The countdown is finally reaching it's last days. This weekend, the weekend of August 27th - 29th, 2010, I will be heading to Door County, WI with two AMAZING friends for a three day worry-free, laid-back, water-lovin', sun-bathin', margarita-drinkin', fun-filled getaway. I realize this is probably not as exciting as you had anticipated, but I not only want this reunion with these girls - I NEED this getaway for my own sanity. What could be better than canoeing around a remote island or sitting at the water's edge sipping on a tequila sunrise (heavy on the tequila)? As the Door County marketing team states, "From the extreme to the serene - my vacation awaits!" Hell ya it does! My vacation with these girls has been "awaiting" for over two years now. Three girls who were inseparable in college have been unable to find a mutually convenient weekend in over two years for a get together. This may have been caused by my ability to get into car accidents prior to TWO previously scheduled reunions, but NOTHING will prevent me from attending this weekend's festivities. A soon-to-be occupational therapist from the snow-fallen hills of South Dakota, a "don't-take-no-crap" cop from the bustling metropolis of the 'burbs, and a loud-mouth fitness advisor from the rural streets of small-town living will once again come together for a much-anticipated spectacular weekend escape.
Who knew after we all met as Resident Assistant's for the Linc/Wash/New Hall (yeah that's right I said New Hall) staff in the fall of 2005 that we would become the best of friends attending monumental moments in each other's lives including birthdays, graduations, and even a wedding. My life as a leatherneck at Western Illinois University would not have been the same without these two girls by my side. In anticipation of this upcoming weekend, I would like to share with Jackie, Aleesha, and a blog audience (including friends, family, and a creepy stalker or two) a few remeber when's that make these girls great companions and also giving you a little glimpse into my life as an undergad at WIU.
REMEMBER WHEN...........
Jackie surprised Aleesha for her birthday?!
It was hard to keep Jackie's visit a secret. Those of you who know me can attest to this. Trust me....I'm about as good at keeping secrets as Brett Farve is at retiring. Jackie made the trek from up north to wish Aleesha a very happy birthday and spent the evening dancing on the speakers of the well-known Pace bar.
Of course we would pick the bar that allows free refills from the keg on your birthday.
Unfortunately, Aleesha was unable to stand up to the challenge of the endless "Happy Birthday" cup and lost the battle fairly quickly in the evening. As a result, I was "forced" to quickly consume full glasses of Miller Lite when she wasn't looking after she continuously headed to the bar for refill after refill.
It was not until the next morning that I revealed my sneaky scheme which prevented me from having to carry her 15 blocks back to the dorm. All in the name of friendship.
REMEMBER WHEN......We went camping for an RA social, and I brought my Mexican ghetto tent with the missing tent poles? Good thing we had an engineer on sight to rig the tent using large limbs from the surrounding trees! Lesson learned: check the tent to make sure ALL pieces are included before driving to the campsite. However, as a good Resident Assistant should be, we were resourceful and quick thinkers!
REMEMBER WHEN........I actually crawled from bar to bar during the infamous St. Patty's bar crawl? I believe it was not but a few beverages into the evening, but I opted to take the name of the evening's event literally and crawl across fairly heavy traffic. I may have received many suspicious looks but it made for an eventful evening!
REMEMBER WHEN.....
We made by far the worst tasting peppermint martini's ever! Emeril would have been so disappointed in our abilities to mix culinary arts with bartending. This is the reason I would have never made any money in the biz. However, I do have to admit that they looked awful pretty! In case you are wondering.....NO. Candy canes do not taste very good when mixed with vodka.
REMEMBER WHEN.......Big Boca Bob and Aleesha drove to Jackie's for the best birthday celebration ever! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I don't need a thousand words to describe the photographic evidence of that eventful evening.
The night involved dancing, drinking, and what's that you say? More dancing?! I have never turned down an opportunity to jump on stage and get my groove on. As always.....my dances moves were on point!
Followed by a ride home in the limo!
REMEMBER WHEN...... Jackie made a cameo appearance as Ariel after you girls spent an all-nighter working on the WIU homecoming float? Jackie does bare a striking resemblance to the Disney princess but the 4 gallons of coffee and cream consumed in a 24-hour period made her unworthy of appearing in a Disney G-rated film. It was times like those that we cursed our position as a Resident Assistant for a public university, but it was also times like those that made us such a tight-knit group of friends.
REMEMBER WHEN...... Jackie married the man of her dreams in a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful church allowing yet another moment for memories to be made.
I know this may come as a surprise to you, but the reception was the highlight of the night beginning with dinner, progressing with drinks, and capped off by endless hours of dancing! If I'm not mistaken, this was also the night I attempted a late night dip in the hotel pool by loudly sneaking in, jumping over the railing, and face-planting on the cement. Unfortunately, if I had used better judgement, I would have noticed that the pool had late night hours, and I simply could have opened the gate to enjoy a swim. That's what I get for trying to be a rebel! 
REMEMBER WHEN..... Jackie thought she was too old to hang out with us? After graduation, the girls decided to visit WIU one night, and the old career-driven woman fell asleep at 9:00pm. We realized at that moment that she was officially a grown up and we were lagging behind in the maturity process. Rather than sulking in our own immaturity, Aleesha and I opted for a late night Mexican hat dance and several glasses of wine!
REMEMBER WHEN......
Aleesha, Jackie, and Big Boca Bob went to Door County, WI and had a great time catching up, reliving the college years, and relaxing amongst sunsets and wine?!
I CANNOT wait to see you girls this weekend. I am certain we will engage in phenomenal adventures leading to several more remember when's.
NOTE: Contrary to what the above statements/photos may lead you to believe, my college years did not ONLY involve drinking and dancing. After going through old pictures, I did, however, discover that it seems as though I only carried my camera when engaging in such activities. Mama Dirt spent a pretty penny enrolling me in 18 years of dance lessons. When you have a talent such as I, it is only my duty to take advantage of every opportunity to show it off. I thank you bars of Macomb, IL for offering me the platform to do so. That platform apparently came in the form of speakers, bar counters, dance floors, and stages. Your money did not go to waste, Mama Dirt.
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