My weekend started after work Friday night. I had already packed and had my gatherings in the truck ready and waiting. Suprisingly, tho I knew I only had to get thru the day before my fun filled weekend, the day didn't drag by too slowly. When it was time to leave, I said my quick but tender farewell to Shawn, packed Tara's truck with my stuffs and we were headed on a beer run and for her place.

When we got to her place, Ray called to say he was going to stop over for a bit. And he did. YAY. A night with Ray is always a night full of humor and fresh vocab. There's just something about Ray... he's different. But in a good way. And we loves us our Ray-Ray.

Anyways, we all decided that enough of the once very purple dye had washed out of my hair to finally put the ultra light blonde in my hair. For those who do not know, I am a natural blonde. I actually love the color. It has various hues and tints, all falling under the ashy golden blonde category, but for a change, i thought I would go as light as possible and see where my fancy took me. So we started in.

MY GAWD! Hair dye stinks! Enoguh so that it gave me a raging migraine and I had to take 2 of my pills. Which sucked. I hadn't even finished my first beer. And I don't dare take my migraine meds with beer. Well, ok. I swalloed them with beer. But I gave up the beer thereafter. Anyways- Tara set to dying my hair, I was fighting a migraine and the whole time kept watching Jamie and Ray's faces for anything that slightly resembled the need for a panic or fear fest.

Boy, did I get one after I washed the dye out. First of all, while washing, my hair felt like one big matted mess of hay. It felt thick, course and straw like. I was mortified. But once I gobbed a half bottle of Pantene Conditioner on it, it took on a more normal and natural fell. Then, it started to dry and in the mirror I wide eyed stared at what had happened to my hair.

Oh, it was ultra light blonde. Quite pretty... until I saw the pink hue. Yes, pink! My all time most despised color. Baby Pink! I wanted to cry. There must have been SOME purple left in it, and when we went with the blonde dye, it dyed the purple left in there baby pink. But in all honesty, It's grown on me. Im actually growing quite fond of it. The results are quite unique. And every one has said that it looks cute. Some said it looked like I went strawberry blonde. In any case, it's manageable.

In the meantime, Tara had made some shrimp scampi and we ate those and chatted before hitting the beds. (Or in my case, the couch)

************** Saturday **************

We woke up later than planned as we had an agenda to get thru before we were even able to leave for Cheboygan. But we got up and did what we had to do as far as getting ready to go in a decent amount of time. Although, it all could have gone MUCH faster. But when it came time to loading whatever Jamie was moving up North with in this trip, Tara hit the shower and stayed there 'til Jamie and I had done it all. Best friend or not, I wanted to choke her at that point. I got over it fast, but damn. I think she managed to drain Lake Michigan. May have even started in on Lake Superior... but who's checking, eh?

With everything loaded and after last checks, we hit the road and headed for the nail salon. I talked Jamie into acrylics and Tara into a pedicure. For me, I settled in to have my acrylics filed down, filled in and a french manicure followed by a pedicure. I was even feeling a bit brave. I went for bright red polish on my toes. I didn't like it when they were done, but they look cute. I now know that red is not the right colour for my snausage toes is all. But the lady did put gem flowers on each big toe. The lady who did Tara's painted yellow flowers, stems and all on her big toes. We all left happy and feeling deservingly pampered.

After that we left and zipped over to the local pasta place for a quick bite and hit the road. We stopped at Kohl's in Gaylord to get Tara's mom's b-day gift. I picked up a nice beige linen dress with a floral pattern around the hem hand stiched in abby blue. I love it. I even got a new americana visor and a pair of earrings. I was feeling quite spoiled and on top of the world!

We arrived in Cheboygan later than expected. But glad to be there just the same. Tara's Mom looked excited to see us. And it was good to see her again. Tonya was there with her twins for a bit before she left to shower to go have dinner. Not long after settling in, tara and Jamie started getting ready. After an hour, 70,000 different outfits, various changes of sandals, primping and arguments over pantylines, (I was ready in 10 minutes flat as was their Mom mind you! And not to mention Tonya drove home, showered, changed and primped and made it back long before Tara and Jamie were ready) we FINALLY left for dinner out.

We decided after a long debate on China 1 Buffet, a new chinese place. The waitress was adorable! We all had to hide our chuckles. When she asked us for drinks, she asked "You wan a pesssi?" Cute, I tell ya! When I asked for Mt. Dew, she relied, "No mo today." with a HUGE grin and sheepish look. So... being the non confrontational diner I am... I ordered, what else? A "Pessi!" (ha!ha!)

The food was tasy and met my standards. There was a HUGE selection and I tried a lot of things I had never experienced. And for all the bad things I did try, there were more than enough tasty things. So hooray for the chinese buffet!

After dinner, we went to a little (what appeared to me) hole in the wall bar called the Hilltop since they have karaoke on Saturday evenings and Jamie loves doing Karaoke. However, for some reason or another, there was no Karaoke and we were a bit let down.

But the waitress made me a drink I had never tried, CC & 7. With a string of cherries. Tasty and refreshing. However, so stiff my straw stood on end and with each sip a new patch of hair formed on my chest and I began feeling more masculine by the minute. Tara's mom had 2 mixed drinks and an oversized shot of "Fruit punch" which she downed faster than a dehydrated camel at an oasis. Jamie and I dropped our jaws in silent awe. But all in good fun.

We left there and took "Mom" home, then headed to a bgar closer to "home" called Johnnie's. I continued with the CC & 7's... just as stiff as the previous. The girls drank beer and we got into an extended and very open, honest conversation about sedx. My all time fave subject. After an hour or so, we left there and headed for the Gold Front.

I had the most fun talking. So it didn;t matter where we ended up. I had settled on a $1.75 can (Single can!) of Mt. Dew. I nearly passe dout when she told me how much for one tiny can of soda, but paid and found a table. Tonya and I joked about saving the can and framing or bronzing it. Which was our joke for the rest of the night.

The usual sleeze balls hit on the girls, and Tara found a cute kid to dance, and I use the word DANCE as lightly as possible. As Tonya put it so delicately, "That wasn't dancing. That was humping!" And Jamie reffered to feeling as if having stepped back in time into the movie "Dirty Dancing". But it was good to see Tara cutting loose.

The band that night also rocked. The guy singing was sexy as hell by my standards. He was dressed in jeans a white tee and a stetson accented with cowboy boots. My motto for the night was:

"Save a horse... Ride a Cowboy!"

And Lord, I found my cowboy! We ended up closing the bar and heading home.

*********** Sunday ********************

I woke up to Jamie saying we had half an hour to make it to McDonald's for breakfast. I was up and yanking the blanket off of Tara faster than anyone knew what was happening. We had missed b-fast at McD's, my all time fave, due to running late Saturday a.m. But then we were told Tara's Dad had planned on cooking, so I settled down and prepared my belly for a home cooked meal.

Man, her Dad can cook! He went all out too. Fried taters, french toast and fresh ham. WAHOO! Can anyone say HEAVEN?! I even went as far as to ask if they wanted to adopt a fifth daughter.

It wasn;t long after breakfast and Tara wanted to go. So we prepared the vehicle and said our good byes. After running back into the house 50 times chasing forgotten items, and thanking her 'rents profusely for their kindness, we were off.

We stopped by her Grandma's for a short while. (Tara wa sreally hell ebnt on getting home as fast as possible and even teetered on being bitchy about it) But it was a pleasure 'til just as we were leaving.

I have been hearing stories of Tara's Gran's house being haunted upstairs. As we were letting the dogs finish their business before hopping into the vehicle, I thought I felt someone looking at me. I looked into an upstairs bedroom window. Now, whether or not it was my imagination or not, I SAW a shadow. There WAS someone outlined in that window. i didn;t say a word. But next time Tara started getting bitchy about leaving, I didn;t scold her or argue. I hustled ass and climbed in. Talk about a major case of the heebie jeebies! Egads.

**********************************

Now, I'm home. Shawn picked me up. WQe hung at tara's a bit. Then stopped for take out and an ice cream. Then headed home. We ate, cuddled on the love seat and watched t.v., made mad passionate love... and here I am...

about to sign off for the night. A lot more relaxed, a bit happier than before I left Friday, feeling a bit pampered... and the patches of hair on my chest.

Let the testosterone roll!

Simply,

Sara