Happy Friday... but no more happy hour.

Back in my glory days of college life at Florida State, my friends and I had a Friday Happy Hour/Drink Special ritual... mainly Lauren Kelly, Brittani, Kristin, Kari, Lindsey, and myself. However, LK and myself seemed to be the two that were always there. We would wake up Friday afternoon to enjoy a lovely lunch of leftovers at the Chi Omega house, we would then prep for the afternoon/evening/night of debauchery. First stop, Potbellies. We would arrive before Happy Hour(s) started around 3 pm. We would always be those bitches who pushed three tables together and save about 10-12 chairs for people who wouldn't get there until about 5. Oh well, we didn't care if the Zeta's and ADpi's were given us the stink eye. We were professional drinkers back then and they should have gotten there early like us. After gambling (and winning everytime) at flip cup against the same guy (but who had to recruit new friends each week), we would take our earning to Sports Deli for their Beat the Clock pitcher special at around 7 pm. Again, we would kick guy after guy's ass at flip cup until the special was over. By this point we were usually pretty hungry so it was onto Momo's for pizza. The only challenge? Getting there without driving. Occasionally, we would bum a ride but a lot of the time we would call FSU's Safe Bus to take us to the furthest edge of campus and then walk the rest of the way. After scarfing down a delicious ham & pinapple slice for me and a banana pepper & bacon slice for LK, and getting a free pitcher of beer for the guys that worked there (the knew us...we were regulars obviously) it was time for AJ's Sports Bar where the $3 jager bombs and $2 big daddy's flowed like water. Oh man. It was always a good time. On more than one occasion, we would head over to see our buddies at Lambda Chi for some late night sport events (as seen to the left).

Now don't get me wrong, I love my job. I am very lucky to enjoy coming into work everyday with amazing bosses and a really positive work environment, but it is still work. There is no afternoon nap or gossiping on the couch at Chi O. So as excited I get every Friday morning about the weekend beginning, I still get that nostalgic feeling for the college years... the best years of my life. Sandra, Kari, Lindsey, LK, and myself have had some amazing times here in Orlando after graduation but they really do pale in comparison to the past. And now, it seems like we are really getting old. Sandra and Jim are moving in together... Kari, Lindsey, and myself all live alone. LK has a real boyfriend... and she is moving back to St. Louis.

I am going to miss my partner in crime. It's going to be the first time in years that we've been truly apart. I feel like its all coming to an end. We are all moving on, getting older, living our lives as adults and not a bunch of college kids just hanging out. After graduation, I thought it was over, but I was wrong (and I'm glad). All the playtime and going out is really coming to an end. I'm okay with it. I know I will still have the friendship and love my Chi O sisters for the rest of my life. I just miss the closeness, the sorority house, the Saturday football brunches, the keg parties, and now I am going to miss the random nights at Wall Street, the Saturday beach madness, and the occasional game of Ultimate Frisbee. That's not to say that we won't ever do those things again, we will, in fact we will do it tonight...its just that things aren't going to be quite the same.