MOTHERS: Never let your daughters be without girlfriends......

Rene, Katie and I--St. Pat's Parade Day 2012.  Yesterday, we got together to kick off St. Pat's Parade Day week!

Yesterday, before going to a fancy brunch at the Grand Concourse, two of my favorite  college friends and I met for a few cocktails at one of our favorite hang outs of yesteryears.....The Gandy Dancer Saloon ( this also one of my all time favorite places where Carmen and I just love to go when we get a chance).  It's a place where we spent many, many happy hours when the 3 of  us  were single and just beginning our careers.  Those 3 young women of the late 70's and early 80's were quite different than the 3 women who sat at the bar yesterday not chatting about careers and boyfriends. Yes, we toasted those old boyfriends with roaring laughter and we toasted our winding-down careers with great relief but we had better things to chat about than things that don't really matter all that much to us anymore.  Katie brought a big basket of her home made scones and talked about her new love of baking and shared her wedding pictures from her fun summer wedding. And, Rene showed off pictures of her newly renovated mini-mansion and educated us on materials and lighting and decorating challenges.  And, I, of course,  just talked and talked and talked until I practically lost my voice.
 Although we are many years older and the bartender no longer knows our names and we are drinking higher shelf booze, somehow it all felt the same. The three of us sitting at the beautiful bar, surrounded by dark wood, beautiful windows and lots of memories.  It's one of those places that hasn't changed in years--everything looks and smells and feels the same.  But, then again, its so iconic that it never needs to change.   It was the place where the 3 of us celebrated milestones--big and small--with the same exuberance and joy as we celebrated a week coming to an end.  .  Yes, those were the days of hope and wonder.   It was a good place---easy for a meet up,close to public transportation and filled with like folks---young professionals looking for a more grown-up way to relive their college life.  It was the perfect place for 3 girls like us who loved to dress up, have a few drinks, meet new people,  laugh a lot and share our life's adventures. 
And, life sure gave us adventures along the way......
Although we each followed separate paths, we always managed to find at least one day a year (St. Pat's Parade Day) to get together and share a drink or two and a few laughs and sometimes even a dance.  Even when we didn't see each other except for Parade Day....we kept in touch......even if it was just to share some news or to find comfort in the sound of a comforting voice.   From the last time we left that bar together until yesterday when we reconvened at that same bar........our lives have marched on.....
All 3 of us married within weeks of each other and had our first children within a few months of each other.  I'm still with the same husband.....my two friends found better husbands than their first ones.  Those first children we  all had in 1985 are all grown now---all of them doing interesting things---my one friend's son has just found himself on a network TV show and my other friend's son is embarking on a whole new career--leaving his  rock and roll guitar playing dreams behind for a job that actually plays the bills and, of course, my son is doing whatever Phd Computer Scientists do....
We had so much to talk about and laugh about that we never wanted to the day to end.
We promised we would go back again soon.



Oh, and by the way--- my Hendrick's martini was amazing.
My second one was perfect too.

Yes, I've  come a long way.......in every way.   
I'm glad my girlfriends came that long way with me.