Genie in a Bottle

Everyone needs a genie once in a while. Someone that takes you unexpectedly from the state you are in and transports you to a better place. This should happen without your input or your control. Think “I Dream of Jeannie” with a little bit more common sense. My Jeannie came in the form of my friends Rob and Todd.

I expected to have a horrible weekend. I envisioned myself pacing around the house in circles and just making myself crazy. Instead I was kidnapped. Kidnapped by the genies.

Saturday morning we drove up to Blowing Rock and spent a delightful day. It literally started in the car, when Todd challenged me to a game of travel Scrabble. You have no idea how happy it makes me to play Scrabble with a worthy opponent. A competition of words. Oh yeah baby, bring it.

While Iona lounged, we battled, we laughed, and ultimately I KICKED HIS ASS. It certainly helped that I had the Z, a Y, the Q, and the X. And he had a raging toothache, so his brain may have been fuzzy. No matter…I won 🙂

We enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe that had good food and horrendous service. No matter, the wine flowed and the corgi was happy just hanging. I also laughed harder than I thought I could right now.

From there, we went up to Grandfather Mountain. OH MY. This is so my element. The views are extraordinary, and the future hiking opportunities gave me such hope. We walked (I may have skipped) across the mile-high swing bridge and climbed up on rocks that provided this amazing perspective of the earth, the ground, the air…without barriers or fences. I was calm, yet amped up. It was the most perfect place they could have taken me. I wanted to just stand on top of that mountain and just…be. That day, I had no fear.

My favorite quote of the day? “This crazy bitch is out on a rock, on a mountain, in her damn high heels and a skirt. I’m in deck shoes and scared to death.”

Of course, our day would not have been complete without a tour of the best restaurants and bars of Blowing Rock. “I swear the shots haven’t hit me. Do you want me to recite the alphabet? A,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,l,p,r, oh hell.” I shall not name names!