Girls Weekend June 21-22

It was fun!

Sarah, Loryn and Cassie got along really well. They all enjoyed the same music, topics of conversations, and sleep. They were using my CD's so I guess I liked them too. Min was the only odd one out somewhat not enjoying the music or the loudness and only wanted to talk about kids and mothers and spiritual things.

But because the other three girls were getting along so well I got to spend more one on one time with Min on Sat cuz she was only going to be there for that one day. So I did pay extra attention to her for one day. I didnt want her to leave me. Sometimes I think she's the only one with a level head and can help me plan things. But I knew she'd be better off going home with the in-laws rather than this 'rowdy' bunch.

Loryn had travel issues coming back from LA so she didnt come home until like 2am and then Sarah picked her up at 6am and she had stayed awake the whole time. She stayed awake until midnight that night after the show basically, maybe a little nap or so. So if I had planned the trip on Fri-Sat, she wouldn't have made it.

Stopped to eat and gas up on the way down. Attempted to check in an hour early. Didn't work. Got dropped off at the temple for the next hour and then got picked up to go check in at the hotel. Jumped in the pool for a little while and got ready for dinner. Did a little shopping before eating at Chili's. They all discovered the store Del Sol and spent like 15-20 minutes watching all their products change color in sunlight. They thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Then we ate and headed to the theatre. I had forgotten its quite a trek out there so we were late. They didn't put it under another name like I requested so it took a bit to find our tickets, then we had to crawl all over everyone to our seats. But the The Little Mermaid show was awesome. They did have water on the stay almost the whole performance. Memories of Singing in the Rain I saw there once. It was super hot out there even at like 10pm. By intermission we were all dying with sweaty sticky mess of bodies close together and dry mouths. So we bought frozen lemonade. Min didn't leave her seat at intermission so I bought a lemonade and shared it with her. Just needed something to wet the mouth and somewhat hydrate. I'm tellin ya, that heat kicked my butt from the minute I left the van the first time. It made me appreciate the weather we were having up north a lot more.

The play didn't get over until like 11pm I guess. Then the parking lot was packed with ppl leaving and only one road that leaves to civilization. Sarah needed smokes so we stopped to get some on the way back to the hotel. We didn't get back until like midnight and had one parking spot left.

I got up in the morning with Min as she got ready and we went to breakfast together and I dropped her off at the in-laws hotel room (in the same hotel) and said bye. *sniffles* Now I'm stuck with the three stooges. jk. In that group, I know Min felt like the odd duck out, but honestly I felt just as out of place as she did the whole time. The only thing is that the music they listen to, or the suggestions they make, or whatever doesn't bother me as much as it does Min. It doesn't bother me cuz everyone agrees on it and/or doesn't care. But with Min she usually doesn't agree with the rest of us so it was nice when I didn't worry about that.

The three that value their sleep probably the most continued to sleep for awhile while Min and I ate. But they showed up for breakfast soon after. All three of them. Even dressed. Of course, putting on their makeup would take like 30 minutes, but whatever. We left Min and got ready to go to Zions for a few hours before going home. I got the drinks and cooler ready while the girls spent forever putting on make up and watching TV. Again, something that made me feel out of place, like Min did with this group. But whatever. They were having fun and that was the point.

Until we got to Zions.

I think they thought I was trying to kill them when I made them go on a supposed one mile walk, which ended up being two miles each way in the 100 degree heat of the hottest part of the day. We lasted four hours tho, from noon to four. Then I made them hike up a steep path to the Weeping Rock. Still my favorite spot at Zions so far. Loryn was going to die on the steep path to that and Sarah thought she was going to die without eating lunch. Cassie the tall skinny one used to hiking was just fine it was just hot and it made her tired. Made everyone tired. We only did the two hikes and came back down the park to the visitors center and browsed their store.

Mom sent a cooler with food in it and we didn't ever eat that food, but I saw tomatoes for sandwhiches in there and I really wanted a tomatoe for some reason. It was so hot I dont usually have any desire to eat, but after Sarah started complaining I started thinking about food. So I snagged a sandwhich while they all sat in the car with the A/C. I personally wasn't like physically hurting enough I didnt want to hike anymore. I was super hot and the heat made me tired like everyone else but I never complained and I was willing and ready to do other things. I think Cassie would have too, but whatever.

Apparently my moms food is not good enough for them. They wanted to eat at a restaurant. Apparently, Sarahs idea of girls weekend was to drink alcohol. I nagged at the girls the whole time to drink water those four hours. I think I'm the only one that adequately drank water so therefore I think I felt the best, had the best attitude and didn't hurt with a stomach ache or headache or whatever. So when Sarah announced she wanted to drink alcohol I had to roll my eyes. Really? Do you realize we are in 100 degree heat and you are already dehydrated and you purposely want to dehydrate yourself more? Apparently Sarah's idea of girls weekend out was something lazy and relaxing like a spa. Thus I think they thought I was trying to kill them all.

They have never been to Zions and never been to that theatre. I was just showing them something new. I thought it would be fun and unique to them! But the complaining around 3pm made me wonder otherwise. But we were tired cuz we got to bed late the night before, we were dehydrated, the heat made us tired, and so we were kind of ornery after that. I figgered Sarah would stop bitchin' if I found her food, but that didn't happen until like 5:30pm when we got out of Zions and headed to Cedar City. So it was a bit snippy there for a few hours there. I'm sure Cassie thought we were all wusses cuz she goes on long, hard hikes with her boy all the time and she's fast too. And Sarah complains her legs feel like jelly after sitting on a bus and Loryn groans at the sight of the uphill hike. I was just fine comparatively. Cassie talked about all the hikes she wanted to get in shape for and do one day while the others groaned at the .4 mile hike uphill. It was funny.

After Zions they all seemed to avoid the drivers seat so I drove the rest of the day, from 4pm to 10pm. I was fine. I wasn't as tired or had a headache (from lack of water) like everyone else had apparently so I was fine with driving. Sarah had decided not to drink alcohol. But got some food in her and she was more pleasant then. I had the same issue with Evan. Cassie slept in the back the whole way. Loryn slept some of the way and Sarah and I sat up front and talked. It made the time pass quickly actually to have a conversation that both ppl actually wanted to have, the flow kept going, wasn't akward or died down, it was an easy conversation and it literally lasted for hours. I never had that when I travelled with my parents or even with Evan. It always died and whatnot, which was fine, I like silence on drives sometimes, but later at night and the longer you drive its easier if you have someone to talk with.

We didnt make it back until 10pm and Loryn and Sarah still had another 1.5 hours left to drive and was going to stop by Min's house on the way. They couldnt find her house in the daylight but they were sure they could find it again in the dark. I'm sorry, but both those girls have no sense of direction. I tried to help. Then I went to pick up my dog from Gmas. She said he didn't know where to sleep. He didn't have a spot. So she put her bathmat down on the floor and he slept on there. I can just see their silent conversation about the bath mat in my head. "There, there's a bed for you. You seem lost and dont know where to lay down. Well, try that." "That?" "Yes, that. Go on." Aw, their cute together.

I took a shower and washed off all the sweat, allergies, and sunblock soaked into my body and went to bed.

I guess since I was the one that planned it all they all kinda looked to me for directions or whatever. So I felt bossy. I'm not usually the bossy one. I felt so much like my mother on that trip. All the things she would prolly do I'm sure I did. They made comments, esp Sarah after she got all grumpy with no food, hot and tired. Cassie rolled her eyes a lot when I continued to make 'drink your water' comments. I didnt want any of them to collapse on my watch! I did play this and if they died they would all blame me, but I cant make them take care of themselves! And I certainly wasn't going to carry them to the bus stop. I guess it was selfish. It was more for me that I wanted them to drink and not collapse... I also brought and encouraged the sunblock. I only got sunburnt on one part of my arm near the shoulder, but its not too bad.

I gave seating arrangments for the van from time to time. Just the driver and passenger seats tho. Sarah drove to St. George, I made Min drive us to the theatre cuz she knows bigger vehicles in crowded areas more than I do and I trust her driving, we let Loryn drive away after dropping off Min and I at the temple, Cassie wanted to drive the next morning to Zions, and apparently no one had the energy to drive after Zions so I did. Cassie and Loryn were zonked out it the back before we left Springdale I swear. I dont think I could sleep with any of them driving. I love them but in certain aspect I dont trust them and dont totally feel comfortable around them.

But it was fun to see them have fun. It wasn't a total flop. It wasn't horrible. (Everyone asks if I had fun too, but honestly this sentence is the only response I have: fun to see them have fun) Its nice to go out but its nice to come back home too.

Note to self for next time:

Don't spend so much money: $100 for Me and Loryns tix, #$103 on hotel, and $110 on gas.

Don't do Saturday and Sunday, try to do Friday and Saturday. Min will ditch for church.

Make it simpler. Simple and lazy and relaxing might trump learning or seeing something new to them. Simple to you is apparently not as simple as it is to them.

Simple, lazy and relaxing also means lots of food. Well, at least food at certain times. As in, dont let anyone get hungry or miss a meal! They get grumpy.

But I do kinda want to plan another one of these again in the future.

I think it would be a good tradition.

It wasn't too painful or stressful. We actually communicated, well everyone but Loryn, but she was busy travelling, and communication makes everything nicer.

And then Monday morning (today) I went to the eye doc and confirmed I'm still seeing 20/20, woot woot!, loving it. Got my eyes dilated tho so I couldnt see much for the first 3 or so hours of work. But thats okay cuz the boss is gone most of the day. Nothing pressing to attempt to read. So if this entry is all whacked out its cuz I couldn't see very clearly. Getting things done! Feeling somewhat accomplished!