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Sunday Kathy and I went out for some girl bonding. It was only last weekend that Robin and I got to visit, and now more girl time this weekend. I could get used to this. I truly think that I had forgotten how important it is to have girlfriends to talk to. No matter how wonderful my husband and my male friends are, they don’t quite get it. Just as I have to accept, that there are things in the guy world that I’m just not going to get because I’m a girl. That’s not a bad thing, or a good thing, it’s just a thing.

Kathy and I went shopping. I’ve never been very good at shopping. I shop like a guy. I have my list, or my goal. I get in, I get out, I’m done. I do not want to browse. I do not want to take my time. Let’s get going! But yesterday I got it. Kathy and I both acknowledged that it wasn’t the shopping that we were primarily interested in; it was the socilization. It was a chance to talk, just us, without having to worry about kids or husbands, or even other guy friends. Nothing personal to all the very good friends I have that are male, but sometimes you just need an estrogen fix. We did see Charles briefly, when he met us while we were having lunch, so I guess it wasn’t a testosterone free trip, but then that’s okay, too.

(We had a disturbing guy that was paying too much attention to us in the restaurant. Not enough to be trying to pick us up, but just watching us too much. That’s creepier, frankly. I noticed him, told Kathy, but she’d noticed already. When he left the restaurant, he sat in his car, right beside our car for a long time. We both agreed that we would not be going out of the restaurant until he moved. Also, our cars were the only ones in the parking lot. The restaurant wasn’t busy, hmm. I would have just put it down to writing Anita, which makes me a little paranoid, but Kathy had picked up on him, too. Kathy is one of those girlfriends that notices her surroundings, too. It makes me not have to over explain. She just gets it. Maybe it’s years of being married to a policeman, whatever, I can do the short hand explanation and be ready to go. Because sometimes paranoid is just another word for being right. So, I must admit on estrogen bonding day, that the thought that Charles was joining us, was not a bad thought. Let me admit here, that I hate the fact that knowing a guy friend was coming, made me feel better about the situation. It pisses me off. But, I wasn’t carrying on Sunday. It’s a pain in the ass to have a weapon on you when you’re trying on clothes. I figured, how dangerous can it be, going shopping? Yeah, right. But I still hate, a little bit, that I was relieved that Charles was coming. Nothing personal to him, any man to the rescue pisses me off sometimes, but I acknowledge it, even if I don’t like it. But Kathy and I were fine. We’d noticed the man. We had decided on our precautions. He left before Charles even arrived. We were safe because of situational awareness, which is the greatest asset to your personal safety that you have. It’s better than a gun, or training, because situational awareness will keep you from having to use a weapon or try out those martial art’s skills. The best fight, is the one that never happens. Oh, and there are men that I wouldn’t be as happy to see if trouble happens. Some men, like some women, are just one more person to worry about. Again, part of this is me being deep into an Anita book, it screws with my thinking. I’ve said for years, I hope I never get mugged while I’m writing one of these books, because I am not Anita. I do not have her training, and I worry, every once in awhile, that I’ll forget that when it’s important.)

A side note to Shawn, in case he reads this: My hand to God, that if I truly thought it was dangerous, I would have called the police. I would never, ever, endanger your wife. Further more, if I thought it was that big a deal, but not quite to the calling the police phase I would have eaten my pride and either asked Charles to stay, or called you and Jon. I swear.

It was a hi, and buy, trip for Charles, because he was on his way to a family dinner. I think a relative was turning 85, which is pretty cool. But, I had driven the Foose yesterday, which Kathy and I both enjoyed. I love that throaty rumble, and the feel of the car in my hands. There’s only one problem with the Foose for a shopping trip when I don’t know where, exactly, I’m driving. It has no navigation computer. The MDX has one, and I relie on it, a lot. I’m pretty good in the country, but I get lost in the city. Even my own city.

So, Charles drew us a map for the store we were wanting. It was a good map. After he left and we went on our way, Cathy used the map to help me navigate. I suspect that we didn’t quite go far enough down the road we were on. That’s always been a problem for me when I’m going to new places. My nerves fail, and I am convinced I’ve gone too far, when usually I’ve not gone far enough, and if I was just patient and drove a little further we’d be where we need to go, but yesterday it wasn’t about the destination. Kathy and I both agreed, out loud, that even if we didn’t find all the stores we planned to visit, we were okay with that. It gave us longer to talk in the car where we didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing.

Charles said, when I’d explained the problem earlier, which prompted him to do the map, that, "The Foose wasn’t supposed to be navigated; it was supposed to be driven." Fair enough, and what I’ve learned over the years is that you’re rarely, truly lost. Most of the time you can just turn around, and try again.

Shawn, Kathy, K and F, packed up the car and drove for home, but we were all a little more relaxed then when the weekend started. How many times can you say that about visiting family. Oh, didn’t I mention, that I’m Aunt Laurell to their kids?