The Morning After (still in PCB)!

Holy Wind and Waves Batman!

This morning the three of us awoke to crashing surf and blowing winds. The Palm Trees are waving uncontrollably back and forth, and the white caps in the water stretch as far as the eye can see. Red flags and warnings have been posted all along the beach, and I can only wonder what if this would have been yesterday.

But it wasn't.

Mary was the first one up, and half awake, I saw her head out onto our deck, greeting the mornig surf and stretching. She's feeling great after her race yesterday, not too sore, just happy to have a great first race under her belt.

Ashley was the tired one of the bunch. Stuffing one of her three pillows over her head, she turned down the offers of fresh coffee, and told us to close the balcony door. We readily obliged. After stumbling out of bed, she was the one to declare Let's go to Waffle House.

And so we did.

It seems as though our final day trip to Waffle House has become a tradition for Camp HTFU ladies. So in planning our next destination, we need to ensure that a Waffle House is nearby. (And for the record, Mary got her "official" Waffle House coffee mug, complete with a coffee stain and chip.)

As for me, I'm feeling contemplative.

Looking across the blue-green waters of the choppy Gulf, I'm thinking about all the events that transpired yesterday. The race, the sherpa-ing, meeting new friends, and best of all: the time that the three of us spent together after the race.

Later in the day, Mary and I wandered down to the beach and sat in the sand, letting the waves tickle our toes. I've never had so much fun, or so much sand in my shorts. It was great watching the rays and skates playing in the surf, their ability to fly through tubes of water reminded me of birds soaring overhead.

After raiding the Wal-Mart (because, let's face it: Panama City Beach is not complete without a trip to the Wal-Mart of Waffle House!) of junk food and dinner, our evening picnic on the water's edge was one for the memory books.

I am sad to be leaving today, sad to have to tell my friends so long for now and see you soon! I know that we will, and that we're already planning our next trip together.

HTFU Girls Gone Wild. Or something like that. Only if you can count Mary jumping through waves in a pink cheetah suit, Ashley discussing the merits of her own body odor and skank, and me trying on Hooters shirts.

And yes, we DID find the "H" in HTFU. For "H" Bomb, according to our matching Hooter's Shirts. (For the record, we look stellar in our matching outfits).

And now, Ashley has just left - and the room feels empty without her. Mary is packing her bike, and together we're plotting our final swim together (in the Panama City Beach Aquatic Center, as the Gulf is a no-swim zone today). Her plane takes off at 3:30, so we've still got plenty of time.

After a weekend like this, it makes me appreciate and love the friends that I have, grateful for the time we get to share, and love the sport that I've chosen. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend - with the girls I love.

Me and Mary on the beach!