Whoomp '96.

I'm surrounded by Brad's childhood. Nearly all of his friends are friends he's had since high school. His family lives here and we spend a lot of time with them. I've been listening to Brad and his friends exchange high school stories for over 13 years. Now, I can relay stories until I'm blue in the face, but I didn't hold too many of my high school (let alone middle school) friends close. Most of my adult history, Brad's been around for - it's his history, too. So there is a special sweetness to watching him stare at me and my childhood friends with a mixture of confusion, disgust, and amusement. And for me, there's nothing quite like saying "I just have to get something off my chest" or "Rita Dog" - then just waiting for the immediate giggle fest to ensue without a word of explanation. This weekend was one such time, as two of my oldest friends were here for an overnight slumber party.

Triple summer birthdays, celebrated with much maturity.

Sara and Tabi (and then-newborn Lucia) were here around this time last summer, too, so we're hoping to make this a yearly girl's trip. Now, I plan to see them both between now and then, but I do love a good tradition, so I'm already looking to Saline Girls Weekend '13.

In between looking at old yearbooks, stalking former classmates on the internets, and catching up on the ins and outs of our current lives, we:

Had some drinks, apps, and salads at the Bistro...

Had some more drinks and danced to '80s music on the roof at RyeBelle's...

Had some pre-Antiques on the Bluff breakfast at Shu's. 

Tabi loves when I take pictures of her eating...

And bopped around in the giant waves.

A perfect little 24 hours. When they left, I was so sad that I needed to immediately drown my sorrows in food.

$8 organic, local-made pasta from the farmer's market.

Gorgeous multicolored cherry tomatoes, also from the farmer's market.

Seriously. Are these not the most beautiful tomatoes you've ever seen?

All these amazing ingredients (as well as basil, oil, and red wine vinegar) culminated in a very... just fine pasta dish. Perhaps my heart was just too sad to truly taste my dinner. Sigh. But hey, it still looks pretty! (And the leftovers taste much more notable - there's a good spoonful or so left in the fridge... Perhaps I'll top it with a fried egg for lunch tomorrow. Yum!)