Everyone once in a while Jeff will up and decide at the last minute to run away for the weekend. All pre-planned, organized vacations are courtesy of me, for sure, but his spur-of-the moment trips (though they may leave me flustered and running to The Blue Door for a must-have new dinner dress or two) are simply wonderful. And sometimes just what we need.
Last Thursday, as we sat at our usual spot at the bar at Bonefish over a bowl of mussels recapping our exhausting weeks (we are such creatures of habits, our orders are placed as we walk in....so sad)....Jeff informs me we will be going to Atlanta for the weekend, and to plan flip flops by day and heels by night.
I do love that kind of plan!
Friday afternoon we snuck out of work, and dashed up to Atlanta where we checked into the best 5 Star hotel around (at least it gets my vote now!).... the Four Seasons! I cannot say enough about this place, it was simply beautiful. And the service was impecible--they waited on us hand and foot! The executive chef even gave us a private tour of the kitchen and their very own veggie & herb garden and bee hives, after we raved over the brunch Saturday morning!
Jeff had made reservations for each night at places I'd never heard of, but was so excited to try. I think he picked good ones, though I'm no fine dining expert, but both evenings were incredibly delicious!! On Friday night, we ate at a wonderful Italian resturant called Veni Vidi Vici.
I loved that when we walked out each night to either catch a cab or get our car from valet, the employee outside would check us out, ask where we were headed, and say "How about we take the hotel car?" So we sported around town everywhere in a 5 week old Jaguar! Apparently, we were looking fly!
**Side note: Jeff vowed never again to bring his Nissan Titan with big boy tires to the Four Seasons, because between there and the restaurants ALL we saw were BMWs, Mercedes, a Maserati, Porsches, a Ferrari, and even a FISKER (I say that like I knew what it was before J told me....)!
Saturday was all about flip flops and boat shoes. And the only day I took pictures with my real camera, and not my phone.
Neither of us had been to the Georgia Aquarium, and with hopes the "initial newness" had worn off some, we ordered tickets online, and headed over. WRONG. It was packed, so we were quite thankful we thought ahead, slipped through the will call line, and eased inside amongst the crowd.
It was so nice to walk around the whole place, on no schedule, holding hands with my guy, not worrying about a single to-do list for once. I just enjoyed the moment. We walked around each exhibit like kids, with our noses to the glass, having so much fun.
I love starfish, I think they are beautiful. One of the things I have always found most fascinating is that they can regenerate an arm if broken off. They can heal themselves. I think that's what this trip was, I wasn't broken, but it just felt healing in a way. Jeff and I can go to the ring with the best of them, and there's never been a time we didn't make up, but it's by far our biggest weakness---our stubbornness. Neither of us like to admit the other could be right, or just "right-er" sometimes, and lose control of a conversation. I know all of my friends are totally nodding their heads about my personality! Well you throw this Italian drama queen in with a Southern-raised man 'o the house, and if you stick around long enough.... you'll see a good show!
But if you do hang around, you'll also see more love than I ever thought possible in my life. You'll see him look at me across the room as if no one else is there, and make me blush. You'll see him reach out his hand as I walk by his chair passing through rooms, just to have our hands graze one another. You'll see him in the kitchen with me, every single time, to wash each dish as it lands in the sink. You'll see him steal a kiss, and then hug his not-so-baby "baby gurl" and throw a wink my way knowing he can love us both, and in the same room together, both his girls, happy, love him back.
The best part is that for all those things that can be seen, so many more can only be felt. As always, there is room to grow, and I know our relationship is getting better each year. There are moments when all I can think of is a calendar, or my ovaries, or my family, or home renovations, to be honest. :) But then I have days or weekends like this, when I am reminded just how simple and nice it is to feel loved.
This is prior to "our driver" taking us to Bones for dinner.
We came home on Sunday and in the fields of Jeff's farm are blooming acres of these sunflowers. It was such a peaceful and welcome homecoming.
Oh...this makes me tear up with that overjoyed kind of lump in my throat...so thankful for your happiness and getting to see and hear about you experiencing it with your love.
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