Gabrielle took the bus to the mountain on Thursday. She was brusquely greeted by deep and crunchy snow covering the path to the front door. Once inside, she discovered Jack passed out on the couch with her comforter. The gall! Something smelled funny. "Jack, wake up! My friends are visiting this weekend! It reeks in here! Can you go air out that comforter?" Gabrielle busily set about tidying the chalet from a week of male fallout.
Finally, at 7:15 Anaya arrived with her rolly carry-on bag, pillow and stuffed panda bear. Gabrielle fielded a series of cell phone calls with questions like, "After I turn into the entrance and go over the bridge what stop sign is the one?" "OK, now I'm in front of a sign that reads, Lodging and Parking. Which road is it?" "Wait, you just saw my headlights? No, I don't see a black SUV." Eventually Anaya parked in front of the black SUV. To her dismay, she realized rolling luggage was an uninformed choice. Jack and Brennan were leaving with their stuff when Anaya stepped into a giant mound of snow in an attempt to hoist her bag. Jack: "Whatever you do, don't step off of the path, OK?" Anaya: "What path? I can't even see." Jack: "Gabrielle, can you come help her?" Gabrielle: "Yes, yes, I'm coming! Hi doll!!" Anaya: "So I see why you chose a duffle bag." Jack: "Yeah. Umm... have fun, bye."
Upon entering the chalet, Gabrielle showed Anaya a cozy little room with a skylight and a painting of "Paris By Night". Anaya liked the room, but then noticed another one with a framed tapestry of a knight on the door. That room had serious appeal. Anaya asked if she could bunk there. Gabrielle: "That's Brennan's room. He doesn't like anyone else to take it." Anaya: "That's OK. He'll never know. I'll put everything exactly in the spot where it was when I leave." Gabrielle: "OK! You're brave! Go for it!" Thursday night was catch-up time for the girls, and Gabrielle showed Anaya her photos from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand. Anaya was moved by the beautiful photos of lotus flowers, long boats, reclining Buddhas and wat temples. She had heard stories of Gabrielle's time volunteering in two orphanages, but the photos of the children cemented these stories in her heart. After some homemade pasta, tea and hot chocolate, it was bedtime.
Friday morning, this was the view from Brennan's window.
Anaya asked a question to no one in particular: "Does Superman live here?" Gabrielle was out the door with her gear before Anaya could make coffee. Anaya wandered around in her pajamas, started a fire and drank some mochachino. She climbed up to the loft and completed a transcription for her book. Before she knew it, the day was done and Gabrielle showed up at the chalet with Nathan and some beers. After one beer, Anaya went out for candles and more firewood. Gabrielle was ready for dinner at 7:00, so two old friends went out in Tannersville to feast on champagne, cheese fondue and rotisserie chicken.
Adina arrived right after lunch. To Anaya's surpise, she had a broken hand! No skiing for Adina. Nonetheless, a new friendship was forged and the two went up the mountain to meet Gabrielle for apres-ski. Even though Anaya's Alma Mater lost a bastketball game to the dreaded Jayhawks, she was consoled by a free Goose and Juice from a sympathetic bartender. A seat next to this fire pit dissipated her bad mood.
Because of texting mishaps, Gabrielle could never find her girlfriends when lessons were over. Adina and and Anaya tried another bar, then left to escape Wayne. In spite of his good intentions, Wayne's uninvited physical contact and repeated invitations for dinner and cocktails at his house were creepy.
Gabrielle was waiting back at the chalet when her skeeved friends showed up. Adina: "What should we do now?" Anaya: "Let's go out!" Gabrielle: "Ugh! My legs are so tired. I need to change out of these clothes and relax a bit." Anaya: "Shall we order in and then go out later?" Unanimous: "Yeah." The order was placed, picked up and brought back. To everyone's surprise, the Sesame Chicken was identical to the General Tso's other than the sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Adina: "Why would they do that? Do they think we're complete idiots?" The Lemon Chicken went over a bit better. Still, the food didn't really sit right with anyone. A beer didn't help. Tea didn't help much either. The fire felt nice. No one really wanted to go out anymore. Adina had brought up a Netflix DVD, Bend It Like Beckham. The group decision was to watch this film together. There was one problem. The DVD player was disconnected from the television since the male ski instructors had been using their Wii and another playstation during the week. Adina and Gabrielle attempted to rectify the problem with little success. Gabrielle: "This is what men are supposed to do!" Anaya: "I'm sure I could figure it out if that was my motivation, but I just don't want to get up." Adina: "If I had a flashlight I could see which color of cord plugs into this hole." Anaya: "If this is what men are for, what are we supposed to do?" Adina: "Look good! We show up and look good. That's why the men have to pay for the dates. We have to pay for yoga and pilates classes, highlights, facials, manicures...by the time we're ready for a date we've already spent $500 to look like that. That's why they pay." Gabrielle: "Well, screw this. Let's just watch TV." Adina: "Oh good, Boston Legal's on!" Gabrielle: "I hate that show. There are already so many bad stereotypes about lawyers." Anaya: "But they're all true! That's why I avoid law firms."
After a few minutes of Boston Legal, Anaya got restless, jumped up and walked away with purpose. She indavertently ran into a wall, bruising her hip. "Oww!!" Gabrielle: "Are you OK? What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Anaya: "Well, I just thought we were going to do something. You know, I came up here, arranged for babysitting, left my husband with my kids all weekend and now we are just sitting around watching Boston Legal! This is a little disappointing to me." Gabrielle: "Well, thanks for making me feel like shit." Anaya: "That wasn't my intention. I'm just annoyed." At that comment, Gabrielle, exhausted from a day of teaching four year olds how to to ski, retreated to her room making sure to drop off Anaya's broken hairbrush on her way. For some reason, Adina and Gabrielle both forgot their hairbrushes so everyone shared Anaya's. As Murphy's law would dictate, the handle fell off the brush on Friday morning. Somehow no one had a bad hair day and the broken brush sufficed. It's hard to ruin pretty hair.
Adina wasn't tired and still planned to watch a movie; any movie. As it happened, We Were Soldiers was airing on a major network. Anaya settled onto the couch to watch with her. Following the scenes of soldiers' wives receiving death announcements via telegrams, a tearful Anaya went to bed. Adina was a trooper and watched to the end.
Sunday got off to a great start. Gabrielle got front door pick-up service from her fellow instructors. Adina and Anaya slept in a little. Anaya surprised Adina with homemade pancakes and coffee. After a leisurely morning chat, the two cleaned up the house for Gabrielle and the guys. Then they went for a drive to refresh some supplies. There were no hairbrushes to be found. This was of no consequence. Up the mountain they went, in search of sun, food and company. None of these were in short supply.
A departure plan was devised. Anaya would drive them all back and get them on the 9:46 to Grand Central from Tarrytown. Dinner? A quck drive-thru at the McDonald's in Saugerties. Adina and Gabrielle went for the Big Macs but Anaya can only eat the Quarter Pounders. Keeping a steady speed of 80 miles per hour and listening to Michael Jackson, OMD, and Country music, the women just made it to Tarrytown in time. Gabrielle sat in a child safety seat the entire drive. Upon arrival at the train station, she was worried about leaving trash in the car. Adina: "Come on! I see the train! We still have to cross the platform!" Anaya: "Go now!! Screw the trash, I'll take care of it! Run!!" They made it on as the doors were closing. Anaya headed straight to Stop and Shop to buy milk and juice for her little boys. The store had just closed. Along with another man trying to buy Pepto-Bismol for his wife, Anaya begged the employees to open the doors. At long last, the good people of Stop and Shop caved and let them in. Milk and juice were purchased. Anaya made it home and kissed two sleeping boys in their beds. One man who was wide awake got some kisses, too. A great finish to a perfect Catskills weekend!
I Loved it!
ReplyDeleteSometimes, even thought you might be running late, you must be persistent. Perseverance is a great resource that will carry you much further than willpower.
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