Last year I turn the big 40 and I had always said that when I turn 40 that I had some ways I wanted to celebrate..
1. A cruise
2. A girls weekend at the beach or mtns
3. A couples weekend at the beach or mtns
4. A big surprise party with all my friends and family
Well, I didn't do any of those nor did I get to the goal that I wanted.. Yes, I thought I would wake up on my 40th and look like Sheryl Crow boy did I cry when I didn't.... So, I am always late for everything so I guess I will be late doing my celebration bash. Don't get me wrong I had a good b'day with dinner at Kanpai with some friends, my friend Regina sent me black flowers, the girls at work gave me a surprise b'day lunch and did all the 40th stuff all that stuff was really great and appreicated but I also wanted one of my 4.
My friend Amy had a b'day in December and we started talking about how we would love to go somewhere over night and she had mention she had never been to Charleston. So, I called up my other friends Ree and Ginger (I was actually suppose to be taking a cruise with them so I guess this was the next best thing) and ask if they were gain to go too. So, here is one thing off my list that I wanted to do when I turn 40. I work for a company that I can get discounts at Hilton and Marriott brand hotels so I set off to search what I could get. I got us a room at Doubletree at the corner Church and Market St it was a 2 room suite, valet parking, beautiful hotel, center of Market just totally awesome and we paid only $44 (this include tax), not $44 a piece but $44 for the room for the night so that was like $11 and then another $19 for valet parking so for one night we all paid $16.. You can't beat that and trust me I keep on going on the web to see when I get that hotel again and take Eric down there for that price. Well, we all were just excited to go and on Friday afternoon we were like why are we not going down today, why are we waiting to go tomorrow. So at 6pm on friday night we are calling each other back and forth and by 7 we deceide to even though none of us are pack we are going. I had to hurry and pack and get the room for Friday night too but I couldn't get it for that price (Hilton only allows so many discounts a month). So I went on Marriott and we got Springhill Suites on the river for $44 (includes tax) for friday night so we paid $11 a piece to get there at 12:15am.. Amy lives in Easly and then the rest of us live in Spartanburg so we meet in Ft.Inn and left Gingers van at my sister house for the weekned. By 9pm we are hitting 385 and heading to Charleston one stop in Clinton to get me dinner (everybody else had eaten but I had not had time) and the girls some coffee and we made another stop closer to Charleston for a bathroom break. We get there at 12:15 in bed lights out and we stayed up talking and laughing until 3:30am.. It was all worth it...
Satuday we get up and get ready and head out in search of breakfast or brunch whatever you want to call it. Ginger is the one in the group that is our DJ and our food source. So she made the comment we should eat somewhere we don't normally eat at home. We found a little place on Savannah Highway called The Early Bird and let me tell ya it was really good. We got a bacon, egg, cheese (we think goat cheese) on a crossiant and it was huge and really good and then harsh brown but they also had something I think called sweet potato fries or something so we got a order of those cause everybody around us were talking about how wonderful they were and I have to say they were... For there we went into downtown and started looking for our hotel. Now, let me say Eric and I for christmas got a GPS and this trip it really work great and I was thankful that we had it but down in those street we did get confuse but we finally found the hotel. They had a room ready for us so we got to check in at 12:30 instead of 4.. After we got in the room and oh and ah over everything and had the bellhop guy take our pic we took off and hit the Market and then we deceided to take a carriage tour and our rt was the French Qtrs. Our tour guide was from Taylors-Greer and just made the tour really insteresting and fun. We stop afterwards and grab a snack at TBonz and then finish the Market. Then onto the room to freshen up and head to place in Mt. Pleasant called The Wreck... now let me tell Bertha (our GPS) took us through this beautiful neighborhood to this end of the road that looked shady (not a keeping the sun off shady but the shady as in trouble). There was this long dirt rd we couldn't decide if that was it or not, then all the boats like at a ship yard and we knew that was not it but there was a place w/ cars out in front of and it looked like a dump but we knew it look something like that so we got in and found out we were in the right place... NOw, I am going to go off tell ya a funny story (by the way I have left alot of them out cause we said our weekend was "in the vault" you know what happens or is said in Charlestons stay there) but this is not about one of us.. I was trying to take a pic of the girls in front of the sign that says The Wreck and this lady that was a local ask if she could take our pic so we said that would be great and it took her awhile and we were in alot of peoples way and when she handle the camera back she said that was really a great pic of y'all.. I did something that I forget I erase that pic and I hate that did cause I am dening you of a good laugh.. it was a blurry pic of our some of our legs.. I guess she thought we had nice legs.. Ok so we go in this place and there are fireplaces lite, alot of locals, they give you a menu and tell you to circle what you want. I wanted shrimp and scallops w/ a baked potato and salad but here you pick your meat and all the food comes with red rice, hush puppies, cole slaw and then something called homiey which is fried grits and had jalenpos in them so I didn't even attempt to try it. It was fresh and good but I am a cheapo so paying $20 and then leaving a tip for a total of $25 is to high but it was a weekend of adventure and fun and I didn't mind.. We paid and headed out and we were outside taking pics and who walks out our friend that thinks her pic are wonderful now she wants to take one out in front of the anchor.. oh course I didn't want to be rude and tell her no so I let her while she was getting her glasses out we were all laughing and wondering how this pic will look, I guess the glasses help out... So after all the pics where done somebody had told us to go to a place called Red's on Shim Creek they always had a band and karkoe and the view was great... Ok, the view was great, the food looked good but we were stuff but sitting there watching the Panthers and Cardinals play football, the college kids drinking and partying and well the 2 girls being really friendly we decided it was time to go. We headed back to our hotel left the car and yep the camera and walked Market St and saw all the night life and heard some great music and even dance some.. When we got back in the room the girls had surprise me and they had a b'day gift for me. Now you have to know Amy had only met Ginger 1 time about 2 wks before this trip and never has met Ree and come to fine out they had been going behind my back and doing this.. My friend Amy is the one that sells Thirty-One and if you read my post about that you know I have been wanting this one pocketbook. Well they went in together and got the pocketbook and the key fob and I have order the wallet so I will have my first whole pocketbook set.. I feel grownup now..lol
Sunday we got up, got ready and packed and checked out as we were walking to the car we notice that the back tired was flat. Oh my, what are we going to do. Thanks to Ginger she talked the valet guy in getting somebody out there from maintance and having air put in the tire and Amy notice there was a nail in the tire. We were told that it was a slow leak and we could make it back but we didn't want to chance it so we type in Pep Boys in Bertha (GPS) and she told us where to go. We went and had the tire plug and then went on to Shoney's to feed our hungry tummies and then headed home..
All in all we had a wonderful weekend of laughter, adventure and wonderful friendship. Love ya girls, thank you for making my b'day special!!!!!!!!!!!
So what about the other 3 things I had wanted to do when I turn 40 well for Eric's 40 we are planing a couples cruise or trip to all exlusive resort so that would be 2 down at one time.. The party well maybe I will give it to him or one of my friend that is turning 40. I did give Ryan one for his 16th so maybe we will count that...
Here are the pics from the weekend..
We the next one to see my homecoming...


