We spent the 4th of July surrounded by wonderful friends, and had a pretty enjoyable time as a family, watching fireworks and riding 4-wheelers (i.e. 'Murica). This year I am so incredibly thankful that the 4th and Halloween both fall on a Friday, plus Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, so while I may have to work Christmas Eve it still affords me a 4-day-friggin weekend. I'm also thankful for a job that allows me to leave for 3 whole days and come back to pretty much 0% of crap piled up waiting for me. Seriously, so thankful. People shouldn't dread taking time off, and I had forgotten that somewhere in the last year.
The 5th arrived and I set out with some very wonderful ladies to spend a night exploring Red Lodge, MT. The plan was to eat, drink, laugh, and listen to some sweet rap tunes, and we hit every item on that list like it'd punched our mother. We had lunch at the Kitchen Wine Bar (amazing tri tip sandwich), shopped for a bit, stopped at a few local watering holes to try out their bar stools, had a watermelon mojito at Natali's Bar (very refreshing) and all around traipsed about town, meeting new friends like the exact dogs from Where the Red Fern Grows. Sure hope things turned out better for those two.
Dinner was at Bogart's (coconut margaritas may be a new addiction) and then enjoyed a little Cards Against Humanity before retiring to the hotel's "hot pool". The Lupine in Red Lodge does not do a very good job of regulating the temperature in their hot tub (or scalding tub, as we referred to it), but the temperature of the pool was that of a pleasant bath. I forced the girls to go on a quick run ALL THE WAY THROUGH TOWN to get some waters and snacks, and we fell asleep to the gentle hum that emanates from the back of my throat.
After a delicious nights sleep we got up early, checked out of the Lupine, and headed on down to the Red Lodge Cafe. If you've been there, you realize it is an institution, one of the few remaining cafe's that use the brown mugs and serves real breakfast that puts the meat on your bones. After refueling the tanks we stopped in next door for a Bloody Mary and then bid Red Lodge a fond adieu. Thank goodness we had the good sense to record some of our best quotes for posterity, because when we are together it's like solid gold.
The next round of hot purse jerky is on me, ladies. Until we meet again, dial 1.900.Mixalot, and kick them nasty thoughts.... baby got back.
