After a marathon week at work that ended Saturday afternoon, I threw a bag into the backseat of my car and headed for the beach.  Cara‘s mom planned a “mother-daughter” weekend for herself and Cara and — now, prepare your little hearts for this — they asked me to come along.  On their mother-daughter weekend.  They asked me to come along.  I know.

I had several vacation days to spare, so I got here late Saturday night and, within moments of walking through the condo door, Cara and I were stretched out across the master bed ready to catch up on everything that’s happened since we last saw each other which, for the record, was eight days ago (in our defense, we did have nearly a year while we were on separate continents).  As we climbed on the bed, Cara’s eyes got big and she says “Hold on, let me lip gloss and I’ll be ready to talk for hours.”

We are having the best time here, y’all.  We’re on Hilton Head Island, one of my favorite vacation spots in the world and the place we’re staying at is deserted.  I woke up before everybody else yesterday morning and decided that I couldn’t wait to see the beach any longer.  So, what’s a girl to do other than sneak down to the shore in her polka dot pajamas?

After eating lunch yesterday, Cara and I walked to the on-site indoor pool which also happens to have a hot tub and the biggest, most comfortable lounge chairs I have ever seen in my life.  We took some books* and magazines with us and spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between swimming in the heated pool, sitting in the hot tub and reading on the lounge chairs.  When we came back to the condo, we decided to make our hair big for dinner using a curling iron.  In other words, I was in absolute heaven all day long.

*In the interest of my being an absolute dork, I shall now list for you the books I brought to read on this trip: The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg; Called Out of Darkness by Anne Rice and The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind by Katharine Hepburn.

Cara’s in the kitchen making breakfast now and, as soon as we eat, we’re headed back down to the indoor pool so we can make good use of that hot tub and those lounge chairs.  We’re going to try to hit a couple of stores this afternoon and then we’re having dinner at a little Italian place on the island that we love (both of us have vacationed here with our families before this trip).  We’re getting back to the condo by 8 p.m. though AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE THIS IS EXCITING.

A group of students from the college Cara and I went to (and where, as you know by now, I currently work) was selected to appear on a new show that premiers tonight on NBC!  It’s called The Sing-Off and, if you’re an American Idol fan, I think you’d love it.  They’re competing against seven other acappella singing groups and let me just tell you — all of us are about to absolutely burst from the pride of knowing that they’re going to be on prime-time television tonight.  In fact, one of my college girls texted me this morning to ask if she and some of my other college girls can slip into my house tonight so they can watch it together.  Let me just tell you — this is a BIG deal for our small town.  So, if you happen to watch the show tonight (NBC, 8 p.m. EST), make sure you look for the group called Voices of Lee so you’ll know who we’re cheering for, y’all!

But for now, I need to go because the hot tub is calling my name and that is a call I’m just not willing to decline.