Bachelorette Party!!!!! And PICS

FRIENDS...I had problems adding the many photos to the blog entry...so I made a separate album entitled "Bachelorette Party." Wish all you girls could have been there. Enjoy.

I went to a wedding last night, and the bride's bachelorette party the Saturday before that. It was great! Since I work weekends, I've had to ask off from my weekend job for a spate of weddings, and, of course, the bachelorette party. So my own birthday, in two days, just does not get its own party this year. But Amy's party was awesome. And it's only for you all...I can't share this much elsewhere on the internet, si?

German heritage is HUGE in Cincinnati--which I appreciate, since my grandma's from Germany. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati takes place in September. So our festivities began with the Oktoberfest street fair.

I kissed the kids goodbye, drove downtown, and ran into a roadblock near the hotel where we were to meet. No worries--a police officer explained how to get around. I drove past the river and the sports stadiums, then back up to the Tower Place parking garage. Parking garages make me nervous, so I hoofed it to the Hilton lobby where we were to meet.

Amy, the bride, was still tied up in a dinner with older relatives. Jamie and Geneva met me and showed me up to the hotel room, where I stashed my suitcase and breast pump (I'm still nursing Roland). The view was spectacular.

We walked down to the street fair, where beer was flowing freely. Fat-laden fair food was plentiful, and laden with phallic symbols. Later in the evening, I was talking about trying a sauerkraut ball. Some random guy in a Ramones shirt handed me one. I also enjoyed the German egg roll, stuffed with bacon and cabbage. Drink-wise, I started the evening with a doubleshot bourbon slush, then a Sam Adams beer. I'm telling you, beer has grown on me. I used to hate the stuff.

Bride Amy showed up, already pretty buzzed and all smiles. In our area, bachelorettes often wear a cheapie veil when they go out on the town. Complete strangers who were also celebrating their bachelorette would come up and high-five her. Amy, who normally does not cuss much, started saying, "F*&^cking A!" at all of them. Amy also dove into a German cream puff, dousing herself with powdered sugar.

People in Cincinnati like to talk to strangers, especially where alcohol is involved. One such guy accosted Geneva, who told him about Jamie, our only single friend. He and his friends came over to flirt. They called me CRAZY PANTS. Jeez, I wonder why.

After a while, we left Oktoberfest for Cadillac Ranch, a nightclub with a MECHANICAL BULL. Yeah, baby. The place was packed...took a while to get a drink at the bar. The dance floor was fun. It was an interesting mix of people--no "cooler than you" types or smily guys hitting on us. Everybody was having a good time.

And the time came to ride the bull! Amy teased me about getting on so much more easily than her. That's not due to me having more athletic ability....just longer legs.

About 2:00, we decided to leave the club. Amy was starving, so we found a classy, late-night Chinese place and ate huge bowls of soup. Several guys at the table next to us struck up a conversation, European-style.

Then it was back to our beautiful hotel room. The Hilton is just beautiful....the nicest chain accomodation I've stayed in. I pumped, dumped my alcohol-laden milk, and showered. I had to get up painfully early to drive home, see my kids, and rush in to Ruby Tuesday's for the Sunday lunch shift.

But it was SO worth it. We had such a great time. My own bachelorette party was kind of lame. So this chance to really let my hair down meant a lot to me.