The Ultimate SV Dinner Date

Last night I escaped the home front and hiked up Windy Hill with four of my coolio Mama friends. It was a gorgeous night, albeit windy *duh* and as you can see, we brought things to toast with at the top (ever had alcohol out of a Winnie the Pooh Dixie cup? Very appropriate, but not so satisfying). Usually when we get together, which is only about once every two months, we do the basic go-out-to-local-sushi-restaurant or maybe to Oak City Grill routine (costing at least $40 per person with no view of anything but each other's grown up and go out clothes - which, of course, are fun to wear). Nothing wrong with good sushi or sea-level girl talk, of course. But it stunned me to realize we'd never thought to do what we did last night, before last night. Hike + sunset wine toast + Taqueria in Portola Valley afterwards. Total: $10 each, including a work out, meal and cocktails.

As great as it sounds to me, this date wouldn't work with just any group. I would hasten to bring the lady who is always asking me about the minutiae of potty training along on a 2 hour jaunt (I don't believe in any potty training. Ever seen a High Schooler in diapers?) But these girls...I don't know, I'm just never bored with them. Not only are they fun to talk to about our kids (our sons all met in preschool, and somehow we always end up telling embarrassing stories that involve penises), but we also cover real topics that do not involve children. I treasure these women (and the fifth of our group who met us at the Taqueria afterwards) and am grateful to the preschool we attended for bringing us together. We certainly wouldn't have met at work. Three of us run our own businesses that have NOTHING to do with technology, one is a cracker jack accountant, one a school psychologist, and the other seems to do just about everything from wine making to design to succeeding in looking at least ten years younger than she actually is. Bitch.

We aren't all best friends. But we are very special friends. Together we have begun to raise our kids (twelve kids 5 and under), seen the oldest through preschool and soon *sigh* off to Kindergarten. We have worked hard outside the home and in it, shared those experiences, and bemoaned the fact that we have hardly ever gotten out as a group. As mommies of young kids, it doesn't happen often. Usually we are disciplining a group of wrestling balls of testosterone between partial sentences spoken to one another. But when we do get out on our own, I know I can always count on good old fashioned belly laughing that takes me back to elementary school innocence. You know these kinds of friends. They are never taxing to be with. When I'm with them I don't give a shit about, well, anything but laughing and talking. It's pure. And for the most part, there's no gossip. We have enough to discuss with our own trials and tribulations and events that we don't need to run others through the dirt, and that, in addition to the laughter, makes me feel good and refreshed.

Thanks ladies. Last night was just a little reminder to myself that I love where I live, and who I live near. What else is there (besides family, money, great vacations, work and fame), to life?