I left Paso Robles right after work on a Thursday and drove to Santa Barbara where I was spending the night with another dear friend, Marilyn. Marilyn and I hadn't seen each other in months and I was looking forward to getting caught up with her. It was an interesting start to my trip. Poor Marilyn was having septic tank issues and though a repairman had been to her house several days in a row, there was still no fix in sight. We couldn't flush! We joked about bonding and becoming even better friends over a shared toilet bowl. I offered to get us a hotel room but Marilyn said it was Fiesta in Santa Barbara. That meant there wouldn't be any lodging to be found. No worries. We sat and talked for hours and limited our liquid intake.
The next morning, I left Marilyn's and drove through my old neighborhood in Goleta to where the S.B. Airbus was located. What a great idea! I caught the Airbus to LAX. It was a pleasant, relaxing drive without the stress of navigating L.A. traffic and I was dropped off right at my Southwest terminal. I dozed off and on during the 5 1/2 hour flight. I had managed to only have a carry-on so I was on the curb very shortly after landing. Carole Sue was waiting in a cell phone lot so I texted her to "Come and Get It!!" The text I got back said, "It's the black car." Hmmm. Here is what I could see...
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Fortunately, she could see me better than I could see her! I hadn't laid eyes on Carole Sue in over a year but as soon as we were together the months fell away. I've known her for so long. We grew as women together, raised children together, vacationed together. We've each seen our children married, celebrated the births of grandchildren, buried a parent. For most of those years, there were four of us. Her husband, Norm, and my (ex) husband were also the best of friends. It's actually a bit painful at times to be with Norm and Carole Sue. It is so obvious that someone is missing. However, long-standing friendships are precious and few and there is no way that I will ever allow a divorce to separate me from these fabulous cohorts.
After a full day of traveling, I had four days with the Mayfields. Carole Sue and I love to shop together so the first day after arriving, we joyfully set off for an adventure. We stopped first at a little quirky store that had lots of toys and souvenirs but they also had postcards. That's what I was looking for and Carole Sue waited patiently while I picked up a card for each grandchild. What kid doesn't love to get mail? On the way out of the store I headed confidently for "the black car." Unfortunately, it was not Carole Sue's black car and I startled the person who was sitting in the front seat. I sheepishly followed Carole Sue to the right car and then she, ever the diplomat, scooted back to explain and apologize to the other driver. Next we visited a consignment store. We happily poked around for several hours. Carole Sue had just had a birthday and I was hoping she would find something she loved so that I could buy it for her. Score!! I actually found her a really cute dress right before the store was closing and on my final pass through the racks. I had to talk her into it but I think she was glad later. She looked fabulous!!
The next day was Sunday and I surprised everyone (especially myself) by getting up and ready in time to make it to church by 9 a.m. It was a great service and I loved the worship. I've been in the pre-school department at my own church for months and while I could attend the early service, the fact is that I don't. It's been a sticking point for me. It was so nice to be somewhat anonymous and be able to soak it all in even though I was a bit foggy due to jet lag. We later enjoyed the beautiful day for a while out on the patio of the church.
Carole Sue spoils me (one of the few advantages of not seeing each other often) so she cooked awesome meals. After church, we ate out on their deck. The menu? Waffles from scratch, bacon, and fresh fruit. Delicious! In the evening we headed over to a little beach that is just for the use of their community. Did I mention that the weather was beautiful?
On Monday, Norm went to work and Carole Sue and I took off for a little tourist town called St. Michaels. It was about an hour away on the Eastern Shore. Do I sound like I know where I was? It reminded me a lot of Cambria and we had a great time looking in all the little shops. Just before we got to the town I spotted what I thought was an eagle. I was so excited! I made Carole Sue turn around and go back, pull over on the shoulder of the highway, and wait while I took a couple of pictures. It actually turned out to be an osprey but it was still cool.
On my last full day in Annapolis, Carole Sue and I went to another consignment shop called Honeysuckle. It is a really nice store and we had gone together there last year as well. It has become an annual tradition. We spent a contented three hours there. Funny thing - we found the exact same dress that I had bought Carole Sue but this one was in my size. I tried it on but unfortunately, while it looked great on Carole Sue, it was not right for me. We joked about how crazy it would have been to have matching dresses at our age.
After Honeysuckle, we made what we thought would be a quick stop at Sam's Club. Carole Sue wanted me to give her my opinion on some frames for new glasses. I'm afraid I just muddied the water and no frames were chosen. I waited in the book department while Carole Sue ran to grab grapes and a couple of other items and then we headed to the parking lot. We stood by Carole Sue's car, the black one, while she somewhat frantically searched for her cell phone. As she looked through her handful of purse, grapes, keys, glasses frames...Wait! What? We were shocked to find that Carole Sue had walked all through Sam's Club and clear out to her car with a hot pair of frames with no lenses. We hurriedly stuffed the purloined frames into her purse, ran back into the store, and furtively slipped them back onto the display. We then retraced her steps through the store looking for the lost phone only to eventually find it ... in her car... the black one. We laughed all the way home.
Too soon, it was time to leave. How did it go so fast? Come to think of it, when did we get this old? In a flash the hours waiting in the airport passed, the hours on the plane passed, the dash from one terminal to another dragging my dilapidated carry-on so I could catch my bus passed, the ride back to Santa Barbara, and then finally the drive home. A few days in Maryland over for another year but a 40-year friendship that will last forever.
Oh, and look what I found tucked into my suitcase after I left.
Somehow, after I had admired these earrings in St. Michaels, Carole Sue managed to buy them without my noticing and hid them for me to find later - another awesome memory.
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