I wrote about our drive there a couple days ago. Today it’s time to write about the visit itself. Overall it was a beautiful, really fun day filled with laughter!

It’s been about 15+ years since I’ve really spent any time with A. Needless to say a whole bunch of catching up to do! She remembers stories about my exes and family that I’d blocked out for a whole host of reasons. The fun part of recapping family stories is having someone who remembers and hates my family as much as I do! I’m being honest here. At one point Daddy proclaimed that if He’d ever heard my mother talk to me the way she did He’d put her in check about being respectful to His wife. Gooo Daddy!!!!

Our initial hellos were filled with love and compliments all over the place. I was 15 when I first met A. She watched me grow into a woman. At 48, I am much different than I was in my late 20s in so many ways! For starters, I’m 100 lbs thinner and confident. I dressed casually in jeans, a red cowl neck sweater and knee height brown suede boots. I put bit of makeup on for the first time in what feels like forever. (Covid isolation has damped my dressing up a bit.) She practically stumbled over herself telling me how good I look coming in for a hug. She’s still tiny, extremely fit and hard bodied at 58. She looked fabulous, too.

Daddy was a tiny bit nervous meeting family. After an initial hello He went for a quick walk with Ruffi to have a smoke. Yes, we took the dogs and there was puppy drama. More barking than I can tell you. The boys were exhausted for a couple days after. lol Daddy settled in quickly and found what I’d said about A to be true. Salt of the earth.

Drinks started flowing which is always a good way to relax and get the chatter going. I found myself on the receiving end of double teamed humor and teasing more than once. The one that stands out most is the plumber that repaired our pipes having a crush on me. You can imagine where they went! I’m a blusher. My face matched my red sweater more than once that day!

Knowing it would go over well, I went ahead and outted our DD/lg lifestyle to A. She’s crazy kinky, too, just not part of the lifestyle community. It went over swimmingly. 😉 I call Daddy all the time. It takes real effort not to. Telling her allowed us to drop pretenses and just be ourselves. Such a gift when we get to do that!!! It reminded me exactly why I want more lifestyle friends in the real world.

Sex was a topic of conversation that day. Aren’t the funnest conversations sex filled??Daddy was a trooper!!! LMAO We made Him blush more than once. I’ve done good when I can made Daddy Master blush!!! *giggles* He partook in the conversation some, opting more to listen. At one point, He commented that He’d never seen me quite so free or laugh so much…. even with my best friend. It made Him happy and He enjoyed watching and listening.

My nephew popped in for a few minutes. He’s so tall and handsome!!! I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around him and just squeeze! I love that boy more than can I tell you. He’s 32, but in my mind and heart he’s always the little boy that used to curl up in my lap and watch The Little Mermaid over and over again at 2 and show me his karate moves when he was 9. Divorce is ugly and tears families apart. He lost an aunt that adores him and I lost a nephew I loved to the moon and back. I’m hoping we can build a relationship moving forward. His birthday is early March, so Daddy and I gave him his gift early. True to the sweet boy I remember he thanked me in person, by text before I got home followed by the sweetest thank you card a few days later. Reading the card made me cry.

Food was an adventure! A is first generation Mexican-American and cooks the best traditional Mexican food the way her mom taught her. Makes my mouth water remembering all the Christmas Eve’s at her parents house having tamales. MMMMMMM!!!! She fixed a huge pan of enchilladas (chicken and cheese), Mexican rice and beans with homemade pico de gallo, cucumber sticks and blue tortilla chips. I’d died and gone to heaven. I could have eaten the salsa with a spoon!!!! Daddy is a very finicky eater. He doesn’t eat rice or beans at all ever, won’t touch avacado (in the salsa) and had never had Mexican food. He was more worried than I was. I know His pallet and was confident He’d be OK… even if not delighted. He was surprised to enjoy the enchilladas and fell in love with blue tortilla chips. First time… He didn’t even know blue corn tortillas existed. He did well and enjoyed deciding He’d be OK if He never ate Mexican food again. LOL I’m fussy about Mexican food after years of eating the real thing. No restaurants for me and not something I cook at home. He tried. That’s the important thing. Gooo Daddy!!!!

We were invited, almost pressured to stay the night. Neither of us prepared for an overnight stay. It’s an hour and 15 minute drive. Far from necessitating a long stay. I’m an extroverted introvert. I love socializing and being with people. Few that meet me in person would know how much recovery time I require after a few hours of peopling. 6pm rolled around and I felt myself reaching the overwhelm point and needing to shut down. All I wanted was the quiet of my own home, my comfy chair and jammies. Stop talking and just… settle in. I stopped drinking after the 2nd drink hours before. Daddy and A had a couple more. I was behind the wheel allowing Daddy and the dogs to snooze on the ride home.

Saying goodbye was hard after so many years and so much fun. We’ll do it again soon. Next time she’ll come our way and we’ll hit the local antique shops, of which there are many and very empty of people. Fire up the BBQ if it’s warm enough and settle in with dinner, maybe a good movie… like family.

In all truth, I feel a bit of sadness that after years of being without any family contact I’m moving across the country just as we reconnect. Daddy stays in close contact with His family back East from here, so we can do the same once I’m on the other side. Visits aren’t out of the question either.