Almost Perfect

We have officially survived the final dance competition of the season. Only another parent who has sat through hours and hours of dances and awards shows can truly share my joy. Alyssa did well on her solo and received a gold, the same award she got at regionals. Liz joined us last night to see Alyssa dance and we snuck away for a bit and went to Jason's Deli for dinner.

There are so many reasons I love Liz and have given her no choice about keeping us forever. Technically, she is my former stepsister through my dad's third marriage, but we've just adopted her as a sister/aunt and don't really care about any actual blood or legal connections. Liz is from Arkansas and has lived where I've lived and unless you've experienced South Ark., there's no way you can understand it. We can tell stories about people named 'Shotgun' and not question if that's their real name. (We also know people named Gun, Skeeter and Rugrat and 2 of those are girls!)Last night's story revolved around a homemade boat dock that then became a boat because Shotgun attached a Johnson motor to the back of it and some stair rails to the side for safety. I don't question these stories because I'm from there and I know what these people are capable of. I was laughing so hard my chicken panini almost flew half chewed across the table, but thankfully I was able to keep my food under control. I won't even tell you the part about the rope being tied to her toe while she floated on a raft so the river current wouldn't carry her away because you might start questioning my integrity.

Now, lest you think Liz is a country redneck, think again. She is a classy career woman who lives in Frisco and has an admirable shoe collection. How the two of us turned out to be city-loving, fashion conscious girls, I don't know. But we also share something else which is super special to me. She is one of the few people on this earth who knew my dad well, knew what it was like to live with him on a daily basis, and loved him anyway. I can talk to her about my dad, his good and bad points, and she knows exactly how I feel.

Okay, enough mushy stuff. I'm reveling in my almost perfect night. I've handed Alyssa off to the family she's staying with for the next week so I'm in my hotel room all alone--do you realize how rare that is for me?--to be alone? I have exclusive use of the laptop without Alyssa standing over my shoulder waiting for me to be done, and I just finished reading the latest chapter of "Black heels to tractor wheels" over on Pioneer Woman's site.I also have take out from La Madeleine, one of my favorite restaurants ever. Although I am plagued by why the caesar salad doesn't taste as good if I get it to go. Why does it taste different if I mix the dressing in myself? Must be one of the mysteries of life I'll never know the answer to. Now, the only thing to make this night better would be something decent to watch on tv. I miss my DVR.

More actual news and pictures from our trip coming soon.....