It is that time of year again! Girls Weekend! I can hardly believe it. In so many ways, it just doesn't seems like a whole year has rolled around since we were in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Now, I don't know if anybody who reads this remembers, but at the last "flipping of the states" last year, when it was down to just New York and Arkansas, New York landed face down and Arkansas remained face up causing Kathi to experience great disappointment. But, hey, we rallied and now that we are here in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I think we both agree that this is actually looking like it is going to be a very cool little town to explore over the next few days. At this point I have to thank my Mom, who is the one who suggested this particular town. I was looking at Hot Springs and Little Rock, but when Mom heard that our destination state was Arkansas she suggested Eureka Springs, and, by golly, she knew what she was talking about!! Thank you, Mom!!!
While in touch with Kathi yesterday (our travel day) she told me that God had already given her our trip slogan for this year. She would not share with me over the phone, said she would write it down and that I must read it. I want to share that with you now:
"Girls Weekend 13 begins!! It is protocol to wait until at least the final day of our trip, if not later, to look back over the memories and come up with a trip slogan. That won't be necessary this year. I (Kathi) only had to enter the airport at 6 am to begin her journey, when she was handed the slogan like a gift from God. A really nice friendly, helpful, extremely polite young black gentleman took my boarding pass and with cheery "Good Morning", started to enter the information into the computer. "Just one bag? And I see that you have already paid for it online--good for you!" Then, on the next screen...."Ok, let's see now....." still in rounded, even corporate tones. But then......"ARKANSAS??" Part puzzlement, part incredulity. Then, straight to the hood....."You goin' to Arkansas? What, you work for WalMart or somethin'? E'erbody go to Arkansas work for WalMart or Tyson Chicken". And so, a slogan was born, at the very start of our journey: "Arkansas!? What, you work for WalMart or somethin'?" :-)
By the way, Kathi also tends to count the number of other African American people we see while on our trips. The count so far on this trip at the end of our first day (now keep in mind this includes the airport in Fayetteville as well as right here in Eureka Springs), is ZERO. This always makes me feel incredibly guilty. I told her that next year, should New York be the state we go to, we should go to Harlem, just so I can experience what it is like to be in the minority. This feeling of guilt is what landed us in Washington, D.C. on Girls Weekend Five. This was also the year that we bought our wooden puzzle map of the U.S. that we now use to determine the following year's destination, because we were completely indecisive as to where to go that next year.
Speaking of future states, the tossing of the states last night left us with: New York, Virginia, North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Alaska, Nebraska, Missouri, Wyoming, North Carolina, Hawaii, Colorado, South Dakota, South Carolina, West Virgina, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Of these Kathi is hoping for North Carolina, while Lori is pulling for Montana.
Today (Friday, Nov 6) we plan on exploring the cute little, winding, hilly streets and avenues full of shops and restaurants that make up Eureka Springs.
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