A.maz.ing!

So I took a huuuuuuuuuge step outside my comfort zone this week, and reeped the benefits of it all weekend. :D

With this being the first weekend where George hasn't had school (HE'S DONE! WOO!) OR been on-call for work, it was time for me to have one of my semi-regular "Mom's Day Out". At first I had assumed that it would be my usual solo trip down to Portland to do some shopping. Just being able to get in and out of my car without dealing with carseats and wiggly kids, and being able to walk though a store without pushing a stroller or holding a little tugging hand is a nice break. But then George suggested that I get a hotel room for Friday night, and have a kid-free night as well. He didn't have to twist my arm. ;)

As I was looking through the hotel listings I kept noticing rooms available with two beds, and a thought flittered through my mind that "Wouldn't it be fun to invite a friend along..." I just as quickly dismissed it, because I've never done "girl things" (like shopping, or going to a movie) with the women I'm friends with. Not necessarily for lack of wanting to, but because I never know who would want to do those things with lil' ol' me, and since nobody has ever invited me to go shopping with them before, I figured that, ya, people like me, but they don't want to *shop* with me. :op But the thought persisted.

Finally a name popped into my head of someone who might want to do something like this, and I started to write her a message on Facebook. It quiet literally sat on my computer screen for nearly 2 hours before I finally sent it. Would she think I was wierd for asking her to essencially have a "sleep over" with me in a hotel room in another city? Would it be awkward? Would she have to find a way to politely decline without giving away that, ya, she likes me, but that *that* much? My imagination was going through all sorts of possible scenarios, before I finally just said "Forget it, if she says no she says no; I'm going to take a risk and give her a chance to say yes"

And she did!

And we. had. a. blast!!!

We drove down to Portland Friday afternoon and did a bunch of girly shopping, had dinner at Olive Garden, spent probably an hour in the hotel's jacuzzi, slept in until 9am, then went to the Temple, did more shopping (of a more practical kind at Costco), then came home because poor Patrick decided to go on a formula strike and wait for his mama. (we had to cut out a much anticipated trip to DI to do more shopping, but oh well. Maybe next time!)

As nice as my previous solo MDO's have been, they've also been rather boring with not having to have anybody to talk to, and who wants to go to a restraunt that they normally don't get to go to because their husband doesn't like the food, all by themselves? Even if my next MDO isn't an over-nighter like this one, I think I may still have to think of a friend or two to bring along. :)