Girls’ Weekend

O h, that time of year is here, when blaze orange becomes the new black, and trucks and trailers are decorated with deer carcasses. But, with hunting season comes another season—Girls Night Out season! Now, I’m not biased, girls can hunt as much as men can, and I’m not morally opposed to the hunting of Bambi. I’m just one of those girls who look horrible in blaze and would prefer not to get up at the crack of dawn and shiver in the cold while suspended in some sort of deer watching hammock. It is something I’ve wanted to try though. The problem is, if shooting darts or pool are any indicators, my aim seems to get better the more angry I get. And I don’t think that me mad with a gun = safety. Maybe if I had a bow and arrow and I was alone in a deer stand/tree house type area. Hmmmmm. . .maybe next year. Anyway, Girls Night Out or Girls Weekend can consist of power shopping, craft fairs, martinis with the gals, spa days, or movie nights. Most restaurants/ bars/venues host a special show, and some groups of gals have a set plan season after season. Last year I was invited to participate in one such Girls Weekend, one that had been in existence for years. Last year, I was the newbie—this year, I charged right in. It’s sometimes difficult to make good girlfriends when you are older and a workaholic. And quite frankly, if you don’t have kids, you don’t have that instant “in” of play dates and mom groups. And, though I love all of my friends who have kids, when you just want to meet someone for a drink after work, or run out of town on a shoe shopping trip, it can be hard to coordinate the single gal schedule with the schedule of a mom (especially when the moms are fantastic mothers and wives, which all of my mom friends are). And whether you are single or married, mom or not, we all need a getaway from our day-to-day lives. And as women we sometimes feel guilt in taking time for ourselves. Like many of you, my brain does the “I should be doing laundry/paperwork/dishes/grocery shopping etc.” rant, but sometimes you just have to shut that little voice off and play hooky. That little voice was running overtime last weekend before the fun started. I was thinking about all of the things I had to get done at work and at home, feeling guilty about taking a night for fun, and as Saturday got closer and closer, I was just worn out, and thinking how nice it would be to just stay home in the storm and read a book.