with jigsaw puzzles.
*One doesn't particularly love the beach. (You might ask why she came? because she loves her friends!)
*One prefers sleeping on the couch to sharing a bed.
*Two argue over who that will be--seems they both like the couch.
*One snores (okay maybe more than one).
*Three cough. A. lot.
*Five walk.
*One prefers to walk alone.
*Five play Pickleball.
*Five drink: wine, gin & tonics, vodka tonics, hard seltzers. Really just about anything.
*Two really like giving instructions to the one who is supposed to be figuring out the tv--who I might add--knows what she's doing--but apparently not doing it fast enough to suit the two giving instructions until the one who's doing it asks them to leave so she can THINK!
*Two plan the shows to watch.
*One plans the games.
*One talks during movies.
*Four drink coffee.
*Two do not.
*One drinks tea.
*One does all the driving.
*Five tells her how to drive.
*One gets up early.
*One stays up late.
*Five prefer to sit down to a formal breakfast.
*Five prefer to sit down to a formal lunch.
*One does not.
*One forgot her underwear.
*Six do not like bugs.
*One will not let five pay the cleaning fee.
*One will make her.
*One prefers to have time to herself now and then.
*Six have opinions about...EVERYTHING.
*Six are solving ALL the world's problems.
*Six are solving each other's problems.
*One talks too much (she hates to admit that, but her sister tells her it's true--friends are too nice. She tries not to, but well, what can I say?)
*One is addicted to her computer.
*Five are addicted to their computer games.
*Six read.
*One of us is a nurse.
*Five of us think we are.
*One prefers to unload the dishwasher by herself.
*One lies.
*One hates to unload the dishwasher so will let the liar do it for her.
*Six have various aching body parts: neck, arms, shoulders, knees. All of them. As if we need the reminder of the old lady part.
AND...
*Six are having a ball!!!!
Well, until this happened:
Our first Pickleball injury--and to the baby among us. It required one of us to drive to the hospital for a thorough check and a Cat scan. One of us's trip just got really expensive! And this doesn't even show her wrist which is a mess, but thankfully not broken. Just barely. The skin just sort of peeled back, You, know that skin thing that happens when you get old and your skin gets thin and fragile. Yeah, that. Luckily, she (and we) have kept our sense of humor. On the way to the hospital, we passed a cemetery. She quipped: "Well, as long as you don't drop me off there!" (Sandy, Stephanie and Mindy---I know you don't think this is funny--but hey, keepin' it real here!)
All of this and it's only Tuesday!
PS This post reminds me of years ago--maybe 10--my cousin, Judy stopped in Nashville on her way to the beach with her old lady friends. I remember her telling me about some of their---hmm, what should I call them---quirks. Yeah, that's it. Well, it works for me and my friends too. I wouldn't trade them for anything. I love them and hope we have many more fun times together!