An evening with Edward...

Lula, I'm so sad you missed our ladies night with Edward and Bella. Edward sends his love; Bella seemed a little standoffish, like she wanted to tell us to keep our hands off of her man, but was just too polite to do so. Seriously, no one knows better than Bella how irresistable Edward is...she should cut us some slack. Sigh...no vampire has ever looked so good.

Can you believe I forgot my camera? I could not get out of my house fast enough tonight! My kids (especially Gabe) were driving me to drink. Obnoxious amounts of alcohol would only begin to calm my frazzled nerves. Maybe it had a little to do with my lack of sleep after working last night. Maybe it's just that my kids really need to go back to school and get into a routine and stop being bored. Maybe I just need a freakin' break. I'm not sure, but a girls night out couldn't have come at a better time.

Becky, Kay and I jumped in my van and drove to the Melting Pot, where Catherine was waiting for us, trying to get in a few more pages of Twilight before our dinner. We are all four at different points of reading the series: Catherine is in the middle of Twilight; Becky just started New Moon, I'm halfway through Eclipse, and Kay finished all fours books in one week (that's gotta be a record!). Kay says her favorite is Breaking Dawn, Becky is struggling with the sadness and heartbreak that is New Moon (at first, anyway), Catherine is loving Twilight, and I am so mad that I haven't gotten to read at all today.

After daiquiris, martinis and wine, we fondued our way through dinner, talking and laughing about everything under the sun, then finally making our way to Edward and Bella when the dessert was brought out (fitting, somehow). We talked about how Stephenie Meyer had the incredible gift of making you get so lost in a book, you forgot you were only reading and not actually living it. Of how reading Twilight brought back all those memories of being seventeen, good and bad. Thoughts of biology class, and the cafeteria, and the boys who gave us flutters in our stomachs when they "accidentally" touched our arm. What a talent to be able to appeal to women of all different ages, sixteen to sixty and every age in between.

All I can say is my children should write a thank you note to Catherine, Kay and Becky for saving their lives tonight. I needed this night like I need air to breathe. Thank you, girlfriends, for keeping me sane, (and for listening to my gory hospital stories without retching). You all are the best. Absolutely.

And Lula and Michelle (my big sis), we missed you. Maybe next time?